Do you ‘wordle’?

I’ve been playing with this Web site for a while. Wordle is it’s name, playing with word clouds is its game – and I friggin’ love it. It takes words from an RSS feed or Web site address you provide and it generates a word cloud from it. I don’t think it’s very accurate, though. Anyway, here’s my Wordle.

Do you Wordle?

Live on CNN, Rick Sanchez becomes Twitter star

How do you get over 1,400 followers on Twitter overnight? Ask CNN’s Rick Sanchez.

Rick Sanchez, Twitter King of CNN.

Sanchez debuted a huge plasma screen solely for his Twitter followers’ questions and answers during his Sunday show “CNN Newsroom”.

“testing a new system right now. wait til u see it, giant plasma screen twitter,” Sanchez wrote on Twitter at around 9:30 p.m., a half hour before his news show.

By the end of his broadcast on CNN, Sanchez had 1,719 followers at his Twitter account “ricksanchezcnn“. He had less than 400 the day before.

So, what is the key to getting more followers? Like I said before, ask him yourself. He’s on Twitter. Tell him ADMorales sent you. We’re pals, now.

~ADM

—

Don’t know what Twitter is, yet? Let Chris Pirillo tell you at this link.

Photo finish: Arlington National Cemetery

A photo I took while at the lobby entrance of the Arlington National Cemetery. I hope it touches you the way it did to me.

I took this photo while in the lobby entrance of the Arlington National Cemetery.

Breaking News: Obama picks Biden as his veep

A 3 a.m. text message from the Obama camp tried to break the news to his supporters, as promised. But, WashingtonPost.com broke the news at around 1 a.m., today. So, what do you think? And, what quirky names are we going to hear from the press? O-Biden? Obama-iden? Ba-Biden? We’ll see.

Here’s what BarackObama.com showed:

UPDATE: Barack Obama is sending this to his e-mail listserve:

Joe and I will appear for the first time as running mates this afternoon in Springfield, Illinois — the same place this campaign began more than 19 months ago.

iHate my iPhone

I love you, but I hate you, too. (sigh)

Damnit!

I stood on line for 12 hours to get you, iPhone 3G! You do so many things that make me angry…but I still love you. Why?

I can’t seem to stop touching you and poking you. Your screen is so clear and I love caressing you with my finger as I swipe from one screen to another when on Safari. But, you are lacking in technologies that are essential to my being.

Why can’t I voice dial? I get entranced by your screen when I am driving on the road, but always swerve onto others’ driving lanes. I purchased you to be more in touch with my technological-side which is very much lacking at the moment. And, honestly, it’s all your fault.

I want to be able to send and receive SMS text messages. Why do you tease me with your sleekness, yet not provide me with video and picture attachments via text that I need to please my visuals? Tell me!

Your camera is lacking in resolution. I can get comfortable with the 2-megapixel camera, but there are others out there with twice your comfort. On top of that, I can’t do anything with a picture on my phone that I can’t send to anyone except through e-mail. But that’s not instantanious like an SMS text would. I guess for now I’ll just have to email your photos to my Flickr account. (sigh)

Why don’t you take video? You are so pretty, yet you deny me of more eye candy for every day that I use you. Perhaps qik.com will have a cure for me, soon? Please approve it in your application store.

I really wanted to copy and paste between programs and windows, yet you still seem to deny me. Thank goodness for Twitter and Cali Lewis. Her breaking news is a step in the right direction toward copying my links and posting them anywhere.

I really wish the iPhone supported flash. I love Safari, but can’t watch anything but YouTube videos. I want to be able to watch Ustream.tv! Please give me flash support.

I was upset with the 3G service itself. (It sucks) But the the apps store just makes me forget all about it. I’m happy with the EDGE network, but wish I did not have to pay 3G prices. I’m just happy you finally acknowledged the problem. Too little, too late? Perhaps.

Solve these problems and then maybe we can rekindle our relationship. But, for now we can just acknowledge each other in passing.

~ADM

Readers really like when I use these words…

According to my tag cloud (on the lower right-hand corner), readers really like when I use these words:

Apple, Steve Jobs, iPhone 3G, Journalism, and Twitter beat out the words sex, hypermiling, Barack Obama, John McCain, Tom Brokaw, Ustream.tv, Photography, Disney, YouTube, and Newspapers.

