Fast Facts Box

Who: College Students

What: Places to go that offer student discounts

When: Currently

Where: San Jose, CA

Why: These deals help students enjoy themselves on a budget

Young, Broke, and Fabulous

Stealing ketchup packets from restaurants? Going to Costco and eating samples for lunch? Always sure to grab a month supply of napkins from your local coffee shop? Almost every college student has been there. Living on a nearly impossible budget is part of the college lifestyle. Sometimes however, macaroni and cheese just does not sound tasty and your bootleg movie is looking very fuzzy. You really do not have to suffer as much as you think if you're willing to look for deals and be a little creative.
San Jose State University is located in downtown San Jose, in the Silicon Valley. Downtown is not the cheapest place to live, but what many students do not know is many downtown restaurants and stores offer special deals to SJSU students. With deals like these, your college years can be a little bit more enjoyable. Here are some of the latest deals I've found:

Iguana's Taqueria
330 S 3rd St St A
San Jose, California, 95112
(408) 995-6023
Iguana's Taqueria is walking distance to campus and gives SJSU students a 10% discount. The store is open 24 hours a day and the food is decent. There is also an open mic night on Mondays and Thursdays.

Fourth Street Pizza
4th St and Santa Clara
San Jose, CA 95106
(408) 286-7500
This pizza place serves delicious food and provides the perfect college environment. Fourth Street offers $2 Tuesdays, where you can purchase a slice of pizza, a salad, a beer, or a glass of wine, for just $2 each and Saturdays are all you can eat for just $9.99 all day. There is also over 6 television screens playing different sporting events.

Camera 12 Cinema
201 South Second Street
San Jose, CA 95113
408-998-3300
Movies today are expensive, almost $11 a ticket. If you present your student id at Camera 12, your ticket is reduced to $7.50. The food is not very good inside, but you can always sneak snacks in. The best recent deal is $ 6 dollar Wednesdays for students, after 6 p.m.

Tandoori Oven
150 S 1st St # 107
San Jose, CA 95113
(408) 292-7222
Located walking distance from the movie theatre, Tandoori Oven offers a taste of India at a low cost. They offer happy hour rates (50% discount) on appetizers and beverages before 6 p.m. Also, Tandoori Oven offers San Jose State Students different entrees for nearly half off everyday. This place is the place to go if you're in the mood for quality indian food on a college student budget.

Cafe Yolicious
110 E San Fernando St
San Jose, CA 95112
(408) 279-8867
Have a sweet tooth? Frozen Yogurt is a healthy dessert that will satisfy a sweet tooth mid finals! On Tuesday nights yogurt is half price to students.
This store also offers gelato, pastries, as well as coffee and tea beverages.

Other helpful tips: With the San Jose State Tower Card, students receive free membership to the Spartan Gym and free entry to all home sporting events. Students also receive free library cards for the Martin Luther King Library.

Broadcast News Story- LATE

SCANDAL AT WOMEN'S MARATHON

60 SECONDS

OVER 20 THOUSAND WOMEN PARTICIPATED IN SUNDAY'S NIKE WOMEN’S MARATHON IN SAN FRANCISCO.

24-YEAR-OLD ARIEN O'CONNELL, A FIFTH-GRADE TEACHER FROM NEW YORK CITY, CAME OUT ON TOP, HAVING THE FASTEST TIME OF THE MARATHON, AT 2:55:11.

HOWEVER, SHE WAS NOT ANNOUNCED THE WINNER.
OFFICIALS CLAIM O’CONNELL COULDN’T BE DECLARED
THE WINNER BECAUSE SHE DIDN’T RUN WITH THE ‘ELITE’
GROUP THAT WAS GIVEN A 20-MINUTE HEAD START.

THE OFFICIALS OVERLOOKED HER FINISHING TIME. WHICH WAS FASTER THAN THE WOMAN WHO WON FIRST PLACE BY SIX MINUTES.

NIKE REALIZES THEY MADE A MISTAKE. O'CONNELL WILL BE RECOGNIZED AS A WINNER OF THE RACE, ALONG THE ELITE WINNER.

-END-

Broadcast Lead- LATE

Broadcast lead: 24 FIREFIGHTERS ATTENDED A 95TH BIRTHDAY PARTY.

