Chapter 11 Assignments

Assignment #1: 

WordPress.org Privacy Policy

By Lisa Youngclaus

WordPress.org Privacy Policy Overview

WordPress.org is a weblog hosting provider open to the general public as a free service.  The site’s published privacy policy delineates information gathered from site visitors in two categories:  (1)“non-personally-identifying” information and (2) “potentially-personally-identifying” information and “personally-identifying” information.  Overall, the policy is easy to understand, straightforward and clear.  However, there are a few areas where additional information could be helpful to the user. 

Discussion

Non-personally-identifying information.  WordPress.org collects a variety of data in this category that is standard for most websites, such as browser type, language preference, visitor’s dates and times.  The privacy policy specifies the information and tells the user “why” the information is gathered, which is “to better understand how WordPress.org’s visitors use its website.”  

Potentially-personally-identifying information and personally-identifying information.   User information gathered in this category includes: IP addresses, username and email addresses. WordPress.org’s privacy policy clearly states the circumstances and reasons for gathering this information and the uses of this information.

 There are three general areas where the site gathers and uses personal information from site visitors: (1) certain site services, chosen by the user, which require this information, (2) employees, contractors and affiliated organizations located within the U.S and outside of the U.S., deemed necessary to provide the WordPress.org services, (3) information disclosure as required by law or in cases where WordPress.org determines that disclosure of private information is “reasonably necessary to protect the property rights of WordPress.org, third parties, or the public at large.”

 More specifically, the gathering of personal information is dependent upon how a user engages with the site.  In order to participate in WordPress.org Forums, for example, this information is stated as necessary.  The policy clearly indicates that the user has the option of not participating, should they not desire to disclose this information.

While perhaps not entirely desirable to some users, it is reasonable and acceptable that employees, contractors and affiliated organizations might need this personal information in order for WordPress.org to adequately facilitate the site.  The policy does specify that these “suppliers” must agree not to disclose this information to others, thereby protecting the site user.

It is also understandable and acceptable for the site to disclose personal information when required to do so by law or to protect its own and the public’s property rights.  The policy clearly delineates and informs users about these circumstances, as well.

Objections to Policy’s Use of Information

The following statement regarding the “sale” of personal user information is potentially objectionable: 

“WordPress.org will not rent or sell potentially-personally-identifying and personally-identifying information to anyone.  Other than to its employees, contractors and affiliated organizations as described above.”

This passage could be improved with some additional clarification.  The “selling” of personal information is ambiguous.  Is this “selling” part of a contract to accommodate services?  Or is the “selling” of personal data for other reasons?

Other Opportunities for Clarification

WordPress.org might consider linking to their “Terms of Service” section within the text describing disclosure of personal information for legal reasons, namely for copyright violations.  The WordPress.org Terms of Service does a good job of explaining appropriate behavior to protect users.  A link to this section or a bullet point summary of these terms contained within the privacy policy is recommended.

Finally, the privacy policy states, in closing, that changes may occur to the privacy policy and users are encouraged to “frequently check” the policy for changes.  It is recommended that if any material changes are made to the privacy policy, that users be notified either by email or at least in a headline or notation on the WordPress.org homepage.

 

 

 

Assignment #2: 

An Argument Against NRECA’s Claim of Copyright Infringement

By Lisa Youngclaus

“Gore’s Light Bulbs”, CEI advertisement

Background

The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) produced and aired a public service television advertisement which utilized “seven seconds of footage” sourced from a documentary produced and presumed copyrighted by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA).  The documentary and subsequent footage in question aired freely and broadly on the YouTube website and is broadly distributed by the NRECA.

The NRECA claimed “copyright infringement” over the seven seconds of footage use.  Subsequently, the ad was removed from YouTube.

Point of View: Insufficient Basis for Infringement

Based on court opinion and precedent, the NRECA does not have a viable copyright infringement claim due to the “small amount of copying” involved in the case and the overall nature of the public service advertisement which “advances the ideas, education, information and knowledge” about energy use and the political discussion of energy policy, policymakers and influencers.

Further, The CEI does have grounds to use the seven seconds of footage without liability for copyright infringement, as they meet the weight of two of the four factors set forth as criterion by U.S. Copyright Law’s “Fair Use” provisions. It should be noted that previous court rulings (Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, 1994) have found that it is not necessary to meet the weight of all four factors of “Fair Use” to prove lack of infringement.  In this case, CEI adequately meets the weight of two of the four factors:  (1) an insignificant amount of footage was used by CEI and the usage of that footage is used in a “wholly different way”, in this case as satire, and (2) There is no market place effect, other than CEI’s intention to educate, inform and stimulate public opinion and debate.

 

Discussion

An insignificant amount of footage was used by CEI and the usage of that footage is used in a “wholly different way”.

Specifically, in the CEI public service ad, the seven seconds of footage in question represents less than 50% of the overall commercial time of :60.  (In fact, the footage accounts for only 12% of the commercial time.)

Further, the footage does not represent “the essence” of NRECA’s documentary.

The footage, which depicts landscaping scenes or “beauty shots”, is a minor part of the overall ad.  The totality of the CEI ad is new and original, differing substantially from the overall communication of the documentary from which the seven seconds of footage was derived. In fact, the overall communication of the PSA reflects a satirical tone aimed at bringing to light inconsistencies in the political rhetoric of the environmental energy debate.

Much like political campaign ads, which we have seen an abundance of this year, using a few frames of footage from a rival candidate’s own advertising used as satire, is a relatively commonplace practice. 

The main idea of CEI’s ad was to suggest the potential hypocrisy of global warming advocates, represented by Al Gore, who may gain personal notoriety or profit from their political stance, while their efforts may cause harm to jobs and availability of affordable energy in the lives of ordinary citizens.  This idea is a new, satirical form of communication that differs significantly from the communication intent of the NRCEA piece and includes primarily original material.

Additionally, the NRECA broadly aired and disseminated their documentary and made it readily available on YouTube.

 There is no market place effect, other than CEI’s intention to educate, inform and stimulate public opinion and debate.

 The second criterion supporting a lack of infringement by CEI concerns the lack of market effect and the nature of the communication.  The CEI public service ad was purporting a point of view and educating the public about this point of view.  The ad was not intended to sell for profit, but rather to influence thought and stimulate public debate.    

In summary, based on the fulfillment of two of the four standards used to determine fair use, NRECA has no basis for its claim against CEI for copyright infringement.

 Implications:  The Application of U.S. Copyright Law

Given the technological advances available to most U.S Citizens, today, especially due to the Internet, U.S. Copyright Law should be more broadly interpreted.  Many expressions of ideas in design, photography, music, video, etc. are readily available to most citizens and have unique potential to increase our creativity and ingenuity as a nation.  The rise of YouTube and the ability to edit film and create new expressions of ideas has given all of us creative “fodder”.  While the law should continue to protect the profitable value of an original work, using snippets of film, sound, music, design elements “out of context” or in satire or parody to the original in an effort to create a wholly new expression should be protected. 

 

 

Assignment #3:

Defense Against Libel for MyFaceBookSpaceNews.com

By Lisa Youngclaus

Background

Plaintiff, David Simmons is pursuing a libel per se action against MyFaceBookSpaceNews.com stemming from a story published on December 2, 2008.  Simmons claims the story falsely accused him of being guilty of drunk driving and “being stupid”. 

Plaintiff’s Case

Simmons is a college student enrolled at Brooklyn College; therefore the court will name Simmons a “private citizen”.  As a private citizen, the burden will be upon Simmons to prove the requisite standard of “negligence” on the part of the MFBSN.com in order to succeed in his libel suit.  Simmons will have several arguments available to him that the courts have previously ruled, constitute libel:

(1)         Failure to exercise reasonable care

(2)         Use of only one credible source

(3)         Lack of reliable sources

(4)         Failure to verify facts

(5)         Failure to contact Simmons

(6)         Failure to recognize “red flags” about the story’s veracity

 Failure to exercise reasonable care.  Simmons can claim that the website failed to meet this standard by publishing statements regarding “drunk driving suspicion” and the vague “more serious charges” statement from Sgt. Ruggiero.  Additionally, Simmons may claim that reasonable care was not exercised by publishing the “stupid” references, which was unnecessarily slanderous and did not contribute substantially to the facts of the story.

 Use of only one credible source.  Simmons may claim that Sgt. Ruggiero, as the sole source for such a grievous incident as multiple deaths, was insufficient.

 Lack of reliable sources. Simmons may also claim that the story used an unreliable eyewitness, Hubier.  Hubier did not actually see the accident but was quoted excessively in manner that was derogatory and inflammatory (“I think people like that guy are just too stupid to know when it’s unsafe to drive”)

 Failure to verify facts.  Simmons will likely claim that the reporter and the news site should have verified whether Simmons was charged with drunk driving or other charges.

 Failure to contact Simmons. Simmons may also claim that MFBSN.com failed to contact him regarding the accident and alleged charges.

 Failure to recognize “red flags” about the story’s veracity.  Upon discovering that Simmons was the vice president of SADD, Students Against Drunk Driving, arguably, the reporter might have recognized the incongruity of behavior and sought to verify the drunk driving implications.

 

 MFBSN.com’s Defense Strategies

The news site has several defenses available to them that may either exonerate or reduce liability.  Specifically:

(1)         The story was accurate.

(2)         Publish a retraction, correction or follow up story with apology.

(3)         Claim the story was not original but used from a wire service, should this be the case.

(4)         Lack of Malice.

(5)         Use of authority

 The story was accurate. MSBSN.com can defend itself by underscoring the fact that the published story accurately stated that Simmons was “arrested on suspicion of drunken driving”, which was factual, despite any allusions to guilt.

Publish a retraction, correction or follow up story with apology. Theoretically, the site would likely have reported a subsequent, follow-up story that would have continued the coverage and reported whether or not Simmons was, indeed charged with DUI or additional charges.  If the site never ran a follow-up story, they could now run a “correction” or apology stating that in a previous story, the site alluded to drunk driving and serious charges against Simmons in this accident.  They could apologize for failing to update the story and report that Simmons was not in fact charged in the accident.  The site should not address the “stupid” comment from witness, Hubier, as the reprinting of that remark could inflame the libel claim by republishing.

Claim the story was not original but used from a wire service, should this be the case. If MSFBSN.com could prove that they did not report this story firsthand, but the story was sourced from a wire service, for example, they could claim “repetition.”  Court precedent has been established for this defense based on the argument that editors cannot verify every story received from these outside sources.

Lack of Malice can certainly be claimed which would likely eliminate punitive damages provided MSFBSN.com provided the site can prove “good faith” was used in reporting the story.

