methodically.mediated

Facebook (Un)official

2011-10-21T21:51:00.000-07:00

Add this to the list of ironic things shared with me over social media. Check out the link. Lance Bass is trying to remake 'NSync. This sugar-coated boy band, called "Heart2Heart," released a debut track titled "Facebook Official."

Promotional image "Heart2Heart"

After @thekelly shared this gem, I heard it referenced again on KDUK - the local Top 40 station based out of Eugene. The morning crew was waiting for the punchline. Surprise! There isn't one. This song was legitimately selling an official Facebook relationship with one of these seemingly available and Beiber-esque boys.

It's like selling your body, but instead it's real estate on your profile.

I started to think about my own relationship with Facebook. Is it healthy? Do I depend on this social media site for my "heart2hearts." Am I making and keeping personal connections only through social media?

After a recent breakup, I hid my relationship status. I waited exactly 6 days to make the breakup "Facebook Official." I had willed myself to wait a full week, but didn't quite make it. I logged on a number of times to change my relationship status to single, but it seemed too aggressive -- too final. Sending a notification to my Ex's inbox seemed a little redundant.

The reality was clear, but surreality led me to believe updating Facebook would otherwise prove my dependence on social media. I admitted my dependence when I updated my profile to reflect accurate information.

So, Facebook official? Is it appropriate to list "in a relationship with CASUAL FLING" or "it's complicated with BEST FRIEND"? Who at Stanford decided that recognizing relationships was a good idea? Are your relationships any more significant than your "friends" in terms of the network? As a social media company, Facebook gains value by recognizing your actual connections. Does Facebook gain value through recognizing your friend-with-benefits?

If not network value, what value does a relationship status have? It tells the relationship headhunters out there who's taken, single or not willing. Is Facebook actually the ultimate tool for seeking potential mates? Let's hope not, or "Facebook Official" will continue to be relevant well into the future.

As for personal connections, I like to think that I nurture those relationships in person. However, for those friends who are out of state and out of town, it's an excellent gathering place and tool for keeping track of all our busy lives. Stephanie has a new e-mail address? That's OK, I can Facebook her. Sara moved? I saw that she posted something last week. Chris got a new job? I can read about it without him having to tell each person who asks. Facebook is my address book.

Noun or verb, FB is here to stay for a while at least. This social media company has a lock on personal information, user-generated content and more. Until there's a ring on my finger, I'll probably reconsider becoming "Facebook Official" with anyone. And I will certainly beware of any man that believes becoming "Facebook Official" qualifies as a relationship. As long as it's listed on your profile, it's a part of your own personal performance for the people that are your "friends."

What I've been working on at Hewlett Packard

2011-05-29T22:29:00.000-07:00

It's not much of a secret, but I've been working hard on a project called Scheduled Delivery. Now, there are some things that I can tell you and some that I cant. What I can share are a series of links for the publications that I have designed for Scheduled Delivery.

My contract will end in Jan. 2012 -- after a two-year stint as a contract employee. It's been a wild ride, a great experience and I look forward to what's ahead. Here's a sampling of what I've been up to for the last 18 months.

Kids Only
This pub was my first with Scheduled Delivery. From here, you can select a week's worth of kids' content to be delivered to your web-connected HP printer. Right now, certain models only.

NASCAR Insider
While I can't take credit for designing the publication, I can take credit for designing the visual assets that accompany the pub on HP's ePrintCenter.

Dear Abby
Again, the publication design credit belongs to someone else (in this case, the fabulous Cynthia Davis-Keith). But I was responsible for the visual assets on EPC. Abby's beautiful face, brought to you by me.

Astrology
This time, I owned the publication design as well as the visual assets on HP's ePrintCenter. Astrology was a fun one and one that I enjoyed proofing.

Word Puzzles
As I am a big fan of word puzzles, this was an easy one to develop. I am addicted to this publication as well as the Universal Crossword. It's a big win by Cynthia.

Golf Insider by T.J. Tomasi
I am one of the few golfers on our team, so I was given the honor of designing the first golf publication. This one was a breeze and a lot of fun to dream about the course while looking at gorgeous photos.

The Daily Read
This is one of my proudest achievements while working at HP. I was given the responsibility of designing a newspaper that would use content from The Associated Press. This newspaper has a very specific design based on how it is created. I am really proud of how it came together and how repeatable the process of putting it together has become. I was also responsible for creating the visual assets on HP's ePrintCenter.

Tell Me a Story Classic
Another kids publication, Tell Me a Story Classic publication and visual assets were designed by me. I love the look and feel of this publication. Turned out pretty well for bedtime stories!

You Can with Beakman and Jax
This was an easy pub to design, but the visual assets were trickier than one may think. Publication is a PDF drop. Assets had to be cut and pasted together.

Magic in a Minute
This was another kid-oriented pub that was easy to design (PDF drop), but the visual assets were tricky to cut out and paste together. That table is all my own work.

Ann Coulter
Everyone loves to hate Ann Coulter. The publication design is one of my favorites. Clean, sleek and poignant. I also designed the assets for this publication. It makes my blood boil to read the content, but art work was easy to create.

Maybe you should think about picking up your very own HP D110A web-connected printer so that you can subscribe. Seriously. This is a cool service.

Media minus the human touch: Pros, cons and strategies

2011-02-16T22:51:00.000-08:00

Why do people like DJs?

In the past few weeks, I've been doing a lot of thinking about content. I've got a subscription to Netflix, Hulu Plus and a decent selection of cable channels -- including access to Comcast's On Demand service. But, much like my news, I find that I would like someone to distill it for me.

As a page designer, much of what I do involves prioritizing and creating importance for information. The most important story lands at the top right-hand side of the page. The most interesting story (of a feature-y bent) lands in the center of the page as a package. Headlines are "graded" down the page (meaning stories have progressively smaller headlines as you advance down the page. This indicates both their importance and their priority). Headlines with italic or serif headlines are not serious, if-it-bleeds-it-leads news -- called "soft" news. Serious, or "hard," news always has a sans-serif headline. At a large daily newspaper, a fleet of staff work together to assign appropriate to every story on every page. Even if you took away the words, the design would still tell a story on it's own.

How can a designer make a career as a newspaper designer? Why is it a highly-skilled job? Because it takes professional news judgement, attention to detail, understanding of the impact of images and more to effectively design a newspaper page -- even an inside page!

Much like a newspaper designer, a DJ ingests a large amount of information in the form of music and, based on their experience and taste, selects music that she thinks her audience will like. This DJ listens to every song they can get their hands on and makes a judgement call on whether or not it's good enough to pass on to the listener.

DJs have song judgement. Newspaper editors have news judgment.

Because of the Internet, there is unprecedented access to all sorts of content. Critics have argued that we've hit information overload -- better yet, we've hit search overload. Any and everything we could ever want is merely a Google search away. I am arguing that early content distribution models -- like radio and broadcast TV -- are actually on their way back into the picture. In a world of information overload, we prefer 140 characters, Facebook-distilled newsfeed and hand-selected content.

No choice, content chosen for you

The physical capabilities of AM radio, FM radio and broadcast television limited the quantity of information that could be transmitted. And, at the end of that transmission, there was no inexpensive way that it could be stored for review later. This is the no choice model. As a member of the audience, you listened or watched exactly what was sent out over the air waves. You may have been able to choose from a handful of stations, but there was no buffet for you to pick from.

Sound waves travel at the speed of sound. It's not an efficient form of transmission. However, it was the first of a long line of technology breakthroughs. In the end, money drove the choice of content for the stations.

More choices and tape recorders

As radio and broadcast television became a commercial enterprise, the width of the spectrum was used to its full capacity. Viewers and listeners had the ability to turn the dial and choose the content that they wanted -- to a certain extent. If you had five television stations to choose from, you still only had five different programs to pick from. Recording devices became more prevalent in homes, which suddenly gave the listener the ability to record something to listen to later.

Cable TV becomes the norm

So, television stations are still picking the content. Money is still driving the pictures you are seeing. Advertising is bought and paid for. Network executives will only choose programming that advertisers will buy space against. However, suddenly the view holds power in their remote control. Nielson and other ratings companies are tracking the popularity of each television show. Finally customers hold some control over their content.

They can't quite get access to anything yet, but they have hundreds of channels that are running simultaneously. That means they've got access to hundreds of different program choices all at once. The transition from over-the-air broadcast to cable makes these choices possible.

On Demand and the Internet

Over time, each new technological innovation has led us to a world with more content that can be accessed when we want it. The argument here is that all customers what exactly what they want, exactly when they want it. To this day, I believe this is the prevalent business model. Fiber optic cable from the content provider to the neighborhood allowed even more data to stream to the customer. Fiber optic was the innovation that led to prevalence of high-speed Internet access.

Over time, as more fiber optic was laid, users had the capability to not only stream individualized content (rather than 100 stations pushing the same thing to each user, 100,000 users could pull their own content), but to record, download and send content back simultaneously.

The business model had exploded. Each and every customer could have exactly what they wanted, when they wanted it and how they wanted it (handheld device, laptop or plasma).

The following is why I think the "whatever, whenever" model is the wrong model to move forward with. Internet-based media falls under a couple of different categories that to a certain extent follow models that we've seen before in history. Each model is essentially a point on the slider of human judgement. We have to ask ourselves how much a thinking, working, informed brain effects our content.

On the extremes, you'll find the successful media models.

