Pulling into the station - toot toot

Since starting this blog I read that they should be informative but not too long so that the reader is not lost (The same applies to print media). Anyway, in order to not have a blog that went on forever I cut the previous blog and continued in a fresh blog.

My five not so great headlines are:

*1 “Gangs, criminality and misdevelopment”
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_opinion?id=161297381

This says absolutely nothing to me. What about gangs, criminality and misdevelopment? Are gangs a product of misdevelopment? It just seems like the person who wrote the headline picked three key words and said “presto!” Also, is there a word as misdevelopment or is it under development. If there is please educate me.

*2 “‘The nowayrians’ Study shows vagrants getting lazier”
http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,75537.html

I would have gone with a shorter headline. Something like “Vagrants getting lazier, study says” or maybe just stop at "Vagrants getting lazier". The use of the “nowayrians” I am sure is meant to grab but for me I was more of a deterrent. It did not flow. That term could have been left for the story.

*3 “Coconut killer”
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/html/20080322T200000-0500_133771_OBS_COCONUT_KILLER_.asp

I did not like this one at all. It is about a disease that is threatening the coconuts in Jamaica. It lacks action. Even if it said Coconut killer rampant or something like that it would be better in my book. A reasonable headline would be “Disease threatens coconut industry.” I am sure others could even improve upon my suggestion but “Coconut killer” does nothing for me. What about the coconut killer?

*4 Beach limers do it on sand
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161297447

This headline has nothing to do with the story. It is very suggestive as well. When I read the headline I thought it meant persons were having sex on the beach. The story is about beach goers ignoring warnings to stay away from the beaches because of choppy waters. The headline, in my estimation, while it is short and catchy suggests a total other thing from what the article is about. It is in poor taste.

*5 Class Axe
http://www.nationnews.com/story/309862660017350.php

Like the others before it this headline just does not say enough. The axe is a good strong image but a better headline would have been "Classes axed at Drakes Christian School".

The little engine that could - chug chug

I am almost there. The final section for this weeks assignment was to find five great web headlines , five not so great ones and post my comments here. A lot of them are from today but one or two are from earlier this week.

Great:
*1. "No magic wand - Shaw".
http://jamaicagleaner.com/gleaner/20080323/lead/lead5.html

It was posted today March 23.2008 on The Gleaner Company's website. Now the Gleaner is a newspaper which posts some of its printed news articles online for the tech savvy among us. So the headlines is not only on the Internet but also in print. I like it because it is simple and to the point. It is budget time in the Jamaican parliament and what this headlines says in a four words is that Finance Minister Audley Shaw warning against miracles. We changed governments for the first time in 18 years so it is a new government, a new Minister of Finance and even more dire economic straights. Everyone is looking for a pay increase and Shaw is saying "I have no magic wand so do not get your hopes up."

*2 “Woman stuck on toilet for two years, police say.”
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/03/12/woman.stuck.on.toilet.ap/index.html
I read this one on CNN website earlier this week. I went and looked for it so I could show it here. It was the headline that caught me. I thought it was bizarre and nasty and wanted to know why – so I read the story. Also, by the “police say” the writer also adds credibility to the story because I would have skipped past it otherwise.

*3. “Caribbean wary of US credit crunch”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/caribbean/news/story/2008/03/080320_creditcrunchcaribbean.shtml
I read this on BBC Caribbean’s website. The state of the US economy and its repercussions for the Caribbean is being watched very carefully by economists and ordinary citizens as well. Some of our country’s debts are serviced in US currency, we sometimes do business transactions in US currency and we travel to the US for business and for pleasure (to name a few reasons for disquiet). This headline brings the concern of the region to the fore in six words. I think it is a good headline.

*4 “Greeks test Beijing torch lighting, fear Tibet protests”
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSL23968420080323?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews
I do not know what the average headline should be but I think this one may be pushing it. It is still good though because shows the relationship between the Beijing Olympics and the recent uprisings in Tibet. It could stopped at lighting but the news value increases when the readers becomes aware of the impact the protest are having and may have as the Peoples Republic of China prepares for the Olympics in August.

*5 JAMAICA-HEALTH-Government says upcoming budget will honour election promises
from CMC News Headlines
KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – The six-month old Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) government says it is not worried about being able to keep its election promises, just days before tabling it first budget.

I have no URL for this site because one has to pay to view more than the above. The headline “Government says upcoming budget will honour election promises” may be a little long but it is topical and to the point. I find that, perhaps because they only have a few lines to entice the reader to buy the article from them, the CMC news headlines tend to be very well written. The lead also follows very well of the headline giving context and starting the story. I like it.

Three blogs I like best ... (thinking)

It is assignment time again. I am supposed to be telling you (the reader) about three blogs that I like and why. I am in a quandary - I have been reading news feeds not blogs.

What to do? Well I am to post comments on my classmates blogs as well so why not kill two birds with one stone?

* Blog one: http://inamban.blogspot.com/

I liked the tone and colour but for a detailed break down read my comments in the blog titled "Comments on blog".

*Blog two: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/blog/template_permalink.asp?id=113


This blog is on my Google reader and to tell the truth I am behind on reading it. I like it for many reasons. The person in charge, Ross Sheil, is an old colleague of mine. He is from Britain and a very good journalist in my opinion. The above URL takes you to a post about BBC hosting a Caribbean crime debate.

I like the layout. It is breezy and welcoming. It is well organized as well. To the right is a pane that is sectioned into three main parts: categories (politics, science etc), archives and recent entries. You see that there is a lot of information there but it is not cluttered. It also facilitates research with a search this site area.