Use of Authority defense can by used by the site, claiming that they relied on the authority of SGT. Ruggiero, who could be “reasonably expected to be accurate.”

 

 

 

 

 

FAQs About the Boys and Girls Club of the Sandhills Located in Southern Pines and Aberdeen, North Carolina

Intended Audience:  Website visitors and onsite visitors via the informational computer terminal in the club’s entrance.  Specifically, parents, teachers, school counselors and community volunteers and donors who have an interest and/or affiliation with the club.

 

Who can attend?

The Boys and Girls Club of the Sandhills accepts Moore County children between the ages of 6-18.

What is the cost?

Membership fees are kept low to allow any child to join.  School year membership is $5 and the full day summer program fee is $75.

Is there more than one location?

Yes.  In addition to the main club located at 160 Memorial Park Court off Morganton Road in Southern Pines, the Boys and Girls Club also now provides services at the Aberdeen Elementary School.

What are the hours of the Club?

The Southern Pines Club is open to members Monday through Friday from 2:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. during the school year.  The Aberdeen Unit is open from 2:30 p.m. until 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.   Summer programming is from 7:45 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. at the Southern Pines location.

What type of supervision does the club provide?

Trained, professional adult staff members led by a full-time unit director and an assistant unit director supervise all activities. 

Is transportation provided?

Yes.  The Moore County Schools provide bus transportation from Southern Pines Elementary School, Southern Pines Primary, and Southern Middle Schools.  The Aberdeen Unit operates on the premises of the Aberdeen Elementary School, requiring no transportation for Aberdeen Elementary students.

Are meals provided?

The Kid’s Café provides home-cooked, nutritious meals everyday for no extra charge.  Lunch and dinner are provided during the summer program.  The cost for both meals is included in the $75.00 summer program fee.

What type of activities do the children participate in?
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sandhills offers activities in five core program areas:

 

• Character and Leadership Development
• Education and Career Development
• Health and Life Skills
• The Arts
• Sports, Fitness and Recreation

 Specific program details are listed below:

·   Power Hour- A homework help program for members age 6-12. 

·   Smart Moves- An education/ prevention program addressing drug abuse, use of alcohol, and pre-mature sexual activity.

·   Keystone Club & Torch Club-Age specific leadership development groups that focus on community service.  Keystone Club is designed for members age 14-18, Torch Club for members age 11-13.

·   Triple Play Healthy Habits-A program that equips club members with crucial skills needed to become healthy, fit and successful adults.

·   First Tee- A golf program in collaboration with the USGA.

·   First Garden- A community garden project in collaboration with FirstHealth of the Carolinas.

·   Girl Scouts- Scouts work on arts & crafts with female Club members.

·   Youth for Unity- A program designed to help youth cultivate individuality, build cultural identity, and appreciate diversity. 

Is the club affiliated with the school system or a church?

No.  However, the Boys and Girls Club of the Sandhills collaborates with schools in the Moore County School system.  For example,  teachers from Southern Pines Elementary provides three teachers each evening to tutor members at the club. 

There is not a formal affiliation with any local church, yet  churches may support the club through volunteer services and donations. 

The Boys and Girls Club of the Sandhills’ only formal affiliation is with the national organization, The Boys and Girls Clubs of America, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.  The BGCS is one of 4,300 club locations in 50 states.  More than 4.8 million boys and girls are served through the clubs on a national basis.

How many kids attend the club?

The club serves about 875 Moore County youth each year with an average daily attendance of 190 youth per day during the school year and 135 per day in the summer program.

How can I get involved?

Volunteers and Board of Director members are always welcomed and needed by the BGCS.  Please contact our office at 692-0777 for more information.  Also, the club is dependent on charitable donations from community members to fund its operating expenses.  Please consider including the Boys and Girls Club of the Sandhills in your charitable giving and volunteer time.

 

 

Note:  I recently joined the Board of Directors for this Boys and Girls Club.  I am in the process of creating an awareness/donor campaign on radio, television and the local newspaper.  They have a website that needs some work so I hope to be able to make a contribution in this area, as well.  That is why I chose this subject versus my previous projects. By the way… What a wonderful organization!

 

Revision Note: incorporated your comments and suggestions.  Added hyperlinking.

Chapter 9 Assignment: News Story

Intended Audience:  Moore County residents

 

 Wachovia Merger with Wells Fargo Expected by Year’s End

October 30, 2008

By Lisa Youngclaus, FINANCIAL NEWS CONTRIBUTOR

 

SOUTHERN PINES—Wachovia announced today that shareholders will vote on the Wachovia-Wells Fargo merger agreement on December 10, 2008.  The merger, which represents a $15.1 billion stock deal for Wachovia shareholders, was approved by federal regulators in mid-October, creating the largest banking network in the United States with 6,675 branches.

Wachovia operates two branches in Southern Pines. A third branch is currently under construction at Olmsted Village, in Pinehurst. The local Wachovia branches represent $130 million in deposits giving Wachovia the third largest market share, following BB&T and First Bank.  There are eleven banks operating 40 branches in Moore County, according to the Moore County Chamber of Commerce. 

 Both Wachovia and Wells-Fargo stockholders must approve the merger on December 10 which will combine Charlotte-based Wachovia banking, Wealth Management and Securities operations with San Francisco-based, Wells Fargo, by year’s end.

In response to recent reports that some Wachovia shareholders might not favor the merger, Stuart Strickland, senior vice president and partner, Wachovia Wealth Management, the personal investment and money management division of Wachovia, says that while there are some “disgruntled” shareholders, he predicts the deal will go through. 

 “There, of course, have been concerns among a very few shareholders that the Wachovia price may not represent fair market value, but in these economic times, this is the fair market value,“ says Strickland.

 Strtickland believes the merger is a good deal for stockholders and a good marriage for the two banking giants.  “The more I learn about Wells Fargo, the better fit I see,” said Strickland.  “There is a good blend of styles and a shared focus on small business lending and local customers.”  

Wells Fargo Chairman Dick Kovacevich has been quoted in the press as stating that  the merger combines Wachovia’s customer service culture with Wells Fargo’s sales and cross-selling culture.  

The Wells Fargo offer supplants a prior agreement Wachovia had reached in September with New York-based Citigroup to sell Wachovia banking assets for $2.1 billion. Following a week of negotiations, Citigroup bowed out of contention and has yet to drop a $60 million lawsuit claiming damages against Wachovia and Wells Fargo for “spoiling” the deal. 

Wachovia customer, Mike Dyer, expressed relief that there is a merger underway instead of a bank closure. “I have my IRA account with Wachovia Securities and they assured us that our assets were safe.  Now, with the merger and all the government protection the banks are getting, we are just taking the long view and waiting for the market to turn around.”

As for a market “turnaround”, Strickland believes that improvements in the overall economy are unlikely to occur until the second half of 2009.  “There are some tough times ahead.  Jobs and homes will be lost through the first half of 2009.  But by the second half of next year we should see the signs of an economic turnaround.”

“American banks—and the American consumer—leveraged themselves to a point where it became necessary to go through the painful process of de-leveraging.  In this case, the Government has stepped in, which is unlike what they did in the 30’s.  That’s why we won’t get into a situation like The Great Depression again, “  Strickland said.  “Unfortunately, the government is going to be very involved in business now.  There will be lots of new regulations, which will make it harder to do business, but it will bring stability.”

Stability is a benefit local Wachovia customers and employees are anxiously awaiting both with new partner, Wells Fargo and in the broader U.S. economy.

“I just want a good night’s sleep,” says Dyer. Many folks in Southern Pines are likely to agree.

Sources: 

Calvey, Mark.  “Wells chairman expects faster recovery.” Philadelphia Business Journal.com 22 Oct.  2008. http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2008/10/20/daily23.html.

Ellis, David.  “Wells, Citi square off in Wachovia bid.” CNN Money.com   3 Oct.  2008. <http://money.cnn.com/2008/10/03/news/companies/wells_fargowachovia/index.htm/>.

Levy,  Ari.  “Wells Fargo Chairman Says Crisis Not Worst He’s Seen (Update1)” Bloomberg.com 21 Oct. 2008.  http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=email  en&refer=us&sid=a8btDJXhCne/>.

Steel, Robert.  “CEO Message” 22 Oct.  2008.  <http://www.Wachovia.com/>.

 

Questions for Wachovia executives:

·      Number of Wachovia branches in Moore County?

·      Number of bank customers or deposits represented?

·      Expected Stockholder vote timing?

·      Personal view of merger?

·      Clients concerns over past few weeks?

·      What can customers expect in terms of service, changes?

·      Outlook for 2009?

·      Banking stability?

·      Understanding and implications of the Financial “crisis”?

(In addition to Stuart Strickland, I attempted to contact Richard Guy, local branch executive in the Trust department, who was out of the office.)

Questions for Wachovia customers:

·      How do you feel about the proposed merger with Wells Fargo?

·      Any concerns?

·      How do you feel about remaining with the bank versus moving your accounts?

·      Does it mean anything to you when you hear that your local bank will soon be part of the largest banking group in the U.S.?

For Internet publication, I recommend:

·      Link to the stories/sources cited above.

·      A photo of Stuart Strickland in his Moore County office.

·      Photos of customers.

·      Link to Wachovia and Wells Fargo websites.

·      Photo of new branch office under construction.

·      A posting place for other local Wachovia customers and shareholders to express their views.  “What do you think?”

·      A link to the video of Wells Fargo Chairman’s speech to Charlotte Wachovia employees.

·      Possibly, a checklist or question/answer list for bank customers about what new measures now exist to insure protection of bank assets.

Facts I checked were:

·      Stuart Strickland’s title

·      Wachovia buyout price

·      Status of legal action

·      Anticipated shareholder voting date and deal closing date

·      Whether Wells Fargo was hyphenated

 

Revision Note:  incorporated all your corrections, suggestions including adding two sources, hyperlinking, revised headline and lead.

 

 

Wireless Access Points

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Assignment Number Two:  Amend a WIkipedia entry:

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pharmaceutical_marketing

Task:  

1.  Updated advertising expenditure dollars to reflect 2005 versus 2004 (latest figures available)

2. Added FDA guidelines for more detail in Regulations section.  Only the first sentence was present prior to the addition.

Note:  Considered footnotes and links.  Opted for and in text citation reference and no external link which has to be approved by wiki and might not be relevant for such a general guideline summary statement.

 

Assignment Number Three:  Twitter a Meeting

http://twitter.com/lisa123y

Task:  My partner, Michelle had to leave town due to a death in the family.  I twittered a meeting/ presentation I had to make without her. While I was just experimenting,  since I use my laptop to take notes in most meetings, this might actually be a good tool for me to use for this purpose.

