ATTENTION READERS

I have decided to return to the world of blogging after taking a four-month hiatus.

In addition, I have decided to focus even more on random animal stories -- hopefully posting a new story a day.

We will see how this goes ...

Doggie discrimination

An urban legend from long ago states that if a black cat crosses your path, you're in for some bad luck. And according to this Web site, black cats in Egypt were believed to be "demons in disguise."

Having a black cat myself I know this is silly. (Although now that I think about it, Pause is a little monster at times ...)

Interestingly though, many people unconsciously carry this superstition to black dogs and as a result, according to this article on MSNBC, black puppies are often the last ones adopted.

Many animal shelters and rescue clinics have dubbed this doggie discrimination as ""black dog syndrome" and Kim Intino, the director of animal sheltering issues for the Human Society told MSNBC:

I think that every person that has worked in a shelter can attest that in shelters animals with black coats can be somewhat harder to adopt out — or to even get noticed.

The black-cat urban legend is not the only cause of this.

Some say that black dogs older because often even puppies have white or grey hair. However others argue that black dogs are just not as noticeable in animal shelters.

Regardless the cause, this is a pretty random trend. I did a quick Google search to see if any other news site or bloggers had mentioned this before but I didn't find anything. However, I bet in a few days there will be a "save the black-coat puppies" fund.

I feel like I'm doing my part to help these little pooches out by spreading the word on the problem. (Plus I get to include this adorable puppy picture in my post.)

The image above is by Kevin Tostado(cc) and republished here under a Creative Commons license. Some rights reserved.

Interesting tidbit about another rodent

Last month I learned squirrels are picky about who they hang out with (Blogpost here).

This month I learn yet another surprising tidbit about rodents -- this time about rats.

Apparently, before making a decision rats consider the amount of effort a task requires and if said effort is worth the reward.

In other words, according to this Animal Planet article:

A person buying a new car, for example, must weigh the cost and the effort needed to make payments versus the value of the car. Rats, and likely all rodents, do something similar, only under a lot more pressure.

How did scientists determine this?

They basically created a maze with several endings -- one ending had a lot of pellets while another one had only one pellet. In order to get to the high amount of food, the rat had to go through a difficult, exhausting trail. The low amount of food was a straight shot.

According to the findings:

At first the rats went for the easy pickings, but when they determined more sweets were available on the other side of the maze, they exerted additional effort, but only after a certain point. When the pain yielded too little gain, they stuck with the tiny treat.

In addition, as a result of having to make these high-stressed decisions, rats sometimes suffer from depression.

(Side note: I don't eve know why I read the mainstream media anymore. All the interesting and relevant news is on Animal Planet. Clearly)

The image above is by Socar Myles (cc) and republished here under a Creative Commons license. Some rights reserved.

Newseum opens its doors

The national museum of journalism, the Newseum, opens its doors today in Washington DC -- and I'm extremely excited.

The Newseum, "where the news comes to life," is the most interactive museum in the world according to its Web site. Visitors can star in their own TV newscast in addition to learning about the impact new technology is having on the business, and the challenges journalists faced covering 9/11. There is also a Great Hall of News with live breaking news from around the world.It only makes sense for the landmark, pictured above, to be in a city with such a rich journalism history where journalism royalty like Woodward and Bernstein reined. The building is located on Pennsylvania Avenue and has a balcony that allows visitors to get a panoramic view of DC. From the picture, I see that the first amendment is printed on the outside of the building -- pretty awesome.

According to this New York Times review, the museum can be seen from the capital building.

It's all pretty symbolic if you think about it -- journalism is constantly overlooking the capital.

It probably is just me and my nerdy love for journalism -- and Washington DC -- but I think this is one of the coolest museums ever created.

The museum is free today. Here is ticket information for all other visits.

Gourmet dining halls

Some of my fondest memories of freshmen year involve sitting at the dining hall and eating with my friends.

Cheese fries, pizza, hamburgers, fresh-baked chocolate-chip cookies, cherry cokes -- we ate and drank it all.

Sure healthy options were available -- a salad bar, sandwiches, fresh fruit -- but for better or for worse, we usually opted for the crap.

At the time I complained about the dining hall and it's food (probably while stuffing a grilled cheese in my mouth). Looking back now I realize I had so many choices I did not bother exploring.

I know they're not gourmet but for cafeterias Northeastern's two dining halls are pretty damn good. Business Week even gave the food an A- in 2006. So Northeastern students are pretty lucky.

Or that's what I thought until I saw this article in the New York Times.

Apparently, at several schools stir fry is out and lobster and sushi are in. Some high seniors are not even applying to certain universities because cafeteria isn't to their liking. In addition, florescent lights and your average caf seatings are no longer acceptable.

So what, where and how are these top-tier dining halls serving?

Here's an example from the article:

Stanford offers “spa waters,” mineral water with cucumber, watermelon, mint and other flavors. The University of Massachusetts at Amherst shares guest chefs with eight colleges. Yale has an organic cafe. Brown has a farmers’ market. At Wheaton College in Illinois, low-carbon meals use local and organic food; students can choose Thursday dinners illuminated only by the lights outside.

Also, if you're interested, here's a list of the top 20 Best Campus Foods in 2008 -- and a list of the worst -- according to The Princeton Review. (Northeastern didn't make it on either one.)

While granted the schools with the most lavish menus also receive some of the highest endowments, I think they're going a bit too far to attract students. What's next? Formal attire to the dining hall dinner table?

