Reed's Blog

Magazine Project

2009-05-17T01:50:00.001-07:00

Megan Fox is apperaing in “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.” Scheduled to be released June 24th.

Next weekend is Memorial Day weekend and is the un-official beginning to summer. It also marks the beginning to the summer movie season. This is when the studios put out their biggest movies of the year. This summer looks to be no different. There are many big movies coming out that look to be very entertaining. So it’s time for a summer movie preview.
One of the major releases will be “Terminator Salvation.” The first Terminator movie came out in 1984 and at the time represented the cutting edge of special effects. It seems that special effects have gotten better year after year. “In Terminator 2: Judgment Day” the T-1000 terminator dazzled the audience by seamlessly changing shapes. From the looks of the previews, this one looks to continue the trend. In “Terminator Salvation” Christian Bale plays the famed general, John Connor. Even though this movie occurs later chronologically, it is actually a prequel. John Connor is famous for defeated the robots. It is because he is able to defeats the robots that they travel back in time and try to kill his mother in “The Terminator” and then him as a teenager in “In Terminator 2: Judgment Day.” This looks to be a very exciting continuation of the story.
Another highly anticipated summer movie is “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.” This movie is similar to “Transformers” because it was a popular children cartoon that has been converted to a live action film. The elite military group known as G.I. Joe must take on the evil organization known as Cobra and prevent their brand of evil and make the world a better place.
“Transformers” also has a sequel coming out this summer in “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.” This promises to mirror the larger than life thrill ride that Director, Michael Bay produced the first time around two years ago. Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox appear in the sequel.
In another sequel, “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian,” Ben Stiller tries to continue the story of Larry Daley, the night security guard. When at night all of the exhibits at the museum come to life. This time it all happens at the Smithsonian, one of the most famous museums in the world. I hope this proves to be another great family film.
At the end of July, the comedy, “Funny People” will be released. This stars Adam Sandler as a comedian who finds out that he has a deadly disease and not long to live. He must deal with being on death’s door and then his rebirth after he finds out that he disease free. Life has given him a second chance to right all of his mistakes and regrets. It also stars Seth Rogan and Jonah Hill who were both hilarious in “Knocked Up” and “Superbad.” If this movie compares to some of the funnier movies that these three actors have been in, we could be in for a real comedy treat.
Next Friday it is time to grab your friends, buy some popcorn, and strap yourselves in the chair at your favorite movie theater. It is time for the summer blockbusters to begin. Happy watching.

The movies that I am looking forward to the most this summer:
Editor’s note: this list is subject to editing upon my discretion as level of interest either waxes or wanes
May 22:
“Terminator Salvations” - starring Christian Bale
“Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian” – starring Ben Stiller, Jonah Hill, Robin Williams
May 29:
“Up” – Pixar’s newest animated movie
June 5:
“Land of the Lost” – starring Will Ferrell, Danny McBride
June 12:
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 – starring Denzel Washington, John Trevolta
June 19:
“Year One” – starring Jack Black, Michael Cera
June 26:
“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” – starring Megan Fox, Shia LeBeouf
July 3:
Public Enemies - starring Christian Bale, Johnny Depp
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs – Starring Ray Romano, Dennis Leary, John Leguizamo
July 10:
Bruno – starring Sasha Baron Cohen
July 31:
“Funny People” – starring Adam Sandler, Seth Rogan, Jonah Hill
August 7:
“G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” – Starring Dennis Quaid, Channing Tatum

Topical Blog Post #3

2009-05-16T23:44:00.000-07:00

There are many double-standards that exist in the work place today. Many people say that men have the advantage in the work place, but in everyday activities, men have to stay on their toes. It is very common in the office to hear a woman compliment another woman on the way her hair looks, or what she is wearing, or even ask if she has lost weight. Unfortunately, in this new era of business, men can get in a lot of trouble for saying the wrong thing. If I man wants to offer the same compliment to a woman she could claim that it makes her uncomfortable to be around her male co-worker. This makes it difficult for men to develop a relationship with their female co-workers. It seems that it would be a better course not to say anything at all than say something that could be construed as sexual harassment. Unfortunately, this does not help foster a pleasant working environment but rather a hostile one. I believe that men should be able to offer compliments as well. If men were encouraged to do so I think that men and women would be able to get along much better as co-workers and being at work would be much more pleasant.

