Breaking the Habit - Part Deux

So basically, I was misinformed - apparently this whole habit breaking thing is two weeks long, not one. That leads to the second week chronicle below.. with my ongoing effort to keep my room cleaner than it's ever been.

Day 8 - Cleaning The Room
After I found out this was actually a two-week adventure and not a one-week adventure, I realize this will actually take some effort to keep this room in tip top shape. After leaving school for the day I go to my room and study while sipping on a juice box (some parts of our childhood never die). After 8 days though, the room is steady and relatively dust free. It's kind of nice. I think even my own dog is a little thrown off by it, she doesn't want any part of the room - quite amusing.

Day 9 - Cleaning The Room
Really, this is becoming way too easy. It's becoming habitual right now to tell the truth. I don't know whether to be excited or panicked. I went from a passive typical guy to a clean freak in a span of nine days? What the heck? I'm a bit skeptical that I'll slip eventually but for now, it's not happening.

Day 10 - Cleaning The Room
Thursday comes and goes, the room still looks divine. I find it ironic that when my entire place looks amazing, I can't get anyone in the free world to come over and look at it. But when it looks like a tornado went zipping across and back my living arrangements a good 53 times, that's when I can't be left alone. Go figure.

Day 11 - Cleaning The Room
Mr. Bachelor hits me again. I get off work and realize I have no food in the house. What's a guy to do? Order a pizza that's what! Yeah needless to say, the room/living room .. it's slipping past divine and has now officially hit dirty status. Well at least I'm reassured of being normal, I gotta say I was feeling a bit nervous I was turning into Martha Stewart sans cooking skills and felony charges.

Day 12- Cleaning The Room
Nothing to study today, got off work at 3:30.. immediately came home and napped. Yeah the room/living area is still pretty much a mess. I'm slipping into old habits, and now as I write this I feel the urge to get off my butt and clean up in here. Nice!

Day 13 - Cleaning The Room
Well.. last night before bed, I got up and cleaned up the living room, and today seeing as how it's a Monday that means I am doing nothing remotely interesting. The place is still clean though and I think I'm going to make it through these two weeks!

Day 14 - Cleaning The Room
Two weeks! My place has been clean for two weeks! What I learned about this is the power of keeping a running diary for any motivation is pretty good stuff. When you open the diary/blog you can't help but look at past entries, forcing you to keep up the pace.

Correcting Bad Habits - Week Review

I have been jotting this down throughout the week.. and here is what I came up with.

Day 1 - Correcting My Bad Habit
Something I have been wanting to correct for quite some time is how clean I can keep my room. For most, this probably seems like an easy task - for me.. not so much. I start day 1 of this process by doing about 3 loads of laundry (to empty my hamper and subsequently rid my floor of countless articles of dirty clothing). After this is done, I vacuum the floor and make the bed. I look around and notice a lot of papers and junk on my headboard and quickly organize/throw away the papers I don't need. Now it seems as though my room is clean, but for how long? That's the tricky part..

Day 2 - Correcting My Bad Habit
I come home and quickly hurl my backpack across the floor as though I am trying out for discus throwing in the summer Olympics. (And I always wonder why my papers get crumbled up).. I crack open a bottle of water and sprawl across my bed to listen to how much of a racist Don Imus really is.. but quickly as I check my email I notice this document on my laptop. Expletives enter my head and I quickly pick up my backpack and make sure my water bottle finds its home in the fridge (hey recycling is a good habit to pick up too!).. after one day, my room is still clean. Score one for the home team.

Day 3 - Correcting My Bad Habit
Well today, after sleeping in.. I begin to get lax about the whole room thing again. My bed is now a total disaster (I swear I don't remember moving at all when I'm asleep but apparently I somehow am able to do an entire 360 on my sheets, lifting them every which way possible..) - reluctantly I make it, because it's my goal to actually maintain a clean bedroom for the week.

The evening comes and goes.. and the room is still semi-clean, but my hamper is beginning to fill up with dirty clothes. And my gym bag is residing in front of the entertainment center. Am I losing it? I can't allow it... oooooh hockey is on! Until tomorrow..

Day 4 - Correcting My Bad Habit
It has now been 4 days of clean and happy bedroom living. I'm not sure where this ranks on the all-time length I have maintained such a clean state (and for the record I'm not a slob, but I'm not a clean freak either.. and while I cannot really accurately depict the state of my room in words.. just imagine what a clean freak goes through for every day of their life.. and that is the mind set I have so desperately tried to hammer into my head for this week.)

I worked all day today and tonight I am going out to dinner and drinks to celebrate last weeks birthday (woo!) .. my room will not be touched tonight, and the clean streak lives on!