I could just be bitter filet mignon was not on the menu my first year but I think even if it were, I probably still would've chosen the greasy fries. ... Maybe?

At least I don't have to deal with the transition of having a gourmet chef prepare my meals one year to having to eat my own cooking the next.

____

The image above is by Paul Watson (cc) and republished here under a Creative Commons license. Some rights reserved.

Spreading 'trust'worthy news

I begin the day with the following four tabs on my Firefox browser: G-mail, Google Reader, The New York Times, and MSNBC. (After reading my G-mail there often is a fifth tab: Facebook.)

While these all lead to important and interesting stories, I need more variety in my daily news intake. Sometimes I'm linked to other news Web sites through E-mail but for the most part I'm in a rut and it's time for me to expand my news sources.

That's why, NewsTrust may become my new best friend. The site, which prides itself on being "Your Guide to Good Journalism," allows readers to submit and rate the top stories of the day from all over the web. While it's similar to Digg, the rating system is more complex and NewsTrust bases the top stories on quality, not just popularity. According to the site:

NewsTrust reviewers evaluate each article against core journalistic principles such as fairness, evidence, sourcing and context.

In addition, reviewers can write comments about the story and explain why they gave it a certain rating. They can also link to similar stories that were done better or that provide context to their ratings.

What's even more interesting about the rating system is that the site takes into account the person doing the rating. In order to comment on a story, you have to register for the site and provide certain information like occupation and political views (not all this has to be made public in your site profile). The more information a person provides, the more "transparent" NewsTrust finds them and this influences their overall rating of a story. Additionally, the more stories a person rates, the more they are trusted.

I like that the site is broken down into different sections like World, Politics, and Health in addition to a more general Today's Top Pick on the homepage. It looks like there also is a weekly topic for readers/submitters to focus on if they like.

Overall, the site is very user-friendly and easy to figure out. My only complaint is it runs a bit slow sometimes.

While I admit I'm still a bit intimidated to start submitting my own stories, I'm starting to make more comments and I find critiquing other articles is a good way for me to work on my journalism skills.

Plus I now have something more diverse to read with my cup of morning coffee.

Putting things into perspective

It seems that for most people the war in Iraq has become a routine part of everyday life -- not something they truly think about and let affect them. I admit I too am guilty of this.

But the fact remains this country is at war and Americans are dying on a daily basis. This past weekend, the Associated Press reported at least 4,000 Americans have died in Iraq since the start of the war.

It's important to stop and remember the lives of these men and women who have died and to think about their families. On Monday, NPR's Talk of the Nation had people call in and talk about loved ones they lost in the war. Listen to it here.

I highly recommend listening to the show. It's an extremely moving segment and humanizes the numbers. It really puts things into perspective.

A political/journalism hybrid

Politics and journalism are merging in an all new way on Politicker.com -- creating jobs and changing reporting.

Politicker is a hub of political Web sites -- one for each state. Currently, 11 state Web sites are and all 50 should be up by the end of 2009. Jared Kushner, the publisher of the site, told the New York Times:

Each site will serve as an intensely local source for political articles, speculation and scandal. (Full article here).

Politicker is directed towards political-junkies and its slogan is "Inside Politics for Political Insiders." It was created based on the New Jersey political Web site, PoliticsNJ.com, which has now become a part of Politicker as PolitickerNJ.

The most interesting part about Politicker is the opportunities it currently has and will continue to have for young journalist. These days, the sites managing editor, James Pindell, sends recent graduates out to a state capital with "little more than a laptop and a BlackBerry" and has them create the state site.

According to the Times article, once all 50 state sites are up, each site will have one or two reporters, an editor and several bloggers employed to keep it running.

In addition:

The editors — who will remain anonymous, and will include lawyers, lobbyists and former officeholders — are the “secret sauce.”

Kushner told the Times that the sites themselves would not have any political affiliation, but then why will they have these connections? While I understand the necessity of having insiders working for the site in order to get inside information, it seems like a basic conflict of interest. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out.

In general I think it's a very smart idea to have this political hub. If it is successful, it will not only be an extremely useful tool for journalists but it will also be a great opportunity for journalists who want to write about politics.

Want to be famous? Start a blog.

These days, blogging is becoming an increasingly successful business and bloggers themselves are getting more and more recognition. (Check out this post I came across on Journerdism about the potential need for a blogger union).

The wonderful thing about blogs is anyone can have one. (Some people argue that this is the horrible thing about blogs but that's neither here nor there).

Regardless, how do you go from being a 21-year-old college student obsessed with pets -- and the occasional new media -- to being a blogging celebrity, a la Perez Hilton? (Pictured right).

According to this New York Times story, there are several steps one must take including keeping a regular posting rhythm and creating a brand name. All these suggestions were compiled from successful bloggers.

The article is a fun and interesting read especially for those bloggers who want to make a name for themselves.

Maybe one day Pause will be the new blog.

The image above is by Toby Forage (cc) and republished here under a Creative Commons license. Some rights reserved.

Interesting tidbit about squirrels

I just though this was an extremely random yet interesting Discovery News article about squirrels.

According to a recent study, all squirrels are part of a social network, kind of like the six degrees of separation but with squirrels it's only three degrees. My favorite part about the finding is that it appears squirrels have other squirrel friends -- they don't just hang out with any random squirrel on the street. Looks like they're not as brainless as I thought.

I know this is pretty quirky but doesn't it make you look at squirrels a little differently?

Photo courtesy Flickr user Law_Keven under Creative Commons license.