Online News Writing Exercise #1

2009-05-16T23:32:00.000-07:00

CNN.com
a) Do the news items reflect immediacy?
Yes, they do a good job of updating their main page with breaking news

b) Does the site try to help readers save time?
Yes, they have informative headlines and a long list of the day's headlines.

c) Is it quick and easy to get information?
Yes
d) Does it provide both visual and verbal information?
Yes, the lead story usually contains a picture. Yes, many of the stories have videos that you can watch.

e) Do the stories contain lists and bullets to make them easier to scan?
Yes, in fact each story has a "Story Highlights" that contain the main information of the article.

f) Are the stories broken into "chunks"?
The main page has a letest news list that contains all the headlines. If you want to see stories on sports or politics you will have to click on the link for that page

g) Do stories provide hyperlinks to additional information?
Yes, some do.

h) Are there opportunities for readers to "talk back"?
Yes

i) Does the site use multimedia to enhance understanding and add appeal?
Yes, many of the stories have videos that you can watch.

Topical Blog Post 2

2009-05-16T22:54:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, during a game baseball between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants, Casey Blake of the Dodgers, mocked a gesture that Giants’ pitcher Brian Wilson makes after he records a save. After Wilson gets the final out of the game, he faces center-field and crosses his arm, making a cross with his arms while pointing with his non-gloved hand. In this particular game, Blake has just hit a home-run off of Wilson to tie the game. When Blake was back in the dug-out he mimicked Wilson’s gesture mocking Wilson and the fact the he hadn’t won the game. Unfortunately to Wilson, this gesture is not only creates a cross for his religion, but is also a nod to deceased father.
I do not know if Blake knew all of this when he mocked Wilson, but that shouldn’t matter to Wilson. Welcome to the Giants-Dodgers rivalry. Wilson is a closer for the Giants which means that he only appears in the very last innings and when the game is on the line. This is do-or-die for the other team and if they cannot beat Wilson then they do not win the game. This just shows that Wilson has established himself as a top closer as well as a top competitor. Baseball has 162 games in a season and almost a game every day. What happened today needs to be forgotten tomorrow. Next time Wilson faces Blake, the only thing that should be should be thinking about is how to strike him out. The best revenge is winning.

Focus Story Structure: Football Injury

2009-05-16T22:41:00.000-07:00

It's always sad to see a kid not make it to graduation. Usually, its because they didn't do well in school. This was not the case for Pete Stenhoff. He is not going to graduate with his class because of an old football injury.

That injury of course is a cracked vertibrae, one that he suffered while playing in a football game for Chula Vista High School in Redmond, California. It was a play just like any other and on this play, Pete planted his head in the ball carrier's chest to make the tackle but instead is now confined to a wheel chair. The sad fact is that the 16-year-old Pete is not alone.

High school football produce more than 20,000 injuries to students each year. Unfortunately, 12 percent of them permanently disabling the victims. In fact, there 13 deaths last year attributed to football.

Topical Blog Post #1

2009-05-16T22:08:00.000-07:00

Before the election of President Obama, America was experiencing one of the worst recessions in history and the worst in my short memory. I was one of the unlucky ones that was laid off due to the economic downturn so I understand the struggle. It took me almost 4 months to find a job and from the sounds of it I was lucky. Obama represented the change that America needed, in fact, it was his slogan.
I have to say, even as a registered Democrat, I am extremely disappointed. It seems like his first four months in office have been victory tour. Right out of the gate, Obama dressed in a motion-capturing suit to recreate his inaugural address. Then a few months later he was spotted on ESPN casting his bracket for the NCAA basketball championship tournament. He also appeared on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” where he compared his bowling prowess to that of a special Olympian I might add.
It is cool that our president seems to be so accessible and one of the people, but I really think that the economy needs him more than Jay Leno does. Maybe he should be focusing on the war in Iraq instead of the first round matchup of North Carolina and Radford. Even today, Obama gave the commencement speech at Notre Dame. I know that the economy won’t be fixed overnight and I know that these things take time. President Obama needs to spend more time on the major issues that affect our country. Now once the unemployment figures have dropped and Americans can afford to buy houses again, I would love to hear who Obama thinks will win the NCAA football championship.

Magazine

2009-05-16T21:45:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite magazines is Sports Illustrated http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/. It's major target audience is anyone that likes to go beyond the scores of sports. It often shows the other side of sports. They have done many articles about the personal lives of athletes. They have broken down the swings of many hitters as well as golfers. Most famously, they produced the first major article about steroid use in professional baseball. They report on everything that effects the game. They give a lot of insight to the avid sports fan. They also offer many articles that have to do with the lighter side of sports. Some of the writers like to write about the quirky or weird side of sports. Sports Illustrated makes sports interesting for the avid fan.

News story to rewrite for broadcast:

2009-04-10T18:09:00.000-07:00

GOVERNOR AR-NOLD SCWARTZ-EN-EGG-ER IS BRINGING A GRIZZLY BEAR BACK TO CALIFORNIA.