20 SECONDS

95 YEAR OLD MABEL MC COLLOUGH OF TUSLA, OKLAHOMA, WAS SURPRISED WHEN THE 24 FIREFIGHTERS SHOWED UP AT HER BIRTHDAY PARTY. THE SMOKE FROM THE 95 CANDLES ON HER BIRTHDAY CAKE HAD SET OFF THE FIRE ALARM. UNFORTUNATELY THE SURPRISE GUESTS COULD NOT STAY FOR THE REST OF THE PARTY.

-END-

Topical Blog Post #4

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

Growing up in Los Angeles, a child can not help but overhear certain conversations. If you listen around you'll be sure to catch what the days surf conditions are, possibly the latest celebrity gossip, or even the newest food craze. However, the conversation that you just can not avoid hearing around December is whether you support your fellow Trojans or your fellow Bruins.

It's that time of the year again in Los Angeles. Today is the USC vs. UCLA football games. Throughout the city you will find die hard fans supporting their preferred Los Angeles university. Even the closest bonds, best friends, or in the case of my aunt and uncle, husband and wife, will separate for the day to support their favorite school.

As of the 2007 season, the overall record of the football series is 42 wins for USC, 28 wins for UCLA and 7 ties. However, this competition goes further than football stats, rather which school has more pride. You will find people from head to toe in their schools colors. You can almost see the school spirit running through their veins.

GO TROJANS!

Online Writing Exercise

1) I visited cnn.com and I found that:

a) The news items reflect immediacy. The most recent event was updated 22 minutes ago.
b & c) However, because cnn.com covers world news, I feel like it is not quick and easy to receive information from the site. There are so many different events covered on the site that if you have the time to search, the website can be very helpful however if you are trying to find information quickly and to the point, this website is less helpful.
d) Cnn.com does provide both visual and verbal information.
e)The home page of the website lists and bullets different stories. Most of the stories themselves have no lists and bullets so the reader has to read through the entire article. However, a few longer stories have "story highlights" at the top.
f) The stories are broken into chunks.
g) The stories contain hyperlinks to other pages on cnn.com, but not to other sites. h) Cnn.com does not accept comments from readers.
i) The website does use sound, video, and picture to enhance understanding and add appeal.

Football has become a Deadly Game

Pete Stenhoff, 17, a student at Chula Vista High School in Redmond, Calif., was hurt in a game during his junior year. He rammed his head into the ball carrier's chest. Stenhoff cracked vertebrae in his spine and now is confined to a wheelchair for life.

There are 20,000 injuries in high school football each year. 12 percent of them permanently disable the victims. Last year thirteen youths died.

"I knew the risks involved when I decided to play football," Stenhoff says, and adds, "I wish I would have known just how bad it could be."

At the time of the accident, he weighed 210 pounds; now he weighs 172 pounds. He didn't graduate with his class is and trying to get his diploma by taking correspondence courses.

Topical Blog Post #2

Some young people go to college with knowledge of what they want to do with their future. Others go without the slightest idea of what they want to do, but have hopes of figuring it out. Some just do not want to be in college and are just there to have a good time. However, all of these young people that go to college are there to grow. In which direction? It varies, but it would be rare for someone to come out of college the exact same person they were when they enrolled. For many of us, young college students, the transition to adulthood we experience can be difficult.
Recently, websites have been created to spread among young, growing college students. These websites, such as juicycampus.com and thedirty.com allow anyone to post anything about anyone of their peers, anonymously. You can search a student by there name, school, organization, or location. The problem with these websites is that there is no way of taking down a picture or blog someone else wrote about you, and there is no way of knowing who posted it.
I like to think of this as a hate crime of the 21st century. Students, using technology to destroy the reputations of their peers. We are the next generation, together. We are all growing, together. This unnecessary form of hate needs to stop. Young people in such a vulnerable stage in their lives are known to react in extreme ways when hurt like this.
So what do we do about it? By the time someone sues this website people will be onto the next, new thing. What we can do now is just stop going on these sites. They only strive because students blog on. If students stopped, so would the websites. I ask you to in a sense, uneducate yourself. Clear these websites from your mind.