Day 5 - Correcting My Bad Habit
Saturday has approached and I have checked with the Elias Bureau of Statistics to get a read onto what unchartered territory I am entering. As per the site (known for statistics on everything that can be tracked) I have broken a record for having my room smell being lemony fresh (actually it's more of a vanilla scent.. I am a sucker for those scented candles). I am skimming through the previous 4 days and picturing my two readers thinking my room is typically a disaster. So that alone makes me chuckle. Nonetheless, while some friends and most immediate family would say it rivals the look of a tornado through a trailer park.. this week we're not slipping! Time for laundry since the hamper is getting into the danger zone (I think a couple socks and a shirt went rogue late last night and pounced out of their respected laundry nets).

Day 6 - Correcting My Bad Habit
I almost lost it tonight. But like Michael Jordan in the playoffs, I somehow averted disaster. Tonight was Entourage night at the casa, so I had to celebrate with food and beverage in the room. Usually that means some plate or silverware is going to live in my room for a couple days (in hindsight yes I'm aware that's not the most sanitary thing in the world).. but again the motivating factor of having this word document on my desktop that I see everyday since I'm addicated to the "internets" has me cleaning my room up like a french maid with OCD.

And for the record, Entourage was very good tonight. Thanks for wondering.

Day 7 - Correcting My Bad Habit
And the finale of this grand presentation, I am happy to say.. I did it. I went an entire week without my room becoming one step shy of getting federal aid for being a disaster (Although with the whole poor college kid thing, I could use some Red Cross relief here and there).

So in conclusion, I was able to do it. I think the running diary kind of helped me because in a weird way it was motivation. Motivation is a powerful tool if you can constantly remind yourself about your ultimate goal and the title of my word document "Clean your room slob-o!" seemed to hammer home my weekly goal.

So as celebration, I will probably go back to the messy room thing.. because that's just me.

2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs Preview

NHL Playoffs Preview
As an avid sports fan, I figured I would preview the NHL's playoffs. The playoffs begin this Wednesday and figure to end sometime in June. And while hockey has only about nine fans in the state of New Mexico, the postseason is a very popular event elsewhere in the country. I'll begin by previewing the Eastern Conference playoffs.

For the first time ever hockey dynamo Sidney Crosby will participate in the Stanley Cup playoffs when his Pittsburgh Penguins play the talented Ottawa Senators.

Another new team to join the fray is the Atlanta Thrashers. The Thrashers are making their first playoff appearance in the franchises history, and will match up against the New York Rangers.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference, the Buffalo Sabres will meet the New York Islanders in the first round. The Sabres won the Presidents' Cup this season after finishing with the National Hockey League's best overall record. They are led by hockey stars Chris Drury and Daniel Briere.

Wrapping up the Eastern Conference playoff matchups are the New Jersey Devils and the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning won the Stanley Cup in 2004, while the Devils won the cup in 2003. This matchup is one of the more compelling matchups of the Eastern Conference playoffs because it features the league's top goalie, Martin Brodeur, and the league's top scorer in 2007, Vincent LeCavalier.

Out in the Western Conference, the Detroit Red Wings are once again the favorite to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals but that hasn't necessarily been a good thing for the Red Wings. The past several years Detroit has entered the playoffs as the favorites to win it all, but they have been ousted quickly each of those years. The will open up the postseason against the Calgary Flames who are led by hockey star Jarome Iginla.

Elsewhere in the Western Conference, the Anaheim Mighty Ducks will begin the playoffs against the Minnesota Wild. The Ducks have been one of the leagues most consistent teams all year and figure to be one of the heavy favorites to win the Stanley Cup. The Wild, despite being seemingly overwhelmed on paper, are a scrappy team that could give Anaheim a very competitive series.

The Vancouver Canucks enter the playoffs behind the outstanding play from their goalie and MVP Candidate Roberto Luongo. Luongo and the Canucks will take on the Dallas Stars who are led by their future Hall-of-Fame star Mike Modano.

Wrapping up the Western Playoffs is the very compelling matchup between the Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks. Both teams are considered "dark horses" to win the conference outright and contend for a Stanley Cup Championship. The Predators are led by hockey superstars Paul Kariya and Peter Forsberg, while the Sharks are led by perhaps the leagues best player Joe Thornton. This figures to be the best opening round series in the playoffs.

If I were a betting man (which because of nearly all my money going to UNM, I'm not).. here is how I would project each of the Best-of-7 matchups in the 2007 playoffs.