Blogging the Blues

Mom’s Day Out:  My Son’s First Blues Performance

by Lisa Youngclaus

I must admit it has been fascinating to watch my son’s musical gift develop.  I wondered what was up when he turned on a rock radio station when he was 14 months old and danced naked in perfect rhythm with some very soulful moves.  By age six he was playing the piano, then drums and guitar.  It’s a beautiful thing to see a God-given talent unfold effortlessly and joyfully.  Now fourteen, my son plays in a band and continues to love and study all types of music.  Lately, “The Blues” have been absorbing his time.  After several weeks of long rehearsals, he and his band headed off to their first serious Blues performance and competition.  

“Blues Challenge”, sponsored by The Piedmont Blues Preservation Society.

Oct. 12, Zion Bar and Grille, Greensboro, NC

3:30 p.m.:  We arrive at the Zion Bar and Grille, just off I-40 West, on the outskirts of Greensboro.  The parking lot is packed with lots of trucks with trailers that hold band equipment. A gray-haired musician is plugged in on an electric guitar, sitting in the back tailgate of his truck.  The music sounds good.

3:35p.m.:   My son’s band is walking around the parking lot getting psyched.  The boys are definitely going to be a novelty with this older crowd.  My fourteen-year -old, Will, wants to drink a Red Bull. His teacher, Baxter, warns him about tempo, e.g.  “Watch the caffeine”.  Will, the drummer, is jazzed up enough.

3:40 p.m.:   We all look inside.  It’s a very basic place with wood floors, a dance floor and stage, people sitting at tables, eating and drinking at plastic tables covered with striped vinyl table covers.  The bar off to the side is packed and lively.  It’s a mostly middle-aged crowd with a few younger couples with children.

3:42 p.m.:  Here comes a gray-haired man in a hot pink sport coat and black fedora with a matching pink band.  Weirdly awesome.  His band buddy, in a similar get- up in lime green, has a long ponytail and wire-rim glasses.  Hmmmm….what’s going on here?

3:45 p.m.: Our band calls themselves “Members Only” and are wearing vintage 1980’s Member’s only jackets—pretty funny that what I thought was so embarrassing, these kids now think is cool. The three of them, two fourteen-year-old students and their music teacher, come in with instruments and gear.  The boys are clean cut and Baxter, their teacher, looks like a punk rocker. Their group is definitely out of place with this crowd.

3:55 p.m.:  They are announcing the three finalists from round one.   The guy next to me just told me he’s in a band and hopes they are finalists. Here comes the verdict:  “T. Hammer”, “WSNB” (We Sing Nasty Blues)–what a name– and “Miles and the Blues Review”.

3:57 p.m.:  Bad Situation,” the band sitting next to me, didn’t make it.  Too bad.  They look like nice guys.  The bass player just told me he is in advertising.  He works at the Daly agency in Greensboro. They said they thought they were too Rock and Roll for the judges who are looking for “pure” blues.   Probably not good for us, either.    ZZ Top might not cut it.

4:00 p.m.:   The first band in our set is on.  They are good.  They have a bass player, drummer and guitarist/vocalist.  “Just can never let you go…”

4:05 p.m.:  The bass player and guitar player just switched.  That’s neat.  I’m thinking that Will should do that since he plays drums and guitar.  More of the same.  Vocalist is screaming.  Painful.

4:07 p.m.:  Feel worried for the boys.  Hope they don’t choke.  Baxter is cool. “Just have fun,” he says.  “Let’s have a good time.”

4:10 p.m.:  The last number is very upbeat and bluesy—the best. “I have love, I will travel.”  Two little girls are dancing in the aisles.  One is wearing shiny black boots and a blonde ponytail.    “These boots are made for walking…”

4:13 p.m.:  The nice guys that lost (“Bad Situation”) tell me they are playing at Coopers Ale House on the October 25^th.

4:15 p.m.: The next group setting up.  Very big guy upfront with a fedora hat.  What’s with the fedoras?  Is that a blues thing?  Two guitarists, bassist, drummer.  “Blues de Ville” is the band.  Big John Hutchins is the big singer out front.  They are introduced as a progressive blues band…raw, bare-boned, electric -in –your- face sound” Let’s see… 

4:16 p.m.:  Big John is screaming and shaking like three “Elvises”.  Oh my.  These guys are older than me.  Or at least as old as me!  They must have fans.  “Go Big John!” is being screamed by several loud women.  Whoops– the cymbal just fell off.  Oh no.  I hope that doesn’t happen to Will! 

4:17 p.m.: These guys are good.  Sound professional.  They have been at it awhile. “I can’t see the street for my tears…” Now I am thinking about Chicago Blues Bars, remembering good times.

4:20 p.m.: I just met the bar owner.  She wanted to know what newspaper I was with!  She shook my hand!  “Sorry.   Just a class!”

4:22 p.m.:  That’s it.  We’re next.  YIKES!  They have 10 minutes to set up,

4:25 p.m.: I Just helped Will secure the cymbal that flew off.  I think its okay.  He seems fine.  I am nervous and, Nick is a bit nervous.  Nick’s Dad sets up a new tripod and video camera.  He reminds me of a “country” version of Murray, the band manager on “Flight of the Conchords”.  I have to film using Will’s little Flip video camera.  The crowd is buzzing about the kids.  Keep your fingers crossed!

4:30 p.m.: “Introducing, Members Only!”

4:45 p.m.: I’m back from filming.  THEY WERE SO AWESOME!!! REALLY! The crowd was clapping and “WHOOOOOING”.  If the judges are going for “young, hip talent”, they’re in.  If they are going for old-timers, traditional blues, they’re out.

4:50 p.m.:  “How did we do? “  Will and Nick are asking?  I tell them, “Great”.  Will is not sure.  He thinks he sped up on the last number.   “Big deal,” Baxter says, “You guys were awesome.  I am so proud of you.”  They beam.

Baxter wants to know how his singing sounded.  I tell him great after the first song.  For the first song, the mic level was too low.  The rest of the set was “fantastic.”  He really has the best voice I have heard here so far.  Better than Big John.  But I am biased.

4:55 p.m.:  Next group.  Looks like all the others.  We shall see.  They have a guy with a keyboard around his neck.  That’s neat. 

5:00 p.m.: Still going.  They’re good, but I am bored.  I can’t tell the difference between some of the bands. Best thing here is that piano deal in terms of uniqueness. Is “uniqueness” a criterion?

5:15 p.m.:  Will just asked for the car keys so he and Nick can go listen to music?  What?  Isn’t that what we’re doing?  I pray everyday for God to let me understand fourteen-year-old boys. 

5:20 p.m.:  The next band is up, an older group.  This one has a sax, which I love.  This group has played in the House of Blues in Hollywood, according to the introduction.  They are “The Servitones.”  Why are the singers all so big?  Baxter, in our band, weighs about 90 lbs. But he’s a rocker.

5:22 p.m.: Now a harmonica. I think these guys will make the finals.  The big singer has a lot of soul:  “Too Sorry For You”

5:30 p.m.:  An old drunk man just asked me what I was doing.   I told him I was live blogging for a class.  He leaned in closer and said,  “You wanna dance?”  Oh dear.  “No thanks.  Have to blog on.”

5:35 p.m.: Wow! A really beautiful, older, very thin black lady in a fabulous brown jersey dress just went onto the dance floor and started dancing! Now a group of younger women just joined in.  Oh no!  The old drunk man is out there grabbing at all the women!  I’m not sure I want the kids here tonight.  This is a little weird and hilarious.

People are getting drunk.  This thing started at 2:00p.m.

5:40 p.m.:  I love the black lady.  She is so cool.  She is wearing a long strand on pearls and her hair is in a French knot.  Awesome.  She must be eighty years old and she looks great!

5:45 p.m.:  Last band in this set.  Another big guy singer.  Middle- aged again.  No vocals? They are good musicians though.  It’s a shame they don’t have a singer.

5:46 p.m.:  I am trying to text my best friend while I blog. I am 48 years old, sitting in a bar trying to live blog, film a video with a Flip camera, while taking pictures and texting.  I might explode.

5:50: “Pearl” (my nickname for her) is dancing again.  She is my hero.  So cool and can she move! I want to talk to her. 

5:55 p.m.: I just talked to Pearl!  I told her I thought she looked beautiful on the dance floor.   She smiled.  Then I asked her how old she was? “Ninety one”.  WOW!  Highlight of the day!

5:56 p.m.: Old drunk man’s wife is trying to get him to go home.  She is not getting anywhere.

6:00 p.m.: Waiting for the announcement of the finalists.  Whoops!  Another band.  Must be a late entry.  I’m taking a bathroom break.

6:10 p.m.:  This band is the same.  The boys are outside throwing rocks.  They’re still boys.  Reminds me of Will digging for worms in the outfield during Pee Wee league baseball games.

6:13 p.m.:  I am suddenly becoming paranoid that I have lost a significant amount of hearing which was already not good.  I could go completely deaf if they make the final round.

6:20 p.m.: I just heard a little girl say, “I think my eardrums are blew”.  I’m with you, honey.

6:30 p.m.:  We are all waiting for the results of the second round.  The winners will play again from 7:00 to 10:00.  Right now I am having a hard time being up for that!

6:40 p.m.:  Waiting.  Hungry.  Finally.  Here comes the lady with the results card.  Here she goes:   “Round two winners are…”Blues de ville”… two more I couldn’t clearly hear, but not “Members Only”.  

Epilogue:  After a nice dinner at Carrabas Italian Grill, we all vow to try a Blues competition again sometime and congratulate the boys.  They are a bit down but glad to be going home.  We all agree it was a good experience and now the band has a good solid set and are ready to perform around town.  The boys smile about that.  So cute.  Will is the most insightful about the results:  He says, “Mom, you guys thought they would vote for us because we were kids.  I think they wouldn’t vote for us because we were kids.  How would you feel if you had been playing blues for 30 years and some kids came in here and beat you?”  The mouths of babes….

 Links:

 

Piedmont Blues Preservation Society

www.piedmontblues.org

 

 

 Personal Affects: Reactions to  ”Blogging the Blues”

The mere thought of taking my laptop into a smoky bar and trying to type while my son played drums in one of his first “public appearances” gave me a bit of anxiety.  How was I going to type constantly and not miss the performance and socialize with the other people I was there with?  My son protested, too, “Mom, that is going to be so embarrassing. Why do you have to take your computer?” Despite these reservations, and being quite unsure of what I was actually doing, having never live-blogged before, I packed up my Mac book and hoped for the best.  