Topical Blog Post #1

Marriage has been on my mind ever since I was a little girl. If you look back to the time of works such as, Jane Austen's, Pride and Prejudice you'll easily be able to contrast the reasons for marriage to present day. Today, we are so fortunate to be able to marry for love, not for status or any other agenda. Yet, I find so many people, particularly in our country, who take this privilege for granted. This is something that has bothered me since my parent's divorce. Monogamy and respect for marriage seems to be often, nonexistent.
Take a good friend of my family. He is well known as a highly respected businessman, a generous charity donator, yet he has been divorced three times. Of course, he's not flawless, but something that has recently bothered me about him is that he was for California's proposition 8. A man, who has been divorced three times.
I suppose it is hard for someone to understand something unless they are exposed to it. This is something I try to keep in mind when I find a strong opposition to someone's views. I was fortunate enough to attend a lesbian wedding this summer. My good friend's mom married her life partner in a beautiful ceremony on a gondola, this summer. As the sunset over the bay, I watched the ceremony, and it became clear that this is what marriage is about. What I saw was two people so completely in love with one another. There was no question of faithfulness, no hidden agenda regarding money, just two people who wanted to spend their lives together.
It is hard for me to continue my respect for this man who votes yes on proposition 8, yet makes marriage out to be such a joke himself. I suppose his light hearted view of marriage is his prerogative, but then why should he deny this right to people so sincere about their testimony of love to one another, a testimony in which he mocks so blatantly? Something there just is not right.

Vogue magazine, "The world's most influential fashion magazine," according to book critic Caroline Weber of The New York Times is most famous as a presenter of images of high fashion and high society. Unable to afford high fashion, or high society lifestyles, I read Vogue as an inspiration of my fashion choices and as a collection of beautiful art. Vogue publishes writings on art, culture, politics, and ideas. Since 1892, this magazine has been read by women in every class, typically from ages 18-54 who want a glimpse at the beautiful, unattainable lifestyle it portrays. To catch a glimpse yourself, click on the magazine's website link below.

VOGUE website

America Votes for Change

The American People have spoken and Barack Obama will become the 44th President of the United States of America.
Today, Tuesday, November 4, 2008, was my first time being allowed to vote for the president. However, when I arrived at Grace Baptist Church in San Jose to cast my vote, I was taken by surprise as a man picked my pocket, making today a day of firsts. I have never been robbed before, and unfortunately my driver's license was taken by his grasp as well. Not only was I short twenty five dollars, but a right to vote as well, with no form of proper identification. Hopefully, in four years I will be able exercise my right to vote for the President of the United States.
This election was the most controversial in the history of our country. However today would of been historic no matter who won. Under John McCain, was Sarah Palin, who could have been the first female vice president, as well as Barack Obama, who is now the first African American President of the United States. In my personal opinion, when it comes to leading our country out of economic crisis, race and gender are my last concern.
Cnn.com was my number one source to the election. The website provided the world with updates by the second. Obama won by a landslide, with 388 electoral votes, in comparison to McCain's 155 electoral votes. Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, Iowa, Flordia, Virginia, and Ohio, all previously Republican, were converted by Obama's campaign.
As a proud Republican in a Democratic state, rather than wallow in defeat, I can only accept the change that the majority of my country has voted for and support our new president. I can only hope that President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and the Democratic congress keeps their promises to build a new economy and to rebuild our country's leadership in the world. Especially since our country is in the face of what is arguably the darkest economic outlook since the Great Depression. A lot of pressure is riding on President Obama to lead us through the many challenges we face.

Top News 6

Suspect in high-profile murder case kills himself

A Japanese businessman accused of conspiring to have his wife murdered 27 years ago in Los Angeles committed suicide less than 24 hours after he set foot in the continental United States to answer to the charges.

61 years old, Kazuyoshi Miura hanged himself with a piece of his shirt Friday night, police said.

His attorney, Mark Geragos, was notified early Saturday by prosecutors about his client's death.

"I'm shocked," Geragos said. "One of my lawyers was with him for 12 hours yesterday and he seemed in good spirits. He was looking forward to fighting this."

Miura arrived in Los Angeles on Friday after a trip from the U.S. commonwealth of Saipan, where he had been held since his February arrest on a 1988.