Eastern Playoffs - Quarterfinals
(1) Buffalo def. (8) NY Islanders ... 4 games to 1
(2) New Jersey def. (7) Tampa Bay ... 4 games to 2
(3) Atlanta def. (6) NY Rangers ... 4 games to 3
(5) Pittsburgh def. (4) Ottawa ... 4 games to 3

Western Playoffs - Quarterfinals
(8) Calgary def. (1) Detroit ... 4 games to 2
(2) Anaheim def. (7) Minnesota ... 4 games to 1
(3) Vancouver def. (6) Dallas ... 4 games to 3
(5) San Jose def. (4) Nashville ... 4 games to 3

Eastern Playoffs - Semifinals
(1) Buffalo def. (5) Pittsburgh ... 4 games to 2
(2) New Jersey def. (3) Atlanta ... 4 games to 2

Western Playoffs - Semifinals
(2) Anaheim def. (8) Calgary ... 4 games to 1
(5) San Jose def. (3) Vancouver ... 4 games to 3

Eastern Playoffs - Finals
(2) New Jersey def. (1) Buffalo ... 4 games to 3

Western Playoffs - Finals
(2) Anaheim def. (5) San Jose ... 4 games to 2

2007 Stanley Cup Finals
(2) Anaheim def. (2) New Jersey .. 4 games to 2

For a more detailed view of the upcoming playoffs.. here are the standings and playoff tree:

Eastern Conference PTS W/L Buffalo Sabres 113 53-29 New Jersey Devils 107 49-33 Atlanta Thrashers 97 43-39 Ottawa Senators 105 48-34 Pittsburgh Penguins 105 47-35 New York Rangers 94 42-40 Tampa Bay Lightning 93 44-38 New York Islanders 92 40-42 Toronto Maple Leafs 91 40-42 Montreal Canadiens 90 42-40 Carolina Hurricanes 88 40-42 Florida Panthers 86 35-47 Boston Bruins 76 35-47 Washington Capitals 70 28-54 Philadelphia Flyers 56 22-60

Western Conference PTS W/L Detroit Red Wings 113 50-32 Anaheim Mighty Ducks 110 48-34 Vancouver Canucks 105 49-33 Nashville Predators 110 51-31 San Jose Sharks 107 51-31 Dallas Stars 107 50-32 Minnesota Wild 104 48-34 Calgary Flames 96 43-39 Colorado Avalanche 95 44-38 St. Louis Blues 81 34-48 Columbus Blue Jackets 73 33-49 Edmonton Oilers 71 32-50 Chicago Blackhawks 71 31-51 Los Angeles Kings 68 27-55 Phoenix Coyotes 67 31-51

The top eight teams in each conference qualify for the NHL playoffs. Division leaders are seeded #1, #2, and #3. The next five best teams were seeded fourth through eighth. Seeding is determined by: point total, wins, points obtained in games against tied teams and goal differential.

Eastern Conference

Western Conference

#1 Buffalo						Detroit #1
#8 NY Islanders						Calgary #8
#5 Pittsburgh						San Jose #5
#4 Ottawa						Nashville #4
#3 Atlanta						Vancouver #3
#6 NY Rangers						Dallas #6
#7 Tampa Bay						Minnesota #7
#2 New Jersey						Anaheim #2

* In the Conference Semifinals and Conference Finals, teams are re-seeded according to the same criteria as the First Rounds, the highest remaining seeds play against the lowest remaining seeds.

*There are three rounds of playoffs in each conference (first round, conference semi finals and conference finals). The winner in these three rounds will be declared the Eastern or Western Conference Champion. In the final round, these two face off against each other for the Stanley Cup.

Research Article: How to do your part in avoiding global warming

Global warming is a hot topic amongst citizens in the United States, and for that matter, the rest of the world. Scientists have already debated back and forth on whether or not global warming is happening and if it is - who is to blame for it. As a 23-year-old, global warming concerns me not just for my future but for my younger siblings future and any children I am to have in the coming years.

So I took it upon myself to research methods of how each of us can pull our own weight in fighting something that could impact the way our world is both short term and long term. The following is a great article I found on CarbonNeutral.com

Human induced climate change – which results from increased ‘greenhouse’ gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere – is the greatest social, economic and environmental threat of this century. It’s a problem mankind has caused mainly through our rapid exploitation of fossil fuels, and it’s a problem we need to solve with our collective intelligence, creativity, and humanity.
“The scientific evidence is now overwhelming: climate change presents very serious global risks, and it demands an urgent global response” Stern Review Report on the economics of climate change, HM Treasury, UK Government 2006