There is something to be said about iTunes and other all-access media models. These media allow users to pick exactly the content they want, which is great if they know what they want. This strategy makes sense for any media that you might want to own -- traditionally, a movie, a book or a song.

If you take a look at the graphic, I believe that media strategies in the middle leave the user wanting. Netflix has too much content for me to effectively pick from. I haven't stayed far from the few things that I know I like. It's not an all-access system, because not all of the TV shows and movies in existence are there (the same can be said of Hulu, but it more closely follows the All Access model). Pandora, while I do enjoy it because it provides me continuous media without my interaction, is definitely missing the human touch. I can suggest a song that I like and immediately hear other songs like it -- albeit one at a time. However, I have a preference for new, recently released, music. That's not a Pandora option and I find myself disappointed when the song that I like was produced in 1980 by a musician that won't be producing anything else. Also, I can't specify popular songs, when all I want to do is listen to songs that everyone knows and that I can sing along to.

Given busy schedules, and shorter attention spans than ever, I argue that the "No Choice" model can actually be the most successful. Once you chose what to "follow" -- selecting friends, a newspaper or a channel -- you don't have an option on what you get. You get the best of that particular category, sorted and prioritized by whomever you've chosen to be your editor.

It's all or nothing. Allow your customer access to absolutely anything they are looking for. Or let them customize a category and then have a professional do the work.

I want my DJ.

New media porf-tolio? You bet.

2011-02-10T00:21:00.000-08:00

I am working on a fun project, and that project is collecting all of the page-design PDFs that I've saved over the years into one place. I've compiled them on my hard drive and now I am laying out a magazine that I'll have printed on HP's MagCloud service. It's fun to look back and remember all of those page designs. I've slaved many hours over really gorgeous page designs and it will be nice to recognize them in a really beautiful, portable way. This will come in handy some day down the road when I'm applying for a new job!

*As a note, one of my HP team members spelled portfolio incorrectly on our team's MagCloud. Since then, we've referred to it as the "Porf-tolio."

Methodically organized, and searching for a purse

2011-02-04T22:43:00.000-08:00

I truly believe that personal organization communicates volumes about those around us. A fellow intern at The Oregonian once told me that a messy car is a sign of a good newspaper reporter. I've wondered, since that day with Taylor Dungjen, if the mess indicated a creative soul or a dedication to anything but cleaning.

Early on, I kept myself from getting pigeon-holed into any one role in the newsroom. But on that day, I knew I was not destined to be a reporter.

In my car, surfaces gleam. The pile of the floormats, though it's been months since the last vacuum, still stand at attention. It's like they've hardly been stepped on ... or spilled on ... or crushed under loads of unwashed laundry. Sure, I eat breakfast in my car during the five-minute drive to work. However, my car does not have that lived-in feeling. I could count the contents of my car's cubbyholes and crevices on one hand.

It's obvious. I've reached a level of obsessive compulsive disorder that some people only dream about.

Organization is a learned skill and an inherited trait. I can't take all of the credit for masterful color coding and meticulous tidiness. I think a lot of people have segments of their life for which they are very organized. Many people are extremely organized at work, when they may not be at home. Other people have almost ritualistic routines for maintaining and caring for their belongings.

You bet I know where my
compass is.

In my case, search and rescue gear get's a very specific type of organization. My search pack is obsessively packed in exactly the same way, until I find a better way to do it. My uniform pants, shirts, gloves and hats are maintained and organized in ways that make it very easy for me to use and find them right when I need them. Many of my co-searchers are also this way about their personal (and the unit's) gear because our lives could literally depend on it.

But let's face it: My life does not depend on the organization of my wallet.

I was visiting a friend on Wednesday and she saw that I was about to walk into her room. She stopped me and said, "Don't go in there." I said, "It's not that bad." She knew I was silently fascinated with -- and perhaps judging -- her personal organization. Her room was a disaster area and should have been posted, "Area 51. Enter at your own risk." However, she's organized and so are her thoughts.

Does obsessive personal organization reflect scattered and frantic thoughts?

Fantastic work tote.

My work tote, a great find from my mom over Christmas break, has structure and pockets. It's got enough space for all my work accessories and I have no problem reaching in over the side and finding what I need without looking. I can usually even grab the red pen, instead of the black one. It stays packed even over the weekend and I've finally got something that stays put together even when not in use.

I've organized my car, my wallet, my desk(s), my work tote and my makeup bag to the point that I can unpack and pack again without noticing a difference. It's become an obsessive, controlling lifestyle. I tried living like my messy buddy. It lasted about a day before I picked my clothes up off the floor. I just couldn't bring myself to leave empty takeout cups on my desk. I like it clean for when inspiration strikes and I need to go nuts on some fantastic design.

Perhaps what's more interesting about my personal organization style is what is not organized: My bathroom counter (covered with makeup containers and brushes), my t-shirt drawer (contains anything I might ever wear for PJs) and my purse are just a few places that lack any sign of logic.

This could be any girl's bathroom.

The bathroom counter doesn't bug me at all. I love that it looks organic and it's become as much a part of me as my favorite books or my computer desktop. It's only what I need and nothing that I don't. The purse, on the other hand, is nothing but a satchel to throw in assorted belongings. I think it's time that I became an adult and had a real-person purse, rather than an Old Navy sack with a faux-leather braided handle (from roughly 2005).

In more ways than one, I need structure, pockets and another tube of Burt's Bees that has its own permanent home. Perhaps that's a reflection of how my thoughts are organized.

Bird-launching obsession

2011-01-03T18:26:00.000-08:00

Anthony keeps calling me a "mobile media addict."

Being a "mobile media addict" wasn't possible two years ago. But now, I've developed a nasty obsession with a game called "Angry Birds."

Promotional artwork for Angry Birds

This bird-launching adventure game is grounded in physics, mixed with some mystical pig-killing powers. This game has me thinking about what makes a solid, addictive mobile game. I've got a theory on what makes it the perfect carry-it-around, pull-it-out-when-bored game.

1. Few rules
There are few rules in the world of Angry Birds. No complicated points schemes and one mission: kill all the pigs. The Angry action is based on physics. No strange acceleration points or turbo boosts to remember.

2. Uncomplicated storyline
Here you have it: Kill the green pigs. Why are the pigs green? We don't care, but we know that they stole the eggs and we want them back. It's very Princess Toadstool.

3. Repetitive
Each level is hard enough that you've got to work it at least a couple of times. No one will fly through all 100-some levels in a matter of hours. So, you're working the same levels multiple times and all of the levels are fairly similar. It's repetitive in a good way -- like an episode of CSI. Everyone knows the routine. It's comfortable.

4. Relatable birds
These are characters I can identify with. I relate to the yellow bird. My special powers involve rapid acceleration to get the job done. Others can identify with the blue birds: They break the ice. I've seen pictures of my friends dressed up as the Angry Birds and I'd be proud to do the same.

5. Hate-able villains
Yep, those green-colored pigs are on my radar as the most dastardly bunch around. The one with the mustache gives me the heeby-jeebies.

Image from The Gaurdian

But what does it mean to be a mobile media addict? I've been keeping a close eye on Anthony's addiction to his new Droid -- a big upgrade from his "dumb" phone that he had until a month ago. While Anthony's got Angry Birds as well, he's fascinated with real-time access to news and events. He's been using his phone to find us new restaurants as well.

This addiction I've developed, to checking my Facebook, e-mail and playing Angry Birds on my phone, is displacing the use of my computer. I simply don't need to get on my home, personal computer when I've got my phone in hand. When I'm up north, away from my computer, I can use my phone to get to everything I need.

So, is it addiction or necessity? This Team Infobase blog post delves into the specific and enduring reasons that mobile media is particularly addictive. Mostly, mobile media is designed to be compelling. Myself, and every next-gen media entrepreneur, is learning how to make media addictive, compelling, necessary and "sticky." My job is intertwined those adjectives: sticky, necessary, compelling, important, valuable. Angry Birds is almost all of those things.

Maybe instead of an addiction, I've developed an obsession with all things new media.

Here's the cheat guide: http://angrybirdsguide.com/

Farewell Bend, Ore.

2010-10-31T22:31:00.000-07:00

1/12 scale model of a timber mill
2010 (c) Lauren Dillard

It was supposed to be named "Farewell Bend," Ore. However, when the postal service was adopting the formal name, "Farewell Bend" was taken. So, it got shortened to Bend and the small, centrally located, city began.

In the late 1800s, Bend was rich in timber. The government at that time divided up the land and gave it away to anyone who was willing to travel to the west side of the continent. A visit to the High Desert Museum impartially explained the relationship between Native Americans and those who moved on in to settle the Oregon Territory.

I found myself thinking about living without borders. To be American is to desire a picket fence and a piece of property large enough to have a bonfire and an adequate home. To be Native is to live off of the land, be raised by a village and be outnumbered by the trees around you. The extended family relationship of Native Americans and the traditional Native lifestyle reminded me of reading I had done about Indian culture -- the subcontinent, not the other reference for Native Americans. It's all about hierarchy, relationships and familial structure. In other words, the individual is not as important as the whole. This is true in traditional Native culture as well. In both Native and Indian cultures, whole families live off of their respective chunk of land or flat in a high rise.

Tumalo Falls | Bend, Ore.
2010 (c) Lauren Dillard

However, as Americans we embrace the individual. We want our own space. I want a two bedroom apartment to myself. And four days with Anthony in a hotel room was almost too much for me.