Miura was accused of plotting to have his wife killed during a visit the couple made to Los Angeles in 1981. A bullet hit Miura in the leg, and his wife, Kazumi Miura, 28, was shot in the head. She died of her wounds a year later in Japan.

Los Angeles County prosecutors contended Miura wanted his wife dead so he could collect about $750,000 on her life insurance policies. They argued that he signaled someone to shoot the couple, although no one else has been charged.

After the 1988 arrest warrant was issued, prosecutors in Los Angeles decided to work with Japanese authorities instead of trying to have him extradited. He was convicted of murder in Japan in 1994, but the verdict ultimately was overturned and Japan's highest court issued an acquittal.

Chief of Detectives Charlie Beck said Miura's body was discovered during a routine cell inspection at 9:45 p.m. Friday. Medical personnel were summoned and Miura was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, Beck said.

math for journalists

1. A local college releases figures showing that its total budget is $120 million. Most of that total at 67% comes from the state, 28% from fees, grants and gifts, and the remaining 5% from student tuition.

2. Of the people convicted for aggravated assault in San Jose in one month in 2006, the average prison term was a surprising 1 year and 10 months with a median of 1 year, according to an anti-crime group that is lobbying for tougher sentencing guidelines. The median number accurately depicts prison terms rather than the average because the numbers fluctuate from 8 months to 7 years.

3. The state legislature is considering exempting restaurant food sales from the sales tax in the same way grocery sales are exempt. With California's sales tax at .825%, fast-food patrons who pay $5.00 per meal would save $45.50 if they eat out once a week for a year. People who spend $20.00 per meal once a week for a year would save $182.00.

AP Exercise

1) When he heard the building scheme for the new high school had been rejected, Bill pulled out his stationery to write a letter of protest. (2)
2) Ben really knows his Scriptures, but he knows little about the Talmud or the Shariah. (3)
3) Her home in upstate New York is surprisingly ultramodern and rather unique for its middle-class neighborhood. (4)
4) To celebrate Veteran’s Day, the anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I, troops of former soldiers will march down Main street carrying U.S. flags. (3)
5) Word-of-mouth has it that Ellen will wind up with the only “A” in the class. (2)
6) When Sara spotted the Louis L’Amour paperback, she asked whose book it was. She couldn’t believe it was John's; after all, nobody reads Westerns anymore. She had no idea he was so weird. (3)

Bonus:
• The man was arrested for brandishing a 12-gauge shotgun outside his home. (1)

Top News

A 90 year old woman shot herself as sheriff's deputies attempted to evict her from her foreclosed home in Akron, Ohio became a symbol of the nation's home mortgage crisis.

The 90 year old, Addie Polk's home was foreclosed by Fannie Mae, after acquiring the mortgage in 2007.

Addie Folk is being treated at Akron General Medical Center after she shot herself at least twice in the upper body on Wednesday afternoon, her city councilman said.

Neighbor Robert Dillon, 62, used a ladder to enter a second-story bathroom window of Polk's home after he and the deputies heard loud noises inside, Dillon said. "I was calling her name as I went in, and she wasn't responding," he said.

Dillon found her lying on a bed, and he could see she was breathing. He also noticed a long-barreled handgun on the bed. He assumed the gun was there for protection. He touched her on the shoulder.

"Then she kind of moved toward me a little and I saw that blood, and I said, 'Oh, no. Miss Polk musta done shot herself,' " Dillon said.

Deputies had tried to serve Polk's eviction notice more than 30 times before Wednesday's incident, Sommerville said. She never came to the door, but the notes the deputies left would always disappear, so they knew she was inside, he said.

"There's a lot of people like Miss Polk right now. That's the sad thing about it," said Akron City Council President Marco Sommerville, who had met Polk before and rushed to the scene when contacted by police. "They might not be as old as her, some could be as old as her. This is just a major problem."

"I'm glad it's not too late for Miss Polk, because she could have taken her life," Sommerville said. "Miss Polk will probably end up on her feet. But I'm not sure if anybody else will."

This story is newsworthy because of the impact. More people are facing similar problems daily due to the economic crisis our country is facing. I feel that since Addie Polk is 90 years old, although she is not a celebrity, that gives the story prominence.

News Story 5

A runaway truck knocked out the power in El Cerrito and neighboring cities, yesterday.

