Usborne's 9/11

I liked Usborne’s article on 9/11, it really puts it into perspective on what happened right there on ground zero. I know there has been a lot of coverage on 9/11 but what separates this from other stories and articles is that he gives you his thoughts, and as reporter how he deals with the information that is presented to him. I like that he can focus more on his own emotions, and the raw detail, like when he said that September 11th was a high definition day . I liked the fact that he being a reporter never left his mind and you know that when he was talking about “I can’t get the story out; I’m not going to make my deadline”. He talked about how he always thought he would be in this situation but he never thought he would not be able to get his story out. When Usborne talks about not believing the man who told him about the large plane hitting the tower, he wanted to see for himself what happened. It’s like Usborne is telling us to go and find the story yourself. He also talked about how he has a reporter wanted to get as close as possible to what is happening. Usborne really gets you involved as a reader.

Stealing Life

Some of the quotes that I liked from “Stealing Life” that showed a reporters way of thing was “In the season opener, Haynes provides a bitingly funny introduction to newsroom culture.” This quote would only be used if the writer was of the newsroom culture. I also like the part when Talbot said, “Finely tuned as Simon’s ear is for the newsroom, it is perhaps even better calibrated for the street corner and the precinct, having been sharpened by thirteen years of daily crime reporting. Viewers of “The Wire” must master a whole argot, though it can take a while, because the words are never defined, just as they wouldn’t be by real people tossing them around.” I especially like that quote because I am a viewer of “The Wire”, and that Quote is very true. You can tell that the creator of the show has had a lot of courtroom experience. Especially when there are courtroom scenes in the show, it is as real as being in court right then and there. I also like the part were Talbot was saying “Clark Johnson, had been giving some of the kids the chance to say “Cut!” and they’d bellowed it like drunks at a surprise party.” If you ever watched any part of the show were the kids are involved, you could see them yelling and acting out on the set.
I think that all of these passages are good examples of reporters thinking, only a reporter knows about newsroom culture, and a reporter also knows that the public is also interested in this as well. The other quote is a good example of making “The Wire” sound appealing enough so that the people that had not ever seen it want to watch it. I think Talbot does that in a very good way. He paints an overall view of what the show is about but he also leaves the reader with a wanting to know more, and if I can learn that then I’m good to go.

What letter had been filed.....

The letter I was filed off the typewriters way back when Murray work at the Boston Harold. This was the newspapers way of not letting the journalists type if first person. Even when I am, say the “letter I” in my first sentence the computer is telling me to correct it because it is use the first person. To the question that would it work in Ill., yes I think it would, but generally you do read writers even in the State Journal using first person a lot. Would it work in my own features, now I do not know about that? I tend to use first person in many things I write. I guess I have a lot more to learn. On the other hand, there are many good ways to write a feature it all rather depends what kind of feature story you are writing.

Why I (want to) write about sports for a living

I like this story for a couple a reasons. First J.A. Adande in my mind is one of the best sports writers of this area, second I like the way he relates real life into his stories.

“I write about sports because when I was a fourth-grader a rookie guard named Magic Johnson made me fall in love with basketball and the Lakers, and I decided I wanted to play for them. I write about sports because as an eighth-grader I realized that wasn't going to happen.”

I also like the way he gives his descriptions a face, and relates humor into his columns.

“The woman glanced at my business card -- the one that said "J.A. Adande, Sports Writer" -- and she looked completely indifferent, like Bud Selig watching Barry Bonds' 755th home run.” “ Is that all you do?" she asked with disdain. "Write about sports?"

Being one of the best sports writers of your generation doesn’t mean that everyone is always going to agree with everything you say or think (keeping the lens clear). However, if you believe something then you should stand up for it, and that is what Adande does. He stands up for what he believes is right and seems to appear to know what he is talking about when it comes to a lot of issues Adande writes about.

The War

I think that the director has put a lot of thought and time into this. He knows how he wants this to look as authentic as possible, and he is taking no shorts in his pursuit of the most authentic war documentary ever. I remember taking my grandpa to go see Saving Private Ryan, he liked it said that it was pretty good but that it left out a lot and was not really accurate. It looks like the great attention to the details that the director put into this film is really going to pay off.

The Watcher

1. People can’t drive cars, electric karts, and push karts here (does not just apply to the Wal-Mart).
2. It’s hard for some people to unhook carts.
3. We consuming too much.

4. Why is there always at least two people having an hour conversations in the middle of the busiest lanes.

5. (Goes with 4) When you say “excuse me” instead of “Shut the fuck up, and get the hell out of the way” the two people talking look at you like you are the one with the problem.

6. We are fat as a nation (including my chubby ass, mmmmm M&M ice cream sandwiches).

7. Why do I have to wait 30 minutes to get my prescription when the doctor called it in before I even got there?

8. After you wait 30 minutes, they still tell you “come back in 30 minutes”.
9. Some husbands follow their wives like lost puppies.
10. There is no difference between spaghetti rings and spaghetti O’s
11. Some cashiers are too friendly.
12. Most cashiers are rude.
13. This is not the cashier’s first day.
14. There is always a car alarm going off in the parking lot.
15. If one of these birds that are always flying around here shits on me, I will be pissed.
16. There is always someone walking around the parking lot looking for their car.
17. There is always a group of people digging through the $5.00 DVD bin.
18. It seems like we are here every other day.
19. The man in front of us has dirt caked on the back of his neck.
20. Why are the check out lines always so freaking long.

Anatomy of a High School Dropout

When I was reading the first graph we were assigned about, I felt that there were a lot of things that I could take from him and be able to use in my own writing. After reading this column about “Anatomy of a High School Dropout” my thoughts have not changed.

As I was reading Mr. Murray’s column, I couldn’t help but to see myself in his writing. I feel that Don Murray’s writings touch so many people are because he talks about real issues, and keeps his writings personal. When Murray was talking about how he had a different learning style and that hindered him in his high school, but on the other hand it was what made him such a success. I once heard in a song “I’m trying to right my wrongs, but funny that those same wrongs help me write this song.”


“Anatomy of a High School Dropout”
"I think I have succeeded because of the negative influences in my life," Murray concedes. "They gave me the materials for my writing but more than that, gave me the emotional hunger, the needs, the drive to express myself, to discover myself, to exist, to influence, to shout I AM HERE."

Donald Murray

I think there are many things I could learn from Mr. Murray, and take with me along with me in my career. It seemed like he kept his writing personal. I always hear singers and writers talk about how keep their craft personal has led to their fame.
Another thing that would help me in my career as a writes is the way he transitions flow right into to the next paragraph. He keeps your attention and makes you want to continue reading his column.
I think that if you are doing something you love and you keep it personal, and try to challenge yourself everyday and never settle then you will be a success at what ever you do.