A ‘tail’ of new blogging breed

(This is my midterm feature story for Reinventing the News.)

Monica Collins’ life changed when she met Shorty, a white-haired male who enjoys long walks along the Boston waterfront and frolicking with friends.

“He really opened me up to the world – to living,” she said.

The two met online in 1998, and Shorty was a dog – literally.

Collins said she quickly fell head-over-heels for the now nine-year-old West Highland White Terrier.

“They really get in your heart,” she said of dogs.

From then on Collins’ life was never the same. Inspired by her newfound companion, Collins, a former TV critic for USA Today and the Boston Herald, created “Ask Dog Lady,” a newspaper advice column on “dogs, love and life” in which she combines 25 years of journalism experience with “wit, wisdom and whimsy,” she said.

Questions for Dog Lady range from “Do dogs bring out the good or the bad in people?” to “Whatcha think of "The Sopranos?" Is it going to the dogs or what?”

Collins answers are just as playful. Here’s an example.

“It’s a very light-hearted column,” Collins said.

In 2003, in order to promote the Dog Lady brand, Collins created the Web site AskDogLady.com. This site not only contains Dog Lady’s newspaper columns but also her blog, links to her favorite sites and a forum to submit questions. Collins said the Web site plays an important part in getting Dog Lady noticed because the Internet is “the height of public outreach.”

In addition, the Dog Lady blog, which receives 600 to 700 unique visitors a day, allows Collins to remain in touch with her readers more than a column because she can update it more often, she said.

Designing a logo for the site played an important part in developing the Dog Lady brand, Collins said.

“I never realized how much went into creating a brand,” she said.

Working with a designer, they created the dog at the typewriter logo (left) and she said it captures the essence of Dog Lady perfectly.

Collins said the Internet, and more specifically blogs, are important tools for journalists because they allow journalists to express themselves and build diverse platforms. People can now explore different areas of interest she said.

“The web presents more flexibility,” she said.

Career changes
Although an avid dog-lover and columnist these days, Collins did not start off that way.

In her early journalism days in the 1980s, she was hired by the Boston Herald to be the newspaper’s T.V. critic, even though she had no experience in the department.

“My editor said ‘Do you have a television? Then you can be a T.V. critic,’” she said.

From there, she became USA Today’s TV critic before returning to the Herald. Collins said she loved her job. She was a “stereotypical hard-ass journalist obsessed with her career,” she said.

Collins said she did not always love animals and was the person on her condominium board who demanded strict rules for pet owners. But after losing two people close to her, Collins said she wanted companionship. That’s when she adopted Shorty and began her new life path.

In 2000, Collins volunteered to write a newsletter for her 50-member dog group in Boston’s North End. In the first issue, she had extra space and to fill it she wrote an advice column under the persona Dog Lady.

She received praise for the column and as a result, decided to pursue Dog Lady. She sent a few copies of “Ask the Dog Lady” to The Bark a literary magazine for dog owners. (“I call it The New Yorker for dog owners,” she said.)

The magazine picked up her column, but Collins said she missed the day-to-day of a newspaper.

“I always knew I wanted Dog Lady to be a newspaper column,” she said.

She began shopping around her clips in 2002 and the South End News, the MetroWest Daily News, and the Cambridge Chronicle all agreed to run Dog Lady.

Nancy Olesin, feature editor of the MetroWest Daily News, said Dog Lady is a big hit in the paper.

“Our readers love Monica’s column,” she said. “They love her sense of humor.”

The subject matter is what keeps people coming back, Olesin said.

“Pets are a universal interest,” she said.

Today, in addition to the MetroWest Daily News, Collins’ column runs in several national newspapers, including the Chicago Sun-Times and in magazines.

Inspiring canines
Shorty is not the only dog to influence his owner’s online career and consequently change their life.

Shadrach (right), a black Neapolitan Mastiff, inspired his owner, Kim Bloomer, to start blogging about natural care for dogs in 2003. She rescued Shadrach and did not feel comfortable using traditional medicines to treat the abused puppy. With a background in veterinary medicine, she said she began doing extensive research on natural ways to treat him. She wanted to share her knowledge, and as a result began Bark ‘N’ Blog, she said.

“I had never written a thing before I started blogging,” Bloomer said.

The blog led to a book deal, an online radio show and several freelance writing jobs, and inspired Bloomer to pursue a career in veterinary naturopath. She now runs Aspenbloom Pet Care, a Web site for natural pet nutrition and holistic alternatives. She also provides personal consultations for people interested in natural care for their dogs.

But “the blog came before everything,” she said.

Shadrach took over writing the blog in 2004 and started another blog, A Dogs View, about aromatherapy for dogs. Both blogs feature links to Bloomer’s radio show, “Animal Talk Naturally,” as well as video clips, and get 35,000 to 45,000 unique hits a month.

Bloomer said her success came from not only writing what she was passionate about but from the wide reach of blogs. Anyone who wants to be successful needs a blog, she said.

Karen Norteman, a technical writer for the computer industry by trade, realized this and began writing her blog, Salty Sheep Dog, after she got her dog, Duncan (left), a Bearded Collie. An avid writer, her friends said she should start her own Web site.

“I kept saying, ‘I have nothing to write about,’” Norteman said. “But eight dogs later I have plenty to say.”

“Blogging is a way – to use a cliché – people ‘harness the power of the Internet’ to express themselves,” she said.

