The Weblog: A Voice for Everyone

Jay Rosen's article about the increase of blogs and its increase in Journalistic Democracy does open the door to more people to become "journalists" in their own form. They are a type that differ from the common journalist you see in newspapers, television and in magazines. If somebody has an interest that others may like, that blog can receive a strong following. Topics could be cooking, dogs or comic books for example, even things that our not very ordinary.

In America, we all share the right to free speech and the press. The internet has added a new part to our First Amendment rights as citizens, who now have accesss to express out opinions through blogs and comment on others posts, agreeing or disagreeing with it. Of course some people may see bloggers as fake journalists, some of them do catch the eye of the public. They get sent to bigger news sites if good enough and can cause a stir amongst people.

Many people who work for news stations and other media outlets like ESPN for example, have their own blogs, where they can give their viewers and readers access to more information posted by them.

It will be interesting to where blogs and other online forums will take us in journalism as we move into this next decade and beyond.

Google Reader: My Own Custom News Site

Grad student Anne Greenawalt presented on Google Reader, one of the many different features I had yet to discover on Google. I knew that Google, being one of the biggest search engines in the world, had several different features, other than finding sites and getting basic news and images. Reader seemed interesting when Miss Greenawalt introduced it to the class. In the past few days, I began to toy with Google Reader and I find it very helpful, especially when it comes to finding information and news that I constantly look for on a daily basis online.
With Google Reader, I am able to find news on the NHL, Notre Dame Football, Pittsburgh News, and other articles and editorials that would be appealing to me. In 15 minutes, I was able to get dozens of stories based on my interest as I subscribed to sites like Bleacher Report for Notre Dame sports news and other websites where I can find information for me, especially since I have a radio show that deals with sports most of the time. Like I said, Google has a lot of different features, and this is slowly becoming my favorite over Google News and Google Earth.

Bracket is Everything But Sweet

Well, we're through the halfway point of the NCAA Basketball Tournament, and for some of us, it has been a nightmare in some regions. For me, the southern regions are killing me, especially since I put Pittsburgh and Notre Dame in the Final Four, and made Pitt the champion, WOOPS!

Here's How I Did Going into the Sweet 16:
WHATI GOT RIGHT: Ohio State, North Carolina, Kansas, Wisconsin, BYU, Florida, San Diego State University, Connecticut, Duke Arizona.
WHAT I GOT WRONG: Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, West Virginina, Syracuse, Louisville, Georgetown

Second Round: 24-8 ( 75%)
Third Round: 10-6 (63%)

Well, here's hoping for a Sweeter Thursday and Friday of Basketball!

The Social Stalker

OK, we all know the term "cyber stalking," which we relate more to Facebook specifically. Grad student Chris Lied got into more detail on the issue. I have to say that most of the information that was given in his presentation was obvious, mostly with the numbers that state men are more likely to stalk women on social networks and the effects of this new form of stalking.

Of course, stalking online has been around as far back as the first chat rooms in the early-mid 90's. Facebook has made it easier for these "creepers" to stalk more openly. Lied's presentation did expose the increase of cyber stalking, and it did give some good advice on how to prevent it. The most significant way was how to save a web page by printing the page into the "Paint" application and saving it there, which is important if the stalking is very severe.

One thing I do disagree on is the gender numbers. I think women do stalk more than what was found in his research. I think the number is low because I believe men are embarrassed to admit being stalked by a woman, and are less prone to report it, due to their fear of losing masculinity. I can say that most of us have had one stalker in our lives when it comes to being online, especially on Facebook. The social networking sites have given us more access to people information, and it could be a negative for the way people interact with others. Sometimes we do more communicating through Facebook than we do in real life. Maybe sometimes we have to remember how to use our social skills which we have used for millions of years as humans, unlike our fingers that have done most of the talking for the last two decades.

Hey, I'm on Twitter!

Follow me through twitter for updates for new blog posts

@Gallagher058

NHL Fan Podcast

The NHL Fan Podcast is finally up and ready to be heard! 

