Comparing Media

            One story that has been developing this past week has finally come to an end. An Alabama bus driver was killed last week after an armed man came onto his bus demanding two children be given to him. After the bus driver refused, he was fatally shot and then the armed man, Jimmy Lee Dykes, took a child off the bus with him and held the boy hostage in his bunker for a week. Now that the boy is safe and sound, I decided to follow Fox News and MSNBC News online and check their coverage on the story.

            One difference the two media outlets had was that Fox News made this their top story on their homepage while MSNBC posted it as their second top story. Another difference is how the two networks covered the story; one medium focused more on the history of the gunman while the other medium focused more on the rescue. Both articles covered what happened throughout the week and readers were informed that the rescue of the boy and the death of Dykes were unclear at the moment.

            MSNBC News, after informing the readers about the rescue, went on to explain how the public reacted to the news of the rescue and they even presented a statistic about standoff situations. Fox News on the other hand took a different route and went on to explain the gunman’s past. The article included his criminal records and his relationships with family and neighbors.

            With two different platforms, I learned something new from both media outlets. MSNBC News informed me about the rescue and the public reaction while Fox News shined a light on the gunman and his past. It got me thinking as to why he committed this act.

Best Prank Ever

Hello All!

I don't know how some people feel about this, but I love to prank people. I enjoy pranking people, especially my friends, because I like to see their reactions and their immediate physical response. I'm definitely not your typical prankster, but every once in a while I like to pull jokes on friends and usually jokes are fired back at me. But last month, I pranked my friend Joe that I think can never be topped. I guess one can say I pulled an ultimate prank... and I couldn't agree more. If some of you are wondering how to pull an ultimate prank like I did... make sure it is TELEVISED.

If you ask any of my friends what I want to do in life, they'll all know to say that I want to be on television. With that, I sometimes like to look at casting calls on MTV for new television shows. I came across a casting call for a new hidden camera show that was shooting in NYC, so I decided to take a look at it. In the description, it was calling all of those who lived near NYC who wanted to prank a friend, sister, cousin, etc. Right after that description I knew I wanted to prank my friend Joe because 1. He is oblivious to everything and 2. He has a great sense of humor. After I had signed him up via email, I didn't expect to hear anything back.

Three days later, I got an email back from the show's Assistant Producer and they were interested in pranking Joe! We were constantly emailing back and forth, finalizing Joe's prank -- sending pictures of the actors, where the prank was located and what time. Out of the two pranks I was offered to play on Joe, I decided to set Joe up on a blind date. Getting Joe to agree to this blind date took some time, but he finally agreed. What Joe did not know though, was that his date was working as a waitress at the restaurant they were eating at.

Through the duration of the prank, there were different levels Joe had to encounter in order to reach the end of the prank and win a prize. I can't tell you how the prank turned out here, because it will be airing on MTV! The show is called Totally Clueless (perfect name, especially since my friend Joe will be on the show) and will be aired in mid-September. I will most likely remind you all who are reading to watch it when I am notified of the day and time of the show.

Congratulations to all of you graduating high school this month... and let the countdown to SMC begin!

Second Job... Well, Kinda

I apologize for not posting these past few days! I started a "second job" this past week and getting used to the schedule is pretty difficult. As I mentioned in my So Long Freshman Year, Hello Summer 2012 post, I wanted to get a second job this summer instead of just working as a pool life-guard. Well, I didn't so much get a second job... I got a job that will keep me working until the pools open for summer- that's when I'll officially be life-guarding. For now, I am working with the pool operators and helping them prepare the pools for Opening Weekend.

The outdoor pools in my area open for summer on Father's Day weekend, so the pool operators clean the pools and prepare them during the end of May for that weekend. As a life-guard, I did not know what these pool operators did, until I started working with them. The pool deck needs to be washed and cleared of all leaves and garbage, the pool liner needs to be scrubbed and rinsed with chemicals to remove dirt from the harsh winter, ladders and railings need to be installed, the pumps need to be checked constantly and the pool needs to be filled. It was a lot of work, especially since there are nine pools with our town.

Work starts at 7am and ends at 3pm, three times a week (I can only work 3 times a week since I'll be working full time as a life-guard). I haven't woken up at 6:15am to get somewhere at 7am since high school... so it has been awhile. I am getting used to the schedule though, which is good.

I am currently sitting in the beautiful weather next to my pool, where my dog Sandy, yes, is swimming. She keeps barking at me to get in with her, so I gotta go! Like I said before, videos of Sandy will be posted throughout the summer! Hope you all had a great Memorial Day Weekend... 'MERICA!

Don't forget... KEEP IN TOUCH!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Summer

It has officially been one week since I left Saint Mike's and started my summer vacation. Besides making a trip to Stonybrook University to visit friends, not much has happened yet since I was the first one out of all my friends to come home. A lot of my friends were still up at school taking their finals, but most of them are now done and heading home. So basically, this past week has been about unpacking and catching up with friends who are done with school.

Some of my friends and I at Stonybrook.

Since the weather here has been getting warmer, my Dad decided to open up our pool! I actually took a swim in it the other day with my dog Sandy (she loves to swim, just like me). Sandy is literally obsessed with our pool... if one day my family doesn't use the pool, we open it anyway so Sandy can swim. She has a pool ball she plays with and we throw it in the water for her to catch. If we aren't outside and she still wants to play, Sandy places her ball on the water slide which shoots the ball out into the pool. Sandy is also capable of jumping off the diving board and exiting the water both from the steps and the ladder. (Videos of Sandy will be posted sometime this summer).

Since the water was pretty cold, we've had our solar cover on to help warm up the pool.

Sandy waiting for the pool to open.

More posts will be posted as summer vacation progresses! You can also keep up with me through Twitter.

So Long Freshman Year, Hello Summer 2012!

Hello all!

Sorry I haven't posted these past few days, but I had to study for my exam AND pack all of my things to go home... which is where I am right now!

I had one final this morning for my Media Revolutions class and I had to hand in my final website for my Digital Media class. My parents arrived on campus shortly after my exam so they could drive me back home (they left home this morning at 6am to get up here around 12pm). They even brought up my dogs to surprise me... but once they got out of the car, they were barking very loud. So I would like to take this moment and apologize to all those who live in the Quad... especially those who were studying.

Packing up the van was actually faster than expected. With a little help from my friends (actually a lot), my car was loaded with all of my things in a matter of 15 minutes and I was all ready to head back to the island! Saying goodbye to all of my friends was hard, but plans are in the making to visit one another over the summer.

Speaking of summer, here are some of my plans:

• Life-guarding
  

• Going to the beach

• Attempting Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

• Looking for a second job (I want to make more money!)

• Swimming/Exercising
  

• Small family vacation..? (still working on it)

• Watch every event of the Summer 2012 Olympics

• Hang out with friends from home AND college

This is just a rough draft, but I will definitely keep you guys posted on my summer (there is much more than just that list). If you have questions or comments, Keep in Touch!