Through her blog, Norteman got in touch with Monica Collins. Although the two have never met in person, they communicate through e-mail.

“Blogging brought me into the realm of journalism,” she said.

Norteman is also a web designer, which started as a hobby but has become a part-time job. She said the most important thing when designing a blog is to “display the information in a way so it’s accessible to readers.”

She said Ask Dog Lady is an example of a great Web site because it not only is it easy to use but it captures Collins’ message, making it a great promotional tool.

“I think it absolutely rocks,” she said. “I love the graphic design. It’s perfect. Whoever did it knew her and what she is about.”

Norteman recently started another blog, Dog Show Newbie, about her adventures with her new dog, Dinah, in the dog show world. She said this particular blog attracts more people because it caters to a specific audience.

Cyber-pet growth
Pet blogging is growing at a time when more pet owners are going to Web sites for their information, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA). Statistics on the site show 14 percent of all dog owners use the Internet to obtain information.

APPMA’s president Bob Vetere said the association noticed this trend a year ago and established a division to monitor pet blogs and Web sites.

“The Internet is such a hot-bed for pet information,” he said.

Vetere said people began turning to the Internet for information about their pets around 2000.

“People were using Web sites for their own information and realized it worked the same for their pets,” he said.

There they found other “kindred spirits” to talk about their dogs, cats, fish and other pets, he said.

Greg Majestic, a 22-year-old, physical therapy student at Northeastern University, is one of these people and found his now seven-month-old puppy, Penelope, a mutt, by researching shelters online. He also found a vet for her and consults several Web sites and blogs whenever he has a question.

“It’s easy and free to find out what you want about your dog,” he said.

But pet bloggers like Norteman said it’s important for people to be careful what sites they use and to do research about whether a site is certified.

In addition, Collins warned not to take risks when it comes to a dog.

“If your dog is sick you shouldn’t be writing for medical advice,” she said.

The Dog Owners Guide to the Internet provides tips on searching the Web and as does Karen Peak’s article, Relying on Internet Advice for your Dog.

New adventures on the horizon
While Collins and Shorty have moved out of Boston and live in Belmont, they still come to visit and reminisce, she said.

“He’s a city dog,” she said.

In the future, Collins said she hopes her column becomes nationally syndicated. She is also writing a book for middle-aged woman about her experiences with Shorty and how he helped her see the world in a new light.

“Dog memoirs are great sellers,” she said.

She currently is experimenting with her Web site, adding advertisements and a “Mom and Pup” boutique. Collins said she enjoys writing her column and blog because she’s happy to help people, even if it’s just to make them laugh.

“I picked a topic of universal appeal,” she said. “It makes me feel good.”

Even though Dog Lady is a light-hearted column, Collins said its overall message of being a responsible pet owner is important.

“I’m helping the world one paw at a time,” she said.
__________________
Pictures from top to bottom:
Picture one: Monica and Shorty/Courtesy Monica Collins
Picture two: Screen capture of Ask Dog Lady logo.
Picture three: Shadrach/Courtesy Kim Bloomer
Picture four: Duncan/Courtesy Karen Norteman
Picture five: Monica and Shorty/Courtesy Monica Collins

Welcome to the neighborhood

9Neighbors is a site where Boston area residents can share stories, images and videos from other media outlets as well as their own blogs and Flickr accounts.

Members can create profiles, upload images, make friends with other people in their neighborhood and follow a friend, which means they can see what someone finds interesting on the site.

The site launched Sept. 28, 2007 and Rick Burnes, the creator, describes it as the "new local news filtering service" on the site's blog, The 9th Neighbor. 9Neighbors is part of Faneuil Media, which builds online news services.

The 9th Neighbor blog gives information on the internal workings of the site and also directs readers to certain projects. For example, this March 1 post links to a Google map mash-up of potholes in the area. What makes this even more interesting and entertaining is that readers can contribute to the map, adding pothole locations, pictures and descriptions. A simple idea but one that could be useful for drivers, bikers and pedestrians.

Apparently the top stream on 9Neighbors is the MBTA, but I can't figure out for sure if it is the top stream of the day, week or just in general.

I think it is a day-to-day thing and with today being St. Patrick's Day this makes sense as the holiday causes havoc on all lines, especially those that lead drunk college students back to their campuses.

In general the 9Neighbors site does still seem a bit bare. However it has potential because it combines a variety of new technologies like social networking and blogging with the basic desire to know what is going on in your backyard.

Is this my future?

Another brief post:

In between covering call girls and the weather, NBC's Today show did a feature about animal hoarding and what causes crazy cat ladies.

Here's the video:


And the story.

On Today's home page a poll asked "how many pets is too many." The majority of people voted that three or more is over-the-top however 19 percent of people said the more pets the better.

No one knows what exactly causes animal hoarding but it is a psychological issue.

And it all starts with one dog ... or cat ...

A brief FYI

I read about this on Journerdism and thought it was pretty cool.

Alltop is a Web site that compiles several sites and blogs about a certain topic into one web page. It basically is a summary of the top stories of the day for that particular subject -- sort of like a RSS feed without a subscription.

It's a great resource tool and covers a large range of topics from celebrities to non-profit organizations to extreme sports. There's also one for journalism.

I think one of Alltop's greatest assets is it leads you to Web sites and blogs you may not have heard about otherwise.

I recommend checking it out.

To-Do: Make blog post

Hello my name is Bianca Strzelczyk and I am a To-Do list addict.

I make them for everything.