“Unemployment” and “Unemployed” were at the bottom of the list. I guess that’s a good thing? People are out looking for jobs instead of reading my blog!

The big post on “Me today.” are ‘Wall-e sucks’ and my story about the secret iPhone 3g trick, which turn out to be not so secret.

Stay tuned…

~ADM

Recipe of a photograph

I took this photo with my iPhone while at the Newseum in Washington, DC. I liked it and posted it on my Twitter account. What do you think?

“If it makes you laugh,

If it makes you cry,

If it rips out your heart,

that’s a good picture”

-Eddie Adams, Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist

Video treasures: Are you twitterpated?

John Edwards affair, baby, ignored by mainstream media

As a journalism student, I was and will always be angry with how the mainstream media did not question authority during the events leading up to the war in Iraq. I have no opinion about the war publicly. My only problem is that I did not have all the facts to make a personal opinion. I blame the mainstream media, especially newspapers.

Newspapers are usually the starting point for many broadcast news makers. They are the source to news for many. So, I will never forget how newspapers cheated me out of information that should have been asked and reported to us – the readers.

Now, I’m angry again.

Not so recently, the National Enquirer reported a story about former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards having a “love affair” with Rielle Hunter, a woman who helped Edwards and his campaign. The Dec. 19, 2007 story is the kind of “news” the Enquirer does - scandal, rumors and sex. Granted, this story had no legs and was denied by Edwards early on when proof was not shown. But, then the Enquirer gave a reason of suspicion on July 22.

But, also remember, the Enquirer isn’t exactly a news leader and should not be revered for its accuracy or ethical journalism. (They put the Edwards story under “Celebrity News”) I understand that. But, once your audience begins asking questions about the story which begins growing some legs and getting some play on credible news blogs and Internet sources, the story needs to be reported and investigated. The public needs an accurate story from a credible news source. One newspaper is doing that.

Liza Zagaroli, a McClatchy Newspapers reporter, finally did the deed. North Carolina’s “News & Observer”(owned by McClatchy) finally reported July 31 about Edwards, their former state senator.

In the article, Zagaroli reports:

Afterward, (Edwards) avoided a crowd of waiting reporters, at least some of whom wanted to question him about recent reports in the National Enquirer that alleged a sexual relationship between Edwards and a former campaign videographer and an ensuing cover-up.

(NOTE: Zagaroli also reports that the Enquirer first reported the story online in October. I could only find the Dec. 19, 2007 story as the earliest via the Enquirer’s search engine.)

The Enquirer report grew legs once Edwards ignored questions, neither denying nor confirming the article, only to call it “trash”.

In my opinion, the story is relevant enough to be looked into. For those who don’t already know, Edwards ran as vice-president in 2004, was a senator for North Carolina, and ran for president this year. He dropped out of the race as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama were going head-to-head in votes during the primary elections. Edwards has been rumored to be on Barack Obama’s short list of vice presidential hopefuls.

My fear for newspapers, especially in its declining markets, is that they could be seen as being favorable to Edwards or Obama, both Democrats. When Larry Craig, a Republican, had his sex scandal the news was everywhere. What about Mark Foley? The mainstream media was all over that. Let’s not forget Bill Clinton.

It’s good to read that ABC is investigating the story. But it should have been checked on sooner.

While it can be argued that these scandals have nothing to do with the job these officials perform, readers still have the right to know this information.

[Cartoon by Kevin Siers, Charlotte Observer, http://www.charlotteobserver.com]

~ADM

Update: 11:05PM EDT- John Edwards admits to ABC’s Bob Woodruff that he did have an affair with Rielle Hunter in 2006. The mainstream media is going bonkers with reports since around 3pm, today (Friday). Make sure to watch the hypocrisy of the media within the next few weeks.

P.S. Fridays are the best time to give bad news. The reports will slow down during the weekend. Nice public relations move!

Print newspapers to die, change imminent

That’s right. I said it. Print newspapers will die in 5 to 10 years. They will be extinct. I was very cautious early on to make a statement like this, but I must deal with the realization that print newspaper journalism (the field I went to school for) is going to die.

