Word # 5
Word: propensity
Source: Christenen, Terry, Tom Hogan. Local Politics: a practical guide to governing at the grassroots. 2nd ed. New York, M.E. Sharp, Inc. 2006.
How it was used: The heavy reliance of cities on property taxes (forced on them by states) contributes to their propensity to be growth machines, because growth means new development, higher land values, and increased local revenues.
Definition: pruh-pen-si-tee (n). 1. a natural inclination or tendency. 2. Obsolete. favorable disposition or partiality.
My sentence: After running a mile, Trisha had a propensity to drink too much water.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Journal Writing #2- Media Audiences
Story: Bill would require paid sick leave in Calif.
The story is about a bill that Assembly woman Fiona Ma introduced last week that if made law would require all businesses in California to give their workers paid sick leave. According to both the Mercury News and the Sacramento Buisiness Journal, the paid leave could be used for the worker, to recover from domestic violence or sexual assault or to take care of a sick family member.
Newspaper: Mercury News
The article, written by Barbara Feder Ostrov, is around 500 words and is located in section 2 page B. This media had the most coverage of the story. There are no charts, graphs or photos accompanying this story. The newspaper cites Assembly woman Fiona Ma, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the California Chamber of Commerce and the California Restaurant Association.
Television: KTVU Channel 2 News at 10 p.m.
The story was only about one minute long. Not very much information was given about it at all and there weren’t any quoted sources, probably due to time constraints. I'm guessing the station found this story of little importance on the newsworthy scale.
Web: Sacramento Business Journal, www.sacramento.bizjournals.com
The story by Kathy Robertson is around 300 words. There are no charts, graphs or photos accompanying this story. It lists the California Labor Federation as a source, as well as a lobbyist for the California chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business, Michael Shaw. It seems the California labor Federation is for the bill and Shaw is against it.
I think the Mercury News did the best job reporting on this story, it had the most sources, it was informational and it gave more facts than the Sacramento Business Journal who included more personal opinion of sources than facts.
(Word Count: 297)
The story is about a bill that Assembly woman Fiona Ma introduced last week that if made law would require all businesses in California to give their workers paid sick leave. According to both the Mercury News and the Sacramento Buisiness Journal, the paid leave could be used for the worker, to recover from domestic violence or sexual assault or to take care of a sick family member.
Newspaper: Mercury News
The article, written by Barbara Feder Ostrov, is around 500 words and is located in section 2 page B. This media had the most coverage of the story. There are no charts, graphs or photos accompanying this story. The newspaper cites Assembly woman Fiona Ma, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the California Chamber of Commerce and the California Restaurant Association.
Television: KTVU Channel 2 News at 10 p.m.
The story was only about one minute long. Not very much information was given about it at all and there weren’t any quoted sources, probably due to time constraints. I'm guessing the station found this story of little importance on the newsworthy scale.
Web: Sacramento Business Journal, www.sacramento.bizjournals.com
The story by Kathy Robertson is around 300 words. There are no charts, graphs or photos accompanying this story. It lists the California Labor Federation as a source, as well as a lobbyist for the California chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business, Michael Shaw. It seems the California labor Federation is for the bill and Shaw is against it.
I think the Mercury News did the best job reporting on this story, it had the most sources, it was informational and it gave more facts than the Sacramento Business Journal who included more personal opinion of sources than facts.
(Word Count: 297)
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Word of the Week
Word # 4
Word: autonomy
Source: Christenen, Terry, Tom Hogan. Local Politics: a practical guide to governing at the grassroots. 2nd ed. New York, M.E. Sharp, Inc. 2006.
How it was used: Yet, as with sovereignty disputes between the federal government and the states, local government autonomy operates within the confines of a state's constitutional framework, thus providing one of the enduring tensions of American local government.
Definition: aw-ton-uh-mee (n). 1. Independence or freedoom, as of the will or one's actions. 2. the condition of being autonomous; self-government, or the right of self-government; independence. 3. a self-governing community.