WHILE AT AN ART GALLERY DURING A FUND RAISING TRIP IN COLORADO, THE GOVERNOR SAW A LARGE BRONZE STATUE OF A GRIZZLY BEAR. HE LIKED IT SO MUCH, HE DECIDED THAT HE HAD TO HAVE IT. SO HE PURCHASED IT AND SHIPPED IT BACK TO CALIFORNIA WITH HIS OWN MONEY.

THE STATUE OF THE GRIZZLY BEAR, WHICH IS THE SAME BEAR THAT IS ON THE CALIFORNIA STATE FLAG, IS NOW PLACED IN THE CAPITOL BUILDING IN SACRAMENTO IN FRONT OF THE GOVERNOR'S SUITE FOR VISITOR'S OF THE CAPITOL BUILDING TO ENJOY.

Broadcast Style Excercise

2009-04-10T18:00:00.000-07:00

NORTHWEST AIRLINES ANNOUNCED TODAY THAT IT IS CUTTING IT'S DOMESTIC FARES BY UP TO 40-PERCENT FOR HOLIDAY TRAVELERS.

WITH THE DISCOUNTED, NON-REFUNDABLE FARES, A PASSENGER COULD TRAVEL ROUND-TRIP BETWEEN BOSTON AND SAN FRANCISCO FOR 400 DOLLARS ON CERTAIN DAYS.

C-E-O OF NORTHWEST AIRLINES FRANK DEWITT (DOO-WITT) SAID, "WE LIKE TO THINK OF IT AS A HOLIDAY GIFT TO OUR CUSTOMERS."

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

DISCOUNTS VARY DEPENDING ON TRAVEL DATES AND ARE NOT AVAILABLE ON CERTAIN POPULAR DAYS, INCLUDING NOVEMBER 23RD AND 26TH, DECEMBER 23RD AND 26TH.

Soft Broadcast Lead - An Alarming Event

2009-04-04T13:58:00.000-07:00

24 FIREFIGHTERS INTERRUPTED THE BIRTHDAY PARTY OF 95-YEAR-OLD MABEL MCCULLOUGH.

THE BIRTHDAY CAKE CONTAINED 95 CANDLES FOR THE 95-YEAR-OLD AND AFTER THEY WERE BLOWN OUT, THERE WAS ENOUGH SMOKE IN THE ROOM TO TRIGGER THE BUILDING'S FIRE ALARM SYSTEM.

SEVERAL MINUTES LATER, THE 24 FIREFIGHTERS ARRIVED.

My Fog index

2009-03-14T13:50:00.000-07:00

I used News Story #1 - Firefighters. I have a fog index of just over 12. This means that I require 12 years of schooling in order to read and comprehend my writing. An effective fog index for the general public should be 7 or 8. This means that I am just slightly above what is considered effective. Though I am nowhere near the example in the text that had a fog index of 30.

I agree with what the fog index represents. I think the lower the fog index, the easier it is to read. However, I don't necessarily think that this makes it better. I don't believe there is a calculation for that. The short sentences, with small words, make it easier to get your point across. I think that a full story of short sentences could end up being annoying and could possibly make it harder to read.

Got what it takes to be a reporter?

2009-03-14T13:43:00.000-07:00

I scored a 20. This score is at the bottom of Journalism is a good fit for you mostly.
I mostly agree with this statement. I think that if I were ever to become a journalist that I would have to make some changes to the way that I do things. I would like to report more on things that I saw, such as a baseball game, rather than an interview or uncovering the facts. I don't mind research, but I am usually too shy to really try to ask questions and I don't really like to ruffle feathers. If I ever wanted to take journalism seriously as a career, I would have to change this aspect of my personality, at least on a professional level.

Ethical Decision Making

2009-03-13T21:04:00.000-07:00

Scenario #1

In this scenario I would wait until the government official came back and then ask her about the documents. I do not believe it is ethical to take the documents or pull any information from the documents.

Scenario #2

I would not do it. This would be deceptive. It is not ethical to lie or deceive someone in order to obtain information.

Scenario #3

You should attribute all information and quotes. Taking any other information or quotes and taking credit for them as your own is plagiarism and is unethical and illegal.

Is this libelous?

2009-03-13T20:46:00.000-07:00

A sophomore at Springfield University claims a chemistry professor has sexually harassed her.

Karen Hart, 123 Hill Hall, says the professor, George O.T. Jungle, has touched her during tutoring sessions in his office and has invited her to his apartment several times. She said she declined his invitations.

"I am having trouble in the class and I have to go see him to get help with my papers and projects," Hart said. "But I am scared to go in his office now."

