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Two drivers died and several others were injured in an accident on Interstate 790. At 6:45 a.m. this morning two tractor trailers collided, creating a chain reaction. According to Sgt. Albert Wei of the police department, 16 other vehicles were involved including a tractor-trailer hauling diesel fuel. Very luckily the tanker “didn’t roll over or dump any fuel or catch fire,” stated Wei. However, four victims of the accident sustained life-threatening injuries, announced Fire Chief Tony Sullivan. Two of the four had to be rushed 50 miles away in the “Life Flight” helicopter from Memorial Hospital to the trauma center in Statesville. Overall, 20 people were injured. Sullivan described the scene like it was a war zone; people covered in blood, bodies sprawled along the road, workers franticly rushing around doing everything they could to help. It was chaos. In over the 18 years Sullivan has been with the fire department, he has never seen anything so bad. According to Wei, Interstate 790 remains closed, and there is still no indication on when it’ll be open to traffic again.

Walking Fido

Research from University of Missouri has found people who walk dogs show more health improvements than those who walk with a human companion. Dog walkers had a bigger increase in physical fitness, but also were more consistent with exercising regularly.

New York Times -

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/14/the-best-walking-partner-man-vs-dog/

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Side of Leads

There were quite a few mistakes I've had with leads. Often, I'm really tempted to get ALL the information from an article packed into one sentence. This not only makes the sentence extremely long, but also makes it confusing. So, I've learned to keep it short and sweet. I just try to focus on getting the important information and leaving out the rest. Also, keeping a lead specific rather than a vague is ideal. This lets the reader know exactly what the lead and article is about. Finally, by creating an interesting lead you're more likely to grab the reader's attention. If you have a boring lead then the reader might simply bypass the article. So, while I still have a lot to learn, I'm beginning to grasp the concept of news writing.

Breadwinner

Pew Research Center found that men are now gaining greater economic benefits from marriage. In recent decades, the rate of women’s earnings and education level has increased. This development has allowed wives to contribute a higher portion of income to their household, and even reach breadwinner status.

New York Times -

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/19/us/19marriage.html?em

Intro

Music is my passion. I'm the person you see walking down the hall humming along. The one in your rear view mirror singing a song. Theres always a tune up inside my head. It's like I'm a human radio station, but just without the commercials. While I enjoy a variety of music styles, rock is what really has my heart. Anything from Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, to Interpol and Tool. I'm always out there looking to discover a new band to add to my favorites. Pandora has been great for that. If you haven't heard of Pandora, you should definitely check it out (Go go gadget Google!). Its a free customizable radio station. Just type in what band or song you like, and sit back and enjoy. Lately I've been listening to this song called The Mission by Puscifer. Its the side project of Maynard James Keenan, the singer from Tool/APC. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XoGcSw565U&feature=related Here is a link to the song if you want to hear it for yourself.

Beyond music, I am a person of many interests. Thats a good reason why I am here right now typing up this blog. I don't plan on becoming a journalist, but the idea sparked up some fascination. I like to try out a variety of things. There is so much to learn and gain from every experience. So for now, I'm kicking around the community college taking classes like this one. Maybe one of these roads will lead to the career I can't live without. Until then I'll wear my label of Undecided.