More Current Events

1) http://www.sandiego6.com/news/local/story/Sewage-Spill-from-Mission-Valley-to-Ocean-Beach/qWYuIGp6oEeMp2ZNMf20lQ.cspx
This article talks about a sewage spill that had the areas along the San Diego River and the river mouth under advisory for high bacteria levels. Quote: By the time city crews got the problem under control about an hour later, roughly 1,370 gallons of sewage had spilled into a storm drain that empties into the San Diego River.

2) http://www.kpbs.org/news/2009/oct/23/group-removes-one-million-pounds-trash-san-diego-r/
Almost 1 million pounds of trash removed from San Diego River over a course of 4 years. Quote: "We like to say that the river is clean but it's not healthy," Hutsel says. "And what that means is that we really don't have a lot of pollution coming into the river but we've re-engineered the river over the last 50 years and so it doesn't function very well."

3) http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/carlsbad/article_8c9f6629-da9f-581c-bd6e-97c49b257358.html
An article about how pipelines need an environmental assessment because they aren't actually that good or useful. Quote: Project proponents have said that the proposed plant will give the arid San Diego region a secure source of locally produced drinking water, while opponents have said that the desalination equipment will prolong the life of an aging, water-cooled power plant and cause environmental harm.

4) http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/articles/2009/11/05/environment/muck/795waterdeal110409.txt
Talks about 5 bills that would grant San Diego a 11.1 billion dollar bond package for water deals/plans/projects, 20 million going to the San Diego River if the bills are passed. Quote: One of the bond's biggest beneficiaries locally would be the San Diego River Conservancy, which works to restore the river stretching from Ocean Beach to Julian. The bond package would provide it a $20 million grant. Another $107 million would be directed to as-yet unspecified supply projects in the region.

5) http://sandiegonewsroom.com/news/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=37822:redevelopment-of-qualcomm-stadium&catid=110:city-of-san-diego&Itemid=34
Talks about redeveloping the Qualcomm stadium area as a conservatory site for preservation of the San Diego river (or at least, it's one option to use the area for). Quote: Rob Hutsel of the San Diego River Coalition emphasized that the site is prime for 40 acres of public parks which are contemplated under the community plan but don’t exist. Similarly, Kathy Keehan of the San Diego Bicycle Coalition called for the River Conservancy to preserve the site for the benefit of the San Diego River.

Environmental Current Events

http://www.kpbs.org/news/2009/oct/23/group-removes-one-million-pounds-trash-san-diego-r/

1. Summarize the event.

Almost 1 million pounds of trash removed from San Diego River over a course of 4 years. The San Diego River Park Foundation spends 30 weekends a year cleaning up, and they take 5 thousand pounds of trash each month.

 

2. What is the most important info presented in the story?

Over time, the river is being cleaned up but it's not healthy yet.

3. What info is missing?

Where exactly the trash comes from--people dumping garbage? Runoff? Where do the outrageous/bizarre things like shopping carts and slot machines come from? What other trashes are picked up, or is it just the big noticeable things?

 

4. How does this info play into your MSB work?

I'm researching about how the river is polluted and how it's cleaned up.

MSB Organizations

1. Name of organization: San Diego Clean Beach Coalition

2. Mission statement (copy/paste from their site).

SDCBC objectives include: creating awareness of the resources available for beachgoers to properly dispose of their trash during holiday celebrations, educating the community about pollution prevention through our “Don’t Forget” media campaign, increasing recycling, and educating people planning to visit the beaches about the rules and regulations at local beaches.

Pick two of the following:

3a. An important interaction with a local city or county government agency.

3b. An important interaction with a state government agency.

3c. An important interaction with a federal government agency.

 

"The coalition is a joint partnership between I Love A Clean San Diego, San Diego Coastkeeper, the San Diego Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, FreePB.org, and City of San Diego lifeguards, police, and park rangers." - http://cleanbeachcoalition.org/2009/06/25/trash-and-recycle-bins-on-local-beaches-ready-for-holiday-crowds/

Various agencies there.

