Copy Edit the World - Extra Credit

These clippings are from online articles on brand entertainment:
1. "Organisations" should be organiZations
2. "first", "entertainment", and "it" should be capitalized
3. between the words "to" and "designed", there should be "be"

Research Project

In the past year, our countries economy has suffered the worst recession it has seen since the Great Depression. With numerous lay-offs and vanishing benefits, American’s are at a loss for what they could possibly do to keep from having to relocate or take out a loan or even file bankruptcy. Now that we have a new president, we are expecting quite a turn-around to help our citizens receive greater salaries and much less get a job to begin with. Gasoline prices and health care are soaring through the roof, while people who have been lucky enough to maintain their jobs, are being paid less and less. President Obama has constructed a specific economic stimulus package to revitalize the rut that our market has become.

The main purpose of these drastic changes is to alleviate the pressures that have been put on middle and working class families and to eradicate the overwhelming burdens that the economy has left on us all. However, the economy is getting worse with each day and we are all waiting patiently for it to look up very soon. Since an over-night miracle is not possible, Obama plans to aid those most in need and citizens who are most likely to use the funds given to them. This way spending activity will increase and the economy will eventually stabilize. One of the first actions on the president’s agenda is to grant each and every worker an immediate $250tax cut which will cost $35 billion to supply the entire country with.

Because the importance of taxing workers to gain revenue for social security is still intact, Obama deliberated a reasonable and sufficient amount of $250 in aid that he could provide to employees. The goal of providing tax cuts to American’s is so that they can regain their spending power little by little and, in return, the economy will strengthen its consumer buying activity. But if we were to receive extra money, would we really spend it instead of saving it to pay off important bills and other expenses? Obama has already thought of this as well; he also wants to create a range of financial services available to American’s, to help relieve the burden of unwanted debt, foreclosure, refinancing home mortgages, and offering free credit reports. This leads us to the question of: how will senior citizens be helped?

President Obama intends to grant every senior citizen a temporary bonus of $250 in additional to their social security checks. For this, he is putting aside $10 billion in reserve. Unlike the tax cuts that will be put in place for workers, this specific aide will remain temporary until the economy has started to recover its losses. According to research, senior citizens in America are more likely to spend their extra funds because usually they are not financially responsible for any dependants and they already have their monthly social security check taking care of other expenses. Obama has decided that giving money to a market that is more likely to purchase is the smart thing to do.

Whether or not these elements will do our economy any good anytime soon is not certain. But the package does possess an optimistic and motivating air to what the president has in mind to keep us from truly experiencing a great depression.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Organizing for America. BarackObama.com. http://obama.3cdn.net/8335008b3be0e6391e_foi8mve29.pdf. May 7, 2009

Economic Stimulus Package Information. Obamastimulusplan.info. http://obama-recovery-plan.com/economic-stimulus-program/?fycid=4333&fyckw=economic%20stimulus%20package&gclid=CPzWiL-bq5oCFShRagodOyf-1A. May 7, 2009

Blog Post #4

When I asked others what they thought of hazing on college campuses, some of them didn’t think it still existed and many more didn’t know exactly what it meant. Hazing is the initiation of sorority and fraternity pledges; these initiations can involve anything from forced alcohol consumption to degradation of an individual’s self-worth. ABC’s John Quinones recently gathered a group of actors and set up a public scene of hazing on the streets of Long Island in order to exploit the unnoticed act. Because too many people ignore the topic or simply do not know the extent of it, he thought it was crucial to openly show the community just some of the things that are forcibly done to students. The test was conducted to see if people passing by would stop or even glance to see what was going on. A lot of people seemed to look in the other direction and continue to pretend like nothing was wrong, while others stopped to give the pledge masters a piece of their minds. There was also a major difference in how the women and men pledges were treated. When it came time for the girls to stage their show, there was a lot more verbal abuse that greatly relates to what women go through in reality. When pedestrians saw this, they weren’t as interested in helping; they basically just stopped to watch the show. Observing the reaction of random passersby, Quinones accomplished the goal in which the experiment was intended; awareness and caution. Not only did it raise responses from local citizens, but by airing it on primetime to the rest of the country, it educated all of us on the dangers we should avoid and the concern we should voice for these pledges. By merely walking by the commotion, we are expressing our ignorance and carelessness regarding this dangerous situation. Clearly some people do feel as if it is not their place to intervene, however our freedom of speech allows us to object to things we do not agree with especially when done in the public eye.

Journal #6 - Fish Out of Water

In all cultures, there is the traditional way of welcoming a child into adulthood with a celebration for the life-changing event. In the Hispanic culture, when a girl turns 15 she becomes a woman and her family throws her a Quinceanera. A quinceanera is a religious ceremony in which the girl’s loved ones commemorate her coming of age and all of the family and social responsibilities that come with it. It is also a joyous event for friends and family to get together, eat ethnic food, and dance the night away.