After the initial self-consciousness and explanations about my class assignment, I just sat down, opened my Mac and started typing.  After awhile, I actually didn’t mind the distraction which allowed me to be somewhat anti-social, which is not my nature. But even I would have otherwise had a hard time “shooting the breeze” for three hours amid the deafening sounds of electric blues riffs.

The hardest things were keeping track of the time, writing meaningful phrases instead of boring observations, and getting the full “gestalt” of the event while being distracted by the details I was blogging about.  Yet, in the end, I think the “whole” did convey the gestalt.  I find that fascinating as I have never considered writing in that manner to be a viable form of good communication.

Overall, I still feel a lack of confidence that my minute by minute thoughts are “worthy” of readership, entertaining or otherwise.  I am more “old school” and still feel as if any writing I do must be well thought out, edited, researched, supportable, etc.  On the other hand live-blogging was a freeing experience. These actual “notes”, and a little “gussying up” afterwards,  are the final product?  You mean I’m done? Hmmmmm….

 

 Revision Note:  Incorporated your corrections and added an introductory paragraph, per your advice.

 

 

 

 

 

Evansville Living: Local Business Scene

Staying in Style with Venerable Carolyn’s Fashions

By Lisa Youngclaus, October 2008

Carolyn's Fashions Style Show

Some things never change, and while fashions certainly come and go, not so with Evansville’s longest-standing women’s fashion boutique, Carolyn’s Fashions. Catering to the better-dressed woman with an emphasis on career professionals and special occasion wear, Carolyn’s has withstood the test of time and continues to bring vibrancy, style and a commitment to community service to the tri-state area. 

Still at the helm of Carolyn’s Fashions on Lincoln Avenue, is Carolyn Barnett, the boutique’s creator, sole owner, sole buyer, fashion show producer, alteration specialist and personality extraordinaire.  “She never gets tired of it, “ says friend and loyal customer, Jackie Smyth, “Carolyn is amazing.  She has so much energy and she just loves what she does.  It shows in the clothes and the fashion shows.”

 

Despite Tough Times, Carolyn’s has Survived, Even Thrived

Cashmere and silk wrap from Carolyn's

Though still enthusiastic about fashion and her Evansville customers after more than 30 years, 2008 may be starting to look a bit like 1977, the year Carolyn Barnett started her classic women’s clothing boutique. In 1977, with interest rates at 23 percent, business loans were as hard to get and afford as they are fast becoming in 2008.  But Carolyn, a former high school English teacher and mother of three, was undaunted.  She stepped into the retail world with tenacity, a desire to please her customers and a love of the fashion business.  Against all odds, the rogue start-up quickly became a necessity for many Evansville women. 

“You just can’t find the quality and style of the clothes that Carolyn carries anywhere else in town,“ says customer Sharon Miller. “Carolyn will measure you, special order a suit in the fabric you want or alter one of her beautiful evening gowns right in the store.  You can’t get that kind of service anywhere else.”

 

Evansville’s Style Specialist:  Just Ask Carolyn

Whether it’s an alluring gown for the Coronet Ball, a sophisticated, elegant suit for a Board of Directors meeting or a designer umbrella from Italy, Carolyn’s Fashions on Lincoln Avenue is where Evansville women go to shop for their most important fashion needs.

Classic suits and dress lines, evening wear, mother-of –the-bride specialty wear, casual chic apparel and accessories, Carolyn’s brings styles to Evansville that women would have to travel elsewhere to find.  Her specialty lines can’t be found in department stores or discount outlets.  She has carefully crafted her inventory over the years, selecting fashions from around the world to create a collection that meets her customers’ desires and keep them abreast of new trends.

 “When I first opened the shop thirty years ago, I remember women feeling like they could never be stylish unless they wore a size four and were twenty years old.  I have spent my life changing that opinion,” says Carolyn, who at age 73 looks twenty years younger and as stylish as a magazine ad, wearing a black Louben suit with scarlet silk charmuese blouse. “Clothes are fun.  I have fun dressing all my ladies.”

  Carolyn’s Collection Includes:    (Click on item for link to designer site)

 

                Classic suits, dresses and trousers for sophisticated daytime wear.  

 

 

   Specialty wedding attire.  Special orders available.

 

 

 

One of a kind designer handbags,

carried exclusively by Carolyn’s.

 

   Modern evening dresses and daytime suiting.

 

 

 

Customized silks in 27 colors, 52 design options.

 

  Imported Italian umbrellas with jeweled handles. Exclusive to Carolyn’s in the Midwest.

 

 

The “Angel of Evansville”:  Supporting Local Charities

Carolyn Barnett (second from right) with customers.

Carolyn’s Fashions has become synonymous with fashion shows, luncheons and cocktail parties with a cause. Carolyn uses her customers as models and always draws a crowd. The boutique has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the city’s most important charities.  The Easter Seals Benefit Fashion Show, which has been an annual fashion event for Carolyn’s for 19 years, alone raised $52,000 for the charity last November.  Carolyn’s Fashions produces events for the following Evansville charities:

Easter Seals, Evansville Museum, Evansville Philharmonic, St. Benedict Church, Vanderburgh Medical Association, Junior League of Evansville, Holley’s House for Abused Women, Evansville’s Komen’s Race for the Cure.

“Many of my customers are involved in these organizations either serving on their Board of Directors or volunteering their time.  I am proud to support my customers and they, in turn support my business, “ says Carolyn.

 

Market Prediction:  Specialty Boutiques Will Survive

According to Carolyn, many of the vendors she meets with at the Apparel Markets in New York and Chicago, predict that specialty boutiques that focus on personal service will survive, while department stores may experience harder times.  “When you give personal service and shop for your customers individually at market, they will be your loyal customer and keep you in business, “ says Carolyn who remains optimistic about her boutique, despite a tough economy.   “It’s so exciting each season, to see what the market has to offer.  I love to picture my customers in the new gowns or ready to wear.  It’s just so much fun.  I will never retire.  It gets better each year.”

 

To Find out more:

Visit Carolyn’s Fashions At 2801 Lincoln Ave. in Evansville

Or call Carolyn at her boutique:  812-471-2880

 

Revision Note:  Incorporated all your corrections and comments including hyperlinking.

 

Online Content for Carolyn’s Fashions, a Women’s Specialty Boutique in Evansville, Indiana:

 

Developing a Feature Story for EvansvilleLiving.com

Business Background:  Carolyn’s Fashions, an independent women’s specialty boutique located in Evansville, Indiana has served the community for more than 30 years. The privately owned boutique has survived economic downturns and competition from department and discount stores by focusing on personalized customer service.  Sole owner, buyer, fashion-show producer, and community philanthropist, Carolyn Barnett, has built a business that serves individual women with a unique inventory of fashion lines assembled from New York, Chicago and Milan, Italy. The boutique is set apart by its emphasis on special orders, made-to–order fashions, and in-house custom alterations.  Additionally, the business serves the community by raising thousands of dollars through numerous annual fashion shows, which benefit a number of important local charities.

Opportunity:  An opportunity exists for Carolyn’s Fashions to expand its customer base by increasing awareness among new customers, especially among professional women, a growing population group within the community. A feature story will be developed for the popular Evansville Living magazine with a corresponding online feature story on the Evansville Living website.

Target Audience:  The audience for the Carolyn’s Fashions website feature story will be the audience of the Evansville Living website:  Evansville residents who live, work and shop in the city and are interested in local businesses, events and people.

Feature Story Content:

I plan to write an online feature story which provides an overview of Carolyn’s Fashion Boutique and it’s impact and role in the Evansville community over the past 30 years.  Content will include:

·      An overview of the boutique

·      A personal profile of it’s owner, Carolyn Barnett

·      A commentary on business and market trends and how the boutique has persevered and adapted to changing trends.

·      The fashion offerings of the boutique including a discussion of specific designers and lines.

·      A review of the unusual types of personal services that sets the boutique apart from competitors.

·      The announcement of a new accessory line from Milan, Italy which illustrates the owner’s desire to remain current and bring new ideas to the community.

·      A review of the social contributions the business has made to the community via it’s numerous annual charitable events.

·      Local address, contact information and event calendar.

 

Revision Note:  Changed the target audience section from an “elaborate” dissection of Carolyn’s customers to the appropriate general audience of EvansvilleLiving.com, per your comments. 

Chapter 4 Assignments

Assignment 1:  Poor Headlines and Revisions         Headline:  Dozens Questioned Over Tainted Baby Milk Problem:  Awkward, implies people being questioned while drinking  bad milk.  

Solution:  China: Employees Questioned about Tainted Baby Milk

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source:  CNN.com, September 13, 2008

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/09/13/china.formula/index.html

 

Headline:  Service Changes People’s Character

Problem:  Ambiguous:  What service?  Military?

Solution: Community Service Builds Character

Source:  Newsweek.com, September 13, 2008

http://www.newsweek.com/id/157424

 

Headline:  Exhausted Jolie struggles with twin demands

Problem:  Pun impedes clarity:  Which “twin demands”- Her twin babies or the demands of family and career?

Solution:  Jolie ‘Exhausted’ After Birth of Twins

Source: msnbc.com

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26612583/

 

Assignment 2:  Web Article Revision

Original Article:  Paris

http://wikitravel.org/en/Paris

Events

It seems like there’s almost always something happening in Paris, with the possible exceptions of the school holidays in August and February, when about half of Parisians are to be found not in Paris, but in the Alps or the South of France respectively. The busiest season is probably the fall, from a week or so after la rentrée scholaire or “back to school” to around Noël (Christmas) theatres, cinemas and concert halls book their fullest schedule of the year.

Even so, there are a couple of annual events in the winter, starting with a furniture and interior decorating trade fair called Maison & Object [35] in January.

In February le Nouvel An Chinois (Chinese New Year) is celebrated in Paris as it is in every city with a significant Chinese population. There are parades in the 3rd and 4th arrondissements, and especially in Chinatown in the 13th south of Place d’Italie. Also in February is the Six Nations Rugby Tournament [36] which brings together France, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Italy.

The first of two Fashion weeks occurs in March: Spring Fashion Week [37], giving designers a platform to present women’s Prêt-à-Porter (ready to wear) collections for the following winter.

The French Tennis Open [38] in which the world’s top players battle it out on a clay court runs during two weeks starting on the last Sunday in May. By the time it’s done in June, a whole range of festivities start up. Rendez-vous au Jardin is an open house for many Parisian gardens, giving you a chance to meet real Parisian gardeners and see their creations. The Fête de la Musique [39] celebrates the summer solstice (21st June) with this city-wide free musical knees-up. Finally on the 30th of June is the Gay Pride [40] parade, featuring probably the most sincere participation by the mayor’s office of any such parade on the globe.