Jungle denied having an improper contact with the student and threatened this newspaper with a libel suit if it published the story.

Hart said she is thinking of filing a formal complaint with the university.

"I don't know how to do that," she said. "I don't know what to do."

----I would avoid printing the professor's name and "chemistry" in this example. Because these are statements that should be based on facts, the professor could sue for libel if he is proved to be not guilty or if the charges are dropped. I would wait to run his name until a formal complaint has been filed and he has been charged. Until then, I would refer to him as just a professor at Springfield University. I would also think twice about running the girl's name. There is a chance that people would be able to figure out which professor I am referring to in the story. If Jungle is the only male professor that Hart has, then it could be quite obvious that he is the professor in question.

Reporting With Numbers

2009-03-06T21:37:00.000-08:00

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.
State: 66% Student Tuition: 5% Fees, grants, and gifts: 28%

* Identify the significance of each funding source (the most vs. the least, etc.).
The most significant source of funding comes from the state and the least significant comes from tuition.

* 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.
Two-thirds of the budget comes from the state, while about a quarter comes from fees, grants, and gifts, and the rest comes from tuition.

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).
The average prison term for aggravated assault is 22 months.

* Calculate the median prison term for people convicted of aggravated assault.
The median prison term is 12 months.

* Explain why the average or median figure is the most accurate description of prison terms.
The median is the better figure because averages can be distorted by numbers that don't occur very often. The median is the middle number so it doesn't factor in the highs values and low values.

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.
According to the California State Board of Equalization the standard sales and usage tax rate for California is 7.25%

* 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.

A person who eats a fast-food meal once a week would save 36 cents per meal. This is a savings of $18.72 a year.

(5 x .0725 = .3625 but you would not receive that quarter of a penny would be rounded off.)

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

A person that eats a $20 meal once a week would save $75.40 in a year.

JOUR 61 – AP Style Exercise (S-Z)

2009-03-06T21:25:00.000-08:00

1) He thought of Smokey Bear every time he got near a smoldering fire or entered a smoky room. (3)
2) The forecast is for cooler temperatures, falling to the low 30s by tonight. If the rain continues as expected, there could be a travelers' advisory. (3)
3) To celebrate Veterans Day, the anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I, troops of former soldiers will march down Main Street carrying U.S. flags. (3)
4) His weeklong ordeal will be finished when finals week is over. Until then, his well-being is in doubt. (2)
5) A 19-year-old man was arrested Monday for carrying a Saturday night special without a permit. After being released on bond, he disappeared. His whereabouts is unknown. (4)
6) She’d hoped to be able to trade in her car after getting a tuneup, but she totaled it last night. (3)
7) Could you photocopy that invoice for me? I need it for our year-end budget. (2)

The Future of News

2009-02-28T16:37:00.000-08:00

The journalism world is changing and so is the printed story. More and more people are getting their news on-line. I particularly liked the piece about Wikipedia.

Wikipedia is repeatably slammed as not being a reliable news source because it's content can be changed by the user. The source of the news is unknown. Now, many of the postings on this site are cited and linked to other sources. If you do the research and follow the links, it should help prove the accuracy of the postings. This does not necessarily make every posting accurate, but as it was pointed out by one of the commenters, Wikipedia is becoming more accurate and reliable every day.

I also like the idea of making the news entertaining. One could argue that "The Daily Show" on Comedy Central has much of the same popularity as many of the news programs on many of the other news channels that would be considered to have more "journalistic integrity." I think it's people's natural desire to be entertained as well as being informed. These links, much like the numerous videos on youtube, are the ones that are forwarded to all your friends that you think that would enjoy the content. This increases the visibility of the subject, the writer, and the web-site.

Another thing that I have seen, on many sports web-sites, is the on-going blog. They usually assign a writer to cover an event such as the winter meetings of Major League Baseball or the final table at the World Series of Poker. These are events that can last several hours if not several days. The blogger will post an update every hour or so to update you on the latest news or rumor. Their ongoing commentary keeps you up to date on what's going on at the event without being there.

I don't know how these changes in the way news is covered will affect my future in journalism. But the way news is covered is definitely changing with the advancement of the Internet and our demand for news coverage coverage. Until we find a new medium that is quicker and faster than the computer, like maybe the cell phone, this will be the way to get the news now. The way cell phones are going though, they could be next way to get the news.