I recently had the pleasure of attending a quinceanera for my aunt’s niece who wished to honor her Mexican heritage and elders by having a traditional ceremony, followed by a more modernized party with her friends afterwards. Since we are considered family now, we attended the ceremony which took place on a Sunday morning at their local family church. The girl walked up to the altar dressed in a beautiful blush silk satin gown with a magnificently beaded bodice and a bouquet of roses in her hands. All of her close family was dressed in complimenting colors and held flowers and other gifts. The rituals were said in Spanish so I did not understand what sort of prayers were being performed, however I was intrigued by the grand importance of a simple age that has become so significant to this culture. I did not feel at all out of place, as the family has always been very welcoming; however I felt bad not knowing exactly what was being said because I could not follow along.

After the ceremony, everyone went back to the family’s home for an intimate reception held in their backyard. This is where the girl’s personality showed through; the patio was decorated with her favorite colors and possessed a classic theme of sophisticated womanhood. The party was casual and started off with a hip-hop dance performed by her cousins and friends. It was interesting to see how the ceremony, first comprised of religious prayers, transformed from traditional to modern with the latest mix of music and dance. As the night went on, we ate and socialized with the family and newly pronounced woman.

The rest of the night consisted of close relatives proceeding to give speeches to honor her and her special day as well as eating in abundance and then dancing it off. As the evening came to a close, I realized that having not been a part of this particular ethnic group, I still felt a close bond to the festivities and had an open-mind to learning about their religious and contemporary customs.

Journal #5 - Drinking Coffee Elsewhere

ZZ Packer’s unique writing style immediately captured my attention with its witty and edgy sense of liveliness. As I began reading the chapter on Brownies from her book titled “Drinking Coffee Elsewhere”, I instantly felt as if each sentence was full of detail and a true, honest feeling for every word written. The first paragraph alone was full of imaginative specifics which made me feel like I could picture the scene she described so effectively. Her use of metaphors took me by surprise because they were original and unexpected. My personal favorite was one that read, “…with their long, shampoo-commercial hair, straight as spaghetti from the box.” Packer’s writing style is fearless of using bold wording and takes a risk of readers either turning away from her book or being completely captivated. Her anecdotes are packed with alluring description that absorbs the reader’s interest. The dialogue has an uncommon place in the middle of narrative paragraphs; however it works well because it is relevant and understandable. Packer’s use of similes was creative and painted a clear picture of what she was comparing the first object to. Even though you would expect Brownie troupes to consist of innocent little girls “looking all around them like tourists determined to be dazzled”, as Packer phrases it, this chapter portrayed the girls as clever and not as naïve as we would like to think.

Copy Edit the World

This is a paragraph out of my Business to Business Brand Management textbook:

1. In the 4th line down, there should be a comma after the word "right".

2. In the 10th line down, it should say "give" not "gave".

3. In the 12th line, there should be a comma after "simple".

4. In the 13th line, it should say "to" not "with".

STD Stories

HARD NEWS STORY

TRACKING AND TREATING THE TRANSMISSION

San Jose State University’s health service director, Ellen Jones, is creating a program to inform students of STD’s because of the high number of cases diagnosed, and the health office is offering free STD testing from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Monday through Friday.

On campus, 50 cases of students with STD’s have been reported and Jones wants to help prevent this. She wants students to know the risks and dangers that come with intercourse. The college plans to provide lectures held in dorms by health service personnel, encourage professors to show an educational movie in classes, and distribute informative pamphlets discussing various symptoms to a wide range of diseases.

“It seems much easier to have sex with people than to talk about having sex. There are some students on this campus who didn't even know the name of their sexual partners." Ellen states in response to the doubled number of cases estimated for the end of the school year.

In the past four years, there has been less than half the amount of cases that there are now. The health service office is now offering free STD testing which will help students maintain their health.


PRESS RELEASE

PREPARING STUDENTS TO TRACK AND TREAT SEXUAL TRANSMISSION
SJSU Worries That Students Are Not Well Educated On The Facts And Risks Of STD’s

Now-a-days health officials are wondering whether college should also include a class on sex education. The growing number of students being diagnosed with STD’s has been cause for the college to take greater actions to provide what they hope will be an educational and beneficial program. Health service director, Ellen Jones, says that the school is doing everything in its power to create a way of communicating to students regarding the various types of diseases and proactive ways of preventing and treating them.

"It seems much easier to have sex with people than to talk about having sex,” Jones said. “There are some students on this campus who didn't even know the name of their sexual partners."

During the last four years, the rate of STD diagnoses has more than doubled and is expected to triple by the end of the school year. The college will offer lectures given by health service personnel, informative movies shown in classes, and pamphlets containing significant information.