Please examine my words closely. “Die” can mean many things. In this case, I feel that newspapers will not be extinct, but dead. Let me explain.

Newspapers may exist in 5 years, but the quality of life with this medium will be so bad, it might as well be dead. It will be on life support and all of us journos will not want to pull the plug. I’m certainly not going to pull it, but instead, I’m finally embracing the Internet and what it has to offer. I’ll post more about this sooner or later.

In the meantime, check out this video regarding newspapers via MSNBC. Click the link.

—

‘Paper cuts’ leave print newsrooms bleeding July 8: As the entire newspaper industry struggles to make a profitable transition to digital media, the new publisher of the four Palm Beach Post papers was the most recent to announce job cuts. NBC’s Mike Taibbi reports.

—

~ADM

[Photo courtesy of http://therealmccrea.com/]

‘Tonight on Dateline This Man Will Die’

An oldie but goody. In this Sept. 2007 article in Esquire, Luke Dittrich
gets the inside story of a “To Catch a Predator” exposé gone horribly wrong. This one is for all my ethics in journalism buddies.

read more | digg story

New Yorker magazine goes easy on covers after Obama controversy

This July 21, 2008 cover (left) of The New Yorker magazine drew fire from the Barack Obama campaign sparking a “when do you actually cross the line on racism” conversation. So what are the tones of the covers following the flap?

The controversy of the cover, which depicts the turban-wearing, presumptive democratic nominee with with his gun-toting wife, Michelle, dressed in a getup reminiscent of a 1960s Black Panther follower, got a response from the Obama camp stating:

“The New Yorker may think, as one of their staff explained to us, that their cover is a satirical lampoon of the caricature Senator Obama’s right-wing critics have tried to create,” Spokesman Bill Burton, said in a statement. “But most readers will see it as tasteless and offensive –- and we agree.”

Barry Blitt, the artist, released a statement saying the cover “satirizes the use of scare tactics and misinformation in the presidential election to derail Barack Obama’s campaign.”

Senator John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, agreed whole-heartedly with Obama’s camp avoiding a racial divide. And, Obama would not speak publicly about the cover only to say that he had no comment about it.

Trying to get sales on momentum, another satirical cover, this time from Vanity Fair appeared this month poking fun at the McCains. The cover (right) depicts an elderly McCain and his wife, Cindy, fist bumping with the U.S. Constitution burning in the fireplace. Cindy McCain is holding a handful of prescription bottles making fun of her past addiction problems while her husband is standing up using a walker.

Since the “Satire Saga” occurred, the New Yorker has released two more issues since the Obama cover was on newstands. The July 28 cover by Peter de Seve has a less controversial tone depicting a summer getaway with three lobsters escaping out a kitchen window before becoming dinner (below left). The most recent Aug. 4

cover by Kim DeMarco shows a swimmer with a swimming cap on in what looks to be the middle of nowhere (below right).

It seems the politicking isn’t over though.

Ryan Lizza, the journalist whose article prompted the satirical New Yorker cover, was excluded from the press team following Obama on his overseas trip last week. Rachel Sklar of the Huffington Post is damned mad about it calling it a deliberate “snub” from the Obama campaign.

So I leave you with some questions: Are some subjects off limits to

satire? Would you consider the New Yorker cover satire at all? Did the media go too far or are they entitled to poke fun of public figures because the First Amendment says so? Finally, did the New Yorker think it made a “boo-boo” and is trying to cool the tension down by easing down the tones of its follow-up editions? Leave a comment and tell me your thoughts.

~ADM

Video treasures: ‘Phone Number trick’

I was shown this video courtesy of Fireman17 of Ustream.tv:

If you have a video that you think should be featured as “Video treasures” (something useful and/or helpful with a techie twist), email me: albertodmorales AT gmail DOT com

~ADM

Secret* iPhone screen shot for OS 2.0? Hmmm…

Thanks to iPhone Atlas, I was able to find a “interesting, undocumented feature” with the the new iPhone’s 2.0 operating system.

If you press the Home and Sleep/Wake buttons at the same time … bam! Screenshot, right into your Camera Roll. Wa-hoo!

Here is a screen shot I took with my iPhone 3G a few seconds ago. It came out to be a 320×480, 60 KB file size when I emailed it to myself. It was also in RGB color, (for you photo whores out there).