The greenhouse effect - some basics The earth’s atmosphere, like our own bodies, cools or warms until the energy ‘inputs’ (radiation from the sun) are in balance with energy lost through cooling. Certain gases in the atmosphere (called Greenhouse Gases or GHGs) ) act like feathers in a duvet – they trap and hold heat in the atmosphere and influence the temperature at which the global atmosphere is in balance. The more GHGs in the atmosphere, the higher the global temperature (the more feathers in a duvet, the warmer it is). The root cause of climate change? The principle GHG is carbon dioxide (CO2). Over billions of years, organic matter from dead plants and animals transformed into coal, oil, and natural gas in the outer layers of the earth’s crust. Since 1750, mankind has extracted these fossil fuels, and used them to power our rapid industrial development. Carbon dioxide from the combustion of fossil fuels accounts for about two thirds of the human induced warming effect. Methane, nitrous oxide and other gases emitted from industrial and agricultural activities account for the remaining third. CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere have risen one third since the industrial revolution and are set to double in the next 100 years. Temperatures which have varied less than 1 degree Celsius since the dawn of civilisation, are projected to rise between 2 and 4 degrees Celsius over the next century. This is a very rapid transformation in comparison to the longer-term warming and cooling cycles naturally experienced over past millennia. Scientists predict that such rapid changes will cause major and severe harm to the social, economic and environmental systems upon which mankind depends for its sustained survival. “Global atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide have increased markedly as a result of human activities since 1750 and now far exceed pre-industrial values….” Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis: Summary for Policymakers), February 2007; www.ipcc.ch.

The impact of climate change? SwissRe (www.swissre.com) , the global reinsurance company, provides an economic impact indicator: losses from natural disasters are doubling approximately every 10 years and could reach about $150 billion in 10 years. In a study of the summer of 1995 in England and Wales, which was about 1.5C warmer than average, it was estimated that net economic losses were about £1.5billion. The consensus from the 2005 Conference of Scientific Experts (Exeter, UK; http://www.stabilisation2005.com/) was that a temperature increase of 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels may trigger melting of the Greenland ice cap. To have a high probability of not exceeding this 2 degree Celsius limit, atmospheric CO2 concentrations should stay below 400ppm. This threshold could be breached in 10-15 years at the current rate of increase in global emissions.

Those least able to cope with climate change – developing countries – are likely to be among the most affected. It will further reduce access to drinking water, negatively affect the health of those living in poverty, and will pose a real threat to food security in many countries. If the Greenland ice sheets melts, the sea level rise would be so dramatic that the map of the world would change substantially. “The impacts of climate change are not evenly distributed – the poorest countries and people will suffer earliest and most. And if and when the damages appear it will be too late to reverse the process. Thus we are forced to look a long way ahead.” Stern Review Report on the economics of climate change, HM Treasury, UK Government, 2006, www.hm-treasury.gov.uk

.

Browse our site for further inforrmation on CO2 emissions and carbon offsetting

Other Resources Of Information:

• NRDC: The Basics of Global Warming
• Stop Global Warming
• Global Warming Action
  

Using Commas

Using Commas

Brought to you by the Purdue University Online Writing Lab.

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The comma is a valuable, useful punctuation device because it separates the structural elements of sentences into manageable segments. The rules provided here are those found in traditional handbooks; however, in certain rhetorical contexts and for specific purposes, these rules may be broken.

1. Use commas to separate independent clauses when they are joined by any of these seven coordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet.

The game was over, but the crowd refused to leave.
The student explained her question, yet the instructor still didn't seem to understand.
Yesterday was her brother's birthday, so she took him out to dinner.

2. Use commas after introductory a) clauses, b) phrases, or c) words that come before the main clause.

a. Common starter words for introductory clauses that should be followed by a comma include after, although, as, because, if, since, when, while.

While I was eating, the cat scratched at the door.
Because her alarm clock was broken, she was late for class.
If you are ill, you ought to see a doctor.
When the snow stops falling, we'll shovel the driveway.

However, don't put a comma after the main clause when a dependent (subordinate) clause follows it (except for cases of extreme contrast).

1. She was late for class, because her alarm clock was broken. (incorrect)
2. The cat scratched at the door, while I was eating. (incorrect)
3. She was still quite upset, although she had won the Oscar. (correct: extreme contrast)

b. Common introductory phrases that should be followed by a comma include participial and infinitive phrases, absolute phrases, nonessential appositive phrases, and long prepositional phrases (over four words).

Having finished the test, he left the room.
To get a seat, you'd better come early.
After the test but before lunch, I went jogging.
The sun radiating intense heat, we sought shelter in the cafe.

c. Common introductory words that should be followed by a comma include yes, however, well.

Well, perhaps he meant no harm.
Yes, the package should arrive tomorrow morning.
However, you may not be satisfied with the results.