To ensure the safety of all students, the health office will provide free and confidential STD testing 5-days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Blog Post #3

I remember the days of my childhood when I would read the comics in our daily newspaper. As I got older, my family cancelled our subscription to the paper and I realized that I could easily find the same comics on the newspapers website. But it wasn’t until recently that newspapers around the country have been forced to crumble because of its more advanced media competitors. The internet and television have more than exceeded the capabilities of the newspaper, and in return, we are seeing much less of what used to be the most popular media source. So, what do other media sources have that the newspaper cannot offer? For starters, the internet and television provide a speedy update on news. Breaking news that can be reported to the world in a matter of minutes, takes newspapers at least a day to report. Also, if you can receive news for free, why pay for it every month? Another factor that’s bringing newspapers down is the fact that they don’t give the reader as much information as television or an internet article would. For these reasons, most people no longer subscribe to newsprint and this is resulting in a slow but steady dwindle in the newspaper industry.

Focus Story Exercise

Lillian Garland never thought that having a baby would mean fighting to keep her job. She was an employee at California Federal Savings & Loans where, after becoming pregnant, she was granted a leave of absence.

Of the 55 million women working in the U.S., we can assume that the chances of a female employee taking pregnancy leave are generally typical, so under federal law, this must be ensured. However, in Garland’s case, the California law was disregarded and she was denied employment at her previous position.

Having been assured of employment upon her return, she was confused to learn that her job had been filled while she was away on leave. In response to the false stipulations that she expected, Lillian reacted by suing California Federal for not abiding by the law and giving her her rightful four months paid disability. Five years after the case began, the U.S. Supreme Court decided to sustain the state law.

Blog Post #2

I’m not sure how the rest of the country feels, but personally I feel as if in the past, the only time we ever heard from our President was during his campaigns and the election itself. But this time, it is quite different; we have learned more about President Obama, his wife, and daughters in his first 100 days, than we ever heard about George Bush during his 8 years in office. Every aspect of the Obama family has been followed by the media and strong supporters since the day the President was elected. This includes entertaining news as well as the work that the President decides to do to change our economy. I think it is interesting and very lucky for us that in a time like this, our President wants us to know about his family’s daily lifestyle. It has given him a more personable image and in return, allows the citizens of America to be confident and reassured in his views and actions. Some news sites have included timelines of his progress as well as comments that Americans have voiced regarding his work so far. From what I read, it is 50/50; a lot of people feel that we couldn’t’ have asked for a better President, however a lot of people are disappointed in the things he has done and have already begun giving up on the future of our country. The way I see it: we have roughly 3 ½ more years with our new President and the only thing we can do is hope for gradual change.

Blog Post #1

America is a country that grants citizens the freedom of speech; but did Miss California take it a little over the edge when she openly voiced her opinion regarding same-sex marriage? Judge, Perez Hilton, asked the Miss USA hopeful a question about if other states should or should not take the direction in which gay marriage would be legalized. Miss California offered an answer that was highly offensive to some and irrelevant in terms of the question asked. She responded with her true and honest opinion that marriage should be between a man and woman; however she did not answer the question of if American states should legalize it. She made the wrong choice of incorporating her personal view on the subject and neglected to remain neutral so she did not offend the viewers or even the judges. Most people are glad that we were able to learn about her real feelings and are also glad that she will not be representing a country that has grown and evolved with the changing times and has become more accepting of different lifestyles. After the competition, she had been asked if she regretted her answer and she simply said that the question was given to her as a blessing in disguise and was meant for her to speak her mind freely.

IMHO #2

The mad cow disease, anthrax, SARS, bird flu and now the Swine flu (aka H1N1) all possess one collective trait: they have each been introduced to us in the form of a deathly hazard that could affect the entire world. Most recently, the Swine flu has been discovered as a pandemic influenza that has not shown immunity to any certain individual. This flu has hit thousands of people all over the world in a few short weeks and many citizens are doing whatever it takes to keep their families safe. However, some may think that the media is simply overhyping the whole situation to instill fear and, in reality, the concern isn’t that much of a threat to us at all. On the other hand, many people feel that it is the media’s job to inform us of possible dangers and that we should take necessary precautions in order to protect our health. So why blame the media for overstressing the serious nature of this virus? Yes, I agree that spending a half hour regarding the Swine flu on prime-time television is a bit amplified, but don’t we want to know what deadly germs could be infesting our work place, schools, and homes? When a topic like this is exaggerated to a high degree, we feel that this is the only thing that we need to be aware of and that could possibly harm us. We forget that there are hundreds of other flu’s and viruses that could potentially take the life of any individual, young or old, healthy or sick. For example, the winter influenza has infected thousands and thousands of people and many have been killed by it, but we don’t see news on this pandemic in the media. Because the Swine flu is something newly discovered, the media has been trying to inform the world of its risks and the possibilities of it hitting close to home. To me, all they are doing is letting us know what’s out there; they are doing their job to broadcast important information to people living in all countries that could be targeted. It makes me wonder, that if they had not been reporting on the subject, would we be complaining about the lack of information provided as well? Again, I agree that the common flu has taken numerous lives and most of us know to take precaution, however the Swine flu is also just as dangerous and we should be lucky to have warning of its health risks.

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/01/fighting-the-swine-flu-media-backlash/?scp=1&sq=swine%20flu%20and%20the%20media&st=cse

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html