On a hike to Tumalo Falls, I experienced that timber firsthand. This abundant resource was available for the taking. It was free money. Where people are scarce and trees are plentiful, India is the opposite. People are the resource.

Farewell Bend so vibrantly lives its own history. It is Wild West and Farwest in the truest sense of both of those words, but the industries have shifted and changed since the land was initially pillaged and plundered. Mill Street (home to the two competing saw mills of the early 19th century) was paved in 1921, well after rail lines were installed to bring workers, supplies and take lumber out to places where they could be sold.

It's clear that money steers development. Rail lines were laid before main street was paved. Rail meant more money. Pavement meant spending money to cut down dust and mud. Paving fiber optic highways to India is a business decision. However, 41.6 percent of Indians live under the poverty line, according to The World Bank.

Mirror Pond | Bend, Ore. 2010 (c) Lauren Dillard

Compare and contrast aside, I had a wonderful vacation with Anthony and I was really glad to take a few days away from the I-5 corridor. We stayed at McMenamin's Old St. Francis School hotel and visited the High Desert Museum, hiked to Tumalo Falls along Tumalo Creek, visited and took gorgeous pictures of Mirror Pond and Farewell Bend Park. We toured the Deschutes Brewery Mothership and I had a pint of Bend Brewing Co. Vanilla Porter from a nitro tap that was absolutely fantastic (though my turkey melt was subpar).

Thank you, bear, for a fantastic vacation, a lot of great meals and beers, a few angry moments and a whole lot of laughs. It was a rare treat to spend a few uninterrupted days away from the city and my work e-mail with you. I hope that we have many more vacations ahead of us. I'm trying not to buy into American, individualistic ideals, but someday I hope we have a firepit to drink Mirror Pond Ale around with our friends and family. Perhaps we can also skip out on a few holidays :)

Intermittent wiper settings

2010-03-11T21:31:00.000-08:00

I've always wanted to write about windshield wipers. My 1999 Hyundai Accent GL had these fantastic intermittent windshield wipers that had an infinite number of speed settings because of the dial attached to the controls. My 2007 Toyota Corolla S -- a more valuable and more reliable car -- has one intermittent windshield wiper setting. It's amazing what we take for granted before we don't have it anymore. In Oregon, it should be against the law to sell a car without variable speed windshield wipers. At the very least, Oregonians should come to arms and chastise those who choose to sell cars without this essential feature. In this state, variable speed wipers are an essential safety feature and we all seem to be pretty keen on seat belts.

I've always found variable speed, intermittent wiper settings to be reflective of my life. We jump forward, swiping ourselves into action, and we pause -- sitting on our thumbs just long enough to make our next move effective.

The stretch of I-5 between Enchanted Forest and Albany is a long, boring, usually wet and rainy stretch of road. It's on that endless strip that those intermittent settings are so critical. Fifteen miles of 65 miles per hour. It is a perfect, straight, ribbon of road that increases the chances of a perfect storm, butted against the Cascades.

Who knew that this strip of road would put me closer to effectiveness.

From Albany, to my apartment just off of Walnut, I can see the crest of the impressive Mary's Peak. The move that set me driving back down I-5, back to Corvallis, has been the most time sensitive and effective move of my life. Move, pause, and move again -- collecting the beads of moisture that had come to rest on the surface. From a view of Mt. Hood and the expansive Columbia River Gorge to the shadow of Mary's Peak and the tracked valley of the Willamette River.

No more commute. No more need for variable speed wipers while flying up I-5 toward downtown Portland.

We collect the beads of opportunity that fall to the surface before us.

The opportunities set before me -- at Hewlett-Packard as an "editor" and at Oregon State University as an advisor to the student newspaper -- have opened a door to an incredible feeling of accomplishment. Here I am, faced with challenge, feeling complete and loved by my man and ready to take on the world.

Flip in into high-speed wiper mode, friends.

Post-turkey viewpoints

2009-11-27T14:19:00.000-08:00

Unlike most, I am not a fan of the almighty Turkey Day -- never have been, probably never will be. While I can muster up a good "thankful" speech, I can't quite stomach some of the foods laid out on the Thanksgiving table.

I have always been a picky eater, but Thanksgiving takes the cake for me. There is a vast array of textures -- most of them not fit for a ... turkey. Mashed yams are orange, sugary and chunky. Stuffing is wet, sloppy and resembles celery-laced vomit. Jello salad is slick with Cool-Whip and crunchy with apple slices.

Most of my least favorite Thanksgiving foods contain some slimy, sloppy element and a crunchy element that puts them on an even keel with tuna salad with nuts and celery -- my least favorite surprise when getting ready to enjoy a tuna salad sandwich. It's guaranteed to tease my gag reflex.

Does anyone actually enjoy cranberry sauce?

It's a veritable day of food torture. It's like an experiment in trying to keep me from upchucking on the chucked up decor. I still feel ill.

When it comes to Thanksgiving, there are a few foods that I cling to for texture salvation. But even those foods can give me a bit of trouble. I can stomach turkey, as long as it's not dry or gamey. If I get one strand of fat, that bird is going back on the plate. There are two can't-miss foods that I gravitate toward with feverish delight. They are both colorless foods that appear on normal-day dinner tables all over the country. Pass the mashed potatoes: fluffy, (hopefully) smooth and relatively safe. It's rare that a potato will give you heartburn. However, hold the gravy. While I can make a mean flour/dripping gravy, I would rather not even spot it across from me on a buffet table. There's nothing like fat and flour to add flavor to an already, preferably, flavorless dish.

I can always choke down a number of biscuits, slices of bread and a little butter. That, in fact, is the salvage of many a Thanksgiving meal.

Chances, here they are

2009-11-03T20:34:00.000-08:00

I haven't had much opportunity to write, but I've had the desire. I've been concentrating energy on spending time with Anthony and building up the shores of our relationship before he deploys with the Army. Anthony hates it when I do this, but I like writing down my things to do.

1) The Girls State Alumni newsletter
2) 30,000 mile service on my car
3) Interview in Bend at KTVZ Newschannel 21

The exciting thing is that my to do list is only three lines deep (for now). It will probably grow as the week goes by. I received a phone call today from Lee Anderson of KTVZ-TV in Bend and he asked for me to come down for an interview. The position is a (off camera) news producer spot. Anderson said that I could sit in and watch the newscast while I am there. I'd be getting a taste of what the job would be like.

I think the hardest part of this job, for me, will be learning the mechanics of on demand, live news. The production, story telling, source development and lede development will be old hat. I like the city of Bend, but I find it hard to think about leaving my search and rescue team, friends and family when I've finally landed here in the Portland Metro area. Working and living in the same town will be refreshing, however.

I just found out that both Kate Paul and John Hendricks work at KTVZ in Bend. Woo!

All great moments...

2009-10-12T20:30:00.000-07:00

...come to an end eventually.

My great moment was four years at Oregon State University, studying and working at The Daily Barometer. Tomorrow, I get to relive that moment by visiting the campus as a speaker for Fall Press Day, which is hosted by Northwest Scholastic Press. Fall Press Day is the high school equivalent of a Society of Professional Journalists conference. However, SPJ will never invite me to speak.

Fall Press Day, on the other hand, has invited me to visit.

Sessions include:
Managing for the meek @ 9:40 p.m.
Getting ahead after graduating at 12:55 p.m.

Dear editors of The Bulletin, please hire me.

2009-10-08T20:45:00.000-07:00

Today, I was paid $8.13 per hour

2009-10-08T15:37:00.000-07:00

Today has been a rough day in many ways. First, I picked up may paycheck early this morning and took a peek at it. It turns out, I was paid only $8.13 per hour for my last week of work. The Oregonian had been overpaying me by $0.66 per hour for the last three weeks. So, instead of doing an number of honorable things. The company decided to subtract what they had overpaid me from my paycheck. Usually, that's not even a big deal. However, when I end up a) getting paid less that minimum wage for the state of Oregon and b) they don't even warn me, I am bound to get upset about it.

My work situation -- which consists of wait-and-see and "We'll let you know next week" -- has been frustrating at the very least. Today, I had a chat with a co-worker and she instilled in me a sense of get-the-hell-out-of-here.

I really appreciate the opportunities that I have been given here at The Oregonian.

However, I'm not the captain and I do not have an obligation to go down with the ship. The Oregonian is reorganizing as this iteration of the buy-out package is on the table for employees. Today, I sit with no guarantees, no health insurance and no security. I feel the lack of security acutely today because of how abruptly my paycheck was limited to a stingy (and technically sub-legal) $8.13 an hour.

How do you describe work that you love? I would guess that the words "tedious" and "monotonous" shouldn't be part of that description. As a designer, downstairs at the Broadway building, I was excited to see friends, work in the newsroom (though I didn't have my own desk) and play with InDesign all evening. That program had become an extension of my consciousness. After three years of designing on a nightly basis, I don't plan on separating myself from creative work with publications.

What is a recession? Well, other than the obvious answer, I can't really respond. But, I suppose that it is a time in society where the little guy, with no wealth, has no power to stand up against an employer and say, "You owe me." Because they will only end up owing you a walk to the door. So, what can I do now that The Oregonian has decided to pay me $0.66 less per hour? Nothing, really. But, it's like the opposite of a raise -- an anti-reward for a job well done.