I have a general To-Do list that includes things like homework and grocery shopping and is broken down by time of day. Then I have supplemental To-Do lists -- detailed lists of my specific homework and what exact groceries I have to buy. Furthermore, say I have a lot of homework for a class, I have a list for that too. I even have a special notebook where I write my lists (so that I don't lose them).

It's sickening and I'm a bit embarrassed to have just admitted all of that.

One would think I would be a bit more organized but I spend more time creating lists than actually doing the things on the lists. However, I need these lists to keep me sane. They keep things structured and I like that.

To my delight, I recently found a To-Do list widget for my Mac dashboard (picture right). It's very simple, straightforward and you can create several lists at one time. Best of all, you can't lose it. It's mostly useful for general lists because I don't constantly have my Mac on me.

In addition, the Web site Remember the Milk is an online To-Do list maker. After signing up, you can create weekly and daily lists and the site lets you know which tasks are due today and tomorrow, and which ones are overdue. You can also share you list with others through e-mail and they can add or cross-off tasks.

While I admit I haven't really gotten into this site just yet, it is on my To-Do list. I'll make sure to share my results.

While my addiction may be a bit out of hand, it is quite common and the book, To-Do List: From Buying Milk to Finding a Soul Mate, What Our Lists Reveal About Us by Sasha Cagen, makes this pretty clear.

Originating from the blog To-Do List, the book is a collection of people's lists and they're not all straightforward day-to-day lists. Some are 20-year plans while others are lists of must see movies. There are also lists of past romantic conquests and lists that are written in code on the back of envelopes.

Each list is accompanied by a description from its author and includes a note from Cagen about how the reader can create their own similar list.

Recent blog posts include a list of why someone needs a job and a list of 100 things someone is happy about.

Through this book and the online To-Do list innovations, I'm inspired to write more creative lists -- add that to this week's To-Do.

Musical pups

Don't be surprised if your dog starts begging for an iPod.

This past Christmas the New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals (SPCA) recorded a CD at a frequency only audible to dogs as part of a holiday fund raiser.

The song, "A Very Silent Night," is the first of its kinda and topped the charts in New Zealand, raising more than $17,000. It may now be sold in the United States and Australia. Read the Reuters' story here.

Here's the music video:

According to comments about the song on the Baltimore Sun Mutts blog, the CD had no effect on their pups. But according to Bob Kerridge, chief executive of SPCA, some dogs have reacted violently when hearing the song.

Perhaps the song just didn't work with YouTube or maybe American dogs are not that interested -- or it could just be one big, clever hoax.

Fun things to do online during Spring Break

Rate cute animal photos.

Thanks to a Facebook post, I was notified of the Daily Paws Web site.

In between watching the election coverage, I spent a good half hour ooo-ing and ahh - ing over the puppies, kittens, wild animals, barnyard animals and other pets (including hamsters, porcupine-like animals, iguanas and mice).

Here is one of today's top dogs (Mickey):

And a top cat (Angel):

And because I feel bad, a bottom dog (Sexy Daisy) and a bottom cat (Domino):

The site also includes pet tips and pet contests as well as an adoption link.

Of course I'm working on submitting a photo of Pause but for tonight it's back to politics.

Fantasy versus reality

I do not comprehend the obsession with fantasy sports.

My boyfriend and his friends for example have a baseball, hockey and football fantasy league. There was once a basketball league but that wasn't as successful and "amateur" in comparison. (I was in it but I did not do a single thing except name my team).

Their leagues are no "five-by-five" (no idea what that means but this is what they tell me with a chortle) and during draft day, they all sit at their computers all day long ... drafting and what not.

I've learned there are many Web sites for fantasy sports fanatics to keep up with stats like Rotoworld, and CBS sports has a fantasy section in addition to their regular sports news. There are also magazines specifically for fantasy sports.

The details of fantasy athletics have been explained to me several times by extremely excited parties but it's in one ear and out the other -- I prefer my sports live and in-person, and even that in moderation.

However, I've always been intrigued about this die-hard dedication to virtual sports so when I heard about a celebrity fantasy league last year, I decided to try it out.

Fafarazzi is aimed towards die-hard celeb followers. I'm not die-hard by any means but I do know my gossip-journalism quite well.

What you basically do is draft a "team" of celebrities who you think will be mentioned the most in the news.

According to Fafarazzi:

Scoring is based on Fafarazzi.com's automatic scoring method. Each time a celeb's full name is mentioned in the selected gossip blogs & entertainment news sources they will earn 1 point. You can read more about the scoring method here.

Currently, there is a "March Madness" Fafarazzi league where:

• 64 celebrities split into 4 sections (Movies, Music, TV & Socialites and Weirdos).
• Celebrities are ranked 1 to 16 in each section based on their historical points on Fafarazzi
• The tournament will begin on March 18th at 8am and end on April 5th at 8pm. (To coincide with the NCAA Men's Basketball tournament)
• The tournament has 5 rounds, semifinals and finals. Each round will consist of 3 to 5 days of scoring. Scores will be tallied from 8am to 8pm Eastern Time.

(More details here).

In addition, you can either join a pool or make your own pool with your friends. Basically this Celeb-style March Madness will determine who is the ultimate celebrity.

The Web site also has a ton of stories about celebrities compiled from gossip magazines worldwide. You also get an e-mail that lists by points the top celebrity of the weeks and it's probably no surprise Britney Spears is the top scorer this week. (I am pretty excited to include a picture of her on this blog).