The French national holiday Bastille Day on the 14th of July celebrates the storming of the infamous Bastille during the July Revolution. Paris hosts several spectacular events that day of which the best known is the Bastille Parade which is held on the Champs-Élysées at 10am and broadcast to pretty much the rest of Europe by television. The entire street will be crowded with spectators so arrive early. The Bastille Day Fireworks is an exceptional treat for travelers lucky enough to be in town on Bastille Day. The Office du Tourisme et des Congress de Paris recommends gathering in or around the champs du Mars, the gardens of the Eiffel Tower.

Also in July, Cinema en Plein Air [41] is the annual outdoor cinema event that takes place at the Parc de la Villette, in the 9th on Europe’s largest inflatable screen. For most of the months of July and August, parts of both banks of the Seine are converted from expressway into an artificial beach for Paris Plage [42]. Also in July the cycling race le Tour de France both starts and ends in Paris. Its route varies annually, however it always finishes on the last Sunday of July under the Arc de Triomphe.

On the last full weekend in August, a world-class music festival Rock en Seine [43] draws international rock and pop stars to barges on the Seine near moored off of the 8th.

During mid-September DJs and (usually young) fans from across Europe converge on Paris for five or six days of dancing etc. culminating in the Techno parade – a parade whose route traces roughly from Pl. de Bastille to the Sorbonne, and around the same time the festival Jazz à la Villette [44] brings some of the biggest names in contemporary jazz from around the world.

The Nuit Blanche [45] transforms most of central Paris into a moonlit theme-park for an artsy all-nighter on the first Saturday of October, and Fashion Week [46] returns shortly thereafter showing off Women’s Prêt-à-Porter collections for the following summer; as we’ve noted winter collections are presented in March.

 

Revised Article:  Paris

http://wikitravel.org/en/Paris

Events

It seems like there’s almost always something happening in Paris, with the possible exceptions of the school holidays in August and February, when about half of Parisians are to be found not in Paris, but in the Alps or the South of France respectively. The busiest season is probably the fall, from a week or so after la rentrée scholaire or “back to school” to around Noël (Christmas) theatres, cinemas and concert halls book their fullest schedule of the year.

Annual Parisian Events

·       January: Maison & Objet Furniture Fair

·      February:  Le Novel Au Chinois , Six Nations Rugby Tournament.

·      March:  Spring Fashion Week

·      May:  French Tennis Open

·      June:  Rendez-vous au Jardin, Fete de la Musique, Gay Pride

·      July:  Bastille Day , Cinema en Plein Air, Le Tour de France

·      August: Rock en Seine

·      September: Techno Parade, Jazz a la Villette

·      October: Nuit Blanche, Fashion Week

 

Even so, there are a couple of annual events in the winter, starting with a furniture and interior decorating trade fair called Maison & Object [35] in January.

In February le Nouvel An Chinois (Chinese New Year) is celebrated in Paris as it is in every city with a significant Chinese population. There are parades in the 3rd and 4th arrondissements, and especially in Chinatown in the 13th south of Place d’Italie. Also in February is the Six Nations Rugby Tournament [36] which brings together France, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Italy.

The first of two Fashion weeks occurs in March: Spring Fashion Week [37], giving designers a platform to present women’s Prêt-à-Porter (ready to wear) collections for the following winter.

The French Tennis Open [38] in which the world’s top players battle it out on a clay court runs during two weeks starting on the last Sunday in May. By the time it’s done in June, a whole range of festivities start up. Rendez-vous au Jardin is an open house for many Parisian gardens, giving you a chance to meet real Parisian gardeners and see their creations. The Fête de la Musique [39] celebrates the summer solstice (21st June) with this city-wide free musical knees-up. Finally on the 30th of June is the Gay Pride [40] parade, featuring probably the most sincere participation by the mayor’s office of any such parade on the globe.

The French national holiday Bastille Day on the 14th of July celebrates the storming of the infamous Bastille during the July Revolution. Paris hosts several spectacular events that day of which the best known is the Bastille Parade which is held on the Champs-Élysées at 10am and broadcast to pretty much the rest of Europe by television. The entire street will be crowded with spectators so arrive early. The Bastille Day Fireworks is an exceptional treat for travelers lucky enough to be in town on Bastille Day. The Office du Tourisme et des Congress de Paris recommends gathering in or around the champs du Mars, the gardens of the Eiffel Tower.

Also in July, Cinema en Plein Air [41] is the annual outdoor cinema event that takes place at the Parc de la Villette, in the 9th on Europe’s largest inflatable screen. For most of the months of July and August, parts of both banks of the Seine are converted from expressway into an artificial beach for Paris Plage [42]. Also in July the cycling race le Tour de France both starts and ends in Paris. Its route varies annually, however it always finishes on the last Sunday of July under the Arc de Triomphe.

On the last full weekend in August, a world-class music festival Rock en Seine [43] draws international rock and pop stars to barges on the Seine near moored off of the 8th.

During mid-September DJs and (usually young) fans from across Europe converge on Paris for five or six days of dancing etc. culminating in the Techno parade – a parade whose route traces roughly from Pl. de Bastille to the Sorbonne, and around the same time the festival Jazz à la Villette [44] brings some of the biggest names in contemporary jazz from around the world.

The Nuit Blanche [45] transforms most of central Paris into a moonlit theme-park for an artsy all-nighter on the first Saturday of October, and Fashion Week [46] returns shortly thereafter showing off Women’s Prêt-à-Porter collections for the following summer; as we’ve noted winter collections are presented in March.

 

 

Assignment 3:  Rewrite Chapter 1 Headline

Original:  A Man of Few Words

Revised:  A Man of Few Words:  Remembering My Father

 

Assignment 4:   Three Different Headlines

1. China Bans U.S. Meat Imports: Cites Contamination

2. China Bans  “Unsafe” U.S. Meat Imports

3. China Bans “Unsafe” U.S. Meat Imports: Chinese Fight Back on Import Safety Issue

 

Assignment 5:  Capstone Assignment

 

TRAVELBEAT.net:   FOCUS  ON  NORTHERN  IRELAND

By Gerry McGuiness

• Visiting “Peaceful” Ireland
• A New Political Era
• Belfast: “A Modern MIracle”
• Belfast: A Vacation Destination with Historical Merit
• Belfast’s City Centre:  The Ultimate Pub, Entertainment and Shopping
• “The Troubles”  Historical Sites
• Northern Ireland’’s Parliament at Stormont
• From Belfast to Derry:  Getting There is Half the Fun
• Derry:  Roots of Bloody Sunday and Contemporary Irish History
• Starting Anew:  Bridging the Gap in Northern Ireland
• The Total Experience:  More Resources

 

Visiting “Peaceful” Ireland

Great Victoria Street, Belfast

At “half seven” on a misty Saturday night in June, the elegant Grand Opera House in Belfast’s city center glimmered and glowed on its corner of Great Victoria Street. The theater enveloped a sellout crowd into its velveted, gilded interiors for a production of “Dial M for Murder.” Most big cities take nights like this for granted, but not Belfast. In Northern Ireland, a quiet evening at the theater has at times been an impossibility.

“We’re savoring the peace,” said one native Belfaster, settling in for the production. “We’re at the theater, aren’t we?”

On and off for decades, sectarian strife made going out at night a risky proposition. Bombings forced businesses and dramatic venues, including the Grand Opera House, to shut down. Cabbies designated “no-go” areas throughout the city. Hotels began frisking their guests.

Today, however, this ancient capital is again a bustling European city, and normality has meant the return of cultural and economic vitality, civic pride and an almost palpable optimism. Northern Ireland is indeed savoring the peace, and the irony is that some Belfasters now are fearful of visiting London, which has become a favorite target for jihadist terrorists, when for so long Londoners avoided bomb-scarred Belfast.

 

A New Political Era

Paisley and Ahern

When Democratic Unionist Party leader Ian Paisley shook hands last April with Ireland’s prime minister, or taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, the two unlikely partners ushered in what increasingly bears the earmarks of a new era. The handshake seemed to ratify the fatigue-induced peace and, perhaps more importantly, re-started power-sharing between Protestants and Catholics, unionists and nationalists, loyalists and republicans. Whether this peace will end violently and tragically is a question seemingly everyone is asking in the six counties of Northern Ireland, where the task of finding a way to officially remember the more than 3,600 who died or were killed during the Troubles has only just begun, where even what and whether to remember are nettlesome questions.

 

Belfast:  ”A Modern Miracle”

New Construction, Belfast

“There’s a whole new atmosphere in Belfast,” said Ann Monahan, a native of the city now living in Galway, Ireland. “It’s much lighter. Everyone is so tired of all of the fighting. For so long no one wanted to invest in Northern Ireland. Now I can’t believe all of the cranes you see throughout the city.”

Indeed, construction apparatus are so numerous in Belfast that local residents have begun calling the crane the new national bird. The many cranes – I could get as many as seven into one frame of my camera – are emblematic of what one Belfaster calls “a modern miracle.”

“A lot of investment is coming in from the Republic, which is quite a turnaround from the not too distant past when the Republic was essentially a third-world country,” explained Irish News columnist Chris Murphy. “Now, Dublin real estate is astronomical, so investment has shifted to Northern Ireland. Peace has made that possible.”

 

Belfast:  A Vacation Destination with Historical Merit

Grand Opera House

Peace has made a lot of things possible, re-defining daily life and making the North once again an appealing vacation destination, particularly for those interested in how conflict is resolved or managed. Few Belfasters even 15 years ago could have imagined, for example, that the recently restored Grand Opera House would operate again as Northern Ireland’s premier playhouse. Damaged and closed in the early 1990s, the 113-year-old theater has reasserted itself by blending politically current, topical productions, such as “The Interrogation of Abrose Fogarty,” with more commercial fare, like “Annie” and “The Lion King.” That the venue is open again is a triumph, and this is not lost on the city’s residents.

“This wasn’t possible 10 years ago,” said one theater-goer, attending “Dial M for Murder” with her husband. “I can’t tell you how much it means, just a night at the play.”

A visit to the restored Europa hotel next door, which isn’t a bad idea before or after the Opera House, also underlines just how comprehensive Belfast’s comeback has been. Only Sarajevo’s Holiday Inn was bombed more often than the four-star Europa, which once again glitters on Great Victoria Street. Bombed more than 30 times, the modern Europa was a frequent IRA target in the 1970s, then again in the early and mid-1990s, emblem as it is of Unionist luxury, privilege and capitalist muscle. The bombings, which began almost as soon as the hotel opened in 1971, led to drastic security measures, including searching luggage and deliveries, and building security walls along the front of the hotel. Not surprisingly, tourists stopped checking in, at least in numbers, but the resilient hotel staff made sure the hotel never closed.