So, this leaves me with one question: Are there more hidden features for the new iPhone software? Post a comment if you know of any.

Steve Jobs has a few trick up his sleeve, huh?

Sincerely yours,

~ADM

*UPDATE: Via ryandubridge on Twitter, this trick is documented on the iPhone SDK development tools. It’s still a cool trick though!

iPhone 3G fans camp outside store for morning sale

Photo by ADMorales: Three men wait early Friday-morning on beach chairs in front of the AT&T store on Rt. 37 East in Toms River, New Jersey. They said they would not sleep, especially with traffic almost 15 feet away from them.

By Alberto D. Morales

albertodmorales AT gmail dot com

Toms River, New Jersey – Line campers were outside one of the local AT&T stores early-Friday awaiting the 8 a.m. opening and sale of the new iPhone 3G.

Three local Ocean County men were in their beach chairs along the wall of the store claiming they would not go to sleep until they had the iPhones in their hands.

Rob, 27, of Barneget, said he was definitely getting the 16 GB model because it “made more sense in price,” and was a better bargain. He was third in line and felt happy about it.

“I got out of work at 9 p.m. and was waiting at the Ihop resturaunt across the street to make sure I wasn’t the only guy on line,” Rob said.

He said he waited until around 10:30 p.m., Thursday, until he noticed two other men waiting on line and joined them soon after.

Glenn, 22, of Toms River said this will be his first iPhone purchase and would have gotten last year’s model but heard of third generation rumors and decided to wait a year. He said he was one of the many who watched a live stream of Steve Jobs’ WWDC Keynote announcing the newest model to hit AT&T stores exclusively in the United States.

And, along with Rob, Glenn is no stranger to lines.

“I’ve waited on lines for Black Fridays and the Xboxes before,” Glenn said.

But the number one man on line was Warren Dickerson, 35, of Toms River with coffee in hand, seeming anxious, saying he too was going for the $299 model that holds 16 GB of data and comes in either black or white colors. (The 8 GB model at $199 only comes in black.) He was on line since 10 p.m., Thursday, he said.

Dickerson said that as a hardware consultant, he deals with 95 percent of PC-users and was a hardcore PC-user himself until a year ago. He said he was so frustrated with Dell customer service, that he is now a loyal Apple customer claiming to own an iMac, MacBook Pro, iShuffle, and last year’s iPhone model.

“It’s easier for me to have because I can have one this device to use for personal use as well as a PDA for business,” he said.

Fears of the phone being out of stock was something they all had in mind, saying it was the reason they came nearly 8 hours early.

“There’s a risk involved when you wait (too long),” Rob said. “I don’t want to find out tomorrow the hard way.”

Will there be lines for the iPhone 3G?

I just got an urge to do a field assignment for the first time on this blog. I will be looking for people camping outside of AT&T stores for tomorrow’s release of the iPhone 3G.

I will be posting video, audio, and photos along with a post of my “adventure”.

Stay tuned…

~ADM

P.S. Photo courtesy of Jarod_Lusts_D700 who does some awesome things with Legos on Flickr: http://flickr.com/photos/jarod_uses_film/2576845129/

‘Wall-E’ sucks

I love Pixar. Although I have not seen the “Toy Story” series, I sincerely appreciate what Pixar has done since I first saw “Monsters Inc.” But “Wall-E” crossed the line.

For me, going to a movie is getting away from the real world. It always has been – from going on a magic carpet ride with Aladdin to laughing at a flatulent character in “Shrek”. Pixar makes funny, little kid, movies, as I expect. So when a ‘little kid’ movie crosses the line from fantasy to real world, I have to raise a brow.

I won’t spoil anything for you, but the premise of this movie is gloomy and apocalyptic. Earth is run by a corporation and is filled with trash. The world is so dirty, the corporation sends everyone to temporarily live in a new world and markets it as the next best thing. The problem is the living situation becomes permanent – 700 years into the future. That’s where the little, lonely robot comes in.

Wall-E is a trash compactor designed to clean up Earth and make it livable. But while he cleans, more trash comes. The many hidden messages in the movie are frightening to watch as an adult since the target audience are children who have no sense of hidden marketing. The messages, while seeming friendly is force fed throughout the flick – adults should recycle, kids will recycle. Oh, and Fortune 500 companies are the devil.