The basic league I attempted with my friends last year failed miserably. No one was really into it (including myself) and it seemed silly to spend a ton of time with our celebrity league.

But it seems as though the site is doing quite well and Entertainment Tonight even has their own league.

As fantasy baseball season is starting soon, I'm tempted to try Fafarazzi again -- but then again, maybe I'll better off just watching gossip T.V.

Photo courtesy Creative Commons user Disier.

FYI: I'm back.

I was swamped beyond belief these past two weeks but now I'm back. A new post (probably about Pause) will be coming very soon.

I know all three of my fans are excited.

Yikes!

Apparently it's Monday already.

With midterms and papers, I got a bit distracted and the days just flew by. That said, I missed the memo on capturing Friday's snowstorm after-effects.

But lucky for me, I live in Boston where snow melts nice and slowly.

Here are some "after the after-effects" of the snowstorm I caught today, three days after the storm:

In front of my apartment some cars are still not shoveled out.


Melting snows.


An interesting parking job in an otherwise cleared parking lot.

Tech-savvy pets looking for love

People aren't the only ones searching for that "special someone" online -- dogs and cats are in on the trend as well.

It looks like there are several Internet dating Web sites for not only pet lovers but also for pets.

(For the record, I stumbled upon these while doing research for a paper).

The slogan for Date my Pet,"Date me. Date my pet," basically says it all.

Here's the basic premise:

DateMyPet.com is the leading online dating website created exclusively for pet lovers. Whether you are looking for a life partner, a buddy for your pet or just someone to hang out with, here you'll be able to find exactly who you are looking for - pet lovers like yourself. It's fun, interactive, safe and anonymous - until you decide to take it further.

And take it further is what many people do according to the site's testimonies.

For example, Charlene wrote:

I have not had much success meeting anyone of quality online before. I had heard of your service online and decided to give it a try. I love all animals and thought it was a great idea to meet other animal lovers.

The site, which was founded by Robert Yau and his dog, Hershey and launched September 2004, is very user-friendly site. On the homepage you can do a quick search to see what the Web site has to offer before you even register. Basic membership is free. When you sign up, you include what pets you have and your options include dog, cat, reptile, fish, horse, bird, small animal and other. You then have your own profile page where you can upload a picture and include details about you and your animal, and what the two of you are looking for.

The site also features the latest "Pet News," and currently there's this story from the AP about candidates and their pets. (Also according to the news feed, My Catspace and MyDogspace recently launched).

There is also a link for "Pet advice" and "Dating tips."

Other sites with similar ideas are Pet Dating Online and Pets Passions.

The philosophy of Date my Pet -- which is probably similar for the other sites -- is that if potential suitors are both pet lovers, the dating process will go a bit more smoothly.

And even though it's a bit unconventional, it could even lead to some puppy love.

Safety at Northeastern.

After the tragic shooting at Northern Illinois University I find myself wondering about the safety of Northeastern University.

But according to Reader's Digest I'm pretty safe -- Northeastern ranked second on their list of safest universities in the country.

Reader's Digest asked 291 colleges and universities in the country to "participate in a survey to see how well prepared they were to handle various safety and security issues. 135 agreed."

The survey looked at several safety issues including residence hall security, whether students must show ID to enter the library and the number of full-time university police.

According to Reader's Digest:

We realize that each campus is different and that its security needs are unique. Therefore, we believe it is fairer to say that certain schools are excelling in the safety arena; others are doing a good job, and some would benefit by putting more resources into campus safety and security.

The Northeastern News* ran this story Thursday about Residence Hall safety. When I first lived on-campus, I found signing in guests to be a big pain but now I realize it is important. In addition, students are not allowed to have more than three people in their room at one time and students are 100 percent responsible for their guests.

But there are loopholes in some of Northeastern's safety procedures.

For example, students do have to show ID to get into the library but they just wave their ID and keep on walking. It's pretty easy to flash someone else’s ID, especially when the library is busy.

Maybe it's details like this that made Northeastern not fair too well in another survey.

Reader's Digest also compiled crime data for 285 universities from 2004 and 2005. They then put universities in either a "lower," "moderate" or "higher" category.

Northeastern received a ranking of 101, putting them in the moderate crime category. For a city campus I guess this isn't too bad. A large chunk of the crimes were burglaries, and there were no murders.

In general, I do feel safe on-campus.

I can't help but wonder though whether these safety procedures are enough to protect a tragedy as big as Northern Illinois or Virginia Tech.

*I am a former managing editor of The Northeastern News.

Like I said, dogs are awesome

Here's a video from behind the scenes at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show done by Nightly News:

Dogs are awesome

In addition to having the world's coolest cat, I also have two adorable dogs that live at my permanent address with my parents in New York -- Fredy the Dalmatian (yes that's one "d") and Cracker the Dachshund.

They're an unlikely couple but they're perfect compliments to one another.
As a result of having such diverse dogs, I have always adored all breeds of dogs and that's why the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show makes me say "awww" out loud, one too many times.

I didn't get to watch it on T.V. this year because I don't get the channel, but lucky for me the New York Times has a Times Topic section that indexes on one page all stories, Slide Shows and other multimedia about a certain topic.

Today's "Hot Topic" of course is the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.

Now I can sit at my MacBook and easily look at Slide Shows of one adorable pup after the other.

One of my favorite stories is the interactive introduction to the four new breeds in this year's show, which has audio and Slide Shows. Check it out here.

