1) He hopes to make one billion dollars by the time he’s forty. Already, he figures, his net worth is between $2 and $3 million, depending on current stock prices. (3)
2) Lt. Col. John Carpenter was a cadet at the U.S. Naval Academy and served in the Seventh Fleet. (4)
3) 21 winners were named two days after the 3rd Annual Procrastination Awards ceremony. (3)
4) It was a one sided game and he was a poor loser. After losing the play off, when his ball went out-of-bounds, he made an offcolor remark that could be heard in the stands. (4)
5) Hundreds of people attended Sundays race to watch 75 top bicyclists peddle across the finish-line. (3)
6) Every winter, the Jone's and the Kinney's pour over travel brochures, planning their summer trip together. This year they’re hoping to go to Panama City. (3)
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Friday, October 3, 2008
redefining news
I really like the EveryBlock site. After looking through the "Crimes" section for San Francisco, I was reminded of old community boards. The old community boards were mainly used to inform the public of town events, jobs, lost pets or stolen items. The problem with those boards were their location. If you wanted to view them, you would have to go to them. EveryBlock allows these same curious people the luxury of viewing them in their house. It also has a wider range of posts, such as crimes, restaurant inspections, zoning permit and pool inspections. It also allows a person to not only view there immediate area but communities close by as well. A potential problem is where the information is coming from. This is what the site says about its information:
"Each type of information we publish on EveryBlock comes from a specific source, with a specific method. We obtain some data by parsing government Web sites and crawling the Web; in other cases, governments send us data that isn’t available online."
Though I appreciate the information, if I really want to know the validity of the content I still need to research the sources. Yet, that is the same tactic we would need to pursue with newspapers and broadcasts. I am not sure what kind of accountability these kind of sites are held in comparison to the major media such as libel and misinformation outlets. I would like to believe with proper oversight and journalistic integrity, sites like these would be a wonderful outlet for community communications.
"Each type of information we publish on EveryBlock comes from a specific source, with a specific method. We obtain some data by parsing government Web sites and crawling the Web; in other cases, governments send us data that isn’t available online."
Though I appreciate the information, if I really want to know the validity of the content I still need to research the sources. Yet, that is the same tactic we would need to pursue with newspapers and broadcasts. I am not sure what kind of accountability these kind of sites are held in comparison to the major media such as libel and misinformation outlets. I would like to believe with proper oversight and journalistic integrity, sites like these would be a wonderful outlet for community communications.
Top News 5
The much anticipated Vice Presidential Debate took place yesterday in Michigan. The first and only VP debate was between Democratic Nominee Senator Joe Biden and Republican Nominee Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin. In one of the most watched elections in the history of America, the VP debate drew almost 70 million viewers, Nielsen Co. reported.
Why was it so heavily watched? Biden has been in the senate for 36 years with a track record ranging from foreign policy to tax reform is known for being a little short tempered and a bit long winded. Sarah Palin, a 20 month Governor of Alaska, who's stance on hot button issues is virtually unknown to the American public and after many shaky interviews with Katie Couric and Charles Gibson have left the many American questioning her ability to be a heartbeat away from the presidency.
In all fairness, I felt that the debate was almost a tie. Biden, in my opinion, won the debate by a small margin because of his knowledge and experience on major issues. Palin held her own with her shining personality and loose grip on the concepts of the major issues. Major issues being foreign policy, the economy, health care and the war in Iraq. At best Palin portrayed a person who is not afraid of challenges and has an acute ability to connect with the average American.
I believe that Palin was able to live up to her abilities as an affective debater but not a person I would feel comfortable running the country.
Why was it so heavily watched? Biden has been in the senate for 36 years with a track record ranging from foreign policy to tax reform is known for being a little short tempered and a bit long winded. Sarah Palin, a 20 month Governor of Alaska, who's stance on hot button issues is virtually unknown to the American public and after many shaky interviews with Katie Couric and Charles Gibson have left the many American questioning her ability to be a heartbeat away from the presidency.
In all fairness, I felt that the debate was almost a tie. Biden, in my opinion, won the debate by a small margin because of his knowledge and experience on major issues. Palin held her own with her shining personality and loose grip on the concepts of the major issues. Major issues being foreign policy, the economy, health care and the war in Iraq. At best Palin portrayed a person who is not afraid of challenges and has an acute ability to connect with the average American.