3. Use a pair of commas in the middle of a sentence to set off clauses, phrases, and words that are not essential to the meaning of the sentence. Use one comma before to indicate the beginning of the pause and one at the end to indicate the end of the pause.

Here are some clues to help you decide whether the sentence element is essential:

• If you leave out the clause, phrase, or word, does the sentence still make sense?
• Does the clause, phrase, or word interrupt the flow of words in the original sentence?
• If you move the element to a different position in the sentence, does the sentence still make sense?

If you answer "yes" to one or more of these questions, then the element in question is nonessential and should be set off with commas. Here are some example sentences with nonessential elements:

Clause: That Tuesday, which happens to be my birthday, is the only day when I am available to meet.
Phrase: This restaurant has an exciting atmosphere. The food, on the other hand, is rather bland.
Word: I appreciate your hard work. In this case, however, you seem to have over-exerted yourself.

4. Do not use commas to set off essential elements of the sentence, such as clauses beginning with that (relative clauses). That clauses after nouns are always essential. That clauses following a verb expressing mental action are always essential.

That clauses after nouns:

The book that I borrowed from you is excellent.
The apples that fell out of the basket are bruised.

That clauses following a verb expressing mental action:

She believes that she will be able to earn an A.
He is dreaming that he can fly.
I contend that it was wrong to mislead her.
They wished that warm weather would finally arrive.

Examples of other essential elements (no commas):

Students who cheat only harm themselves.
The baby wearing a yellow jumpsuit is my niece.
The candidate who had the least money lost the election.

Examples of nonessential elements (set off by commas):

Fred, who often cheats, is just harming himself.
My niece, wearing a yellow jumpsuit, is playing in the living room.
The Green party candidate, who had the least money, lost the election.
Apples, which are my favorite fruit, are the main ingredient in this recipe.
Professor Benson, grinning from ear to ear, announced that the exam would be tomorrow.
Tom, the captain of the team, was injured in the game.
It is up to you, Jane, to finish.
She was, however, too tired to make the trip.
Two hundred dollars, I think, is sufficient.

5. Use commas to separate three or more words, phrases, or clauses written in a series.

The Constitution establishes the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government.
The candidate promised to lower taxes, protect the environment, reduce crime, and end unemployment.
The prosecutor argued that the defendant, who was at the scene of the crime, who had a strong revenge motive, and who had access to the murder weapon, was guilty of homicide.

6. Use commas to separate two or more coordinate adjectives that describe the same noun. Be sure never to add an extra comma between the final adjective and the noun itself or to use commas with non-coordinate adjectives.

Coordinate adjectives are adjectives with equal ("co"-ordinate) status in describing the noun; neither adjective is subordinate to the other. You can decide if two adjectives in a row are coordinate by asking the following questions:

• Does the sentence make sense if the adjectives are written in reverse order?
• Does the sentence make sense if the adjectives are written with and between them?

If you answer yes to these questions, then the adjectives are coordinate and should be separated by a comma. Here are some examples of coordinate and non-coordinate adjectives:

He was a difficult, stubborn child. (coordinate)
They lived in a white frame house. (non-coordinate)
She often wore a gray wool shawl. (non-coordinate)
Your cousin has an easy, happy smile. (coordinate)
The 1) relentless, 2) powerful 3) summer sun beat down on them. (1-2 are coordinate; 2-3 are non-coordinate.)
The 1) relentless, 2) powerful, 3) oppressive sun beat down on them. (Both 1-2 and 2-3 are coordinate.)

7. Use a comma near the end of a sentence to separate contrasted coordinate elements or to indicate a distinct pause or shift.

He was merely ignorant, not stupid.
The chimpanzee seemed reflective, almost human.
You're one of the senator's close friends, aren't you?
The speaker seemed innocent, even gullible.

8. Use commas to set off phrases at the end of the sentence that refer back to the beginning or middle of the sentence. Such phrases are free modifiers that can be placed anywhere in the sentence without causing confusion. (If the placement of the modifier causes confusion, then it is not "free" and must remain "bound" to the word it modifies.)

1. Nancy waved enthusiastically at the docking ship, laughing joyously. (correct)
2a. Lisa waved at Nancy, laughing joyously. (incorrect: Who is laughing, Lisa or Nancy?)
2b. Laughing joyously, Lisa waved at Nancy. (correct)
2c. Lisa waved at Nancy, who was laughing joyously. (correct)

9. Use commas to set off all geographical names, items in dates (except the month and day), addresses (except the street number and name), and titles in names.

Birmingham, Alabama, gets its name from Birmingham, England.
July 22, 1959, was a momentous day in his life.
Who lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC?
Rachel B. Lake, MD, will be the principal speaker.