Schwinn or flat tire

2009-09-29T22:26:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, I found that my new (old) bike had a flat tire. After pumping that bad boy back up, I found that it was a slow leak. Anthony suggested that I take it into a bike shop and they could show me how to fix it. I suggested that it would be easier than putting a new tube in a tractor tire.

I was right.

After a quick trip to Fred Meyer, I purchased a patch kit, a set of new brakes and a new tube (might as well have a spare for $5.99). I plopped down in front of my ratchet set, with three plastic levers. I spun the bolts on the bearing of the back tire, removing them completely. I pushed the tire free of the chain and readied myself to pry the rubber tread from the wheel. After wrestling with my levers, I was able to remove the entire assembly from the rim.

Using a pump, I added air to the tube - now freed from the rubber tread. Almost instantly, I found the hole. It was a tiny little thing, seeping air with a snail's pace. That little hole let enough air from the tire to keep it flat. I followed the instructions, scratching the rubber with a little metal tool and then applying a disk of some type of plastic with a really ridiculous glue on the back. It sealed instantly and I ventured to the bath tube to check for more leaks.

After performing the Les Schwab standard tube leak test (submerging the tube in water to see if air bubbles emerge from the pressure), I reinstalled the tube into the tread, and fit the whole assembly onto the rim. After re-inflating, and waiting a few minutes to see if it took hold, I reinstalled the whole tire onto the bike.

Since the rubber of both sets of brakes was stiff and flaking, I decided to purchase one new set (to see if they were the right type). Indeed they were, so I installed the new brakes on the front tire. I haven't tested them out yet.

Today, the tire is holding steady and the brakes are ready for testing. Thursday will be my first opportunity to take my bike out for a ride and I'm getting excited about it (especially since my seat is now properly adjusted).

Weekend lack of adventure

2009-09-27T11:12:00.000-07:00

My weekend has pretty much been a bust. I am hoping I can salvage some semblance of adventure by going to see the movie "I hope they serve beer in hell," based on the book by New York Times best selling book by author Tucker Max. This image, from fandango.com, shows that Matt Czuchry is the lead - playing the roll of Tucker Max.

Lauren Jones wanted to see the movie on Friday, but the only show time I could make it to was at 9:50 p.m. and that was a little late for my tastes. Saturday, I had to be up and at 'em at 9 a.m. for testing. I took the POST test for the Gresham Police Department. The test served as round two of eliminations. The test was pretty darn easy, and I say that because it took me half the time than what was allotted to complete the section and check my answers. The only one that was remotely tough was the math section. It was basic arithmetic, adding and subtracting, with a little bit of problem solving and multiplication/division thrown in. We could not use calculators. There was one problem that was throwing me a bit. The officer had driven something like 465 miles in 5 days. He drove 112 miles in one day. How many miles did he average on the other days? With a calculator, it would be cake. But, alas, my long division skills are not what they used to be. So, I ended up making an educated guess as time was running out. All of the others, however, I rocked. Section two asked that we read a paragraph or a police report and answer questions based on the information. Section three had questions that required us to identify the misspelled word. For section four, we wrote a number of complete sentences. Like I said, it was easy for me. Passing is getting a 70 percent or above in all four sections. I think I'll be a shoe-in.

After testing, I ran over to Old Navy to do some preemptive winter shopping. I'm waiting for the cold snap, and it's already 30 degrees in the office where I work. I got two sweaters, off-white and black, and then grandma and I drove down to Woodburn Company Stores. We went to Banana Republic, where I found an amazing pair of black slacks, then I found khaki slacks at the Columbia outlet for $7.50. A pair of jeans for $19.99 and a plain, black belt for $14.99. Overall, it was a good day of shopping. I got a couple more pairs of pants and a few sweaters for the winter season. I still need to work out the situation with shoes. I don't have more than one pair of dressy shoes that also works in winter. Well, I guess I have a pair of calf-high leather boots, but I don't like having a heel.

I'll be slowly looking to add to the collection of clothes that can get me through winter. I'm set with jackets and gloves and scarves. But, appropriate pant and shoe options are lacking. Gross.

Today, I'll be adventuring with Mom to Washington (state) where we'll be attending the funeral of John Merryman. He's my grandpa's wife's sister's son. So, my uncle, once removed (if he were a blood relative)? I'm really not sure how that works. After that, Tucker Max to the extreme.

Hed, deck and line

2009-09-24T22:19:00.001-07:00

I wrote the best headline today. Proud doesn't describe it.

"The I-5 bridge debate: Lanes, pains and automobiles"

New day: new duties

2009-09-21T20:39:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of my new job at The Oregonian. I've been tasked - for the next month - with editing the letters to the editor.

As a rule, I've never arrived at work before 11 a.m. Design shifts for features start at 11, other shifts start at 2 p.m. and as late as 4 p.m. Today was an early day. I was at work at 9 a.m.

Tomorrow - though I forgot to ask if we'd arrive at the same time - will be the same ordeal. A 7:30 a.m. wake up is a little early for my tastes, but soon enough I'll be adjusted to be able to handle it. However, a 7:30 a.m. wake up means that I'll be tucked into bed in another half hour. It's almost 9 p.m. now.

We got to work this morning by reading all of the letters that rolled in over the weekend. After sorting the letters in to categories, and eliminating letters that were too long, etc. we had a pile to work with. Now, "a pile" is figurative. Electronically, you have to be good at keeping track of what's coming in and what's going out. After sorting, editing and coding twenty or so letters, I was on my way.

Tomorrow, I fly solo on the daily project.

After getting off work at 5 p.m. (wow), I had a coffee date with Christina Holtom (Hey, Girls State!). My fingers are itching to do some design work, but I'll take a paycheck - especially at The Oregonian. I feel like if I do my job well, I can make a difference in somebody's life. I just want to feel useful. I don't want to be a cog. I think we get around being a cog in the corporate machine by being effective.

Here's to early bedtimes and being effective. Cheers.

Schwinn or lose

2009-09-20T18:36:00.000-07:00

All of my life, I've had bicycles. At least, there's been a bike laying in the weeds somewhere at the nursery. However, all of our bikes are "grocery story specials." What I mean is that the bikes are all fat tire, straight handlebar, assembled-in-store types. Their a cross between a mountain bike and a motorless go kart.

So, recently, I've been looking for something a little more specific. I decided that a bike would be a good investment for a number of reasons. First, I can't hit Dixon Rec Center and use the stationary bikes any more. Second, Anthony keeps encouraging me to "get a hobby." He wants me to find some activities that make me excited to get out of bed in the morning. We both know that only work can get me that excited, but, alas, I'm giving it a try.

In looking for a bike, I wanted something different than the one I sold for $50 more than a year ago. I wanted a road bike, and I came across a deal along the way. Fellow Oregonian intern Ellen Gilmer was preparing to drive back to Indiana because her internship was supposed to end. The internship, as it turns out, is not ending for Ellen. She's still in beautiful Portland and will be until February. However, she was still willing to sell her bike.

So, today was the epic first day for me to take the red, Schwinn "step-through" for a ride. Mom and I took a trip out to the bike path just behind our house and we made the loop from S Pine St., up to Township Rd and then to the logging road (bike/walking path). We took a left, heading southwest, and then hit 13th to return home.

The epic bike ride, which was a short jaunt that I later repeated after adjusting the seat, was really enjoyable. The road bike limited resistance to the road with skinny, low profile tires, and the seat/handlebar position put me comfortably pumping the pedals to fall behind, then pass Mom in a blur of comfortable speed.

I was just checking it out and the logging road ends in a loop on the north side. I think I'll make it my goal to loop it and back in the next few days. Also, Molalla is only 12 miles away. I think that this bike, and riding bikes in general, is something that I could get into if I don't try to overdue it. I have a tendency to burn myself out on things. I'll get into friendship-bracelet making or something and then I'll do it until I never want to look at the materials again. However, while the bike ride was somewhat difficult, it was also really enjoyable. And I can tell that I'm already more agile than I thought I'd be with a bike. I was seriously afraid I would fall on my face.

After the ride, a text went to Anthony, telling him how it went. He was happy that I was trying. While bicycling is an enjoyable hobby in its own right (yet to be seen for me), it's also one of Anthony's regular activities. There's a double whammy for the bike. A) It's active and b) It's something I can share with my hunny.

Crossing my fingers for more enjoyable rides! Wish me the best on the biketoberfest biking beginning.

Portland via Pittock

2009-09-19T12:16:00.000-07:00

I'm not a complete Portland nincompoop. However, I haven't spent much time traveling around the big city. My greatest achievement was navigating from S.W. 25th and Burnside to N.E. 36th and Tillamook without a map. I did that yesterday.

A couple of weeks ago, while seeing the sun was still a possibility, Anthony and I ventured into the West Hills to take a look at Pittock Mansion. The views from the house are epic.

Pittock Mansion was built by Henry and Georgianna Pittock. They started construction in 1914 and wrapped it up in 1919, according to the the mansion's website. Henry was the owner of the Weekly Oregonian. He bought it in 1860. He was also involved in almost all of the dominant Portland industries. The mansion, which was occupied until not that long ago, was purchased for $1 by Portland Parks and Recreation with the agreement that the house would be maintained as a historical landmark. The land surrounding the mansion is a public park and the mansion itself is a museum of Pittock furniture and traveling art displays. While Anthony and I were there, the Portland Rose Society was having a miniature rose show.