AP Style Exercise (M-R)

2009-02-28T16:08:00.000-08:00

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

2) Lt. Col. John Carpenter was a Midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy and served in the 7th Fleet. (4 pts. - this one's tricky, so give it some thought)

3) Two days after the third annual Procrastination Awards ceremony 21 winners were named . (3)

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

5) Hundreds of people attended Sunday's race to watch 75 top bicyclists pedal across the finish line. (3)

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, Panama. (3)

New Story #5 - Runaway Truck

2009-02-28T15:43:00.000-08:00

A runaway 10-wheeler overturned and smashed into a house in El Cerrito yesterday at about 1:30 p.m., setting fire to the house and knocking out power to El Cerrito and much of the surrounding areas including Berkeley and Richmond. The path of destruction included a snapped power pole and five badly damaged vehicles.

One of the first to arrive at the scene at Moeser Lane, was El Cerrito police Detective Sgt. Shawn Maples. Maples started digging through the debris after he heard cries coming from the burning truck and the house. When he got to the driver, who was lodged between the wheels of the truck that had flipped on its side, he noticed that his legs were badly mangled and that he couldn’t move. With the help of Police Chief Scott Kirkland and Detective Ken Zinc, the three of them were able to pull the driver out to safety. “We dragged him out in a heartbeat while the truck went up in flames. I just wanted to get him out of there,” Maples said.

The crash crumpled the front in of the Honda Sedan that the truck struck, and trapped the driver inside. Rescue workers did not free the man until they were able to slice into the roof and peel it back to pull him out.

A man and a boy that were traveling in a sport utility vehicle were rerouted to a shrubbery beside the burning house and an electrician’s truck that had been parked on the street was knocked one street over.

The driver of the truck broke both of his legs in the accident and is listed in serious but stable condition at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek.

AP Style Exercise (I-L)

2009-02-21T01:26:00.000-08:00

1) The last time she played soccer, she suffered a serious injury to her knee. Sometimes it's hard to understand why she wants to keep playing. (2)
2) He was indicted for an assault charge, but his lawyer said the case against him is circumstantial and she is sure the inquiry will exonerate him. (2)
3) He knows it isn’t kosher, but green Jell-O is his favorite dessert. This admission has prompted his friends to question both his taste and his judgment. (3)
4) Now that he has DSL, he finds it much easier to go online to check his e-mail and download files. (3)

Top News #4

2009-02-21T01:09:00.000-08:00

I chose this story because it echoes what people are going through right now with the economy and such. It also personalizes the Madoff story. Walter Madoff is the man that has allegedly swindled a lot of money from a lot of people with a Ponzi scheme.

The impact of this story is one of national attention because it affected so many investors, including prominent celebrities. It's timeliness is a factor because Madoff was only arrested in December and people are dealing with the effects now. Its current to the economic condition.

I think the two aspects that make this news worthy to me is the conflict - the fact that a 90-year-old man has to return to work just to make ends meet- and the proximity. The man in the story is from Ben Lomond which is very near to where I live now and where I live in the past. The fact that he has garnered national attention makes this story more interesting to me.

Feature Lead - An Alarming Event

2009-02-21T00:45:00.001-08:00

TULSA, Okla. - The ladies of the First United Methodist Church women’s group did not want to spare any expense for Mabel McCullough’s birthday party. After all, she will be turning 95-years-old on September 27th and they wanted to show their love. So they got her a nice big carrot cake complete with a candle for every year. “There wasn’t an inch to spare. By the time we had them all lit, it looked like a torch,” said birthday party guest, Eddi Carlin. Then, with some help, the birthday girl blew out all 95 candles, sending a huge plume of smoke into the air.

It was only moments later when the party guests noticed several large bodies in the doorway ready to crash the party. “We had just sat down to eat when we saw them in the doorway,” said Carlin.

The large bodies in the doorway belonged to the men and women of the local fire department responding to what they believed could possibly be a raging fire. 24 firefighters, five engines and two ladder companies arrived to battle the ferocious blaze of Mabel’s birthday cake.

“In my 23 years on the job, I’ve seen a lot of things set off a fire alarm,” said Fire Chief Lonnie Lamb, “but I don’t think I’ve ever heard of one going off because of a birthday cake.”

The firefighters didn’t stick around long enough to have birthday cake, but did manage to pose for a few pictures with the birthday girl before heading back to the station, though I’m sure that this is one birthday that none of them will ever forget.

News Story #4 - Close Call

2009-02-21T00:04:00.000-08:00

Michael Pitalo, a 52-year-old production artist has been commuting on the Muni for 15 years. He takes the L-line Muni streetcar at the Embarcadero Station in San Francisco to hitch a ride to his home in the Castro. Yesterday, at 6 p.m., for Pitalo and the other passengers on board the L-line - and for another trying to board - this ride home was not like any other.