Europa Hotel

Sipping a pint in the Europa Hotel’s ground floor bar, looking out over a lobby alive with the energy of Belfast’s resurgent tourism and business sectors, it is difficult to picture the destruction of Europa’s kitchen and restaurant, which was wrought by a bomb attack in 1971, or of the bombing in 1993 that led to an $18 million restoration project. Regardless of Northern Ireland’s prospects for long-term peace, the odds of a bomb attack at the Europa now are remote. Ahern stays here when he visits, just as Bill Clinton did twice in the late 1990s. (Ask for the 10th floor “Clinton Suite.”) 

 

Belfast’s City Centre: The Ultimate Pub, Entertainment, Shopping

City Centre

 

City Centre includes the Crown pub, Waterfront and Odyssey concert   halls, City Hall and plenty of good shopping, including an open air market running Fridays and Saturdays. The Crown, built in 1826 but extensively refurbished in summer 2007, is a quintessentially English pub, and it is just across Great Victoria from the Europa and the opera house. With its assault of colors and textures, the Crown is worth a visit even for non-drinkers. A primrose yellow, gold and ripe red ceiling, gold feather motifs on Corinthian columns, brocaded walls, a Balmoral red granite-topped bar, richly painted and etched glass, and floors of tiled mosaics make the Crown one of the more visually interesting buildings in the whole of Ireland. As afternoon turns to evening and noise in the “gin palace” appreciates considerably, a premium is placed on the ten private “snugs,” or elaborately carved wood booths that ring the bar. The painted glass, ornate carved woodwork, and confessional-like intimacy of the snugs make refuge in one an experience not unlike church, which shouldn’t surprise, because Italian craftsmen working on churches in Northern Ireland in the late 19th century were coaxed into helping with the Crown, as well.

Mother England is prominent around the corner at City Hall, as well. A statue of Queen Victoria (1839-1901) stands sentry outside the renaissance-style, copper domed complex built in 1906 and around which the city center whirls. Free tours are offered, and some time appreciating the Portland stone building from its lawns and walking its perimeter is very satisfying, as well.

Waterfront Hall

Waterfront Hall, a performance venue, and the Odyssey Pavilion, where the 5-year-old Belfast Giants hockey team plays, are new additions to the harbor where the Lagan River slices into Belfast, an area completely revitalized since the IRA ceasefire in the late 1990s. Importantly, Protestants and Catholics alike cheer on the Giants, one of the few sporting teams in Ireland that unite rather than divide. Perhaps no vista in the city more quickly communicates how far Northern Ireland has come in the last decade, and how eager it is to move ahead, than that offered by the inner harbor, showcasing as it does forward-thinking modern architecture and steel-and-glass structures that hug the Lagan’s banks.

Cross the city, passing along the way beautiful Queens University and its lush lawns and gardens, to see the Lyric Theatre, which serves as a sort of living monument to the Troubles. The Lyric provides a steady diet of Irish drama, including contemporary Irish productions. Opening at its current location in October 1968, just as the civil rights movement was mobilizing, the playhouse has not shied away from controversial productions, even during times of crisis. In 1971, the year before Bloody Sunday and the worst year of sectarian strife, the theater premiered “The Flats,” a play by Irish writer John Boyd that was the first production in Northern Ireland to center on the Troubles. Even during the most turbulent times, the Lyric refused to close.

Lyric Theatre

“Coming to the theater became an act of defiance,” said Susan Phelan, the Lyric’s marketing director, during a popular run in summer 2007 of “Dancing at Lughnasa,” written by leading Irish playwright Brian Friel. The Troubles indeed kept many away, she said, but closing down would have been an act of surrender.

Today, the theater is thriving, and Belfast’s hard-won peace is a big reason why. “It’s a different attitude now,” Phelan said. “Everyone is so happy to call normal ‘normal’ again, and you can see that in the audiences here.” So optimistic is the Lyric that its board is planning a new, $24 million, multi-stage theater complex to be built on the present site. 

 

“The Troubles” Historical Sites:  Catholic Falls Road, Protestant Shankill Neighborhoods

To appreciate the Troubles and the residues of conflict they left behind, visitors to Belfast should tour the Catholic Falls Road and Protestant Shankill neighborhoods, replete as they are with propagandistic wall murals, which, as a collection, provide a sort of narrative or history of the conflict. Shankill Road takes you through the middle of a Protestant working-class neighborhood that is punctuated by murals celebrating Protestant and loyalist victories dating back to the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, one of the principal battles commemorated during the annual marching season.

Orange Order March

The Orange Order marches are staged each July 12, a national holiday in the North called The Twelfth and commemorating the victory of King William of Orange over James II, the Catholic king William removed from the English throne to reassert English Protestant rule over Ireland. Not surprisingly the marches are viewed by many Catholics as provocation, and violence has more often marked the day than has peaceful remembrance. Notably, in July 2007, march season passed nearly without incident, even though tens of thousands of Protestants marched in Belfast and in Derry. 

The Murals

When touring the murals, take with you a scorecard or directory of all of the various paramilitaries and political groups, most of which are represented in some way in the art. To know the difference between the RIRA and the RUC or UDA, for example, is to begin to appreciate the loyalties the murals demand. (The acronyms, respectively, signify the Real IRA, the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the Ulster Defence Association.) Throughout the Shankill, bright murals commemorate the many loyalist paramilitaries, such as the UDA and Ulster Freedom Fighters. One mural in particular, portraying a UFF sniper, is chilling in how the hooded gunman’s eyes follow you around the Shankill green space bordered by apartment houses. Clearly intimidation was the artist’s goal.

The Shankill area is separated from the Catholic Falls Road neighborhood by only a “peace wall,” a euphemistically named combination of wire and concrete barriers designed to repel rocks and explosives, and to keep Catholics and Protestants from coming into contact with one another. Along Falls Road, the experience is a bit different. Where loyalist murals occupy residential walls, or the end panels of apartment buildings in most cases, those in the Falls area are located more often in purely public areas. Their abundance and public-ness underscore how The Troubles were, and to some extent remain, a state of mind as well as a state of civil unrest, and how this mindset is bequeathed from one generation to the next. Graffiti, too, is used to appropriate otherwise public spaces, to communicate identity and affiliation, and to exclude, to say who is not welcome. “No Pope Here” and “Fuck the IRA” in the Shankill; “Brits Out” and “Sinn Fein!” along Falls Road (Sinn Fein is Gaelic for “Ourselves Alone” and the name of the Republican political party in Northern Ireland).

Sein Fein Headquarters, Mural of Bobby Sands

Along Falls Road you will see Sinn Fein headquarters. It is impossible to miss, emblazoned as it is with a three-story mural of Bobby Sands, perhaps the best known of the martyred hunger strikers who died at the infamous Maze prison at Longkesh. (Plans are afoot to turn the Maze into a complex of athletic fields.) The building provided the backdrop for the many Sinn Fein press conferences in the mid- and late-1990s, and it is situated just across the street from the IRA’s Garden of Remembrance. A memorial to the “soldiers” who died in the “war” for independence, the Garden and its political references reinforce claims that The Troubles were much more about sovereignty and land rights than religious differences. Directly opposite the Garden is the largest collection of murals in Belfast, including several that comment on U.S. politics in Iraq and elsewhere. Perhaps the most poignant of these depicts President George Bush siphoning oil from the Middle East by sucking a plastic tube and ingesting the petroleum.

 

Northern Ireland’s Parliament at Stormont

Parliment At Stormont

Charged with knitting some sort of national fabric from the many disparate cloths and cleavages in Northern Ireland is the country’s recently re-convened Parliament, which works at Stormont. Built from stone representing all 32 Irish counties, Stormont was built in 1932 as a sort of “thank you” to Northern Ireland from England for the partition of the island, the political act that divided the island into two nations. Welcoming visitors is a statue of Edward Carson, founder of the UVF in 1912 and a broker of the partitioning agreement. (“Welcoming” might not be the appropriate word choice; Carson, postured in an aggressive lunge, appears to be haranguing visitors as they approach.) It is worth a visit for its grandeur, for the beautiful “Mile” road leading up to its dramatic entrance and for the opportunity of imagining the building covered completely in manure during World War II. Insert your favorite politics-and-bullshit joke here. (They did it to camouflage the building from German bombers, and it took years to sandblast back off.)

 

From Belfast to Derry:  Getting there is Half the Fun

Giant's Causeway

Visitors to Ireland seeking to understand The Troubles, including their legacies and residues, must also visit Derry.  There are a few very different, entertaining and enriching ways to get to Derry from Belfast.  The Coastal option, while longer than a direct route, offers a feast for the eyes, and quite a bit of the island’s history, as well.  Highlights along the way include Giant’s Causeway, a mass of 40,000 hexagonal basalt stone columns that form steps from the foot of the cliff into the sea.  Irish legend attributes the unique formations to Finn McCool, commander of the King’s armies, but the stone gallery really is the product of volcanic activity 6,000 millennia ago.  A nature walk through and around Giant’s Causeway is woth a day’s activities, or it can be sampled as briefly as time allows  Also on this route is the Carrick-a-Rede-rope bridge, which is not for those afraid of heights.  The bridge affords stunning sea views to those who are not, however.  Also on this route is the Bushmills whiskey distillery, the breathtaking scenery of the Nine Glens of Antrim and the 14th century Dunluce Castle, which teeters on a cliff’s edge and is described by many as the most picturesque in Ireland.

Church of Ireland Cathedral

The southern route would enable stops in Armagh City, the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland and the burial place of legendary Irish clan king, Brian Boru.  Saint Patrick built Ireland’s first stone church in Armagh City, which is now home to the sky-reaching Church of Ireland Cathedral.  This route also goes through Omagh, site of the horrific RIRA bombing on the city’s main shopping lane in August 1998.

Following the A2, you would enter Derry from the north, traveling parallel with the river Foyle that divides the city and is Catholic and Protestant residents.  Even the city’s name is emblematic of the competing claims that confuse identity in the North.  Republicans refer to the city as Derry, while Unionists call it Londonderry.  Designations that double the city’s identifications on signage, maps and histories.  Derry was the epicenter of the most recent phase of the strife, or the modern-day Troubles, that began in the late 1960’s, and it was the site of the Bloody Sunday massacre 35 years ago.