(When you use just the month and the year, no comma is necessary after the month or year: "The average temperatures for July 1998 are the highest on record for that month.")

10. Use a comma to shift between the main discourse and a quotation.

John said without emotion, "I'll see you tomorrow."
"I was able," she answered, "to complete the assignment."
In 1848, Marx wrote, "Workers of the world, unite!"

11. Use commas wherever necessary to prevent possible confusion or misreading.

To George, Harrison had been a sort of idol.

Comma Abuse

Commas in the wrong places can break a sentence into illogical segments or confuse readers with unnecessary and unexpected pauses.

12. Don't use a comma to separate the subject from the verb.

An eighteen-year old in California, is now considered an adult. (incorrect)
The most important attribute of a ball player, is quick reflex actions. (incorrect)

13. Don't put a comma between the two verbs or verb phrases in a compound predicate.

We laid out our music and snacks, and began to study. (incorrect)
I turned the corner, and ran smack into a patrol car. (incorrect)

14. Don't put a comma between the two nouns, noun phrases, or noun clauses in a compound subject or compound object.

The music teacher from your high school, and the football coach from mine are married. (incorrect: compound subject)
Jeff told me that the job was still available, and that the manager wanted to interview me. (incorrect: compound object)

15. Don't put a comma after the main clause when a dependent (subordinate) clause follows it (except for cases of extreme contrast).

1. She was late for class, because her alarm clock was broken. (incorrect)
2. The cat scratched at the door, while I was eating. (incorrect)
3. She was still quite upset, although she had won the Oscar. (correct: extreme contrast)

Writing Buddy Critique: "How-To-Write a Screenplay.."

My critique:
I believe Carey eloquently displayed the proper way to write a screenplay. It's obvious she is quite familiar with the nuances of what goes into a good script and she appears to be well on her way to a successful career in the genre of film.

This was her final edit so I forget exactly what I suggested she should correct, but I do believe that her writing has few, if any, grammatical errors. She paints a good picture of the proper way to write a script and even gives a brief example as to what the beginning of a script should look like.

- Brent Booher

...............

Screenwriting, much like every writing process, begins with the basics of brainstorming, working from there into a complete and final form known as the script. The process to getting the finished product does differ from writer to writer, but a standard form of a professional screenplay is mandatory in order to be noticed by producers and directors.

The major foundation of all writing begins with brainstorming. Coming up with major ideas and working your way down to the littlest details is necessary to form the building blocks which your story develops from. Brainstorming itself is crucial, but so many different ways of idea forming exists, some working better than others, depending on what works best for the writer. Since screenwriting is visually packed, one of the best ways to begin brainstorming is to sketch scenes out, then to transfer the visual into worded information that later can be used in the writing process. Listing ideas, idea mapping, and free writing scenes and dialogue are all different ways to gather possible information, and it is best to work with whatever provides the best foundation to begin the script on.

The next step to take is to make a detailed outline of events and information that works as a timeline and map for your story. Whether the story is of a traditional narrative structure or not, there is always a sequence of events that occurs in a specific order for a reason. This outline, if done in depth and in detail, will make writing the script easy.

Getting the correct format of a professional screenplay down is what gets tricky. The only way to get your script read is by following some general rules. One of the easiest ways to conform to these rules is by using screenwriting software, one of the best being Final Draft, which lets you format and write your scripts intuitively and with little hassle.

While putting a script together many technical aspects need to kept in mind. For starters, scripts are typed in Courier 12 for timing purposes. When written in this font, each page roughly equates to one minute on screen time, and producers are able to gain an idea of how long the film will be. When written out the script should being to look something like this:

FADE IN:

INT. SUBURBAN HOUSE

A young Evey sits on her father's lap, combing her Barbie's

hair.

EVEY (V.O.)

I was born near the end of the

millennium, the year 1997. My

father used to say that people were

so afraid that the world was going

to end that they were willing it to

happen.

Her father sits beside her mother on the living room couch,

watching the news. From the look on their faces, the news is

bad.

EVEY (V.O.)

I don't remember much of the

century's turn. I don't remember

the market crash or the plague or

any of the Trafalgar riots.

There are scene headings, or sluglines, which tell where the scene takes place (interior or exterior), the name of the location, and the time of day. This sets the scene and gives much information to production. Character names are all caps and center with dialogue below, and seldom include with any stage and acting direction. Little dialogue should be written, and most of the screenplay should pay attention and describe what is occurring within the scene. Remember everything taking place in a screenplay, whether it is a flash-back or flash-forward, it occurs NOW.. Make sure active voice is used instead of passive voice. Once these rules are mastered the focus shifts to the story.

