I know I have a larger Fog Index. I tend to write for a more educated audience. However, I do try to use context and an engaging style so that most readers can get through it just fine.
Here is a sample from one of my blogs from a few years back during the big fracas about illegal immigration in the United States:
*************
I believe in sympathy for people. I believe in setting up a better system of getting people nationalized. I believe in helping minorities break out of poverty-level work and into areas with improved education. But who exactly is going to pay for the increasing costs of healthcare, public services and other aspects paid for by taxes? I pay about $100 a month for my health insurance, with a co-pay. That comes out of my taxed income.
What I don't believe in is this selective push for preferential treatment one group over others making their way through the channels of Due Process. What about people who are line-cutters?
Average word count per sentence: 16.
Hard words: 8.
Total: 24.
Fog Index: 9.6
**********************
I will work to simplify things, but after a certain point, folks just need to learn to read. Literacy is not baggage.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Got What It Takes To Be A Reporter?
I scored 27 out of 30 on the Talent and Temperament sections. I would actually prefer a steady 9-5 job, but I'm willing to work unconventional schedules for the right thing. I do need to make enough money to support my family, though. That's where 3 of the points went.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Math for Journalists assignment
1) Two-thirds of the college budget comes from the state, while just over a quarter come from fees, grants and gifts, and the remaining fraction from student tuition.
2) The mean, or average prison term for aggravated assault is just under two years, or 22 months, while the median stay is at one year, or twelve months. The more accurate of the two is the median, because it emphasizes that most of the inmates stay around 12 months.
Name Sentence
Donald Lee 12 months prison, 2 years probation
Richard Smith 12 months, 1 year probation
Wesley Mitchell 14 months prison, 1 year probation
Mary Jones 12 months, 1 year probation
Juan Rodriguez 12 months, 2 years probation
Harold Rothstein 8 months prison, 1 year probation
Michael Reese 84 months prison, 5 years probation
3) The California state tax, at 8.25% on the dollar, adds up fast, even for someone who only spends $5 a week on fast food. For that person, they could expect to save $21.45 a year on tax. For people with a higher likelihood of eating out, who spend $20 a week, they would be looking at a savings of $85.80 a year off of state sales tax.
2) The mean, or average prison term for aggravated assault is just under two years, or 22 months, while the median stay is at one year, or twelve months. The more accurate of the two is the median, because it emphasizes that most of the inmates stay around 12 months.
Name Sentence
Donald Lee 12 months prison, 2 years probation
Richard Smith 12 months, 1 year probation
Wesley Mitchell 14 months prison, 1 year probation
Mary Jones 12 months, 1 year probation
Juan Rodriguez 12 months, 2 years probation
Harold Rothstein 8 months prison, 1 year probation
Michael Reese 84 months prison, 5 years probation
3) The California state tax, at 8.25% on the dollar, adds up fast, even for someone who only spends $5 a week on fast food. For that person, they could expect to save $21.45 a year on tax. For people with a higher likelihood of eating out, who spend $20 a week, they would be looking at a savings of $85.80 a year off of state sales tax.
AP Style Exercise (S-Z)
1) He thought of Smokey Bear every time he got near a smoldering fire or entered a smoky room.
2) The forecast is for lower temperatures, falling to the low 30s by tonight. If the rain continues, as expected, there could be a traveler's advisory.
3) To celebrate Veterans Day, the anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I, troops of former soldiers will march down Main Street carrying U.S. flags.
4) His week-long ordeal will be finished when finals week is over. Until then, his well-being is in doubt.
5) A 19-year-old man was arrested Monday for carrying a Saturday night special without a permit. After being released on bail, he disappeared. His whereabouts is unknown.
6) She’d hoped to be able to trade in her car after getting a tuneup, but she totaled it last night.
7) Could you photocopy that invoice for me? I need it for our year-end budget.
2) The forecast is for lower temperatures, falling to the low 30s by tonight. If the rain continues, as expected, there could be a traveler's advisory.
3) To celebrate Veterans Day, the anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I, troops of former soldiers will march down Main Street carrying U.S. flags.