 

 “Derry”: Roots of Bloody Sunday and Contemporary Irish History

Stroke City

 

 

 

 

 

On January 30, 1972, a civil rights march in “Stroke City” culminated in a deadly confrontation between some of the more than 10,000 marchers and British army paratroopers. In just 15 minutes, 13 marchers were dead and another critically wounded. No British soldiers were killed, but an official inquiry implausibly declared that the soldiers had merely returned fire on armed marchers. We still do not know any of the names of the soldiers involved, though some of their superior officers, who have been identified, have been decorated by the Queen. Reminders of the fateful, fatal day seemingly are everywhere in Derry, from the Free Derry section of the Catholic Bogside neighborhood, to Guildhall, where the British Widgery and Saville inquiries have been conducted, to the Free Derry Museum and Bloody Sunday Archive, a must-see for anyone genuinely interested in comprehending contemporary Irish history. Talk to anyone in Derry’s city center, which is marked by the inner stone wall that has defined Londonderry since it was established in the early 17th century, and rapidly you will discover some direct link to Bloody Sunday. 

Derry resident Carol Lynn Toland was 17 years old on Bloody Sunday, and she was dating a member of the IRA at the time. She says the memories are as fresh today as they were 35 years ago, which is part of the problem. Fortunately not all of what Toland remembers is sorrowful. Saturday night at the riots, for example.

“We used to ask each other on Friday, ‘What time are you going to the riots?’” said Toland, looking out over Bogside, the nearly entirely Catholic neighborhood in which most of Bloody Sunday took place, and where her father grew up. “We would tell our parents we were going babysitting.” One night at the riots, on Derry’s William Street, Toland, which connects Bogside with the city center, she and a friend walked into a rock-throwing attack on the RUC, or British police. The Catholic boys called a temporary ceasefire to let the ladies pass. “We walked safely through, and they started throwing rocks again,” she said. “We didn’t even think about it.”

Free Derry Wall

William Street, or Sraid Liam, is a main thoroughfare in the city center, and it is where the British army erected a barricade on Bloody Sunday, on the edge of Bogside leading into Sorrow Square, named in tribute to Ireland’s famine victims. Another barricade was placed where today a large, white “You Are Now Entering Free Derry” wall has been erected, in Free Derry Corner. From this vantage point, visitors can easily imagine the bedlam of Bloody Sunday, and in minutes they can walk to the Bogside Inn or the Free Derry Museum, both of which are essential stops on any tour of Derry or even of Northern Ireland.

The Bogside Inn was, and perhaps still is, a sort of de facto headquarters for the IRA, including for then-IRA leader Martin McGuinness, a native of Derry. Inside is one of the best, most comprehensive photo collections of Bloody Sunday’s people and events anywhere, and it is a great place to down a pint with Derry’s working class Catholics. The pub also serves as official headquarters for the “Free Derry Celtic Supporters Club,” making it the place to watch any televised Celtics soccer match. The Celtics of Galway are the team of choice for Northern Irish Catholics, whose wardrobes heavily rely on the team’s green and white. Galway’s Rangers are embraced by Northern Ireland’s Protestants, so people do not wear Celtic colors across the river, where Protestants are concentrated, nor would a person wear Ranger blue in Bogside. Color and language are cultural weapons in Northern Ireland, as even a casual observer quickly notes. (Restaurants commonly forbid patrons wearing team colors or emblems.) Ireland’s tri-color flag waves atop the Bogside Inn, while “No RUC” graffiti shouts from across the street.

Free Derry Museum

The Free Derry Museum, just a block from the pub, is simply unforgettable. Combining video, audio and displays of artifacts from the Troubles, including clothing worn by the victims on Bloody Sunday and original newspaper accounts, the museum and archive confronts visitors with the chaos and cruelty of the day, and the lack of justice since. Jean Hegarty co-founded the museum to pay tribute to Bloody Sunday’s dead, who include her brother, Kevin McIlhenny. Just 17 the day of the marches, McIlhenny was shot trying to crawl to safety.

“I was away, living in Canada, at the time of my little brother’s death,” said Hegarty, who moved back to Derry in 1995. “I think my guilt kicked in, so I got involved.”

Hegarty said she believes investigations like the Saville Inquiry, a $350 million fiasco that so far has yielded little new information, are a waste of time and taxpayer money, that a truly independent, impartial investigation will never come. “But what people want has largely been accomplished,” said Hegarty, who was 23 years old on Bloody Sunday. “We know the 14 were innocent. Their reputations have been restored.”

 

Derry:  Guildhall’s Famous Stained Glass and 18th Century Pipe Organ

Guildhall, Derry

Abutting Waterloo Place off the end of William Street is Derry’s most visually arresting site, the neo-gothic style Guildhall built in 1887. Destroyed by fire in 1908 and rebuilt over the next four years, the city hall offers visitors impressive interiors, including more than two dozen of Ireland’s finer stained glass windows that together offer a sort of visual fugue about most of the more important episode’s in the city’s history going back four centuries. Also dramatic is the floor-to-ceiling, 3,100-pipe organ in the main council hall. Guildhall serves as an important symbol of the Troubles, embodying as it does the ties to London and to the Crown. Witnesses of the events of Bloody Sunday were interviewed in Guildhall as part of the British-run Widgery Tribunal, an official coverup memorialized in Brien Friel’s unforgettable play, “The Freedom of the City,” which visitors to Derry are encouraged to read. (Depending on the mayor’s agenda, you can visit the mayor’s parlor in which most of Friel’s play takes place.) The Saville Inquiry of recent years, which seeks in part to correct the wrongs of the Widgery Tribunal, also conducted interviews in Guildhall, which towers over the Foyle and punctuates Derry’s landscape from all directions. The building geographically marks the Catholic-Protestant divide, perched as it is on the river next to the connecting bridge. More than 95% of the population on the Guildhall side are Catholic, but the majority swings the other way when crossing the bridge and onto higher elevations. 

 

Starting Anew:  Bridging the Gap in Northern Ireland

Children in Galway

Derry native Clionagh Boyle recommends talking with residents on both sides of the river. “If you peel back the layers, there are all sorts of backgrounds and influences,” said Boyle, who is a director at Derry’s Women’s Centre responsible for the Children’s Commission located just off Sorrow Square near Guildhall. “We have a Children’s Commission because we felt we needed to be an intermediary much sooner in n people’s lives. By the time you are in your thirties, so much damage to self-esteem has already been done.”

Boyle said she was 19 years old before she met her first Protestant friend, and she had to go to Dublin to do it.

“The irony was that she was from Derry, too,” Boyle said. “It shouldn’t be that way, of course, and many are working toward creating safe places and spaces for both Catholics and Protestants to interact.” The challenge is getting Catholics and Protestants even to want their lives to intersect because division and strict separation is what both sides wanted, and have carefully built.

“In this world there are only two tragedies,” wrote Ireland’s rascally playwright Oscar Wilde, in the very funny “Lady Windermere’s Fan. “One is not getting what one wants; the other is getting it. The last is much the worst.”

 

THE TOTAL EXPERIENCE:  More Resources

To learn more about Northern Ireland and its recent history prior to traveling, here are some resources abstracted to help you.

BOOKS AND FILM

 

• The Lie of the Land, Irish Identities (1997). Irish Times columnist Fintan O’Toole explores how Ireland constantly builds and rebuilds its identity, providing along the way rich portraits of the Irish people and the divisions that prevent consensus on just what it means to be Irish.
• “Something to Write Home About,” from Finder’s Keepers (2003), by Seamus Heaney, in which the Nobel poet explores identity. A native of Derry in Northern Ireland, but Irish Catholic, Heaney looks at how part of who we are is determined or at least influenced by “the other.”
•  Eureka Street, Ballantine Books (1996). In Robert McLiam Wilson’s tale of love and loss, Belfast is as much a character as the two unlikely friends on whose fortunes the book’s narrative turns. The time is a cease-fire in the mid-1990s, a breath between the bombings that have punctuated life in several Northern Ireland cities since the late 1960s.
•  “Bloody Sunday.” While it cannot provide truth, Paul Greengrass’s docudrama does deliver verisimilitude, taking viewers into the heart of Derry as one of the 10,000 for that fateful Sunday in January 1972.
•  “Omagh.” A feature film shot documentary-style that recounts the bombing of a crowded street in Omagh, N.I., in August 1998, and, in its aftermath, the pursuit by city’s grieving families for truth. 106 minutes. Like “Bloody Sunday,” this film stars Gerard McSorley, a native of Omagh.

POETRY & DRAMA

 

• “Butcher’s Dozen: A Lesson for the Octave of Widgery,” a poem by Thomas Kinsella, available: http://www.usm.maine.edu/~mcgrath/poems/butchrs.htm.
• “The Freedom in the City,” a play by Brien Friel set in Derry’s Guildhall during The Troubles.
•  “Neither an elegy nor a manifesto,” a poem by Ireland’s John Hewitt that contemplates the difficulty of dealing with the dead. 

PRESS COVERAGE

 

• The Guardian newspaper’s exquisite archive of press coverage of The Troubles, up to the present: http://www.guardian.co.uk/Northern_Ireland/0,,446746,00.html. Includes several excellent Flash movies that summarize The Troubles: http://www.guardian.couk/Northern Ireland/flash/0 

PUBLIC RECORDS

 

• “The Bloody Sunday Inquiry,” http://www.bloody-sunday-inquiry.org.uk. Ten years and more than $350 million in costs since its launch, the Saville Inquiry, or Bloody Sunday Inquiry, has yet to publish or announce its findings. Only the lawyers are happy.

PEOPLE AND PLACES

 

• St. Columb’s Cathedral, on London Street in Derry, is the city’s oldest building, finished in 1633. Inside are marble monuments, stained glass, carved stone likenesses and the cannon ball hurled at the church that carried inside the request for surrender during Londonderry’s siege in 1688-89.

 

• The walls of Derry, which is the last completely walled city in Ireland. Built in the early 17th century, the walls can be walked in less than an hour, and they offer spectacular vistas of the Foyle River, the surrounding countryside, Bogside and the city’s center.

• Derry’s murals in Bogside and the Fountain area offer a sort of history of The Troubles, including tributes to the hunger strikers, the victims of Bloody Sunday, the practices of the British paratroopers and the combatants, including the IRA and RUC.

CLASSES, WORKSHOPS

 

• Language classes at the Foyle Language School in Derry, including lessons in Gaelic.

EXHIBITS

 

• Guildhall stained glass windows, unveiled in 1912 after the structure’s rebuilding. There are groupings of them in the Vestibule, the Entrance Hall, the Mayor’s Parlour, Top Corridor and, for the largest collection, the Council Chamber.

• Free Derry Museum and National Civil Rights Archive. Established in the heart of Derry’s Catholic Bogside by the Bloody Sunday Trust, the museum tells the story of the civil rights movement from the Republican perspective. Open M-F year-round, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., 1-4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. http://www.museumoffreederry.org.

PHOTOGRAPHY

 

• The Bogside Inn, a pub in Bogside, also boasts one of the most comprehensive collections of Troubles photography anywhere. At any moment, the pub’s denizens might join you as a sort of docent, explaining the context or import of one of the photos.