As the car prepared to leave the station, Pitalo and others noticed that a man that was attempting to board had his hand stuck in the door and was on the outside looking in.

“As the train began to move, people began to scream in panic as the man ran alongside the train,” said Pitalo. He added, “As the train sped up, the man stumbled and was dragged along the platform.”

The passengers inside the car tried everything they could to free the man. They pushed the emergency call button, yanked on the ‘request a stop’ cord, and clawed at the emergency release for the door. But the doors did not open and the train did not stop and things only got worse as the man approached the wall at the end of the tunnel opening.

Finally, a passenger pulled the emergency release door for another door and brought the train to an immediate stop.

“The train stopped with the trapped man only inches away from the wall,” added Pitalo.

Muni spokesperson Maggie Lynch said streetcar doors are not like designed like elevator doors, which open if you insert your hand. She also added that the incident and the train operator’s response are under investigation. She did not release the man’s identity but said that he refused medical attention. A maintenance worker took 15 minutes to reset the emergency brake.

Pitalo said the man appeared to be in shock as he stood on the platform. “The man was finally able to pull his hand out, and he slowly moved back into the crowd, cradling his arm in hand.”

New Story #3 - Gas Line Break

2009-02-20T22:18:00.000-08:00

An underground gas pipe was ruptured by a construction crew yesterday wreaking havoc in the South of Market area in San Francisco.

A private construction crew was working on an underground gas pipe a little before 12:30 p.m. yesterday when they severed the pipe with their backhoe. A Pacific Gas and Electric Company worker at the scene said they were working on repairs to the sewer lines.

Police were forced to block off the four-block region cutting off cars and pedestrians to the area. At least 100 neighborhood residents, business owners, and their customers were forced to leave the area.

Both Folsom Street and 11th, normally busy thoroughfares, were blocked off and caused immense gridlock in all directions. At many times the traffic was at a standstill. Local businesses were all also affected.

“Ask my customers. They were pretty irate,” said Carlann Lauria, the manager of Crocker’s Lockers, one of the businesses affected by the blockade. Lauria’s employees were able to meet with the customers outside of the perimeter to collect payments.

Samantha Feldman, the manager of Wa-Ha-Ka restaurant echoed Lauria’s frustration. Wa-Ha-Ka is located on the same corner where the construction crew was working. With everyone forced to clear the area, Feldman estimated that the restaurant lost about $500 worth of business as a result of the stoppage.

PG&E said that the gas line was turned back on at 5:09 p.m.

Top News #3

2009-02-14T12:23:00.000-08:00

The story that I thought best illustrated the top news of the week is from the Wall Street Journal. It is about the $787 Billion economic recovery package that was passed by the house and Senate and is now waiting for President Obama to sign into action. Unless you have been under a rock for the last two years, you know that the United States economy is in a "downturn" and people have been looking to the government to bail them out. This is just the first step that President Obama has taken to assist the economy.

The impact that this will have will be the United States and, because this is really a global economy now, the world economies. This impacts virtually everyone. It is designed to protect or create nearly 3.5 million jobs. The retiree will receive cash and college students will receive tax breaks. Bigger businesses will receive tax breaks that will encourage spending. Because so much of America's business is done with the world, if our economy booms then that will allow us to spend money in foreign economies helping this as well. So, the proximity of this is can be

The timeliness is that it happened this week with our new president. This a situation that is affecting the U.S. economy now and people are demanding attention. The prominence is that this is President Obama and the House and Senate.

The currency of this is that people are suffering now and looking for assistance and its creating a lot of strife. There have been many stories about people losing their home to foreclosure and people not being able to feed their families because they lost their jobs.

Hopefully, this will be what America is looking for in the first step to economic recovery.

AP Style #2 (E-H)

2009-02-14T12:01:00.000-08:00

1. His new book, on elections and the Electoral College, is titled “Does Your Vote Count?" (4)
2. Brianna looked so sad that he wanted to envelop her in his arms and give her a big hug, but he was afraid the attention might faze her. (2)
3. They were so impressed by her flair for decorating that they offered lavish praise and agreed to distribute her promotional flier. (3)
4. He suspected his neighbor was selling drugs, so he called the FBI. His neighbor, however, cried foul at the accusation. (2)
5. The boys' stories didn’t jive , so their father threw down the gauntlet and demanded the truth. (2)
6. My great-grandfather is a real gourmet, so I always let him pick the wine whenever we have dinner. (2)

New Story #2 - Cathedral Robbery

2009-02-14T11:33:00.000-08:00

Two tourists were robbed at gunpoint in the Saint Mary's Cathedral parking lot around 10 a.m. yesterday morning.