YouTube of course also offers some video of the show. Here's Uno the Beagle winning Best in Show, the first ever Beagle to receive the award (YouTube doesn't allow you to embed this video). Look how happy he is when he wins.

Aww.

And here's another video, the intro to the 132th show:

How can you not get excited with an opening segment like that.

I think next year I'll enter Fredy and Cracker. They're sure to give Uno a run for his money.

Talking politics on the playground

In fifth grade to learn about the voting process my class held a mock election for the 1996 presidential race. I can't remember who won, but I do remember I voted for Ross Perot because I liked his ears.

These days it appears kids take politics a tad more seriously than I did.

The Associated Press article, Kids love campaign 2008 on MSNBC, talks about Eyck Freymann, the 13-year-old writer of the political blog Opinions and Analysis from the Young Sentinel.

And whoa is this blog impressive.

It contains links to many major new organizations and blogs (Al Jazeera, International Herald Tribune News and The Politico to name a few), an eye-catching layout and well-thought out, well written posts.


Freymann doesn't just post what others are saying of the election, he analyzes the election himself.

For example, on Wednesday he wrote:

For a while now I have been torn between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Clinton has a more comprehensive health plan and would be, I believe, a strong President. Obama, on the other hand, could unify the party and would probably stand a better chance of beating McCain in November. After Super Tuesday, the two Democrats are locked in a dead heat, but I am beginning to question Obama's electability. Last night when analyzing the exit polls, I noticed a disturbing trend.

In the end he said:

I still believe that Obama is more electable with Clinton, but we can't take it for granted.

It's interesting that Freymann doesn't put his age on the blog, and makes me wonder if those posting realize the author is in eight grade.

Freymann may be the most knowledgable child on politics out there, but he not the only one.

Take this YouTube video of three young sisters talking politics:



(I think the Obama campaign should embrace the "If it can't be our mama, it has to be Obama" slogan)

Parents are clearly a big part of this political interest in children but for as long as I can remember the children's channel, Nickelodeon, has also embraced politics and brought it to its viewers.

And this year for the first time the network held a primary election Jan. 18. On the Web site it said:

So what if you can't officially vote until you're 18? You can still be a part of the political process RIGHT NOW! Nickelodeon's letting YOU pick the issues AND the president.

Obama and John McCain won the kid's primary.

On Nickelodeon's Kids Pick the President main page, kids can learn more about the candidates and have discussions on message boards, which range from pleas against for/against Hillary Clinton to endorsements for Mike Huckabee to discussions on immigration.

There are also several cartoon videos explaining voting. Here an example:

TERMS

I'm pretty impressed with the kids of this country.

It looks like there's hope for the future.

Back to presidential basics

Several media outlets have created online-multimedia election packages, often times concentrating on the presidential candidates and their stances.

However the Associated Press (AP) is approaching the election a bit differently.

They are creating multimedia package called "The Measure of a Nation" that goes back to basics.

The AP writes:

We're starting not with the candidates but with the American people and their culture, and the principle that politics is a mere reflection of the enormous changes occurring in the nation.

The AP package contains magazine-style writing pieces, documentary videos and photo galleries, and will be updated throughout the year. AP writers Ted Anthony and Ron Fournier and online producer/videographer Jaime Holguin are leading the project.

Click on the picture to link to the video:



The first story is The Mythic Presidency. It examines what the public expects from a president and where these beliefs came from.

Anthony and Fournier write:

You think the presidency is about politics? Sorry. It's the values. No wonder we expect so much.

The AP will concentrate on nine specific areas. They hope this package is a "multimedia user's guide to the American presidency," and perhaps even serve future presidential candidates.

I came across this multimedia package on CyberJournalist.net and think that it's a great project. The AP has taken a story that has been covered to death and found a way to make it exciting and new.

Super-easy Tuesday

The Los Angeles Times is making it easy for people to remember who -- and what -- they want to vote for this Super Tuesday.

They created an Electronic Voters Guide, allowing readers to mark their vote on a mock ballot on the Times Web site. Their choices are then texted or e-mailed to their cell phones.

Therefore when they go to vote tomorrow they have their own little cheat sheet in hand.

In addition, the page is a one stop shop for voters and contains information ranging from absentee voter deadlines to where to vote. The page also links to stories and Times opinion pieces about the candidates and California propositions.

It's a great idea on the part of the Times to make the voting process as simple as possible. It also gets voters thinking about the issues before they get to the polls and gives them time to research the topics.

However, I can't help but wonder if a phone message is necessary. I mean, how hard can it be to remember your own opinion?

The fourth annual Puppy Bowl.

Forget the Super Bowl -- it's all about the Puppy Bowl this year.

For those who aren't into football and prefer to just watch puppies play, Puppy Bowl IV is on Animal Planet during the Super Bowl.

Here's a clip from last year's Puppy Bowl:


Click here for a preview of this year's Bowl.

It's adorable and pointless but it's a nice break from the Patriots/Giants.

Super Bowl. Finally.

It's Super Bowl time. Finally.

After a week of non-stop talk about all things Patriots, I have never been more ready for a game to begin. And be over.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the sport but I am sick and tired of the news being 75 percent Patriots non-stories. Who cares that a professor at Bridgewater State College is named Tom Brady? Does that warrant Boston's Channel 5 do a story on him? (In case I am wrong and you are actually interested in the story, here it is).

So now that it's time for the game, I'm embracing all things Super Bowl for the next few hours. I may not be the biggest football fan but I am intrigued by the media frenzy that surrounds this event.