What makes it more frightening for adults and boring for some children is that there is no dialogue until about 40 minutes into the movie. There are only 7 character voices with Pixar possibly shelling out some cash for Sigourney Weaver, who plays the ship’s computer. Fred Willard makes a few appearances as the corporation owner/earth ruler and that guy from Cheers who makes it in every Pixar title.

Also, while Al Gore’s message is obvious, I get the feeling Steve Jobs helped consult on this movie. When Wall-E starts up after a solar-charge, he makes the Apple startup sound. Wall-E also owns an iPod and his love interest most likely has a “Designed by Apple in California” bumper sticker. Perhaps that was put in there to show the kiddies that not all Fortune 500 companies are evil. I looked into it, too. Al Gore is a board member on Apple with CEO Jobs. “It’s all about the experience, man!”

The only thing I was thankful for while watching the movie on Sunday was there were no screaming children in there. Parents were whisking away their seeds after the 30th minute of no dialogue.

If you can filter out the hidden messages reminicent of 1984, this flick is good to watch. But, while Pixar’s ninth movie sold tickets tall enough to build a skyscraper with solar panels and some wind turbines, this G-rated movie should certainly be rated “not for kids younger than 5 and George Bush Republicans.”

An open letter to my future non-editors…

I don’t have to write in this blog to tell you that times are financially rough for many people right now. As some of my friends know, I am on hiatus from Indiana University-Bloomington because of money woes and family health problems. A 24-year-old journalism geek should probably be doing more than stripping wallpaper from his parents’ laundry room and making sure not to screw up the part order number to Anderson Windows to replace that torn weatherstripping. But like I said, times are tough looking for a job and I have to feel like I’m doing something useful.

So, in comedic relief of the current mood I am in because of the topsy-turvy journalism market, I present to you an open letter to my future “non-employers.” These would be the people that do not call to let me down about jobs or internships I’ve applied to but instead send me a two sentence email or, better yet, a template letter.

June 27, 2008

Mr./Ms. Non-Employer

1234 Careergone Blvd.

Anytown, AP Style State, ZipCode

Email@youwillnotcheck.com

Dear Mr./Ms. Non-Employer,

I am writing this letter to respectfully accept your future non-offer. I truly understand you are busy. But I really tried to get your attention for that news reporter position with my sharp 10 to 12 black-and-white news clips. I remembered from all the journalism conferences I attended to not make it too complicated so you could easily photocopy the clips and circulate them to other editors and maybe the human resources director. I used a paper clip so you would not have to pry staples out with your finger nails, hurt yourself and ruin your entire day.

Also, I made sure to stress out that my “Objective” line was not included, and then included again before not including it for fear of confining my ability to just one skill. Certainly, I would love to be a copy editor and make less money and have less benefits than I would as a laborer for Hilton Hotels. But, don’t worry. I made my resume only 1-page because I understand I should only be able to catch your attention with my experience, not the many national awards and that 1st Amendment lawsuit I fought to keep student journalism safe. Oh, and that Big Ten university I went to to catch your attention even more, yah … don’t mind that.

But, most of all, I would like to thank you for your non-phone call. I really appreciated that. In this exciting, investigative journalism world you most likely are preparing for (ahem), I understand your time is precious. I must try and convince you though, I promise I can meet your quotas of police reports of drunkards. I can even write a story about how that cute, fluffy puppy needs donations to help his local animal shelter. I can take the photo, too! Video? I can do that! I’ve even been blogging and using Twitter to show that I am hip on Internet-technology.

In closing, I’m sorry this letter is more paragraphs than I was taught to write in a cover letter. But hopefully, my one page resume with Associated Press style will impress you enough to hire me once you offer a buyout or layoff someone older than me.

Thank you for your non-consideration.

Sincerely,

Alberto D. Morales

P.S. I am really sorry about the contractions.

Please, remember. This is all in fun. Good luck to all the journos out there struggling to find that job in photography or writing. Keep your heads up!

Breaking News: Supreme Court rules U.S. Constitution gives individuals right to own guns

For the first time in United States history, the highest U.S. court in the country ruled on the specific language of the Second Amendment and the right of individuals to own guns.