4) His week-long ordeal will be finished when finals week is over. Until then, his well-being is in doubt.
5) A 19-year-old man was arrested Monday for carrying a Saturday night special without a permit. After being released on bail, he disappeared. His whereabouts is unknown.
6) She’d hoped to be able to trade in her car after getting a tuneup, but she totaled it last night.
7) Could you photocopy that invoice for me? I need it for our year-end budget.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
The "Future of News"
Almost a decade ago, I was taking a media values class. A big topic was convergence, and how things would be coming together in the future in various ways.
Those days certainly have arrived. Looking back at 2000-2001, people were infatuated with the online world, and did spend some time reading news articles on their computers. But bandwidth was much more limited back then, and it was pretty unheard of to think about getting news through a video game console or cell phone.
As of 2009, media convergence has been a mainstay for a while, and yes, you can not only read news, but listen to and watch it just about anywhere. Podcasts are becoming blase, and full video with interactive graphics is available on PDA phones, laptops, and netbooks.
With all this technology comes a certain trade-off. Stories seem more rushed to print, and "print" itself is fading fast, being replaced by 1s and 0s, as physical media shrinks at an alarming pace. News-as-entertainment has been on the rise, with cable news staples CNN and Fox News putting out comedy-laced bits with celebrity commentaries obviously meant to rival E! and VH1 programming.
Personalization also is a big hit, with people able to select specific types of content to be spoon-fed to them when, where, and how they want it. Social networking spreads stories, and "citizen reporting" captured on camera phones and other devices make airtime on big networks.
Shows anchored by people with strong views and personalities are popular.
So, where is this all going?
It would seem that these trends will increase, for better or worse. Bloggers will keep blogging, social networks will go through periods of growth, corporate buyouts, and stagnancy, followed by re-invention. Media conglomerates will seek ways to turn garage-founded innovations into profitable ventures that barely resembe their original form and function. Media will possibly become so personalized that meaningful stories outside of someone's stated interests may end up more likely to be overlooked. People will watch blocks of programming alternating between news and opinion without knowing the difference. Government will meddle with free speech as it re-casts the Fairness Doctrine as stating that radio "must serve the public good" while not defining what that paradigm exactly means (probably whatever the current administration feels).
For all the "convergence", media is, and will still be, quite fractured.
Those days certainly have arrived. Looking back at 2000-2001, people were infatuated with the online world, and did spend some time reading news articles on their computers. But bandwidth was much more limited back then, and it was pretty unheard of to think about getting news through a video game console or cell phone.
As of 2009, media convergence has been a mainstay for a while, and yes, you can not only read news, but listen to and watch it just about anywhere. Podcasts are becoming blase, and full video with interactive graphics is available on PDA phones, laptops, and netbooks.
With all this technology comes a certain trade-off. Stories seem more rushed to print, and "print" itself is fading fast, being replaced by 1s and 0s, as physical media shrinks at an alarming pace. News-as-entertainment has been on the rise, with cable news staples CNN and Fox News putting out comedy-laced bits with celebrity commentaries obviously meant to rival E! and VH1 programming.
Personalization also is a big hit, with people able to select specific types of content to be spoon-fed to them when, where, and how they want it. Social networking spreads stories, and "citizen reporting" captured on camera phones and other devices make airtime on big networks.
Shows anchored by people with strong views and personalities are popular.
So, where is this all going?
It would seem that these trends will increase, for better or worse. Bloggers will keep blogging, social networks will go through periods of growth, corporate buyouts, and stagnancy, followed by re-invention. Media conglomerates will seek ways to turn garage-founded innovations into profitable ventures that barely resembe their original form and function. Media will possibly become so personalized that meaningful stories outside of someone's stated interests may end up more likely to be overlooked. People will watch blocks of programming alternating between news and opinion without knowing the difference. Government will meddle with free speech as it re-casts the Fairness Doctrine as stating that radio "must serve the public good" while not defining what that paradigm exactly means (probably whatever the current administration feels).
For all the "convergence", media is, and will still be, quite fractured.
Top News #5
This made Yahoo.com's front-page, and I think it's relevent, so he we go.