The asphalt truck, a 10-wheel hauler, overturned and smashed against somebody's house after destroying a power pole and severely damaging fire vehicles.

“First, I thought it was a major earthquake. This is unbelievable”, said Ruben Sharma, who lives across the street from the damaged house and witnessed the crash.

Among the first to the scene was Sgt. Shawn Maples who heard cries from the burning truck and house. He spotted the driver lodged between the wheels of the truck.

“We dragged him out in a heartbeat while the truck went up in flames. I just wanted to get him out of there.” Maples said.

Other cars, including a Honda sedan crumbled after being hit by the truck, left the driver trapped inside. Another sport utility vehicle that trapped a man and boy inside, was stuck in shrubbery beside the burning house.

The San Jose driver, whose name was not released, broke both of his legs in the crash. He is listed in serious but stable condition at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek.

A.P. Style Exercise #4

1) He hopes to make $1 billion by the time he’s 40 years old. He already figures his net worth is between $2 and $3 million, depending on current stock prices. (3)

2) Lt. Col. John Carpenter was a cadet at the U.S. Naval Academy and served in the 7th Fleet. (4)

3) Twenty-one winners were named 2 days after the third annual Procrastination awards ceremony. (3)

4) It was a one-sided game, and he was a poor loser. After losing the play-off when his ball went out-of-bounds, he made an off-color remark that could be heard in the stands. (4)

5) Hundreds of people attended Sunday’s race to watch 75 top bicyclists pedal across the finish line. (3)

6) Every winter, the Jones’ and the Kinneys pore over travel brochures, planning their summer trip together. This year they’re hoping to go to Panama City, Panama. (3)

Top News #4

"We're in the midst of a serious financial crisis, and the federal government is responding with decisive actions," Bush said in a televised address Wednesday night from the White House.

Bush expressed that a $700 billion bailout proposal was needed to restore confidence in the market. He pointed out that the collapse of several major lenders was rooted in the subprime mortgage market that thrived over the past decade.

Bush is known as a strong believer in free enterprise. However he explained, "...my natural instinct is to oppose government intervention,". But "these are not normal circumstances. The market is not functioning properly. There has been a widespread loss of confidence." Bush warns, "Without immediate action by Congress, America can slip into a major panic. If Congress fails to approve the rescue plan, the nation could face a "long and painful recession," . Bush promises
"The plan is big enough to solve a serious problem," .

The proposal calls for the government to buy from firms up to $700 billion in troubled assets whose values declined as the housing market imploded. The goal is to stabilize the companies and prompt them to lend again.

Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke warned Wednesday that the Wall Street crisis is the worst the nation has faced since the end of World War II. Bernanke urged Congress to take action on a proposed bailout plan.

The senior administration official said the president has been contemplating a prime-time speech for several weeks but finally decided to deliver it tonight because he believes that the situation has reached crisis stage.

I feel this story is top news worthy because the economy crisis impacts the entire country, as well as the rest of the world. President Bush gives prominence to the story, as well as currency. The story also provides conflict in what the country should do about the current problem.

Feature Lead Exercise

95 Birthday Candles Cause a Commotion

Soon to be, 95 year-old Mabel Mc Collough was celebrating her upcoming birthday with the First United Methodist Church women's group. There were 95 candles on her carrot flavored birthday cake, and when Mc Collough blew her candles out, a big cloud of smoke formed. The smoke set off a smoke alarm in the building and 24 firefighters arrived as a result.

Fire Chief Lonnie Lamb said, "In my 23 years on the job, I've seen a lot of thing set off a fire alarm, but I don't think I've ever heard of one going off because of a birthday cake." The firefighters could not stay for the rest of the party, however they did have their pictures taken with Mc Collough, whose birthday is on Sept. 27.

News story #4

A newly married woman was in the passenger seat of her husband's Nissan Altima, when a man tried to steal the car. The man was 21-year old, Alan Ticas-Soto. The bride was still in her wedding dress at the time of the attempted carjacking, while her husband was walking into a Taco Bell restaurant on East Fourth Avenue in San Mateo. The couple was headed to a nearby Embassy Suites.