The highlight of the tour, for me, was a copy of the Weekly Oregonian from the early 1900s, framed and hanging on the wall. Newspaper design has come a long way since then. I didn't want to get in trouble, so I didn't take a photo. Even though I wasn't using flash photography, I was concerned they'd escort me out. There was a no cell phone rule for goodness sake.

But I snuck a photo or two anyway. I can't say that I'd ever want to go again, but it was a really fun day with Anthony.

New photos from Search and Rescue

2009-09-19T12:13:00.000-07:00

I've finally uploaded my photos from last weekend's leadership outing. Take a look! They're uploaded on Facebook.

Fred Stickel retires from The Oregonian

2009-09-18T23:18:00.000-07:00

Today, at about 3:00, Human Resources sent out an incredible e-mail to prep the employees of The Oregonian for the biggest bash they've thrown since The Oregon Journal merged with The Morning Oregonian more than 35 years ago.

My photos are drive-by shots, but it was amazing to get up close and personal with retiring publisher Fred Stickel, Editor Sandy Rowe and incoming publisher Patrick Stickel.

The cake read "We love you, Fred!" and signs flashed "Fred for president." Balloons, bubbles and confetti were handed out to assist in creating havoc and festivities. Mr. Stickel was escorted from his office on the fourth floor, down the elevator, out the front lobby and around the corner of the building to the tunnel. The tunnel, which was evacuated of The Oregonian's news and circulation vehicles, had been scrubbed clean and decorated for the occasion.

Sandy Rowe said a few words, leading to a few more from Patrick and a wrap up by Fred. Cake was had, and I'm certain that your paper will be late in the morning.

Congratulations, Fred Stickel. It seems to have been an amazing 5-Pulitzer run. It was amazing to be a part of this piece of history, for better or for worse. I'll always remember this moment, on the scheduled last day of my internship.

A retrospective on an yet-to-come training year

2009-09-18T13:41:00.000-07:00

In 2004, I joined the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue team. I became a certified member of the unit after nine months of training and I've returned to participate in training outings ever since.

While those weekend training outings are important, our unit teaches our "newbies" at the weekly meetings. Our "classroom-like" training sessions are the building blocks for the weekend trial runs.

Because I graduated from high school in 2005, and moved on to college at Oregon State University, I have never been a part of those classroom sessions. I went through them as a newbie, but I've never been there to teach and to facilitate those classroom times. I am jealous of other members of the SAR reserve team that are headed back to college and back to a life that was so hard for me to leave. However, being home and graduating from college brings new opportunities.

Standing in a conference room in the sheriff's office, in front of a group of potential members, I was rattling off information about the gear that I carry - our required gear list. I realized that I was looking at the next class of MCSOSAR, but I was also looking at people that I will truly get to know. Last year, I never learned all of their names. I tried my best, but I only saw each of them one time each month. Now, I will see them every week. I will teach them, not only about avalanche transceivers (no one else ever wants to, so I get that one each year), but about map and compass, search types and medical assessment.

I will be a part of the things that they learn before they enter the field.

That's really exciting to me. It almost makes up for not going back to OSU this fall. Almost.

New logo for The Nickelblock

2009-09-17T22:32:00.000-07:00

My buddy from college, Nick Lilja, is working on updating his profile. He's been managing a stereo/audio equipment store, but he's finally getting his foot in the door to get a writing job again. He's a fantastic sports broadcaster, writer and columnist. I said I'd help him out by putting together a new logo. It's nothing too special, but it looks better than the old one.

The Nickelblock

The Oregonian: Sept. 17, 2009

2009-09-17T22:31:00.000-07:00

The Oregonian: Sept. 15, 2009

2009-09-15T18:38:00.000-07:00

Left-handed mousing and split keyboard sydrome

2009-09-15T11:52:00.000-07:00

My left hand - usually reserved for tapping keyboard commands to switch with facility between InDesign tools - is poised over a trackball mouse. The red globe mocks me. The red, dotted sphere rests in a cradle, sensors at the ready to track the twitches of my fingertips.

Oblong buttons sink into the device, flush with the surface. The left and right mouse buttons are reversed. The mouse is on the wrong side. My thumb is standard click. My fourth finger is reserved for special menu clicking only. No longer can I "right-click" to further my options. Instead, it's a "left-click" and a prayer.

The keyboard, split like a bad personality, keeps my hunt-and-peck hands confined to their respective sides. The spacebar reaches out to both sides like a lifeline to a previous iteration of a keyboard.

It's clean, polished almost, but each key towers over the platform like a skyscraper above a metropolitan, well-gridded city. We don't believe in comfortable, flat keyboards in this office. Instead, my hands fully compress each (inevitably wrong) key that I strike.

I choose to type my Ys with my left hand, reaching across the divide. This is my desk for today. At least I can work on my typing skills.

One month of extension

2009-09-15T11:28:00.000-07:00

I found out late last week that I will be staying at The Oregonian for an extra month. Helen Shum, current Letters to the Editor extraordinaire, is on maternity leave. Therefore, the editorial board is in need of someone to keep track of the LTEs.

The terms and conditions are - as of yet - unclear, but I start training a little bit today.

Helen will be out until Feb., but budget approval has only given me an extra month. We'll see what happens after that.

The Oregonian: Sept. 15, 2009

2009-09-14T21:44:00.000-07:00

The Oregonian: Friday, Sept. 11

2009-09-11T16:46:00.000-07:00

The Oregonian: Sept. 10, 2009

2009-09-10T21:41:00.000-07:00

The Oregonian: Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2009

2009-09-09T18:22:00.000-07:00

The Oregonian: Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009

2009-09-08T18:41:00.000-07:00

From Labor Day to laboring

2009-09-08T12:43:00.001-07:00

I'd like to envision my work day as a fluid, ever-changing, fluctuating thing. It's not. It's the same everyday. My Women's Studies professor Amy Leer once described "women's work" as reproductive. Women, by default, have been tasked with reproducing the work of me. Women staff factories, doing repetitive tasks. Men do productive work. I can't decide if page design is productive or reproductive work.

Part of me believes that it may be reproductive.

I'm assembling similar pieces into difference shapes on multiples of the same broadsheet page. It's mildly creative work. It takes a special skill set. But it's repetitive at its core.

Writing stories, which is also mildly repetitive, is productive however. I've decided that the process of pursuing leads, pushing your sources and compiling data into a concise and accurate story is more similar to productive work. You are creating something from nothing, and pursuing the pieces from beginning to end. Page design is more like an assembly line. Someone writes, someone edits, I grab and throw the pieces together in a coherent fashion. I print the page and then someone else reads the whole thing all over again. Copy editing is reproductive work.

The Oregonian: Aug. 4, 2009

2009-09-04T17:49:00.000-07:00

The Oregonian: Sept. 3, 2009

2009-09-03T19:57:00.001-07:00

The Oregonian: Sept. 1, 2009

2009-09-01T18:30:00.000-07:00

The Oregonian: Aug. 31, 2009

2009-08-31T18:47:00.000-07:00

**The image in the center of this last page was produced by me. The page was designed by Jim Springhetti.

Girls State '09 revisited

2009-08-31T16:25:00.001-07:00

I think it's pretty common knowledge that this year was a tough one for me at Girls State. It was a sudden drop into a new world, post college, and pre-finding a career.

At the same time that I was moving on from editor positions at The Daily Barometer, I was losing my team leader position at Search and Rescue.

Girls State was something that I was looking forward to. Excitement filled me as I imagined taking my usual leadership role at Girls State. Well, much to my chagrin, that role wasn't there for me. Not only had my personal life been shifted abruptly, Girls State didn't look the same either.

It is my belief that to be a good GS staff member, you need to believe in the purpose of the program and the magic it has the power to inspire with all of your heart. You need to believe in the power of putting away your resume and connecting with your peers. You have to understand the power and strength that comes from connecting with other women that have never known who you were - they only know who you can become.

I was hard for me to believe in the all-powerful Girls State mission as I took a back seat to the citizens and a back seat to the action unfolding with the staff. I set goals for myself, during the week, in terms of staff outreach and the newspaper. But, alas, my hands were empty of the kind of influence or effect that I wanted.

Again, I had found, that there was little need for my usual brand of leadership skills.

I say "my usual brand" because there was need for a different type of leadership. There is always a changing need a Girls State. We have needed a leadership team, cross training of commish jobs and project leadership on different occasions. We need the women who can get their hands dirty and lead the citizens through that all powerful, mud-slog of a week. But we also need women that can charge ahead all year long. These women know who they are - they raise thousands of dollars, organize our speakers and presenters and work on our website.

As we grow with Girls State, our relationships change. Be it our relationships to each other, our relationships to the program or our relationship to ourselves, we are always changing.

I ended this Girls State session in frustration. Every year, it seems, the program becomes less magical and less inspirational. While I wasn't paying attention and I was too busy sulking about my new "job description" at Girls State, I didn't notice that the program was becoming magical in other, more important ways.

When I was a citizen, I was given the opportunity to act how I wanted to act. I was a different person at Girls State than how I was remembered at home. Today, that difference is almost gone. Girls State isn't my only chance to do great things and be that ideal woman. I can do that every day.

As we get older, the difference between our "Girls State selves" and our "real selves" becomes smaller (hopefully - if we did it right). To each other, as older staff members, we start to see that the woman at Girls State is the same as the woman we see outside of the program.

That wasn't true when we were JCs.

As we get older and spend more and more time together, our relationships get a little more complicated. This is where another layer of magic comes in. No matter our level of friendship outside of the program, we have acquired a lot of knowledge about each other. This is amazing, given the small amount of time that we have spent together in the grand scheme of life.