Sgt. Lawrence Price said that the victims, WiMing Chen, 28 and wife Li Lu, 30, left the tour group that they were with to take pictures of the cathedral. While in the cathedral's lower parking lot, a man wearing a black jacket and cap, described to be about 18-years-old approached them and then starting waving his pistol around. He then demanded their money. Chen handed over his cash, but it wasn't enough for the thief. He demanded more so Chen handed him Visa card, camera, passports, and airline tickets back to Tapei. The suspect then ran off with Chen's beloninging and the SFPD are still searching for the suspect.

Chen and wife, Liu were part of a tour group comprised of 30 employees of a Taiwan airline. The group was scheduled to fly back to Taipei at 1 p.m. It is unclear if Chen and Liu were able to make the flight back without their passports or airline tickets.

News Story #1 - Firefighters

2009-02-13T20:26:00.000-08:00

Firefighters rescued a San Jose man from his home Friday as it was engulfed in flames.

Retired San Jose man, Robert Kent, was on the floor of his kitchen, unconscious, surrounded by flames, when the firefighters found him. Then According to San Jose fire Captain Rob Piper, the firefighters were able to pull Kent to safety.

Piper said that the fire started in the kitchen and spread to the attic of Kent's single-story house on Annapolis Way. There was no smoke detector so the fire wasn't reported until around 3 p.m. When the San Jose Fire Department finally arrived there was smoke throughout the house. Piper also said the cause of the fire is unclear and under investigation.

Kent has second and third-degree burns on half of his body according to Piper. He was taken to Valley Medical Center in San Jose and a nursing supervisor there said that Kent is listed in grave condition.

AP Style #1 (A-D)

2009-02-07T11:20:00.000-08:00

1) Mayor Richard Wrigley expressed confidence that the gubernatorial debate, which begins at 7:30 this evening, will have a positive effect on his candidacy. Wrigley added, “Governor Red Davidson is a master of dirty politics, but I won’t take any of his baloney.” (4)

2) For her birthday, the 9-year-old girl invited five good friends over for ice cream and cake. The chocolate cake was so tasty that any one of the children could have eaten it all, but they carefully divided it between themselves. (4)

3) Persuaded of the bill’s importance, members of the Democratic and Republican parties came together on Capitol Hill to support anti-terrorism legislation, despite their differences on other issues. (4)

4) ROME– All around the world today, Roman Catholics listened as the pope delivered his homily. (3)

Top News #2

2009-02-07T10:25:00.000-08:00

It won't go away.

Steroids has made its way into professional baseball and is now trying to take down some of the biggest name in the sport. The story that has gotten my attention is the news coming from Barry Bonds' case. His legal team had a significant victory when the judge in the case announced that many of the urine samples that apparently have positive proof of Bonds' use of steroids were thrown out because Bonds' trainer, Greg Anderson, refuses to testify and cannot corroborate the authenticity of the samples.

The story of steroid use has tainted the image of prominent stars such as Roger Clemens, Jason Giambi, Mark McGwire, and as I'm writing this post, Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez's positive test, that came out Saturday morning, will certainly blanket news coverage and be the new piece in this ever-evolving puzzle.
See: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/ and http://espn.go.com/

These stories are news because of the impact that it will have on sports fans and players' lives. Sports fans across America will now have to choose whether to still root for these players or even have faith in baseball. Parents will have to decide whether to allow their children to see these players as role models or inform them that they are merely just cheaters; and then try to explain that.

It will always impact the record books. If Bonds is proven to be a steroid user does this mean that there should be an asterisk next to his home-run records in the record books? We will also have to decide how steroid users will be punished. This could affect their salaries with their teams, endorsement contracts, or even possibly jail time.

The other piece that makes this news is the prominence of the figures involved. This would not be considered news if this was a single-A player from Nantucket. The fact that this is Barry Bonds, the most prolific home-run hitter in Major League Baseball history makes our ears perk up.

Even though this is a story that has been around for a while, the timeliness of this story and what makes it a story is that there are new, significant, developments. The currency of this story is also a factor as this has been an on-going story in professional sports for many years now and will continue to generate interest for many years to come.

Lead #5

2009-02-07T09:49:00.000-08:00

Fact Set #1: Pipe fitter

Duane La Chance, a pipe fitter for Gross Engineers, suffered third-degree burns Wednesday afternoon installing new pipes on the roof of the Springfield Municipal Power Plant and is now in the intensive care unit at Springfield Hospital.

A Springfield man suffered third-degree burns 3 p.m. yesterday and is now in intensive care after he touched a power line carrying 15,000 volts while installing new pipes on the roof of the Springfield Municipal Power Plant, at 222 Power Dr.