The groom had left the engine running, while he headed toward the restaurant. Police said the groom hadn't even gotten inside the restaurant when Ticas-Soto ran through the parking lot and leaped in the idling car. However, police said he didn't get very far. First, he hard a hard time getting the car into reverse, and had to fiddle with the gear shift a bit before getting it into gear. The bride was screaming and trying to frantically unbuckle her seat belt to get away. The groom ran back and opened the passenger-side door, trying to help his wife out of the car. Finally, she tumbled out, landing on the parking lot. She was unhurt, though shaken.

The suspect put the car into a forward gear and promptly smashed into a Taco Bell sign, according to the police. Ticas-Soto leaped out of the car and began running southbound on South Delaware Street at Ninth Avenue. In the meantime, a witness called the police. Patrolling nearby, police officer Brendan Boyle, noticed the Ticas-Soto and called it in. Patrol cars converged on the scene, and caught the suspect, arresting him without incident.

Ticas-Soto is now facing felony carjacking charges and misdemeanor drug charges; apparently he was high on methamphetamines at the time of the carjacking and police say he told them that he'd been taking methamphetamines for three straight days. He is being held in San Mateo County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail. Ticas-Soto does not have a criminal record. He pleaded not guilty in San Mateo Superior Court on Monday.

News story #3

Over 100 people were forced to leave the South Market area yesterday after a high-pressure gas pipe ruptured at the Pacific Gas and Electric Company. According to an employee, a private construction crew was trying to repair sewer lines when they severed the pipe with a backhoe around 12:30 p.m.

The over 100 people forced to leave, including neighborhood residents, dozens of business owners, and their customers seemed angry. When reporters interview Carlann Lauria, manager of Crocker's Lockers, she said, "Ask my customers. They were pretty irate." Crocker's Lockers is a self-storage company on Folsom near 10th Street. The employees kept busy. They went outside the police perimeter to collect payment checks from their customers. Another business, the Wa-Ha-Ka restaurant lost about $500 worth of business when their employees and patrons were forced to leave.
PG&E was expecting to turn the gas back on at 5:09 p.m.

AP Style Exercise (I-L)

1) There has not been let up all day so after class, I plan to soak in my jacuzzi and then lie down for a short nap. (3)
2) They called the late Sen. Fred Fried a left-winger because he voted against the Patriot Act. (3)
3) As they unfurled its white sails, the sailboat caught the breeze and began to slice steadily through the waves. Their dream cruise of the Pacific Islands had begun. (2)
4) After two days of hard rain and rising waters, the river flooded its banks, leaving the road partly impassible. (2)

AP Style Exercise #2 (E-H)

1. To insure the accuracy of this news story, Sarah Jones checked with her source. For Jones, this is an every day practice, not the exception.

2. As the two boys argued over who should get the last slice of pizza, both seemed equally hungry. Clearly, they had forgotten their earlier decision to forego having seconds.

3. He suspected his neighbor was selling drugs, so he called the FBI. His neighbor, however, cried foul at the accusation.

4. She grew up on the Great Plains, near Alliance, NE, where the winters are long, harsh, and the living is hand to mouth.

5. Her car was sideswiped by a hit- and- run driver on route 1-A this morning. She wasn't really injured, but the impact sent the contents of her purse helter- skelter.

Top News #3

Hurricane Ike Uncovers Mystery Ship

About 6 miles from Fort Morgan, Alabama, a mysterious shipwreck was discovered after the waves from Hurricane Ike receded. Archeologists say that the ragged boat could be a two-mastered Civil War schooner that ran aground in 1862 or another ship from 70 years later.

After further examination, Museum of Mobile marine archaeologist Shea McLean agreed that it is probably the Monticello, which ran aground in 1862 after sailing from Havana, Cuba, according to Navy Records. However, other clues indicate that it could be an schooner that ran aground on the Alabama coast in 1933.

The wrecked ship is 136.9 feet long and 25 feet wide. The Monticello was listed in shipping records as 136 feet long. However, He said the wreckage appears to have components, such as steel cables, that would point to the 1933 schooner rather than an 1860s schooner.

I feel that this story is top news worthy because of the stories bizarreness. This mystery could have a huge impact on the United State's history.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/09/19/ike.mystery.ship.ap/index.html

News Story #2

A tourist couple from Taipei were robbed at gunpoint yesterday morning in the Saint Mary’s Cathedral parking lot.