In a 5-to-4 decision, the justices ruled Americans do have the right to own a personal gun, not just “a well regulated militia” as was the argument for some.

The Second Amendment states: 

“A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”

The decision was in response to a federal court case (District of Columbia v. Heller, No. 07-290) involving Washington DC’s strict gun laws making it nearly impossible to own a gun and going as far as telling people how to store their guns. 

According to the New York Times, “Dick Anthony Heller, a security guard who carries a handgun for his job protecting federal judiciary offices, challenged the District of Columbia’s law after his request for a license to keep his gun at home was rejected.”

For more info read the New York Times’ reporting on the ruling.

Exclusive: Jim Jones vs. G-Unit

I had the privilege of accompanying DJs Bobby Trends, Kast One, and Big Ben of New York City’s Hot 97 (97.1 FM). Together, every Saturday from 12 a.m. to 4 a.m., they run the “3 the Hard Way” radio show. The show has been highly successful so far with street talk raves about their DJ battle style show. Every Saturday one of the D.J.s starts up the show with their own hour of entertainment. This past Saturday, (June 21, 2008), Kast One went the first hour, Bobby Trends the second hour, Big Ben the third hour. What makes the show more unique is the final hour where one of the D.J.s plays “hood classics” with callers making additional requests on classic hip-hop and R&B songs. 

I was called in to take photos of the three talents. All three were cordial and all around good guys. The three still remain competitive though. Bobby Trends is part of the world famous “Big Dawg Pitbulls” DJ group run by DJ Funkmaster Flex. Kast One and Big Ben are part of the “Heavy Hitters” run by DJ Enuff. Both groups perform at the majority of the club scene in New York City, but still have friendly competition. To describe both groups in one word: classy. 

While taking photos, I tried taking advantage of the opportunity of using my small Canon point-and-shoot camera to take video. It paid off. 

Jim Jones of the Diplomats a.k.a Dipset rap group called the radio station’s private line to speak with Bobby Trends and then was asked to speak with the listeners. I pressed record a little late, but was able to get Jim Jones first words. He began promoting his album “MOB” that comes out July 1. Out of nowhere, he subliminally challenged 50 Cent’s G-Unit crew and said he didn’t “care whose album comes out July 1.” Bobby Trends and Kast One immediately pressed on asking, “Whose album comes out July 1?” in order to get a specific answer. Jim Jones had no qualms revealing his challenge to G-Unit, whose album “T.O.S” comes out the same day. I played with the video last night in iMovie and here it is.

So what do you think? Who is going to get more first week sales: G-Unit or Jim Jones and his Byrd Gang crew?

RAM upgrade = me being happy :)

Last week, I went to Staples to purchase some RAM for my PowerBook G4. I have been wanting to max out the memory for a while now, but just never got around to doing it. I ended up buying the wrong type of memory at Staples. I found myself searching for the memory online and was referred to ZipZoomFly by Mr. Bit, my friend on Ustream.tv. Here’s a link to his Ustream page. 

I ended up buying this Kingston 1GB DDR2-533 PC2-4200S RAM. It was really cheap, too! I know, I know. Kingston isn’t the best memory to buy, but I took a chance. 

My startup was fast as heck and my Adobe Photoshop CS3 is even better now. I haven’t witnessed how fast my video converting is yet, but I cannot wait to see. 

So, shout to Mr. Bit, ZipZoomFly, and Apple for creating this laptop. I am now, unfortunately, all RAMmed out, meaning I cannot upgrade the memory to a higher level since I reached it with this 1 GB upgrade. Ah well. I’ll just have to buy something that is better and faster. 

~ADM

Video: ‘Day at batting cages’

Me and my friend Chris decided to go to the batting cages yesterday. This is one part of our day.

Video: Waiting…

This is a video that I recorded and produced.  It’s my first try at something like this, so tell me what you think! 

Brokaw announces Russert’s death on NBC

In Tom Brokaw fashion, the another on-air legend announces the death of his friend Tim Russert. This is a re-broadcast of Brokaw announcing the bad news courtesy of CNN.