I believe that Palin was able to live up to her abilities as an affective debater but not a person I would feel comfortable running the country.
Truck
An out of control asphalt truck wreaked havoc in El Cerrito, leaving the driver with two broken legs and a house completely destroyed. The crash, which happened on Moeser St., also left parts of El Cerrito, Berkley and Richmond with out power. The 10-wheeler hauler snapped a power line, severely damaged at least five vehicles and smashed into a local residence.
Detective Sgt. Shawn Maples, with help from form Police Chief Scott Kirkland and Detective Ken Zinc, pulled the driver from the over turned hauler seconds before it burst into flames. Maples said, “We dragged him out in a heartbeat while the truck went up in flames. I just wanted to get him out of there.” According to Maples, the driver’s legs were mangled and he couldn’t move.
Ruben Sharma, whom lives across the street from the home that was destroyed said, “First, I thought it was a major earthquake. This is unbelievable.” His front yard is littered with bricks, broken glass, car parts, splintered wood and palm fronds.
Rescue workers had to cut the roof of a Honda sedan to free the trapped driver and a parked electrician’s truck on Moeser was knocked over to the next street. Both were struck by the hauler.
The driver of the hauler, a San Jose man whose name was not released, broke both of his and is listed in serious but stable condition at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek.
Detective Sgt. Shawn Maples, with help from form Police Chief Scott Kirkland and Detective Ken Zinc, pulled the driver from the over turned hauler seconds before it burst into flames. Maples said, “We dragged him out in a heartbeat while the truck went up in flames. I just wanted to get him out of there.” According to Maples, the driver’s legs were mangled and he couldn’t move.
Ruben Sharma, whom lives across the street from the home that was destroyed said, “First, I thought it was a major earthquake. This is unbelievable.” His front yard is littered with bricks, broken glass, car parts, splintered wood and palm fronds.
Rescue workers had to cut the roof of a Honda sedan to free the trapped driver and a parked electrician’s truck on Moeser was knocked over to the next street. Both were struck by the hauler.
The driver of the hauler, a San Jose man whose name was not released, broke both of his and is listed in serious but stable condition at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Top News 4
Finicail Crisis
The collapse of major finacail institutions and the goverment buy outs have been the major topic of the last 2 weeks. I woul dlike to specifically talk about the 7oo billion dollar bailout plan and Friday meetings that involved the presidentail canadates. After reading articles in the Wall Street Journal and San Jose Merucury News, as well as watching CNN,MSNBC and FOXNEWS I was interested in the politics involved in what was suppose to be a bi-partisan meeting.
Initailly, the Bush Administration proposed a 3 page planned bailout of the morgage crisis. It recieved a lot of push-back on some core principals, that both presidentail canadates in a joint statment agreed upon, and was revised. The Senate Republicans, Democrates and House Democrats who worked on the revision were in favor of the new plan. House Republicans, more specifically the Conservative base, did not agree with the complete revision.
In steps the Presidentail canadit John McCain. He met with the Conservative base and shortly after the revised plan did not get approved. McCain later, at a meeting with President Bush, his advisors and Senator Obama, defended the Conservatives right to disapprove the plan. Subsiquently, lawmakers are still in negotiations for passing another bailout plan.
I commend the Republicans for standing by their values but have issue with their overall lack of substance. They submitted a plan of their own, one page in length, which offered supporting insurance for the flailing finacial institution. As a result of these politics the bailout has not occured, the stock market is in a frenzy and millions of Americans are very worried about their financial future.
The collapse of major finacail institutions and the goverment buy outs have been the major topic of the last 2 weeks. I woul dlike to specifically talk about the 7oo billion dollar bailout plan and Friday meetings that involved the presidentail canadates. After reading articles in the Wall Street Journal and San Jose Merucury News, as well as watching CNN,MSNBC and FOXNEWS I was interested in the politics involved in what was suppose to be a bi-partisan meeting.