The victims, WeiMing Chen, 28, and his wife, Li Lu, 30, had left their tour group around 10 a.m. to take pictures in the cathedral’s lower parking lot.

A man approached them and waved a pistol around, He proceeded to steal about $100 which, Chen had offered, as well as a visa card, passports, camera and airline tickets before he took off running.

The police are now looking for the suspect who fled from the crime. Chen described him as wearing a black jacket and cap and appeared to be about 18 years old. Nobody know if the couple was able to make their 1p.m. flight back to Taipei Sgt. Lawrence Price of the San Francisco police department said.

News Story #1

Yesterday, firefighters rescued Robert Kent, 50, of San Jose from his burning house. The fire reportedly broke out at 3 p.m., in Kent's single story home on Annapolis Way.

According to the San Jose fire Captain Rob Piper, the cause of the fire is under investigation. The fire started in the kitchen and spread to the attic. There was no smoke detector, and smoke engulfed the whole house.

Firefighters pulled Kent out of the kitchen. His body was surrounded by flames, unconscious, on the floor. Kent has second and third degree burns on 50 percent of his body. Kent is listed in grave condition at Valley Medical Center.

Leads Exercise #5

Pipe fitter in Springfield suffered Third-degree burns Yesterday.
Duane La Chance, a 55 year-old Gross Engineers' employee was listed in serious condition Wednesday night after accidentally touching a power line with a piece of angle iron. La Chance was installing new pipes on the roof of a power plant.

Car accident on U.S. 63 in Springfield
Earlier today, James W. Cunning, 20, was driving south on U.S. 63, when Wayne Clay, 19, apparently crossed the center line and struck his vehicle. Cunning is in satisfactory condition at Springfield Hospital.

Leads Exercise #4

Passengers evacuated from Northwest Airlines jet.
Yesterday following a flight from Minneapolis, 40 passengers were evacuated from Northwest Airlines' flight 428 when a landing tower employee spotted smoke near the wheels. The cause of the smoke is unknown, however all passengers made it off safely.

Missing Boy Found
On Monday night a missing seven year old boy was found in Brick Township, New Jersey. The Boy had been missing for three years and was recognized by a neighbor. The neighbor was able to identify the child after his picture was shown after the movie Adam: The Song Continues. The neighbor than called the police.
The boy's mother, 27 year old, Ellen Lynn Conner was arrested by police. She faces charges of kidnapping and interference with a custody warrant.

Top News #1

McCain vows to have Democrats in Cabinet
Senator John McCain promised to appoint democrats to his cabinet in an interview broadcast on Sunday with CBS' "Face the Nation." The Republican presidential nominee vowed to have multiple Democrat tokens in his Cabinet. McCain's promising a "very bipartisan approach" to how he'll run his administration.
Sunday was McCain's 65th appearance on "Face The Nation". McCain has appeared more than any other politician ever, according to Bob Schieffer, the program's host since 1991.
This story is newsworthy because the presidential election Impacts the entire nation. The story also has prominence with names such as Senator John McCain.

Leads Exercise #2

Yesterday, a US Airplane coming from Chicago, crashed directly into the ground, taking 131 passengers' lives. This was the worst air disater in the United States in three years, plummeted outside Pittsburgh.

Leads Exercise #1

Lead #1: Couple who suffered injuries in a traffic accident in March were awarded $150,000 in damages yesterday, at Butte County Court.

Lead #2: Snowstorm is just the beginning. Forecasters say the next of a series of snowstorms will hit the Sierras today.

Lead #3: Today a fire roared through a six-story building located at 204 Union Ave. Police say, while three firefighters were injured, 41 families were evacuated.

My First Blog

Hello, my name is Calli Perez. I was born and raised in Long Beach, California, but I moved up to San Jose for school in the fall of 2007. I live in a cute apartment with four of my best friends near campus and I am very much enjoying my college lifestyle. However, I miss the beach and my family.
I am actually pretty excited about taking Journalism 61 since it will be my first class that is involved with my major. Hopefully I will gain some practice as well as a better perspective about journalism. I have always been interested in writing for a magazine, preferrably one involving art or fashion, but I am open to all forms of journalism.