Links: http://www.surfridersd.org/ , http://www.sdcoastkeeper.org/ , http://cleansd.org/ , http://www.freepb.org/

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1. Name of organization: San Diego Coastkeeper

2. Mission statement (copy/paste from their site).

San Diego Coastkeeper protects the region’s bays, beaches, watersheds and ocean for the people and wildlife that depend on them. We balance community outreach, education, and advocacy to promote stewardship of clean water and a healthy coastal ecosystem.

3. Interact with and teach schools. http://www.sdcoastkeeper.org/content/programs/education/overview.htm

"We are mobilizing citizens to support the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) and aid the State’s efforts to create a series of marine reserves along the California coast by 2011." - http://www.sdcoastkeeper.org/content/programs/marineCon/overview.htm

The Great Gatsby 2

Gatsby seems to be detached from his surroundings in the way that he doesn't really care what goes on around him. People whisper about him, they party at his house and he doesn't even know them, and he's very nonchalant about everything in general. I think that's because he only has one goal in mind--he wants to meet Daisy or have her come to his party or just talk to her. That's all he can think about, that's his motive for doing everything or anything--buying his house across the bay, having parties where anybody can attend, and befriending Daisy's past bridesmaid and cousin.

Nick is detached in the way that he acts as a neutral character in all of this. His only role is supposed to be that he knows all the characters involved in the situation, not that he's actually a part of it. He's nonchalant like Gatsby, as well as nonjudgmental--or at least, he claims to be. He also doesn't seem to care much about the characters because they're mostly strangers to him, and he doesn't care about his surroundings because he really could care less. I'd hate and neglect a shack of a home too (he describes it as an eyesore made of cardboard).

The Great Gatsby 1

1. Who is the narrator? Describe his perspective, biases, character traits, etc.

Nick Carraway. He says he's not judgmental and seems unbiased, but sometimes I feel like he's contradicting himself. Like when his friend hadn't heard of the bonds he was working in, he said it annoyed him in the narration. If he was nonjudgmental, he would have been more like, "I expected this to happen" or something. Other than that, he seems like an experienced man who isn't comfortable on an awkward subject--he's always trying to change the subject or lighten things up when things get tense.

2. What do you think F. Scott Fiitzgerald accomplishes by chooses this specific narrator versus another choice, such as a different character or 3rd person?
By telling the story from the point of view of a character not quite involved in the situation other than knowing all of the people involved. Other than that, I'd think that he does nothing to interfere. Not only that, he's pointed out that he's an unbiased person.

Critiquing Professional Examples

http://www.time.com/time/photoessays/mlk/index.html

1. This photo essay about Martin Luther King Jr. is good because the the organization is structured and easy to understand. The photos are on separate pages, the links to the pages are easy to find, and when the image is portrait or landscape the caption is shifted to accommodate it so the page doesn't stretch. I like all these things.

2. All of the captions and pictures are about MLK Jr., so it's clear that it's about him. The quotes are his own words of peace and equality and the future, and they're not just the renowned "I have a dream" speech.

3. I think it's for anybody looking for quotes and inspiration from MLK Jr., but it's not really clear who exactly it's for. It seems like it's just for anybody.

4. The photos are in the order that shows how MLK Jr. is a father and an inspiring man, but in the end there's a picture of his son near his grave. It shows his integrity, determination, and his passion for his beliefs simply in his expressions. The gray scale and contrast help the effects even more.

5. The contrast shows deep shadows, black and white, separate but in one picture. It shows MLK Jr. in a serious sense rather than a light one, because that's what he was. They showed truth and reality through just one person and one child.

6. Because it caught my eye. The quotes are short and simple, the setup was ideal. If I were to take something away from this, it would be the setup and the style of photography.

Industrialization Newspaper and MSB

I learned about writing news and I got to practice InDesign, which I might use to format my photo essay. I think I worked well with others too, so that if I need help I can ask one of my classmates.