this just in...

i just got to submit my first "just in" story for the times-union (the newspaper i work for). the "just in" articles are for 'breaking or interesting news'. granted, most articles in the paper make it in as a "just in" article...but since i work for a small, weekly, community section...our articles hardly ever make it.

so here's a link to my first "just in" article.

also, the photo included with the article, along with another, are possibly going to be printed in the metro section of tomorrow's paper. make sure to check it out.

florida photos

after being back a month, i decided it was time to drive around and go on a photo excursion. here's what i came up with...

the mortgage crisis

have you guys heard about this subprime mortgage crisis thing? i don't know much about it, other than it's bad, and that it's on the news and stuff a lot. but i don't really watch the news...not even when dad has the remote and we're watching tv together. even then i just kind of tune out and stare into space...which is more entertaining than watching the news. plus, it's not cool for people in my generation to watch the news anyway.

but i did find a funny video on the internet (which is very cool for people in my generation...funny videos are like the hot rods of the 50's. whoever can come up with the best one gets all the chicks. and by chicks i mean email.) of an australian comedy duo explaining the subprime mortgage crisis.

it's pretty funny AND informative...which means i look twice as cool.

check it out.

idiots from one town over

today is the first in a new series i'll be including here in the journal. allow me to explain:

this new job of mine comes with some really excellent benefits. no, i'm not talking about a great HMO or a splendid spouse package...i'm talking about st. johns county police reports, which i have access to as a member of the media. it's also my job to browse these reports daily, publishing those of merit in our weekly paper.

i have decided it is my public duty to share some of the more off-kilter reports with those of you who may never get to read our little paper. so without further ado...

Today's Idiot: Angela Lansbury (I can't release actual names to the public, so I will instead substitue real names with those of celebrities)
On 03.14.08 I was dispatched to *address* where I met Angela Lansbury who stated that sometime between 9:00pm on 03.13.08 and 6:00pm on 03.14.08, an unknown subject entered her vehicle and changed the time on her vehicle's clock radio. She then stated no items were missing from the vehicle. When asked if she changed her clock the previous week for Daylight Savings Time, she said no.

so there you have it...a local woman calls the police because someone supposedly broke into her car, and changed the time on the dashboard clock. what an idiot.

journalism photos

here are some photos i took this weekend for an article i wrote about a paraplegic rehabilitative sports program who took its participants horseback riding. keep in mind the photos have to run in newsprint, which means i can't edit them the way i typically would. anyhow, these are my first photos as a photjournalist, and i'm looking forward to seeing them in print on saturday. my editor really liked the first shot and decided to make this story our centerspread (main article) so that he could run that particular photo on the cover.

another blog

i thought i'd mention to everyone that a couple of weeks ago i was asked to contribute to an incredibly awesome blog known as The Cheap Shot Posse. it's worth checking every couple of days and thought you should be aware.

also...week two as a reporter is going well and will continue in that direction as long as no one asks me if i'm jimmy olson, which everyone seems to think is hilarious.

So, I'm a Reporter Now...

Some of you may know that since returning home to Jacksonville, I have found a new job working as a reporter/photographer.

Last week was my first, full week on the job. I was thrown headfirst into the deep end as I wrote a cover story, conducted an in-person interview, attended a county traffic safety meeting and contributed a letter of introduction for our readers. Needless to say it was a busy and educational week.

This week I am again writing what could be our lead cover story, as well as providing all the related photos, and also writing my first movie review.

So I guess I'm a full-fledged reporter now. It's really not a bad gig at all, and I'm looking forward to being here for awhile. I have no idea where this job will lead me. It's just nice to be grounded for awhile and actually contributing to society.

tree house

a girl named poo

my cousin peggy once had a dream that she owned a pug named poo poo. upon waking she was disappointed to discover that in fact it was just a dream, and she had no dog to wake up to. a couple of weeks later she decided to follow that dream and got a pug, and named it poo poo. after a long, fruitful life, this is poo as she is today...













i don't want to make a habit of posting photos of cute, little animals...but damn, how can you not love this dog?