It looks like Microsoft finally solved its faulty Xbox 360 problem. After allocating over a billion dollars for fixes to what are said to be extremly high failure rates ending in the "red ring of death", the Seattle tech giant has reportedly been shipping new units with more efficient processors less likely to break from overheating, as well as revamping its refurbishing methods. Many people have gone through 2-3 units.
There are a number of reasons that this story is relevent. First, proximity: the Bay Area is a tech center, with many companies producing games, peripherals and other things tied into the Xbox line. NetFlix, based in Los Gatos, runs streaming content through the Xbox 360's Live service. Second, the video game industry has been quite resilient, marking a good amount of profit in recent years when other industries were suffering more significant downturns, so the impact is somewhat high. Finally, the story is somewhat novel.
The video story was taken down the day after it was posted, but redherring.com carried a similar story.
It looks like Microsoft finally solved its faulty Xbox 360 problem. After allocating over a billion dollars for fixes to what are said to be extremly high failure rates ending in the "red ring of death", the Seattle tech giant has reportedly been shipping new units with more efficient processors less likely to break from overheating, as well as revamping its refurbishing methods. Many people have gone through 2-3 units.
There are a number of reasons that this story is relevent. First, proximity: the Bay Area is a tech center, with many companies producing games, peripherals and other things tied into the Xbox line. NetFlix, based in Los Gatos, runs streaming content through the Xbox 360's Live service. Second, the video game industry has been quite resilient, marking a good amount of profit in recent years when other industries were suffering more significant downturns, so the impact is somewhat high. Finally, the story is somewhat novel.
The video story was taken down the day after it was posted, but redherring.com carried a similar story.
AP Style M-R
1) He hopes to make $1 billion dollars by the time he’s 40. Already he figures his net worth is between $2- and $3 million, depending on current stock prices.
2) Lt. Col. John Carpenter was an ensign at the U.S. Naval Academy and served in the 7th Fleet.
3) Twenty-one winners were named two days after the third annual procrastination awards ceremony.
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 off-color remark that could be heard in the stands.
5) Hundreds of people attended Sunday’s race to watch 75 top bicyclists pedal across the finish line.
6) Every winter, the Joneses and the Kinneys pore over travel brochures, planning their summer trip together. This year they’re hoping to go to Panama City, Florida.
2) Lt. Col. John Carpenter was an ensign at the U.S. Naval Academy and served in the 7th Fleet.
3) Twenty-one winners were named two days after the third annual procrastination awards ceremony.
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 off-color remark that could be heard in the stands.
5) Hundreds of people attended Sunday’s race to watch 75 top bicyclists pedal across the finish line.
6) Every winter, the Joneses and the Kinneys pore over travel brochures, planning their summer trip together. This year they’re hoping to go to Panama City, Florida.
News Story #5
Runaway truck knocks out power, injures several
A runaway truck knocked out power in several cities yesterday when it plowed through a power pole, injuring several people, damaging five vehicles, and setting fire to a house it finally crashed into.
El Cerrito police Detective Sgt. Shawn Maples, among the first rescue workers to arrive at the scene, started digging through the debris after hearing cries coming from the burning truck and house. Spotting the driver lodged between the wheels of the truck, Maples pulled the man out with the help of two other police.
The truck had flipped on its side, and driver's legs were mangled and he couldn't move. 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."
Ruben Sharma, who lives on Moeser Lane across the street from the single-story home destroyed in the fire, was just about to head back to work around 1:30 when the crash occurred. He said, "First, I thought it was a major earthquake. This is unbelievable." His front yard was littered with bricks, broken glass, car parts, splintered wood and palm fronds.
A great deal of damage was done to a number of vehicles as well, with a Honda sedan hit by the truck left so crumpled that the driver was trapped inside. Rescue workers sliced into it, peeling back the roof to free the trapped driver.
An electrician's truck that had been parked on Moeser was knocked over to the next street, and a sport utility vehicle that apparently had a man and boy inside ended up stuck in some shrubbery beside the burning house.