 

R.I.P  Tim Russert, 1950-2008

Breaking News: Journalist, Tim Russert of “Meet the Press” dead at 58

CNN, NBC, and the New York Times are reporting the death of long time “Meet the Press” host, Tim Russert. 

Russert, 58, was recording voiceovers today for his Sunday morning show when he collapsed of a fatal heart attack, NBC reports. He was unable to be revived, according to CNN. No further information is currently available. 

Russert has been the longest host/moderator of “Meet the Press,” working for the unbiased news program since December 1991.

A few weeks ago, Time magazine named Russert one of the 100 Most Influential People.

Russert is survived by his wife, Maureen Orth, a journalist for Vanity Fair magazine, and a son, Luke.

I will be posting the video of Tom Brokaw breaking the news live on NBC moments ago.

~ADM

Economy woes continue as people, businesses suffer

The Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed numbers in a press release causing many to worry about their future economic stability. 

The BLS, of the U.S. Department of Labor, showed numbers proving what many already knew - loss of jobs. According to the survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for the BLS, the unemployment rate rose from 5 percent to 5.5 percent, breaking a 22-year old record according to New York Times columnist Bob Herbert.

“The number of unemployed persons increased by 861,000 to 8.5 million in May, after seasonal adjustment…,” the BLS report revealed. “A year earlier, the number of unemployed persons was 6.9 million, and the jobless rate was 4.5 percent.”

And the effects are hitting people hard. 

Credit cards 101: tricks of the trade

Credit card companies are scum. Ask anyone. They take your money and want to charge high interest rates. But, it’s still a bargain for someone who does not have the cash on them for a big purchase. While I wish I could live without credit, that just can’t be in today’s society. 

Before I begin to go on my rant within 600-800 words, I must tell you that I do not claim to be the god of credit. In fact, I do not have the best credit. Who doesn’t?  But I can tell you I am a person who fights for what is right, especially when it involves getting ripped off. Hopefully, these tricks I’ve picked up about getting and maintaining good credit will help you. 

Speedlite 430EX

100 miles per gallon of gas? Hypermile, please.

Where’s Doc Brown and his garbage eating DeLorean when you need them?

The days of “5 dollars regular, please” are long gone. But with gas hitting 4 dollars per gallon, some aren’t waiting for the federal government to help. Instead, they’re hypermiling.

“Hypermiling” is a technique some are using to get up to 100 miles per gallon (mpg) on their vehicles. It involves a somewhat strenuous method that requires lots of patience. But while some of these changes are demanding, “hypermilers” are claiming an additional 10 to 70 miles per gallon of gas.

These gas saving techniques involve using less footing on your breaks, coasting on highways in neutral, and giving your car a pushing head start before quickly turning your ignition on. Some are also shutting off their cars if they expect to be waiting at a light or drive-thru for more than 30 seconds. But with every positive, there is a negative. Hardcore hypermilers are rolling up their windows and turning off their heat and air conditioning to reach their 100 mpg goals.

Garbage day treasures

“Big Garbage Day” in my parents’ town is somewhat of a big deal. It happens once-a-month and people go out the night before in their pickup trucks for the “big dig” to find TVs, patio furniture, etc. I give credit to those who can truly take one man’s garbage and turn it into another man’s treasure. 

My dad woke me around 5 a.m. to help him lift some heavier things that needed to get thrown out of the garage and backyard. It’s not like him to usually do something the day of, but he must have remembered once he saw the neighbors’ curbs filled with all the goodies. Anyway, we’ve been talking about cleaning out the garage to make it look the way it used to look back in the day when we first moved into the house and didn’t have as many personal possessions. We’ve been talking about doing this for years, but we seemed to always procrastinate.

SEX – maybe that’ll catch your eye.

“Hi.”

Sorry, but that’s the best I could think of to start my first post in this blogging world that I realize Imust get used to. If you read the “About me” tab at the top, hopefully you can get an idea of what I’m about. It seems cynical, I know. But that’s just how I’m feeling at the moment. You see, I’m in my mid-20s and finally know what I want to do in life. But, (there always seems to be a but), the current job market is tough. Blame Pres. Bush if you want. I won’t. 

I intend to write a “hodge-podge” of things on my  mind. I’ll review beers I drink, books I read, and trips I take. Hopefully you will learn something through my adventures, and me too. 

~Alberto