I especially liked the photo it is quite appropriate. I wonder how he got it there - I would like to try that on my blog. The photo reminds me of a deep rural St. Elizabeth. The bread basket of my county, St. Elizabeth is where most of our produce comes from. It is known for its red ore, its melons, cantaloupe, scallion thyme and also shrimp. The young lady walking the dirt path to the house is reminds me so much of St. Elizabeth. The photo also plays into the "Jamaica" aspect of blog because it is a kind of idyllic shot.

*Blog three: http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/this-week-in-the-digital-photography-school-forums-36/

I love photography and I am hoping this blog will be helpful. I have not delved deeply into it as yet but it is a work in progress.

Easter weekend - bun and cheese anyone?

For those who do not know, in Jamaica bun and cheese is the staple snack at Easter time. It is an age old tradition. Some families make their own and others, like mine, buy. I do not know how it began but if I find out I will post it.

This week I have been reading a lot, thanks to Google reader. It really helps. I have never spent so much time infront of my computer reading news before. I read about St. Vincent and the Grenadines PM Ralph Gonsalves' concerns with the US credit crunch. Also the related story of Grenada's financial pundits worrying over what will happen now that Bear Stearns has been sold to JP Morgan. Apparently they had an agreement with Bear Stearns to help restructure the island's external debt after Hurricane Ivan in 2004. This is a big deal. If the hurricane does not wreck your country's economy, the cost of rebuilding can. If the agreement is not taken up by JP Morgan it could have serious repercussions on Grenada's economy.

I also read about Tibet and Taiwan's struggle with China. I was especially enlightened when I after doing further readings on the Taiwan discovered that there were two Chinas. Yes, for a young journalist this is terrible. As one of my professors would say, "You cannot learn history without the geography."

But in my defence most of the news I have read say China not Peoples Republic of China (PRC) and speak as if there is only one. In fact, according to my research that is the problem. The PRC under The One-China policy claim to be the "only" China and people who want to do business with them have to agree to this policy. Taiwan wants to join the UN but the body only recognizes PRC.

News just read - Taiwan has a new president. Ma Ying-Jeou. One of his campaign promises was to open direct shipping and air links with China. http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/03/22/taiwan.elections/index.html?eref=rss_world

Why is this news? Because China is an emerging world power. Because of the Beijing Olympics and the need to be aware of what is happening in its host country. Because the Chinese government has ties in Jamaica, providing funds for infrastructural development.

RSS Feeds - what I'm reading

I mentioned in a previous blog that I am using Google reader. Here are some of the RSS feeds I subscribe to:

*BBC Caribbean
*BBC International
*CNN World
*Reuters Top News
*The Jamaica Gleaner
*Jamaica Observations

I was surprised to find that a number of the Caribbean newspapers do not have RSS feeds. So far The Gleaner wesbsite was the only site I found with a feed. The Observer, although it has more information - as in more of the actual printed paper - on its site than The Gleaner, does not have a RSS feed. It has a blog called Jamaica Observations. At first glance it looks good. I look forward to reading it. I also subscribe to blogs such as Photocritic, Flickr, Photojojo and Beijing Olympic Games 2008

Above is a screenshot of my Google reader.

RSS Feeds - the new way of reading

This week I learnt how to start my own web log (blog), how to access a RSS reader and how to subscribe to feeds and news searches. (Since you are reading my blog you can tell me what you think.)

So, what is a RSS Feed?

RSS is an acronym which means Real Simple Syndication – its sounds technical doesn’t it? It is not as complicated as it sounds.

A RSS document or feed allows the user (you and I) to subscribe to information – a blog, news pages or podcasts – which are delivered directly to their RSS reader or Web browser. It is delivered in real time that is, the information is updated as soon as it becomes available.

What is the benefit?

RSS feeds make it easier for the reader to access his or her information as instead of visiting multiple websites to get the information it is collected and displayed in one place.

The information is collected and displayed in what is called a RSS reader. This is simply an application that aggregates or gathers information from sources such as blogs and websites in one place. There are two types of RSS readers: web- based readers that can be accessed via the internet and stand alone readers which the user downloads to their computer.

I use a web-based reader. My reason for doing so is simple I want to be able to access my reader from wherever I am. Both readers (web-based and pc-based) require the internet to access the information but only one requires my personal computer and I may not always have it with me.

I use Google reader. My main email address is at yahoo but I find the Google reader easier to use. (Maybe I will switch as I become more tech savvy but we will see.)

On becoming a techie

Since its conception in 1990s the internet has grown from an almost elitist entity to a space where anyone can have a voice. In recognition of this phenomenon, and my lack of skills in this particular department, I recently signed up for an internet course on digital journalism. It is a four week course. While I am only in week two, I have learnt a lot.

In week one I learnt how to take a screen of webpage using the print screen button. Can you imagine I always had the button on my lap top and never once wondered what it was for? I did not ponder its use because it had no bearing on my life. I know Microsoft word and basic photo editing because these are my bread and butter tools. At the time it did not matter that I did not know all the buttons on my keyboard because as far as I was concerned I knew what I needed to know. But is true what they say, “Knowledge is power.” Since learning about this tool I am anxious to use it again. Who knows maybe you will see it in use here.

Life is like navigating uncharted waters somewhere in the Antartic. It is exciting and scary at the same time because one is never sure what will happen. It is a risk. You set goals and you work towards them but even with hours of planning the only way to know is to 'do'. Life is what you make it. I am about to make another step, chart a new path, I hope the end is what I envisioned and more.