The driver of the runaway truck, a San Jose man, broke both of his legs in the crash and was listed in serious but stable condition at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek. His name was not released.
A runaway truck knocked out power in several cities yesterday when it plowed through a power pole, injuring several people, damaging five vehicles, and setting fire to a house it finally crashed into.
El Cerrito police Detective Sgt. Shawn Maples, among the first rescue workers to arrive at the scene, started digging through the debris after hearing cries coming from the burning truck and house. Spotting the driver lodged between the wheels of the truck, Maples pulled the man out with the help of two other police.
The truck had flipped on its side, and driver's legs were mangled and he couldn't move. 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."
Ruben Sharma, who lives on Moeser Lane across the street from the single-story home destroyed in the fire, was just about to head back to work around 1:30 when the crash occurred. He said, "First, I thought it was a major earthquake. This is unbelievable." His front yard was littered with bricks, broken glass, car parts, splintered wood and palm fronds.
A great deal of damage was done to a number of vehicles as well, with a Honda sedan hit by the truck left so crumpled that the driver was trapped inside. Rescue workers sliced into it, peeling back the roof to free the trapped driver.
An electrician's truck that had been parked on Moeser was knocked over to the next street, and a sport utility vehicle that apparently had a man and boy inside ended up stuck in some shrubbery beside the burning house.
The driver of the runaway truck, a San Jose man, broke both of his legs in the crash and was listed in serious but stable condition at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek. His name was not released.
News Story #5
Runaway truck knocks out power, injures several
A runaway truck knocked out power in several cities yesterday when it plowed through a power pole, injuring several people, damaging five vehicles, and setting fire to a house it finally crashed into.
El Cerrito police Detective Sgt. Shawn Maples, among the first rescue workers to arrive at the scene, started digging through the debris after hearing cries coming from the burning truck and house. Spotting the driver lodged between the wheels of the truck, Maples pulled the man out with the help of two other police.
The truck had flipped on its side, and driver's legs were mangled and he couldn't move. 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."
Ruben Sharma, who lives on Moeser Lane across the street from the single-story home destroyed in the fire, was just about to head back to work around 1:30 when the crash occurred. He said, "First, I thought it was a major earthquake. This is unbelievable." His front yard was littered with bricks, broken glass, car parts, splintered wood and palm fronds.
A great deal of damage was done to a number of vehicles as well, with a Honda sedan hit by the truck left so crumpled that the driver was trapped inside. Rescue workers sliced into it, peeling back the roof to free the trapped driver.
An electrician's truck that had been parked on Moeser was knocked over to the next street, and a sport utility vehicle that apparently had a man and boy inside ended up stuck in some shrubbery beside the burning house.
The driver of the runaway truck, a San Jose man, broke both of his legs in the crash and was listed in serious but stable condition at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek. His name was not released.
A runaway truck knocked out power in several cities yesterday when it plowed through a power pole, injuring several people, damaging five vehicles, and setting fire to a house it finally crashed into.
El Cerrito police Detective Sgt. Shawn Maples, among the first rescue workers to arrive at the scene, started digging through the debris after hearing cries coming from the burning truck and house. Spotting the driver lodged between the wheels of the truck, Maples pulled the man out with the help of two other police.
The truck had flipped on its side, and driver's legs were mangled and he couldn't move. 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."
Ruben Sharma, who lives on Moeser Lane across the street from the single-story home destroyed in the fire, was just about to head back to work around 1:30 when the crash occurred. He said, "First, I thought it was a major earthquake. This is unbelievable." His front yard was littered with bricks, broken glass, car parts, splintered wood and palm fronds.
A great deal of damage was done to a number of vehicles as well, with a Honda sedan hit by the truck left so crumpled that the driver was trapped inside. Rescue workers sliced into it, peeling back the roof to free the trapped driver.
An electrician's truck that had been parked on Moeser was knocked over to the next street, and a sport utility vehicle that apparently had a man and boy inside ended up stuck in some shrubbery beside the burning house.
The driver of the runaway truck, a San Jose man, broke both of his legs in the crash and was listed in serious but stable condition at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek. His name was not released.
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