Fact Set #2: Car accident

James W. Cunning, 20, is in the hospital now after his 2005 Ford Focus was struck by the vehicle driven by Wayne Clay, 19, after Clay apparently crossed the center into southbound traffic on U.S. 63 at about 11:45 Saturday morning.

Two Springfield men were involved in a two car accident when one driver crossed the center lane and struck the other vehicle as it was heading southbound on U.S. 63 at 11:45 Saturday morning sending the driver to the hospital.

Lead #4

2009-02-06T23:17:00.000-08:00

4A) Smoking Wheels

Forty passengers were able to avoid a potential disaster when they were evacuated from a Northwest Airlines Jet onto the LaCrosse, (Wisc.) Municipal Airport tarmac after smoke was spotted near the wheels of the plane.

A landing tower employee spotted the smoke that was exuding from Northwest Airlines Flight 428 out of Minneapolis. After the plane landed all 40 passengers were removed from the plane.

4B) Missing Boy

The mystery of a missing, 7-year-old boy, was solved Thursday night in Brick Township (NJ) when a man recognized the child's picture while watching a movie.

The man recognized the boy, who had been missing for three years, as his neighbor, when the child's picture was shown after the movie Adam: The Song Continues. He then called the police. The police arrested the 27-year-old boy's mother, Ellen Lynn Conner. She will now face charges of kidnapping and interference with a custody warrant.

Lead #3

2009-02-06T22:19:00.000-08:00

An Amtrak train collided with three Conrail locomotives just outside of Chase, at 1:30pm Friday afternoon. The Conrail diesels had apparently run a a stop sign, according to Larry Chase, Amtrak spokesman. The Amtrak train, called the Colonial, plowed into the Conrail Diesels at the switch that merges four tracks into two.

Top News #1

2009-01-30T22:39:00.000-08:00

The news story that caught my eye this week is from CNN.com; Seen here.

I chose this one because this tragedy helps illustrate the state of the economy. Everyday you hear about how things are getting worse for America; stocks tumble, unemployment rises, and people are losing money left and right. Everywhere people are wondering what to do and where to turn. The job market is so flooded right now that it is difficult to even get an interview with all of the applicants out there.

So, this man, after losing his job and faced with the uncertain future decided it was "better to end our lives."

Lupoe wrote in the fax, "after a horrendous ordeal my wife felt it better to end our lives and why leave our children in someone else's hands ... we have no job and 5 children under 8 years with no place to go. So here we are."

The bleak outlook that Lupoe was faced with was reason enough to end the lives of his children, the life of his wife and the life of himself. I believe that many Americans will be faced with similar outlooks in the days to come. Nobody knows how long this will last, but we do know that there is no solution on the horizon. I believe, though, that most of America is stronger than this and will be able to persevere. I too find myself a victim of the sluggish economy. I know that it would be a greater challenge with a wife and kids to support. But I could never imagine it coming to this. Unfortunately, this has been the solution that people have to come to for years. Even after the stock market crash of 1929. I can't imaging getting to the point that you would think that this is the right decision; and to not only end your life but also the life of your kids. How would you get to that point?! How could this be better?! I don't understand it, but this is the reality that we are living in today.

This is a tragic moment in our current history and I can only hope that people faced with similar situations will be able to find other options.

Lead #2 Plane Crash - (revised)

2009-01-30T20:24:00.000-08:00

In what officials are describing as the worst air related disaster in the United States in the past three years, a US Air passenger jet killed all 131 passengers when it crashed in an empty field outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania yesterday afternoon. The crash occurred as the plane, that was traveling from Chicago O'hare, was preparing it's final decent to land at Pittsburgh International Airport.

Leads Exercise #1

2009-01-29T20:28:00.000-08:00

Lead #1

Yesterday, in a Butte County courtroom, the judge awarded $150,000 in damages to a local couple for injuries they suffered in a March traffic accident.

Lead #2

Forecasters say that a snowstorm, that could be followed by many more, is expected to hit the Sierras today.

Lead #3

According to police reports, 3 firefighters were injured today evacuating 41 families as a fire roared through the six-story building at 204 Union Ave. They are expected to recover from the injuries and all 41 families made it out safely.

Getting Started

2009-01-25T20:13:00.000-08:00

Hi, my name is Reed and though I am currently wait listed I hope to eventually find a seat in this class. I am taking this class because I have always been interested in writing. Unfortunately, it doesn't fit into my major guidelines, but I am going to take it anyway.

I love sports and I am going to write about them every chance that I get. I am a huge Giants fan, Sharks fan, niners fan, and Sacramento Kings fan. I look forward to this semester and all that it may bring.