The universal truths that we find at Girls State (about other staff members), continue to be applicable outside of Girls State. People who would usually be unable to work together can find, need to find, cohesion at GS. And that cohesion creates bonds that become unshakable throughout the years.

Up until about a week ago, I was doubting my interest in another year of Girls State. I had no desire to produce the next edition of the Girls State Alumni Newsletter and I didn't want to come back for next session.

And then, within a day of each other, both Kaeleen and Kristin sent me Facebook messages telling me that they were thinking about me and wanted to hang out soon. I was reminded of hanging out with Kaeleen and some of her friends. Because of our incredibly dense weeks of Girls State together, I understand Kaeleen pretty darn well.

I may not know the details of her life, but I understand something a little more basic than that. I know how Kaeleen will react, I know Kaeleen under pressure. I know that two years ago, Kaeleen hugged me while I was balling. *note: she wasn't crying :) I know that we are opposite sides of different coins. But, because of Girls State, I know how to work efficiently with someone who is very different than I am.

Kelly and Rebekah always have a few words to say at candlelighting about the power of lifetime, Girls State friendships. To me this year, that speech sounded a little disingenuous. We aren't all friends outside of GS. I was bitter, insecure and didn't yet understand what new things we get from our years at GS

We talked this year about cliques and groups forming among the staff. We aren't perfect, and even at GS, we flock to that which is most comfortable. The more years of GS we tack on, the more we learn to support and give life to those friendships and working relationships that will continue to last. We, in human nature, spend less energy feeding the new relationships with new staff.

The thing about Girls State: No one is against anyone. We are all fighting for the same goals. We have different motivations and skill sets to get us there.

The magic (for the 5-year Girls Stater) is that those motivations and intrinsic personal factors will remain the same whether you see a fellow staff member at a bar or leading a cheer in GA.

I said earlier, "You have to understand the power and strength that comes from connecting with other women that have never known who you were - they only know who you can become."

The NEW magic is understanding the power and strength that comes from connecting with women who DO know who you are - AND believe in who you can become.

The Oregonian: Aug. 28, 2009

2009-08-27T22:31:00.001-07:00

The Oregonian: Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2009

2009-08-26T16:55:00.000-07:00

The Oregonian: Aug. 25, 2009

2009-08-25T17:49:00.000-07:00

The Oregonian: Aug. 24, 2009

2009-08-24T18:29:00.001-07:00

The Oregonian: Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2009

2009-08-19T17:57:00.000-07:00

The Oregonian: Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2009

2009-08-18T18:11:00.000-07:00

The Oregonian: Monday, Aug. 17, 2009

2009-08-17T18:48:00.000-07:00

The Oregonian: Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2009

2009-08-12T18:29:00.001-07:00

A&E pages for 8/14. You're getting a sneak peak :) I really like the first page of the tabloid pages. It's the black and white one.

The Oregonian: Tuesday, Aug. 11

2009-08-11T19:08:00.000-07:00

The Oregonian: Monday, Aug. 10

2009-08-10T18:14:00.000-07:00

**Clearly I was productive. Luckily, I also got to work on the Wednesday How We Live cover.

The Oregonian: Aug. 7, 2009

2009-08-07T18:47:00.000-07:00

The Oregonian: Aug. 6, 2009

2009-08-06T18:34:00.000-07:00

The Oregonian: Aug. 5, 2009

2009-08-05T23:16:00.000-07:00

The Oregonian: Aug. 4, 2009

2009-08-04T18:26:00.000-07:00

The Oregonian: Aug. 3, 2009

2009-08-03T18:41:00.001-07:00

The Oregonian: July 31, 2009

2009-07-31T21:30:00.000-07:00

The Oregonian: July 30, 2009

2009-07-31T00:06:00.000-07:00

The Oregonian: July 29, 2009

2009-07-29T22:11:00.000-07:00

The Oregonian: July 28, 2009

2009-07-29T00:07:00.000-07:00

The Oregonian: July 27, 2009

2009-07-27T23:51:00.000-07:00

The Oregonian: July 24, 2009

2009-07-24T21:21:00.000-07:00

The Oregonian: July 23, 2009

2009-07-23T22:15:00.000-07:00

The Oregonian: Wednesday, July 22

2009-07-22T20:43:00.000-07:00

The Oregonian: Week 4, day 1

2009-07-20T21:28:00.000-07:00

I have found a couple of jobs that I am going to apply for :) One is at The Olympian (the paper of the state capital). It is a capital-beat reporting position. The other is a features writer/editor position at The Chronicle in Centralia, Washington. I am going to send away a few e-mails tonight with my resume (new and improved) attached. I was able to use some free time (when I was late for work and didn't realize it) to update my resume.

I have procrastinated a bit on applying for jobs, though I have applied for one (I was turned down for a copy editor/page designer position at The Kitsap Sun). Tomorrow, I will have applied for two more. And then, hopefully, I'll be on a roll. I want to send cover letters, resumes and digital portfolios (maybe even just a link to my website, we'll see) off to all of the TV stations, radio stations and newspapers in the greater-Tacoma area. There are definitely more jobs available in Washington than there are in Oregon. At least Tacoma has that going for it. Tacoma will also have Anthony and I suppose that is a selling point as well ;)

Working at The Oregonian has really gotten me thinking about "new media." It can't be called new media forever but it certainly feels new to the people who have worked in "old media." But, we are finally at a point that media is just media. Any one medium can be simultaneously published to the ultimate medium. Video, sound and print word can all be hosted by this one thing - the internet. However, the same thing can be said of television. It can also host video, sound and print word. But, alas, the internet can also become interactive. This is why the internet - and powerful computing - are the media of the future. The media of the new, if you will. How do we use it? Do we boil information down to blips and bytes? Or, do we use the infinite space of the internet to write volumes upon volumes of information down for anyone to access?

I think the key here is that the user can PICK the information he or she would like to access. If you offer a blip, and mention that there is more - the user can then choose to access that information if s/he chooses. That is interactive.

The user doesn't need to be able to manipulate information to feel that they are interacting with their media of choice. Simply being able to choose what they want to read is probably enough to give most people a feeling of interactivity and manipulation. Blips and bytes are the tease to the longer stories and more detailed information. Blips and bytes can express that there is a fire or a road closure. Newspapers used to be run-sheets of the news of the day. The police blotter now is similar to the newspapers of old. The important information came in the form of ship schedules, markets and wrap sheets. The Associated Press was developed because individual papers were all sending reporters to the same harbor every day to get the newest information on what ships were bringing to port. They decided to work together and only send one reporter between them. Suddenly, the work of one was sent to every paper in the union. This trend continues today. Papers far and wide share information over The Associated Press wire (at one time simply telegraphs, then a telegraph machine), which is now available over the internet.

Maybe google news can hire one reporter in every borough. Every day, they can post the relevant news of their community. They can choose blips and bytes or long-format stories. They can add pictures and videos. Google news can aggregate and make all of that information searchable. What do we lose in that situation? Watchdog reporting. Time to spend months if not years to develop stories of scandal, abuse of power and injustice.

My professor, Pamela Cytrynbaum, has freed men from death row with her reporting. The written, factually accurate and fact-checked word is a powerful thing. I believe we lose accuracy and dependability of information with fewer reporters roaming the streets to ask the same questions to more than one person. Journalism is not like being a doctor. There is no state regulation here. Anyone can be a journalist. But, the new media crowd hasn't yet learned to value accuracy. Fast is fast, but fast and correct is better. I believe that only professionals have the power and ability to do that.

To my old media friends: Grow up and grow a set. The 24-hour news cycle is here. Use your connections to give the soundbite ASAP. Then, take your time to develop the story. If you know something is happening, you have tools to let other people know about it. Claim that story by posting the news on Twitter or Facebook. Blog about it or send out a message to your online subscribers.

To my new media colleagues: Don't forget that accuracy is key. Be concise and flexible. Value your own Tweets and Facebook status updates as your very own published newspaper or novel.

The Oregonian: Monday, July 20, 2009

2009-07-20T21:26:00.000-07:00

The Oregonian: July 17, 2009

2009-07-17T21:30:00.000-07:00

The Oregonian: Thursday, July 17, 2009

2009-07-16T21:24:00.000-07:00

**Front designed by Carrie Hoover

The Oregonian: Wednesday, July 15, 2009

2009-07-15T19:41:00.001-07:00

I got to lay out TV Click! Yeah.

The Oregonian: July 14, 2009

2009-07-14T21:10:00.001-07:00

Photo of the day: July 13, 2009

2009-07-13T22:53:00.000-07:00

I have a plan. This will be an exercise in becoming a better photographer. I am going to take a photo every day (or at least 5 days out of every week). I will edit that photo and share it here.

Maybe this plan will keep me occupied. I like it, anyway. I can't promise that I'll keep it up, but I certainly want to.

Enjoy!

Back from North Carolina - the final round

2009-07-12T20:57:00.000-07:00

So, I can't bring myself to delete "Blackboard" from my bookmarks in my web browser. Blackboard is an OSU site that I will never have a use for again but I don't want to delete it. I just don't want to say goodbye to every part of OSU. I've said goodbye to a number of OSU-centric things, like homework, working at the Barometer and my thesis. However, I don't want to fully bid adieu to 16 years of school. I spent 16 years working toward something. Now what am I doing?