Interesting stories are hard to find, but some hints can create a very interesting story. Fir of all, for a story to work there needs to be something at stake. It can be something personal or something more widespread, but it must grow more powerful as the story unfolds. Every story needs lots of conflict. The end goal can’t be too within reach, and something must hold the protagonist back from the final desire. A hook, or high concept, is what makes a script and film different and interesting for an audience, making them want to see your film instead of any other. Keeping a suspenseful plot that constantly moves forward and keeping scenes short is important for our MTV generation, because we are used to extremely fast paced media and flashing imagery. Divide the story into acts much like a play, with three different parts to complete the structure. Act I and III should be about the same with act II twice as long as one. This will bring a narrative balance to the script which audiences are accustomed to seeing.

Although these formats are standard, the actual writing processes and their contents differ wildly from writer to writer. Stories that stray off the beaten path can either be ignored by general audiences or cause shock waves through the film community depending on the strength of the script and final film. One of the best websites to help find more technical information is www.screenwriting.info, and many different sources can be used to find more information about writing scripts, but reading too many how-to’s endangers the creative mind. We each work differently and that’s the magic of storytelling, otherwise stories and films would all tragically be the same.

Broadcast Journalism Writing Process

How To Write For Broadcast Journalism

In the profession I plan to go in, good writers are some of the more sought after people in the business. In addition to having a specific look and voice for broadcasting, it’s very important to be able to write the stories that will be hitting the airwaves later that day.

The most important thing about writing for broadcast is to write something that grabs the viewers attention. It’s one thing to tell the news, or describe what is happening during a sporting event, but it’s another to hook a listener or viewer.

Think about this for a second, when you’re watching the news, what are you doing? Are you actively sitting in front of the television and soaking in each passing story like a sponge? Or are you doing what the majority of us do when the news is on – something else that requires your attention. Whether that is cooking dinner, watching the kids, getting ready for your day, petting the dog, and so on, the more likely scenario is that you’re passively listening to the news.

That is why leads are so important. A catchy lead can get you to stop what you’re doing for 30 seconds and pursue you into listening to the story.

In order to write the lead that will get you to put aside your everyday distractions, you have to have a sense of creativity. Creativity is not the easiest thing to ascertain, but it seems to follow good writers.

However, upon garnering a sense of creativity – essentially being like a salesperson on the news, you should be able to write a single sentence that will get yourself an audience. For this, the easiest thing is to tell the main focal point of the story in one line. However, for writers like myself, that can be quite the roadblock. Why? Because broadcast writing, unlike any writing everyday folk has learned throughout college, preaches one thing:

Simplicity.

Stories need to be no longer than 30 seconds when read on the air. The opening lead sentence typically is less than fifteen words.

Think about that for a second. We need to be creative and attention grabbing, but we need to grab the attention with the first sentence. A sentence that can’t extend fifteen words. (The preceding sentence for example, is seven words.)

This makes it extremely difficult to pull off at first. But with practice, those that wish to endeavor into the field of Broadcasting can excel at one of its biggest roadblocks.

How I overcome this is a bit corny. When I have to write quick news blurbs, for the website I write for or the C&J class I am currently taking, I think to myself, “What would Tom Brokaw do?”

Sure it’s not as catchy as the credo “W.W.J.D.” but for me, a big fan of Tom Brokaw by the way, it works. I picture Brokaw on the news reading this story and whether or not I could picture him saying my script.

More often than not, after a lot of editing and rethinking, I believe I come up with something that could be read by a news anchor. Obviously because I am not nearly as experienced as many broadcasters, I am not quite up to par with the legends in the industry. However, using them as a barometer for what I would like to accomplish really helps, and I believe this could extend to writing in any genre.

I would most like to improve...

My writing process for the writing I would most like to improve:

Seeing as how I would like to go into broadcasting, I would like to improve my writing for television broadcast. I currently am taking a course with the morning news anchor of KOAT-7 in Albuquerque, and I have found it very interesting to see how they write for television. When it comes to TV news, the entries have to be short, concise, and to the point. They have to hit all those points quickly. How quick you ask? Well 30 seconds. Ideally a little less than that.

So it's hard for me to come into a class like this one and write very descriptive and colorful things about restaurants around Nob Hill or how to market a class blog - then transistion into the writing style of TV news.

My process for writing in that class is to think of a creative means to hook someone that would hear about that story. I have to think about different leads for the article and if it would grab my attention if I had my back to the television. From there I look over the story and the main facts that need to be presented. I look to see if it's necessary for names to be named in the story. I look to see if any quotes need to be inserted into the story, and so on.

From there I have to write a short 4 sentence paragraph describing an event that most newspapers write about three times of information on. I make sure my writing is in the right voice (active voice is key in broadcast writing), and I make sure I have zero typos.