Initailly, the Bush Administration proposed a 3 page planned bailout of the morgage crisis. It recieved a lot of push-back on some core principals, that both presidentail canadates in a joint statment agreed upon, and was revised. The Senate Republicans, Democrates and House Democrats who worked on the revision were in favor of the new plan. House Republicans, more specifically the Conservative base, did not agree with the complete revision.
In steps the Presidentail canadit John McCain. He met with the Conservative base and shortly after the revised plan did not get approved. McCain later, at a meeting with President Bush, his advisors and Senator Obama, defended the Conservatives right to disapprove the plan. Subsiquently, lawmakers are still in negotiations for passing another bailout plan.
I commend the Republicans for standing by their values but have issue with their overall lack of substance. They submitted a plan of their own, one page in length, which offered supporting insurance for the flailing finacial institution. As a result of these politics the bailout has not occured, the stock market is in a frenzy and millions of Americans are very worried about their financial future.
Carjack
Carjacking attempt leaves a suspect in custody and two honeymooner' s a little shaken up. Alan Ticas-Soto, 21, is in police custody for carjacking a car that had a wedding bride still in the passenger seat last Saturday night.
Ticas-Soto, who has no criminal record, pleaded "not guilty" Monday in San Mateo Supreme Court and is being held on $100,000 bail. He has been charged with felony carjacking and misdemeanor drug charges, he is suspected to have been high on methamphetamines.
The newly married couple, names not released, had stopped for a late night snack at Taco Bell on E. 4th Ave in San Mateo. Mr. Ticas-Soto, allegedly, entered the vehicle after the groom had gotten out of the still running 2003 Nissan Maxima, leaving the bride in the passenger seat. Ticas-Soto had initail problems driving the Maxima because it was a stick shift. The problem allowed enough time for the groom to reach the car and help his bride out. Ticas-Solo then proceed, according to witnesses, run into the Taco Bell sign, exit the car and run away from the scene. Neither the bride or groom were injured but were obviously shaken by the experience.
Ticas-Soto, who has no criminal record, pleaded "not guilty" Monday in San Mateo Supreme Court and is being held on $100,000 bail. He has been charged with felony carjacking and misdemeanor drug charges, he is suspected to have been high on methamphetamines.
The newly married couple, names not released, had stopped for a late night snack at Taco Bell on E. 4th Ave in San Mateo. Mr. Ticas-Soto, allegedly, entered the vehicle after the groom had gotten out of the still running 2003 Nissan Maxima, leaving the bride in the passenger seat. Ticas-Soto had initail problems driving the Maxima because it was a stick shift. The problem allowed enough time for the groom to reach the car and help his bride out. Ticas-Solo then proceed, according to witnesses, run into the Taco Bell sign, exit the car and run away from the scene. Neither the bride or groom were injured but were obviously shaken by the experience.
Gas Leak
A high-pressure gas rupture shut down business and traffic South of Market early yesterday afternoon. The punctured pipe shut down, roughly, a four block area and required at least 100 people to evacuate.
A private construction company, according to a PG&E source, punctured the gas pipe with a backhoe while trying to repair some sewer lines. Traffic was at a stand still, in an already heavily traveled area, caused by the police blocking off the area. Neighborhood residents, business and their customers who were vacated from the area were upset by the disturbance. Carlann Lauria of Crocker's Lokckers, a self-storage business in the area, said about her customers,"They were pretty irate." Employees of Crocker's Lockers had to go out past the police perimeter to find their customers in order to receive payments. Samantha Feldmen of Wa-Ha-Ka restaurant, located on the corner near the gas line, said she lost upwards of 500$ in business due to the rapture. Gas was turned back on at 5:09p.m. last night.
A private construction company, according to a PG&E source, punctured the gas pipe with a backhoe while trying to repair some sewer lines. Traffic was at a stand still, in an already heavily traveled area, caused by the police blocking off the area. Neighborhood residents, business and their customers who were vacated from the area were upset by the disturbance. Carlann Lauria of Crocker's Lokckers, a self-storage business in the area, said about her customers,"They were pretty irate." Employees of Crocker's Lockers had to go out past the police perimeter to find their customers in order to receive payments. Samantha Feldmen of Wa-Ha-Ka restaurant, located on the corner near the gas line, said she lost upwards of 500$ in business due to the rapture. Gas was turned back on at 5:09p.m. last night.
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