After 12+ hours of flight/airport time, I'm back on the ground in Oregon. I travelled to North Carolina to go to Anthony's graduation. It's always hard for me to adjust to 4 (or more) days of time with Anthony to living my life without him physically in it. This time is a little different though, because Anthony has graduated. In about two weeks, he'll be here in Oregon with a number of weeks off to do whatever he pleases.

Tomorrow, I go back to work. Tomorrow, it will feel exactly the same as it did before I travelled to go see him. Tomorrow, I will be stuck in this rut of work/sleep/eat/sleep more. I am trying really hard to like work (and it gets better everyday) but I am having a really hard time liking the rest of my life. Before, when I was at OSU, there was no "rest of my life." It was all devoted to work, school and volunteering duties. Now, work and volunteering duties take up less than 40 of 112 waking hours each week. What the hell do I do with the other 72 hours each week?! Anthony told me to pick up a hobby. I told him that I could start watching movies (I believe that movies are a waste of time, literally). They are a splendid way to waste 2 hours. However, Anthony told me that I wasn't really getting the point of a hobby if I believed that wasting time was the goal. I'm pretty sure that's the whole point. However, I'd like my time wasting to be mildly productive.

In North Carolina, I got a bug bite on my arm. Let me preface this by saying that I don't like doctors. This bug bite hurt pretty bad at first and the next day I woke with a bright red circle around the bite. The circle was hard but not raised from my skin. I called a friend and got some advice on what to do (whether I should see a doctor). I am reminded of my oven cleaner incident where I needed to call a friend's mom for advice on getting the very basic (opposite of acid) stuff on my hands. So, I called and Isabel told me exactly what I was thinking. Take Benedryl, ice and use hydrocortisone. Today, I woke up and the redness and swelling had calmed significantly. The spot, however faint, was a little bit bigger. So, I asked again what Isabel (and Anthony) thought and they both said it would be best if I went to see a doctor just in case it turned into cellulitis (AKA flesh-eating bacterial infection). I hate my life. I hate doctors enough that I started crying on the phone with Anthony. Now he thinks something is wrong with us, just because I really was trying to avoid his suggestion that I see a doctor. So, I'm going to play it another day. The urgent care facility in Canby opens at noon. That means, if I go, I'll be late to work (probably). Maybe not if I can see a doctor quickly. So, I'm going to wake up early enough to be there when the doors open. But, if my bite looks "better" in the morning, I won't go to the Urgent Care facility.

I hate doctors.

Maybe I don't hate them as much as I fear them. So, while Anthony interpreted my tears as tears of frustration - really, they were tears of terror about going to a doctor and/or potentially losing part of my arm if this doesn't go well. It will take a miracle to get me to go to the doctor. I'm not kidding. So, let's hope for the best or I may start losing cells.

It's hard for me to explain what I am feeling to Anthony. I think we get into trouble a lot when I am angry at him. I don't feel that it is appropriate for me to be angry with him. So, I refuse to tell him why I am being quiet or why I am crying. Really, if I just said, "I am angry with you for talking to me the way you did. You made me feel stupid," we might be miles ahead. Instead, I like to keep my mouth shut and embrace my anger. Bad plan, let me tell you.

So, let's hope my arm is fine and wish for the best at work tomorrow.

The Oregonian: July 7, 2009

2009-07-07T21:48:00.001-07:00

These are my pages for the Wednesday, July 8 edition of The Oregonian.

The Oregonian: July 6, 2009

2009-07-06T21:34:00.000-07:00

It's the beginning of week two.

The evening, I was tasked with all of the inside A-section pages (except weather). It was a SMALL paper, so there weren't too many pages but it was awesome to get a chance to actually take the workload of my team leader. Feedback was good. I continue to bring proofs of pages to my trainer to see if they have any suggestions to improve design.

These pages are pretty straightforward because they are preplanned and custom fit by editors. My job is to put the pieces together and flow in the text. But, I enjoy it nonetheless.

This morning was rough. I woke up at about 11:30 a.m. and had WAY too much time to waste before work started. Tomorrow, I will have the same problem. I am going to try and bring my camera tomorrow and get downtown early. That way, I can take some photos. It'll be fun. I don't get to shoot enough. Perhaps there will be good weather so I can take some great photos of the sights and sounds of downtown Portland.

I still need to ask permission to post images of my pages after I complete them. Perhaps I will ask my supervisor before I take off here. The Oregonian design team is very low key. There is no lack of professionalism and the team takes last minute changes in stride. The press is rolling at 10:30 p.m., so there is no room for late-breaking unless plans are in the works to pump out a second edition (which is not unheard of). In fact, The Oregonian used to do 3 daily editions. There are still naming functions involved that show that trend. AKA, that weird story-naming format has the ability to indicate which edition the story/photo or graphic was for.

Today, I talked to Kaeleen about our mutual lack of motivation. I think that jogging/running would be a good place for me to get into a habit. That can be like a healthy hobby. I like it if I do it right. So, as of next week, Kaeleen and I are going to run together. We are hoping that we can motivate each other. We'll see what happens. Kaeleen and I are complete opposites in different ways but we get along pretty well and I think we support each other pretty well. We each counter the parts that the other is missing. Kaeleen is in touch with her emotions and generally lives life through her feelings. I am the exact opposite. But Kaeleen and I can complement each others' decision-making processes. At least, that's what we do at Girls State.

On Wednesday, I get on a plane and head toward the great blue other coast. I am headed to North Carolina to watch Anthony graduate! I haven't really showed him how excited I am, but there is time still. He has gone through such an amazing period of growth and change. I am so impressed with him. But he'll probably read this and get a dose of it for himself. I have never loved Anthony more. He is very much my rock and he is very much my go-to guy for this transition in my life.

I've been talking with a few other interns and some of them have also said that their transition from the homes (which are far away in most cases) to their internships have been tough. I have done the transition thing before and I had a rough time in both Astoria and McMinnville. However, I was really hopeful for the transition back to my hometown and closer to my Search and Rescue friends. Well, they have failed me. They haven't been there for me, and I'm not sure why. But, the job transition has been the best yet and I am excited for the days ahead. Each good day at The Oregonian fuels the following days. So, here's to day 5 in The O newsroom.

This week is a short week, see above, but it should be a good one. I get to hang out with Carrie tomorrow. I keep projecting my thank-yous all over the newsroom. But, I really appreciate all of the time and energy put into teaching me what I need to know.

The Oregonian: July 3, 2009

2009-07-02T22:55:00.000-07:00

I just burned the roof of my mouth, but I couldn't resist blogging a little before I head off to dreamy land.

Anthony got back home today. That means that he is snug in his own bed in North Carolina. I got to talk to him on my lunch break.

Today at The Oregonian, I was responsible for three pages. I paginated A2, A4 and A8. It was a really good day. There was a lot less Twittering and OCD e-mail checking on my part. I am slowing learning The Oregonian's system. It's a very straightforward system, but the pages, stories and photos have very complicated names that are a jumble of letters and numbers. It's going to take me a few more weeks to get that system down. For example, a story is labeled as follows:

WR.61OBAMX03

WR - means wire story
6 - stands for the day of the week
1 - stands for which press run
OBAM - is a four-digit slug for the story
X - indicates how many parts go with the story
03 - is that date

YEAH! That was all from memory. I hope I am not giving away trade secrets here, but I'm not sure anyone would want to replicate this system. I'm probably safe because I haven't explained any of the other options for naming. Now, keep in mind that this is solely for STORIES. There are two other systems for photos and pages.

Now that I've been sitting for a few minutes, the roof of my mouth is really badly burned. In fact, it is blistering. I'm going to go take care of that.

The Oregonian: July 1, 2009

2009-07-01T18:21:00.000-07:00

To blog or not to blog?

That is the question. I believe it is technically a breach of some kind of unwritten agreement for me to be blogging while I'm sitting in the design area. However, I'm doing it anyway.

Today, I had a really good day. And I've been having very few good days since I graduated from college.

Sidenote: I just realized that this is the only part of the newsroom where you here very little typing. This is where we don't do typing.

The transition from essentially being my own boss, a student and living by myself has been a tough one. I am now a cog in an oversize corporate machine (that is doing its best to not be that type of company) who lives with her mother. I don't have the type of independence, both of work and play, that I used to. However, I want to make the most of my situation. Today was a good day because I was finally given some leeway to perform the duties of my job without someone watching over my shoulder. The shoulder-watching was definitely needed up until now. But today I was left to try it out for myself and ask questions as needed.

I work the "late" shift at The Oregonian. I am assigned (for the foreseeable future) to show up around 2 p.m. and commute home after 10 p.m.

I like that schedule, let me tell you.

Up until today, I hadn't been able to talk to my partner, Anthony. He had been doing some training that kept him away from a phone. He called me today and I was very confused. Honestly, I almost didn't answer because I didn't recognize the number. The phone cut out as I answered and I wasn't quite sure who I was talking to. I was about to ask who I was speaking with when he said "Hello?" And I knew who it was. I didn't want to be on the phone too long since I had paraded myself back to my desk while my phone vibrated. Also, I was about to make a scene because I was starting to cry while talking to him. There was this massive sense of relief. Finally, I get my baby back.

I think crying on my third day of work at The Oregonian would probably not reflect well on my performance, but I regret that I wasn't able to talk to Anthony for more than a few minutes. I probably could have spared a few more but I wanted to get through my first hour here today without incident.

I miss you, baby.