My sentence: The group of teenagers demanded autonomy from their parents.
Word: autonomy
Source: Christenen, Terry, Tom Hogan. Local Politics: a practical guide to governing at the grassroots. 2nd ed. New York, M.E. Sharp, Inc. 2006.
How it was used: Yet, as with sovereignty disputes between the federal government and the states, local government autonomy operates within the confines of a state's constitutional framework, thus providing one of the enduring tensions of American local government.
Definition: aw-ton-uh-mee (n). 1. Independence or freedoom, as of the will or one's actions. 2. the condition of being autonomous; self-government, or the right of self-government; independence. 3. a self-governing community.
My sentence: The group of teenagers demanded autonomy from their parents.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Library Scavenger Hunt #23
Mirrors
I did not know that the Martin Luther King Jr. Library had mirrors installed behind the books in the self-help section on the third floor. I find it hilarious that they decided to do that. I picture some football player creeping up to the self-help section trying to be sly about picking up a book on "how to ballroom dance" for his class. It's not enough that he's sneaking around praying no one sees him, but now he picks up a book and has to stare himself right in the face. I wonder what people think when the see their reflection. Perhaps it has been enough to make them put the book down and run away. How humiliating!
(Word Count: 120)
I did not know that the Martin Luther King Jr. Library had mirrors installed behind the books in the self-help section on the third floor. I find it hilarious that they decided to do that. I picture some football player creeping up to the self-help section trying to be sly about picking up a book on "how to ballroom dance" for his class. It's not enough that he's sneaking around praying no one sees him, but now he picks up a book and has to stare himself right in the face. I wonder what people think when the see their reflection. Perhaps it has been enough to make them put the book down and run away. How humiliating!
(Word Count: 120)
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Telling Details
The door closes on the train. Two sounds of the bell and the train starts moving. People are talking, someone coughs, the next stop is announced and she sits there focused.
She wears her hair in waves of short gray. Thick glasses consume her face. She is knitting. Vibrant turquoise and yellow yarn intertwine in a beautiful pattern; each strand to its proper place. She must be experienced in her hobby. Nothing distracts her, not even the opening of the doors and the cluttered steps of the people piling in. The doors close, two sounds of the bell and the train is off. The announcement of the next stop is right on schedule.
Still she sits there focused. Suddenly, she reaches for her small, red duffle bag, folds her treasure inside and zips it away from the view of curious eyes like mine. The train stops. She puts the bag on her red basket cart and exits the train into the dark night.
(Word Count: 163)
She wears her hair in waves of short gray. Thick glasses consume her face. She is knitting. Vibrant turquoise and yellow yarn intertwine in a beautiful pattern; each strand to its proper place. She must be experienced in her hobby. Nothing distracts her, not even the opening of the doors and the cluttered steps of the people piling in. The doors close, two sounds of the bell and the train is off. The announcement of the next stop is right on schedule.
Still she sits there focused. Suddenly, she reaches for her small, red duffle bag, folds her treasure inside and zips it away from the view of curious eyes like mine. The train stops. She puts the bag on her red basket cart and exits the train into the dark night.
(Word Count: 163)
Word of the Week
Word # 3
Word: dichotomy
Source: Christenen, Terry, Tom Hogan. Local Politics: a practical guide to governing at the grassroots. 2nd ed. New York, M.E. Sharp, Inc. 2006.
How it was used: The disparities between Sunbelt and Frostbelt cities are almost as great as those between Frostbelt central cities and their suburbs, underscoring the fact that the needs/resources dichotomy operates on a national scale.
Definition: dī-kŏt'ə-mē (n). 1. Division into two parts, kinds, etc.; subdivision into halves or pairs. 2. Division into two usually contradictory parts or opinions. 3. Astronomy: The phase of the moon, Mercury, or Venus when half of the disk is illuminated. 4. Botany: Branching characterized by successive forking into two approximately equal divisions.