All the news sources I'm checking during the game have live blogs going. Here are the links to a few of them I'm reading:

The New York Times: The Fifth Down
MSNBC's live blog
Channel 5: All Patriots Blog

MSNBC lets you watch the Super Bowl ads online, in case you miss them the first time around or if you want to see them again.

Heres a Bud Light ad:


And for those who aren't from the United States and do not understand the details of the game, the BBC has this post about the Super Bowl and its history.

Chicago crime upgrade

Chicago crime is no more -- chicagocrime.org that is.

On Friday, Adrian Holovaty, a programmer/journalist who created the Web site, announced on his blog (holovaty.com) the site is being taken down because of an outdated server.

The site, created in 2005, was a combination of Google maps and Chicago police data. It allowed residents to interactively search crimes in their neighborhoods and surrounding areas.

Instead of upgrading the server, Holovaty wrote that all pages will be redirected this his latest project, EveryBlock, a new generation of chicagocrime.org.

Holovaty wrote:

I've often described [EveryBlock] to people as "chicagocrime.org on steroids — more than just crime, and more than just Chicago." It's brought to you by the same people (Wilson and me from chicagocrime.org, plus Paul and Dan, who've worked on similar projects), and it has the same philosophies. As we developed EveryBlock, we kept chicagocrime.org firmly in our minds — this new thing we were making had to be a superset, an expansion, a significant step forward. So there's almost nothing you could do on the old chicagocrime.org that you can't do on EveryBlock. And, unlike chicagocrime.org, which was always a side project, EveryBlock has a team of four people improving it full-time, meaning we have the resources to add features, such as e-mail alerts (just added yesterday), that chicagocrime.org never had. We hope EveryBlock is a worthy successor.

Currently EveryBlock serves three cities -- Chicago, New York and San Francisco.

I learned about Holovaty through journalism class and find him quite innovative.

Holovaty is known through the journalism world as a pioneer. He is one of the earliest journalist/programmers and works for Washingtonpost.com.

Chicagocrime.org won the 2005 Batten Award for Innovations in Journalism.

For more information about Holovaty, check out this interview from the Online Journalism Review.

I wonder how ...

Have you ever asked yourself, "I wonder how to be smarter at work" or "I wonder how to toilet train my cat."

Or even "I wonder how to make a tomato glow in the dark."

Well wonder no more.

A new video Web site, Wonderhowto.com, is a compilation of "How To" videos. A "Video guide for the curious world," as the Web site banner states.

So who ever thought to create Wonder How To?

Well according to this article in yesterday's New York Times, Stephen Chao, a former top employee of News Corporation, who was fired by Rupert Murdoch, had the idea.

Why was he fired? Well one time Chao hired a male stripper to strip at a company meeting. Another time he almost drowned Murdoch's dog.

Two bad decisions.

Regardless Chao is back on his feet after spending time in Santa Monica with his family, and is now trying to create an educational alternative to YouTube.

I decided to peruse the Web site and found several interesting videos including the ones mentioned above.

Here's how to make a tomato glow in the dark:


As expected, not all the videos are PG. In order to view a "How To" with adult content, you need to register and be over 18.

Once registered you can view several "sexual health" videos and post your own.

For now the Web site is clearly in it's early stages and I found it more entertaining than helpful, however I believe it has potential.

Chao said in a telephone interview to the New York Times that the "How To" market is huge.

He said:

What I started to notice is that there is a lot of how-to information out there that is fabulous but kind of hard to find. We set out to make it easy.

So there you have it.

From rated R to rated G you can now easily learn "How To" do a wacky collection of stuff.

'Target'ing the future

The New York Times posed the following question to its readers today:

Do you think bloggers should expect to be treated the same as traditional media outlets?

The question was inspired by the article, Target Tells a Blogger to Go Away.

According to the story, a post on the blog ShapingYouth.org, a blog about the effects of marketing on children, criticized this recent Target advertisement:

The blogger disapproved of the bull's-eye being in between the woman's legs. According to the Times article, when the blogger contacted Target with her opinon, the public relations person responded with:

Unfortunately we are unable to respond to your inquiry because Target does not participate with nontraditional media outlets.

This is Target's current PR practice, however the store did tell the Times they sometimes make an exception to the rule and are in the process of reviewing the policy.

So what does the public think? Should bloggers be treated the same as traditional media?

In journalism class, we often debate this very question, and in my experience most of my peers are quite accepting of blogs. The argument in favor of bloggers is often made.

However, it seems many readers disagree.

Here are some thoughts from Times readers:

You're kidding, right? Just because someone has internet access doesn't make them a journalist.

And another:

Bloggers should not be held in the same category as traditional news outlets. A blogger does not have the resources of a journalist. The editing process of a blogger is far less sophistocated than that of a journalist, and the blogger presumably lacks training in communications law and reporting. A traditional media journalist benefits from these resources and deserves more respect than a blogger.

Some people believed blogs could only be considered equal to the traditional media if they followed their rules:

No, unless they are credentialed (i.e. NY Times reporter with a blog). Anyone can blog; not everyone is interested in honesty, integrity, accuracy, and the responsibilities persuant to reaching a mass audience. Those characteristics can even be in short supply amongst the mainstream media. Bloggers are people with electronic megaphones, no more, no less.

And:

Only if they identify themselves with their real name, location and if they abide by the written and unwritten rules journalism.

As we often discover in journalism class, there's no correct answer to this question.

But citizen-journalism is growing and changing media, regardless if the general population is ready or not.