Today marks the production of my second complete page in The Oregonian. I have gained some invaluable experience. For me, it's tough to be the new kid and the one who needs to have her hand held. But I am starting to love my time here. Thank you so much to Lisa Cowan for her hours and hours of sitting with me and letting me annoy her with my questions.

I'm actually playing as a team player today and that makes me feel really good about working here. That's what newspapers are all about. So, I'm learning The Oregonian's lingo, linking stories and piecing together pages to send to press. I'm actually having a hand in that majestic thing that is The Oregonian. I am working side by side with some of the people I have distantly idolized. I feel a little like I am on an extended field trip to this newsroom. I've been here so many times to visit and to get energized about journalism that its hard to separate the two.

However, this is for real. I am employed here for the next 9 weeks and one day. This is no field trip, Sunshine.

So, even though I'm going through a lot of life transitions, it is a goal of mine to kick some butt and take some names - just as my colleagues at school have always expected me to do.

So, this is for Benny! (In fact, I need to find a Flat Benny and take some quality photos with him at The Oregonian). More to come about my adventures at The Oregonian! Hurrah to day three!

June 26: Pre-Internship at The Oregonian

2009-06-26T14:12:00.000-07:00

I was accepted to be an intern at The Oregonian for the summer. It has been a long haul. I've moved from Corvallis (post graduation) to my old family home in Canby. I'll be living with mom and commuting to downtown Portland to work at The Oregonian's headquarters.

Graduation was a four-hour ordeal but it feels really good to have my degree. I actually have a degree. It's not a change in title or anything but I have a degree and that makes me qualified for things. That makes me kind of glad. I'm the first one in my direct lineage to get a Bachelor's degree. I think my degree in Liberal Studies with an option in New Media Communications makes me very qualified to work in this new media landscape.

I find myself nervous to start work at The Oregonian. I start on Monday, but I'm worried that I'll be schlepping coffee. The logical portions of my brain tell me that is mildly insane. However, I remain intimidated and afraid.

Between my last page layout and today, I've moved from Corvallis to Canby and completed a week of Girls State. Girls State was good and bad and I've been wanting to put together a few words on that on Facebook.

"Hey Girls State!"

I am glad to be home because it means that I can visit with my dad and Susan (stepmom) at almost any time. I am working at the Garden Center (a new William Dillard Nursery Co. business venture) on Saturday. And I can run up to Portland to make that CD release party that deShauna had for her non-profit (last night). I got to see Kaeleen (Girls State) and there is almost constantly something to do. I love being home for that reason. I think it will be tough to be so far south here in Canby. Canby itself is a small town. However, it's significantly closer to the big city than Corvallis is. I think I am going to be driving a lot this summer.

Also, I got my website up and running! Visit laurendillard.com

I've also put my thesis website up as well. Visit laurendillard.com/bdb

Candle lighting at Girls State!

The Daily Barometer: Friday, June 5, 2009

2009-06-04T21:52:00.000-07:00

The Daily Barometer: Thursday, June 4, 2009

2009-06-03T21:37:00.000-07:00

The Daily Barometer: Friday, May 29, 2009

2009-05-28T22:01:00.000-07:00

The Daily Barometer: Thursday, May 20, 2009

2009-05-20T22:09:00.000-07:00

The Daily Barometer: Friday, May 15, 2009

2009-05-14T22:55:00.000-07:00

The Daily Barometer: Thursday, May 14, 2009

2009-05-13T22:46:00.001-07:00

The Daily Barometer: Friday, May 8, 2009

2009-05-07T22:59:00.000-07:00

The Daily Barometer: Thursday, May 7, 2009

2009-05-06T21:22:00.000-07:00

The Daily Barometer: Friday, May 1, 2009

2009-04-30T22:04:00.000-07:00

Thinking of you, Anthony :)

The Daily Barometer: Thursday, April 30, 2009

2009-04-29T22:19:00.001-07:00

The Daily Barometer: Friday, April 24, 2009

2009-04-24T01:12:00.001-07:00

Viva New Media

2009-04-16T22:20:00.002-07:00

Follow my journey to Las Vegas for the National Association of Broadcasters convention!

The Daily Barometer: Friday, April 17, 2009

2009-04-16T22:20:00.001-07:00

The Daily Barometer: Thursday, April 16, 2009

2009-04-15T23:43:00.001-07:00

The Daily Barometer: Friday, April 10, 2009

2009-04-09T23:17:00.000-07:00

The Daily Barometer: Thursday, April 9, 2009

2009-04-08T21:55:00.000-07:00

The Daily Barometer: Friday, April 3, 2009

2009-04-03T00:11:00.001-07:00

The Daily Barometer: Thursday, April 2, 2009

2009-04-01T21:49:00.000-07:00

The Daily Barometer: Friday, March 13, 2009

2009-03-12T21:50:00.001-07:00

The Daily Barometer: Wednesday, March 11, 2009

2009-03-10T20:54:00.000-07:00

The Daily Barometer: Friday, March 6, 2009

2009-03-06T00:07:00.001-08:00

Among the fray at Oregon Daily Emerald

2009-03-05T14:18:00.000-08:00

College newspapers are a tough gig. Even more tough? Picking between ethics and your job description.

Better yet? The Oregon Daily Emerald is having to choose between journalistic integrity and how much supervision they’ll have from the University of Oregon.

The staff of the Oregon Daily Emerald is on strike. It started Wednesday at 6 a.m.
The staff of the Emerald produced the first issued of the paper since 1900 without any student content. The issue was also sans photos.

The Daily Barometer is governed by a board called the University Student Media Committee. There are four students and four university staff members that serve as voting members. The board is also comprises the editors and managers of the five branches of Student Media as well as the director and assistant directors of Student Media.

The ODE is taking a stand against the ODE Board of Directors.
According to The Associated Press, the ODE board recruited Steven A. Smith — former editor of The Spokesman-Review in Spokane — as a consultant. Smith designed a plan that included hiring a publisher on a five-year contract.

Though Smith declined an offer to take the post of publisher, he said that he would do the job for a year while the ODE board conducted a national search.

Smith mentioned at some point that he would also be interested in teaching at the university while serving as publisher of the ODE.

The student editors at the ODE took issue with this among other issues. They feared that the publisher — under the new plan — would have more power than the editor of the paper. If Smith were to teach classes as well, he would have power over them in the classroom as well.

At this point, through a series of events, Smith has rescinded his interest in the position.

The ODE editors are on strike because they are asking the board to meet a number of demands.

First, they are asking that the board rescind the offer the Smith. Now, a moot point.

Second, conduct a national search for a publisher.

Third, “Stipulate in the chosen publisher’s contract that he or she shall not be employed in any capacity by the University, including at the School of Journalism and Communication.”

Fourth, “Stipulate in the chosen publisher’s contract that he or she shall not have immediate supervisory control over the editor; rather, the publisher and student editor shall remain equals in the organization, as the general manager and student editor currently are.”

I like it.

These are fantastic demands.

Above that, they are reasonable demands.

However, these journalists are short a platform at this point in time. The ethics of journalism are concerned with the material that makes it into print.

Journalist can’t serve the fourth estate while refusing to do any work.

The staff of the ODE has crippled their resource — a fabulous place to have their voices heard — by refusing to print their own words in it.

On occasion, journalists have the tendency to overestimate the worth of their work. I believe that the ODE was trying to prove a point, by eliminating their publication and the resource that it is. They were hoping that people would be shocked and dismayed that their paper was gone.

In economic times such as these and in the face of new media, it is a scary proposition to intentionally take away the medium.

With Facebook, Twitter and The New York Times on Kindle, maybe society doesn’t really need that newspaper.

In an era of the dying newspaper, why would the ODE intentionally kill theirs?

The ODE board can choose to meet the demands of the staff. They are not extraordinary. They are certainly within the capabilities of the board.

However, the ODE is a business venture.

The staff of the ODE is looking at their newspaper as students and idealists and not as employees of a business.

It’s a tough line to walk; the line of ethics and ideals versus the profit venture that newspapers have always been.

The Daily Barometer has advertisers lined up and paid through spring term. If we don’t print the paper, we lose the income.

As editors, we are responsible for the daily function and consistency of product. We do that part and the business people (in this case, the Barometer literally has a “business side” of our facility) leave us alone.

By choosing to protest, the editors of the ODE have sacrificed their resource and the company.

The editors have not fulfilled the duties of their job descriptions.

Rather than meet their demands, the ODE board could choose instead to fire the editor and her staff.

More likely, the ODE Board of Directors could decide that they are no longer interested in coordinating a print publication.

On Wednesday, the editor and managing editors in fact said, “The Emerald is in the midst of a transformation that we hope will allow us to continue to publish as long as the University is enrolling students, but we are in dire financial straits and if these changes are not made soon, the Emerald may have to close its doors within the next few years.”

A journalist as only as good as his or her method of reaching readers.
While the goals are spot-on appropriate and very noble, the follow through may mean disaster for the ODE.

I urge readers to support the cause, so that we don’t lose one of the big three — the daily newspapers at Oregon’s public Universities.

The Daily Barometer: Wednesday, March 4, 2009

2009-03-03T22:28:00.001-08:00

The Daily Barometer: Friday, February 27, 2009

2009-02-26T22:02:00.000-08:00

The Daily Barometer: Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2009

2009-02-24T22:41:00.001-08:00

The Daily Barometer: Friday, February 20, 2009

2009-02-19T23:44:00.001-08:00