My Sentence: There was a dichotomy between the students on the subject of abortion.
Word: dichotomy
Source: Christenen, Terry, Tom Hogan. Local Politics: a practical guide to governing at the grassroots. 2nd ed. New York, M.E. Sharp, Inc. 2006.
How it was used: The disparities between Sunbelt and Frostbelt cities are almost as great as those between Frostbelt central cities and their suburbs, underscoring the fact that the needs/resources dichotomy operates on a national scale.
Definition: dī-kŏt'ə-mē (n). 1. Division into two parts, kinds, etc.; subdivision into halves or pairs. 2. Division into two usually contradictory parts or opinions. 3. Astronomy: The phase of the moon, Mercury, or Venus when half of the disk is illuminated. 4. Botany: Branching characterized by successive forking into two approximately equal divisions.
My Sentence: There was a dichotomy between the students on the subject of abortion.
Word of the Week
Word #2
Word: burgeoning
Source: Christenen, Terry, Tom Hogan. Local Politics: a practical guide to governing at the grassroots. 2nd ed. New York, M.E. Sharp, Inc. 2006.
How it was used: These were burgeoning industries, free to build new facilities where the economic advantages were greatest-in the Sunbelt.
Definition: bûr'jən (v). 1. a. To put forth new buds, leaves, or greenery; sprout. b. To begin to grow or blossom. 2. To grow or develop rapidly.
My Sentence: After all of the farmer's hard work, the tree was finally burgeoning.
Word: burgeoning
Source: Christenen, Terry, Tom Hogan. Local Politics: a practical guide to governing at the grassroots. 2nd ed. New York, M.E. Sharp, Inc. 2006.
How it was used: These were burgeoning industries, free to build new facilities where the economic advantages were greatest-in the Sunbelt.
Definition: bûr'jən (v). 1. a. To put forth new buds, leaves, or greenery; sprout. b. To begin to grow or blossom. 2. To grow or develop rapidly.
My Sentence: After all of the farmer's hard work, the tree was finally burgeoning.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Late-Breaking Assignment Primary Election
Tuesday, February 5, 2008 was a big day, the Primary Elections. It was my first time voting in the Primary Elections. Tuesdays happen to be my busiest day on campus, I have a morning class, judo in the afternoon, work after that and then a local politics class at night. I decided to squeeze voting into my schedule between work and my night class. Luckily, my polling place was located one block from my apartment. I rushed home after work and went online to look up anything I wasn't completely clear on. Still undecided on Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, I ran out the door to make the polls and my night class. I waited in line for a few minutes and was given my ballot. Staring at the ballot, I made my final decisions and marked the line in between the arrows of my choices. I almost walked out the door when a nice elderly man working the polls told me to wait and handed me the blue American flag "I voted" sticker. I smiled at him, said thank you and walked out the door feeling proud. Proud because I had just taken advantage of the great privilege we are given as Americans, the vote.
(Word Count: 206)
(Word Count: 206)
Monday, February 4, 2008
Journal Writing #1- My Favorite Writing
This journal is about a poem called "Phenomenal Woman" by Maya Angelou. I love this poem. It makes me proud of myself for the woman I am growing into. This poem showcases Angelou's talent. It's her way with words that I fall in love with. In the poem Angelou praises womanhood and defines what makes her a strong and beautiful woman, a phenomenal woman. At the conclusion of the poem she writes, "Now you understand just why my head's not bowed. I don't shout or jump about or have to talk real loud. When you see me passing it ought to make you proud. I say, it's in the click of my heels, the bend of my hair, the palm of my hand, the need of my care, 'cause I'm a woman phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, that's me." Personally, I have been through some times in the past when I held my head down and was never proud of myself. Now that I'm older I have began to stand up straight and look people in the eye. I have finally gained confidence. This poem is inspirational because Angelou points out that you don't have to be just like everyone else, you can be your own person and whoever you choose to be is extraordinary.
(Word Count: 213)
(Word Count: 213)
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