And all of this could probably become stronger through repetition. I find some stories are easier to recap than others. So that could be a big part of it too.

All in all, I would like to perfect this art because in TV, no matter what you're doing whether it being the anchor at a local news desk or the commentator for Game 7 of the World Series.. it is pivotal that you're able to write in this format.

- Brent Booher

Presidential Blog Idea

Article Intro:
Roughly eighteen months from today, the direction of the United States will once again be in the hands of its citizens. The group of individuals that figure to have the most say about the individual that will lead the country are the younger generation in the country. They are same age group that many students at the University of New Mexico, and other colleges and universities are able to classify themselves in.

You've heard all the monikers and cliches about how important it is to vote and let your rights as an American take precedent. But what are we voting for? Who are we voting for? Let's face it, the 30-second chunks of information that are ran seemingly back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back with each passing day that inches us closer to the election really do not tell us a whole lot. They tell us that the opposition for that particular candidate is lacking in, well just about everything in comparision to themselves, but they don't tell us why they are better in these commercials.

However, this article (the first of several) should hopefully clear a lot of questions up.

We're going to cover all of the Presidential candidates, from all parties. We're going to try to dig through the muck and political jargon to translate what each candidate likes and what each candidate doesn't like.

Or basically in more common folk speak - we're going to make it easier to understand what candidates feel about the issues that are important to you. This way when the time comes for "Generation: Next" to collectively voice their opinion of who the next President should be, many of us can do so with the confidence that we're voting for the person, male or female, that will lead this country for the next four years.

Democratic Candidates:
Hillary Clinton - New York - Senator
Barack Obama - Illinois - Senator
John Edwards - North Carolina - Senator (Former)
Bill Richardson - New Mexico - Governor

Joe Biden - Delaware - Senator
Christopher Dodd - Connecticut - Senator
Mike Gravel - Alaska - Senator (Former)
Dennis Kucinich - Ohio - Representative (Former)

Tom Vilsack - Iowa - Governor (Former)
Wesley Clark - Arkansas - Retired General
Al Sharpton - New York - Reverend

The skinny on the Dems:
Many different people have thrown their name into the race to become the next President of the United States, however this is a list that will noticeably dwindle after the first primary elections next year. The candidates to keep the biggest eye on would be Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards. The dark horse in the Democratic race however, could be our very own governor Bill Richardson.

This group of candidates may very well be the most diverse group of candidates in quite some time. Hillary Clinton is looking to become the first woman president. Barack Obama is looking to become the first African-American president. Bill Richardson is looking to become the first Hispanic president. John Edwards came very close to being the Vice President in 2004 but was on the losing side of the ticket with fellow Democrat John Kerry.

In addition to the "Big Four" there are other aspiring candidates, including a few that ran in 2004 for the Democratic bid. Those candidates are Wesley Clark, Dennis Kucinich, and Al Sharpton. However, considering the very small success each of those candidates had in the last election, political experts do not give them a very good shot to win the Democratic nomination for President.

Republican Candidates:
John McCain - Arizona - Senator
Rudy Giuliani - New York - Mayor of New York City (Former)
Sam Brownback - Kansas - Senator

John H. Cox - Illinois - Former Radio Talk Show Host
Duncan Hunter - California - Representative
Newt Gingrich - Georgia - House Speaker (Former) *still thinking about running*
Jim Gilmore - Virginia - Governor (Former)

Mike Huckabee - Arkansas - Governor (Former)
Ron Paul - Texas - Representative
Mitt Romney - Massachusetts - Governor (Former)
Michael Charles Smith - Oregon - No Political Experience

Tom Tancredo - Colorado - Representative
Tommy Thompson - Wisconsin - Governor (Former)

The skinny on the Republicans:
The Republican party has, much like the Democrats, a lot of candidates vying for the nomination. And also like the Democrats, they also have three big named candidates. The more prominent candidates for this parties nomination are John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, and Sam Brownback.

Many experts believe however, that this isn't even a 3-man race at this point, and that it is more McCain v. Giuliani from now until the Republican National Convention.

However, there are a lot of interesting candidates that can make this race a little more interesting. The aforementioned Brownback could draw some votes from voters in the Midwest. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich could throw his name into the fold, potentially giving the Republican frontrunners Giuliani and McCain a race down the road. The party also has numerous individuals that used to hold state governor seats.

All in all though, it looks like it will be between John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, and Sam Brownback for the right to battle the Democratic winner in November.

Conclusion:
This completes the real broad scope over the current Presidential election. We will soon go more in depth on each candidate.

By,
Brent Booher and Carey Billings