LISTEN TO THE NHL FAN PODCAST

Pawn Stars Makes History and Pawning Entertaining

It's natural to have a certain feeling toward pawn shops when you hear the word pawn shop. We usually think of a store in a bad part of town where people sell and pawn watches and jewelry that could be fake without evening knowing it. But History Channel has shed a more positive light on the business, especially when welcoming millions of viewers in the Harrison Family's Gold and Silver Pawn Shop on Las Vegas Boulevard with their reality show Pawn Stars. It's a show that would be the child of American Choppers and Antique Roadshow, and your high school or college history courses.

Rick Harrison, the star and middle man of the family business, where he works with his father Richard, referred to as "the old man" and his son Corey aka "Big Hoss," is a street smart book worm who picked up the pawning game when he was 13. He picked it up from his old man, who lost millions in the real estate market, and moved his family out to Sin City to start a new life, which became his pawn shop.

Rick developed the show with the History Channel. Like I said, he admits to being a bookworm who reads a few hours a night and definitely knows his history, which just adds on to knowing a real $30,000 Rolex from a fake one. He takes the business seriously but still bends more for the old man and is always willing to make a joke about the Old Man being bitter at times.

Corey, who is still learning the ropes, is almost as smart as his dad and grandfather when it comes to working in the pawn shop. Although he still makes a few mistakes. An example would be when Corey buys a hot-air balloon for $38,000, which breaks Rick's rule of a $10,000 limit on Corey selling any item without his approval, and sets Rick off. Corey did save himself on a purchase of a run-down 1942 European motorcycle and made a profit at the Las Vegas Motorcycle Auction, while rubbing it in Rick's face. Overall, Corey knows what he is doing, and one day, he'll be running the shop.


And then there's Chumlee, which in the television world, you would call "comic relief." Chum has been Corey's best friend since they were 12. He's not the brightest in any sense. He never negotiates a deal during the taping of the show, which would cause the Old Man and Rick to drop dead of a heart attack if he did and we see him wanting to buy items that would never sell, like video games and once offered a $1000 for a Ancient Roman soldiers costume. Chumlee is the most popular star of the show next to Rick, I believe, especially since everyone flocks to him when they enter the shop.Chum also gets the honor of testing old guns and weapons, cause someone has to do it! 

For those of you who don't know what a pawn shop is, here is a brief history. Back during the Great Depression, pawn shops became a way for people to get money for old, valuable items, which was good especially since they get paid in straight cash. In our current economy, the pawn shops are doing well. There are a few rules to the game of pawn. You can either sell and item for cash, or you can pawn an item, which means you are given a loan and that item is collateral, for example, your car. If you don't pay it back within 30 to 60 days or else the store owns your item legally. There is also the ability to trade, which results in getting an item at the same value as their item.

Of course, there is another code that store owners and sellers must follow. You will never get the exact amount for an item. Rick and his employees are buying these items with the hope of selling them to make a profit. Harrison might buy a car for $9,000, but will re-sell it for $13,000 and make a $4,000 profit. Determining the price they would buy it at makes for the most entertaining part of the show that leaves me thinking like Rick, Corey or the Old Man at times.

Another reason the show is entertaining, especially for me, is the history in some of the items. Not all of the items are authentic or real, which Rick's expert friends usually determine, making the customer happy or disappointed in their item. Items include an old Colt 45 revolver from the late 19th century, Buttons worn by George Washington and vintage vending machines are favorites of mine from the show. Early American items are as popular with me as they are with Rick. While there are items with history that don't sell as much. A "Little Orphan Annie" decoder pin (remember A Christmas Story from the 1930's radio show only sold for $27 and an Apple computer from 1988 for $100, which Rick explained are turned into aquariums called "Macquariums."      

What separates their pawn shop from other ones in America I believe has to be the location. Las Vegas, Nevada is the gambling capital of America. Most people who come to the shop from what I have seen, are looking for some spending money.

Thousands of people have begun flocking to this pawn shop daily since the show began, making the owners of this shop instant celebrities, taking pictures with customers while trying to work, but they have to like the business they are getting due to the TV show. For me, it has become a constant show to watch. I have many guilty pleasures, but this one I am not afraid to reveal, I'm hooked. Whether its the history, the haggling or Chumlee, it is now my favorite show on History Channel.