 

• Ulster Folk and Transport Museum in County Down can be visited en route to Derry from Belfast. In addition to one of the better Titanic exhibitions, the museum has more than 300,000 still images representing Northern Ireland’s ways of life over time. Buildings on the property include houses, mills, shops, schools and churches that recreate life in the early 1900s.

 

 

Revision Note:  You may recall, I completed the original assignment.  You had no comments or revisions for me.  (To wit, I was most grateful)

Waiting for Your Copy of Ad Age? The Website Has Real Time News and So Much More

An Evaluation of AdAge.com

by Lisa Youngclaus

Waiting for the office copy of Ad Age may not be as scintillating as it used to be.  AdAge.com packages the latest advertising industry news in a real time format with lots of other bells and whistles, just a click away.  From the familiar graphics to the popular columns and critiques, virtually everything translates to the online world.  In fact, the innovative interaction and first class graphics may make the “read” even better.   

Background Summary and Target Audience

AdAge.com is an advertising industry news website providing stories of interest to professionals in the advertising, marketing, and media sectors.  The real-time website is an additional platform to the parent, Advertising Age, a news weekly magazine which has served the industry for more than 75 years. The site is updated with breaking news stories and provides an extensive log of relevant content and links to other marketing and media sources.  The site also sponsors multiple daily electronic newsletters with a variety of specific focuses which advertising professionals may receive upon request.

                              Advertising Age Weekly Magazine (Source: Wikipedia)

 

                         Home page with two-column layout (Source: www.adage.com)

Evaluation

Overall, the site offers complete up-to the-minute coverage of a vast industry and successfully transferring its authority, from the trusted news weekly into the digital format. Important news and stories of interest are presented with the familiar graphical look and feel of the Advertising Age print publication.  While highly functional and familiar in its appeal to advertising and marketing executives, some pages within the site become too complex, perhaps, due in part to the presence of advertising within the site.  Of course, this is the business the site is promoting, so the advertising is a “must”.  Given that necessity, some simplification of layout and design and consistent use of navigation elements could enhance the use of space and entice professionals to engage in the many layers of information created and acquired for this site.

Home page and page layout

The homepage reflects the familiar face of the Advertising Age news weekly magazine.  The weekly and website design both utilize the signature white background with the Advertising Age logo underlined by the blue bar, to signal the Brand identity of this iconic publication.  A two -column layout allows sufficient space to highlight a few lead news stories surrounded by a decent amount of white space. The design incorporates adjacent pictures for each new story with bold headlines and appropriate sub-heads to give the viewer a concise and clear understanding of each story.  The option to immediately “click” to “FULL ARTICLE” is highlighted in red.

The site uses an offset, left-hand navigation panel, with good proportion to the two-column layout, categorized and detailed with small arrows to encourage navigating to the department of choice.  The navigation panel provides a quick summary of and shortcuts to the site’s content, regular columns and sections.  Graphically, the navigation menu is clean and legible with a dark grey background with reverse type. 

Upon scrolling down the homepage, the format shifts to a three–column layout and becomes increasingly cluttered.  While well organized, the same design elements delivered in the two-column layout, now become crowded into three columns with smaller font. The result is an increasing level of distraction and tendency to overwhelm any single story’s importance.

 

   Home page continued with three-column layout. (Source:  www.adage.com)

In both the two-column and three-column spaces, advertising is positioned in the far right column and in the lower portion of the left-side navigation bar, and anchored at the bottom of the page.  In general, the ads are graphically appealing and attention–getting, but at times can make the page appear too cluttered.  The best appearance of advertising is when the page focuses on a single advertiser (e.g. Yahoo).   By utilizing a series of three to four ad spaces, using common color and design, the advertisings’ disruptiveness is minimized.  In fact, when featured, the dramatic purple Yahoo ads become attractive design elements on the page and showcase good web advertising, which is appropriate for the site.  Conversely, where smaller ads for multiple companies are featured and used to excess, the result is a cluttered effect.

 

Navigation and Content

Navigation throughout the site is fairly easy due to many layers of detail enabling the user to select the desired content.  Within the two primary sections (Home and Columns), the navigation bar remains to the left, highlighting the current location, which enables the user to know where they are and how to get elsewhere. Further, the subsequent pages are designed in the same fashion using repetitive and consistent design elements. These pages can also stand alone.

While the first two main sections on the Navigation bar work well as detailed above, when visiting additional sections such as the Blogs and Pods, Resources, Branded Content and Services sections, the navigation bar disappears, page design changes and there is no tab or any ability to return to the Home page. This is very frustrating creates the effect of feeling lost and no way to return home without use of the “back” button.  Further, in the final three sections, Resources, Branded Content and Services, in addition to lack of a Home return, the Advertising Age logo is also disappears, contributing to the “where am I effect” which risks encouraging the user to “give up” and leave the site.  

Content is extensive and well organized. Additionally, links to even more content can be found at the bottom of the homepage.  Frankly, I find the content a little too extensive and am better served by the daily Ad Age newsletter, which gives a brief overview of top stories.  However, having worked in many aspects of the industry, in order for the site to adequately serve the diversity of professionals, the extensive content is appropriate.

 

Writing Quality and Tone

News stories are generally written in the inverted pyramid style delivering key points with solid headlines, hard-working sub-heads and informative first paragraphs to signal important facts quickly and easily.  Articles are not too lengthy and can be scanned for more detail.  Due to the subject matter, the writing style and tone of the articles is creative and fun, lending some excitement to each subject with a contemporary flair.  A consistent use of clear visuals with each news story adds to the graphic impact and visual interest of the site.

Another informative and fun aspect to the site is the “3 Minute Ad Video” which appears on the home page and subsequent top news story pages.  This “window” is not only a great informational tool offering a wide variety of relevant content, but it contributes to the site’s “cutting edge” tone.

 

Summary and Suggested Improvements

The site has many strengths, as discussed above:

·      Excellent branding and recognition from the parent platform

·      Relevant, timely content for the target audience

·      Excellent consistency in design in most sections

·      Easy navigation in key sections

·      Strong, detailed organization

·      Solid writing quality

·      Appropriately creative, contemporary tone

However, a clear opportunity for improvement exists by improving the consistency of the site:

·      Maintaining use of white space and the less-cluttered two-column design.

·      Retaining the left hand navigation bar throughout the pages for a sense of place.

·      Retaining the ability on all pages to return “home”.

·      Consistent treatment of advertising, focusing on one sponsor per page, whenever possible, for maximum impact and minimum clutter, as with the Yahoo ads on the homepage.

 

The website reflects the needs of the industry perhaps more than the printed iconic publication. By utilizing the technology of the internet, the industry can be experienced firsthand, beyond print to video and beyond.  Instead of seeing a storyboard and script of the hottest new campaign, just click here and watch it.

 

Revision Note:  Revisions include your corrections and suggestion to add a new headline and intro and closing paragraphs.

 

A Man of Few Words: Remembering My Dad

My father was a simple man, simple in his wants, tastes and needs.  His desire to live an uncomplicated life did not make him easy to understand.  In fact, his simplistic ways could deceive those closest to him, including myself. As his youngest daughter, I grew up with a scarcity of knowledge about my father’s life that went unexplained with our family’s hectic pace. My father’s construction work kept him apart from us much of the time. When he was home during the long, hot summers, he chose to escape the household chaos created by three kids and assortment of cats and dogs.  He spent his weekends riding on his John Deere tractor, mowing the alfalfa fields or sitting quietly by the lake with a tired look on his lean, tanned face.

A Visit to Remember

One of our last visits together revealed more about him in a single day than I had gathered throughout my life. It started with a question that threw me off guard in a way I can still recall: “Do you want to go see the house I grew up in?”

The question seemed to summarize the dance that had characterized our relationship throughout my life. He was there and he was not there.  He called and then he never came.  We talked, and then we did not talk for a while.  The question arrived like a slap in the face.  I realized I had never seen the house my Dad grew up in.

I knew he was from Hebbardsville, a little town about thirty miles deeper into Kentucky farmland than where our house was located.  The only other thing I had heard my grandmother tell about was how he had loved to play basketball when he was a kid.   Once, I had seen a picture of him in an old-fashioned basketball uniform.  He was so thin and handsome, I hardly recognized him.  There had been little talk of his high school basketball career other than it had been cut short after he was diagnosed with a heart murmur. As a young girl with a life of her own to live, this had seemed sufficient knowledge of my gruff, reticent father. 

But now that we were both adults, his childlike question, “Do you want to go see the house I grew up in?”, brought tears to my eyes. We drove out past our property while tidy farms with red barns lined up one after the next.  My father watched the road until we entered Hebbardsville, and he began his speech.

The Story I Longed to Hear

“This is Hebbardsville.  Never was much to speak of.  Still isn’t.  Over there’s where Granddaddy lived. His son-in-law, my Uncle Rich, still lives over there. He must be more than ninety years-old.”

“Dad! Who is Uncle Rich? Why don’t we know him?”

“Well, I know, him,” my father replied, as if to say, “What use would it have been for you to know him when you ran off and lived in Chicago and France and now, North Carolina, or any other place that pleases you, with the clear exception of home.”

He continued his narration: “Here’s the main street of Hebbardsville. That next house there. That was ours.” A small house with pretty, carved gables and tall, cathedral windows sat on a hill looking down over Main Street. He pointed out the stoop where he sat on summer days, and he laughed at the memory of throwing pebbles at passers-by from behind a bush in his front yard.

We continued on and he pointed out a large barn-like building that contained the gymnasium where he used to play basketball. He seemed excited to recall those days, and it made me think my father was a better basketball player than the heart murmur story had allowed.

“If you keep on going down this road, you reach the Green River,” he said.  “Can’t cross it anymore.  Used to be a ferry for horses and cars.  Nowadays, people take the Pennyrile Parkway to Owensboro,” he explained, in a tone that hinted at the uselessness of expensive roads, purposely built to avoid the natural excitement of crossing a hidden river on a ferryboat.

A Memory to Keep Forever

“Better get back to the house,” he said as he began to turn the car around.  “Thanks, Dad,” I smiled at him, “I really enjoyed that.  I’m sorry we’ve never done it before, but I’m glad we did it today.”

I was forever grateful for that day and that memory.  It made it easier to let him go when he passed away, quietly, in his sleep just a short time later. 

“Today’s as good a day as any,” he said.  We caught a long look into each other’s eyes, and drove home without words.  There was really nothing more to say.

Revisions Note:  Revisions include all your comments and reformatting into a few subtitles instead of the long italicized quotes I originally used.