Successes and Failures

Journalism 1189 was a class that possessed many successes and failures throughout the semester. Never taking an onlince course before and also being out of school for three years. The biggest failure that I had at first was constantly checking D2L to see what assignements were due and when.
I really liked the blogs that we did during class. The one suggestion I would have regarding them would be to let the class blog on whatever they wanted the first 2 blogs than the last 2 because I thought I learned a lot about the class in the ones they chose to write about and I think it would have given a better background to them and it would have made reading their other blogs more informative.
All in all I felt like I learned more about the interactive aspect of writing and learning about how to write blogs and what the keys to them are will be helpful down the road. With the world becomming more technological every day and with hard copy newspaper almost becomming extinct this is the new way to communicte!

Is the first pick really worth it?

The one bonus to the Detroit Lions going 0-16 last year is that they will get the first overall pick in tomorrow's NFL Draft, but one must really ask is that such a good thing? Why you might ask? First of all the first pick in the NFL Draft will demand an enormous amount of money without ever taking one snap. The last four #1 picks were Alex Smith (signed a 6 year $49.5 million contract), Mario Williams (5 year $54 million contract), Jamarcus Russell (6 year $68 million contract), and Jake Long 5 year ($57.5 million deal.)
The two that mean the most this year are Alex Smith and JaMarcus Russell because they are both quarterbacks and ther Lions are projected to take Mathew Stafford with the first overall pick. The issue is Alex Smith has not been what San Francisco was hoping and just a few years later isn't even the clear cut starter heading into camp, JaMarcus Russell is the starter, and has the talent, but hasn't brought it all together yet either to justify that kind of money. So as a team there has to be concern when looking at drafting a quarterback first.
Another issue that has come up is because the team needs to sign their pick after they draft them they may hold out and miss training camp and part of the season making their develpment even a longer process. That is why the Lions are trying to come up with a deal tonight with Stafford befroe they draft him, so they can guarentee that he will be at mini camp and training camp. If they can't reach a deal they may not take him. Which then again brings up an issue with the draft. You should be able to pick the player you need/want and the issue of them demanding too much money shouldn't play a part.
So tomorrow if Detroit does pick Stafford, they will be investing a ton of money into a player who has never played in the NFL and could set the team back years in the salary cap. A reason they could trade the pick if they don't feel they can reach a deal with who they want!

3-Game Sweep!

After playing a putride 4 game series versus the Toronto Blue Jays where they managed only 1 victory, and lost badly in the last two games of the series, the Minnesota Twins completed a 3 game sweep of of Los Angles Angel of Anaheim. The highlight of the weekend, and probably highlight of the Twins young season came Friday night when Deignated Hitter Jason Kubel went 4 for 5 and hit for the cycle, his last hit the most dramtic and game winning grand slam that wrapped up a Twins seven run eighth inning.
Jason Kubel entered the weekend hitting just over .220, but went 8 for 10 combined Friday and Saturday night, raising his average to over .300. In all three victories the Twins came from behind and to date they still have not started the game and held on to the lead throughout, which has brought much excitement to the Metrodome during it's last season and Friday night may have been the most electric moment of the season.
Sundays finale featured anoth 8 inning performance by U of M alum Glen Perkins where he won his first decision of the season although he has been the most consistent starter for the Twins going 8 innings in all three of his starts while keeping his era to under 2.00.
A turning point like Kubel grand slam may be what the Twins needed as they were facing an early skid last week and trailed 9-2 going into the late innings Friday night, but Kubel's home run provided the fuel they needed and the team kept it going through the weekend and the Twins are now back to .500 with a 7-7 record.

$100K Reward

The United States Post Service is offering up $100,000 to anyone who turns in information leading to the arrest of the involved people who have sent bomb threats to over 16 different Post Offices in Minnesota. The Fairbault Daily News also received a letter yesterday with a threat! Many of these letters right now are in Rice County and other southern, Minnesota cities, but the problem is continuing to spread. These threats have been happening since early February and to this point there has been no information found about who is doing this!

I can't say I am suprised, but find myself extremely dissappointed that these acts are continuing to go on. The tragedies that have already happened from bombings throught the country, and even the world for that matter, are so devastating that for someone to go around making threats is a little disturbing. The fact that it has continued to happen and that it seems we are no closer to catching these people is also disturbing. The USPS is an enourmous business and daily everybody is receiving mail and to have to worry about the buuildings themselves, but also what could happen if our mail or the mail system had something like this happen is very scary to think about. Even though many items we used to use the mail for has turned to be done through the internet, I know I pay a few bills by mail and also do a lot of work through ebay so the USPS system is one that affects me a lot! Hopefully someone has some information and can get these people arrested and then they can receive the $100,000 reward!

March 6

A community I am becomming more familiar with recently is that of St. John's University. I attended school there for 3 years and then made the decision to leave based on personal, academic, and an assortment of other reasons. It had been 2 years since I attended school before this current semester and my long or I guess short term plan depending on how you look at it is to return to school there again in the fall. So I have been visiting up there recently, A. because I still have some friends that attend there, but also because I know the transition to going back to college will be difficult and I am trying to make the transition as smooth as possible, so I figure a little time here and there in that enviornment is good for me.
That being said in that community many of the leaders are the Brother, Sisters, Priests, and Nuns and on my last visit over the weekend I ran into Father Bob, who was the Faculty Resident on my hall my last year I was there. He said a very big issue that he is seeing right now is the uncertainity of the job market. Many students who are leaving with four year degrees, who a few years ago were shoe ins for higher level positions are having a more difficult time getting "career orientated" jobs, where many are just trying to find something that can pay the bills. The economy is also an issue. With the cost of tuition being where it is at private schools he wonders if that will play a much bigger role in where students choose to attend school in the near future. He says he is still very optimistic on what the future holds, but yet these are key issues that we are being faced with right now and hopefully we have seen the worst, but only time will tell!

Feb 20 (Late)

At the time this was due I hadn't really thought much about what a good place this would be and was unsure exactly what to write about. That was until I attended a meeting last week. A good friend of mine was recently laid off and he asked if I would attend a meeting with him that was for unemployed people and what to do now. The meeting was at his Church in Wayzata and during that meeting out of the blue this assignment ran through my head. The meeting almost initially felt like what you stereo typically would consider an AA meeting. Everyone sat in a circle and it was in the beginning as if people we ashamed to be there, but that mood quickly left as conversations started brewing about all kinds of different topics. The economy and the current job market obviously took up most of the conversation, but politics, Presidnet Obama, the school system and many other topics came up throughout the meeting. What was a little suprising and also relieving was the positive outlook the group had as a whole. I felt uncomfortable at first because I thought it was going to be a very negative atmosphere with people bitter about where the economy is and that they were let go from their jobs, but many people saw it as a new opportunity to do what they have always wanted or pursue something bigger and better. I think it is great for places to hold meeting like this in their community because it opens up so many doors to people and they can network and meet new people and get ideas they never would have priorly had. In the end it was refreshing to listen to the positive attitudes of those people and it made my out look on where the economy is at more positive!

my community

As I walk into the club and swipe my card at the front desk I am kindly greeted by the employee working and I immediatly catch the tune of the song playing overhead. As I change my clothes in the locker room I come across many friends who I have met since joining. I learn one of them was laid off this week and another one became a father. It is in these great and bad times people become closer. It is in these times you realize how lucky you are and that in these times it is the relationships you have that get you through the bad and help you celebrate the good.
As we talk, someone from across the room that over hears our conversation chimes in mentioning that he too was laid of about a month ago. I could see in the face of my buddy he felt a sense of comfort in hearing someone else talk about the same situation he is in and he was able to get a few questions he had answered by this other gentleman.
It is at this moment I realized that the gym isn't just a place you come to lose weight, build muscle, or relieve stress; but it is a place to meet friends, get advice, and learn. It's moments like these that are so fulfilling to be a part of because the sense of care that I think we sometimes feel is being lost with eveyones busy lives is still there, and is growing everyday. It is moments like these that make life worth living every day!