Living off the Grid- Families that have chosen to use alternative sources of energy and how they do it.

http://www.off-grid.net/

This is a web site for people that have chosen this sort of life style. It is very broad...and not centered in Mich, but I would look here for ideas on where to look further.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/earth/1820211.html

This is an article where a family in Vermont will experiment with 6 different energy sources.

http://www.ewashtenaw.org/government/departments/planning_environment/planning/wind_power/about.html

This is a site that is just dedicated to Washtenaw Co, energy plan, specifically a wind generator. I did not know WC was doing this!

http://www.hbawc.com/mr_builtgreen.cfm

This is a site that is just for WC also- I think this would be a personal interview possibility.

I would also call those people that are advertising on the billboards that are all over town, but strangely cannot find them on the net.

http://www.meadowlarkbuilders.com/green.asp

This is one site, but not sure if its the same as the ones on the billboards.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techinnovations/2006-04-12-off-the-grid_x.htm

As much as I dislike USA, I would also try and approach some of their sources.

A rather energetic woman, certainly intense in nature, she still seems comfortable in her own skin. Always ready to claim her shortcomings, she also emanates a seriousness that clearly shows she has an opinion and in certain company, will indeed let you know how she feels, be this right or wrong. While she should be out of place in the classroom, being older then many of her instructors and classmates, this does not seem to bother her. She has a purpose, and nothing will detour her from this. Instead, she has a comfort and ease with learning, born of desire and the wisdom that age provides.

10 feature story ideas....

1)Changes small business are making in order to survive the current economic challenges.

 A business story

Identify local business that is making it in this economy, and the changes that they are making in order to stay in business. What their view is on the coming year

2) Equine Rescue, a labor of love

Profile

CANTER, And other equine rescue groups. Slaughter is now outlawed in the USA, and this has caused the numbers of unwanted horses to rise significantly. With hay prices at an all time high, Rescues are suffering greatly

3) Mr. T- and his new heart

Medical

Follow the story of a patient that has gotten a new heart- both the positives and negatives. UMMC has a great transplant program, and has performed huge numbers of transplants- there have to be organ donors and loss with all the gain. Complex to say the least! (would be difficult as the laws demand privacy-)

4) How Facebook is bringing people together- even those that are older

Not 100% sure

Talk to the people that gave rekindled friendships on Facebook esp from High school. How has this changed things for people?

5) Community Farm- Stay Local and loyal

Enterprise

Talk to community Farm people and see what their thoughts are and what they serve for the public

6) Living off the Grid- the story of a family that has made it happen

Profile and numbers

Find someone off the grid, see what they are doing and how it works for them

7) The life of a farm vet on the road

Profile and unfamiliar visitor

The Farm vet is alive and well! Its a life that is hard and harkens back to  a different kind of lifestyle 

8) Children of Iraq vets face the holidays

Profile, kind of...

Talk to the programs that provided for kids and talk to the families that have benefited from this

9) FoodGathers face their toughest year ever

Numbers as well as overview

Talk to FoodGathers and find out how their fundraising has gone over the past few years.

10) 2nd careers- why are so many people changing?

Numbers, overview as well as profile

find students that are older and what they are doing back in school!

Some day my book will come...some day my book will come!

So, this is a bit late, as Amazon slipped on their prime shipping promise, and my book has finally hit my door- it only took a week, instead of the promised 2 day turn around that I pay "prime bucks" for! :)

So, this may be TOO late, but I shall complete anyway!  

This is my article- entitled Equestrian Deaths Spread Unease in the Sport.

This was in the New York Times, and I chose it for many reasons, primary that these are people I know, in a sport I love, and it's a fairly clear, unbiased look at the issues that are causing problems for the associations that govern the sport.  There was a lot of press around this time, and even more followed shortly after, as we had 2 horses die at our largest Eventing competition in the US just 3 weeks after this article appeared. This has generated a lot of press, but towards a somewhat limited audience. God Forbid PETA ever gets involved! :-)

So, this is a feature piece, that is both a profile as well as an overview story. The Overview part is towards the end, and sums up the profile fairly clearly.   

It is somewhat newsy, but since they are talking about a phenomenon that is happening and has been happening over the past several months, with an organization looking at the possible causes, I feel it falls more into the Overview category. 

The profile of Darren is important, but interesting, as when this was written, Darren was still in the hospital and unable to fully communicate. (He has since made a complete and amazing recovery.) So, while a profile, Darren himself could not speak for himself. There are some nice follow-up stories where Darren does indeed speak for himself, and since Darren is very colorful, it's always interesting to hear what he has to say! 

I think this article could have had more numbers added to it- if the focus was indeed to be about the sport. If it was to be about Darren, then the numbers are unnecessary. If this had focused just on Darren, then talking about all that he has accomplished and the horses and riders he has helped would have added a bit to his creditability.  The irony of Darren being head of the safety committee is not addressed as it might be, too.

What I do like is that she presents things as clearly as possible to an audience that is unfamiliar with the sport.  She has a nice picture of Darren as a lead in, and does not (thankfully) use the picture of the fall in the article. The online version had links to other articles that were more aggressive in their style.

Overall, I think this is a good article, fairly presented, clearly written and deals with a tough subject well.

This was the morning we all dread- Late, Late and snow and ice.   Why that always seems to happen? But I am in class, on time and on this blog!

My goals for this class are to hone whatever writing ability I may have. While I am past the point of thinking I could ever have a career in journalism, I still admire the ability to be able to impart information in such a way.  Jo Mathias...I always look for her stories.  I think I might tend towards the sappy, but forgiving such things and moving past them is my goal right now. 

I read the article on Sanjaya Gupta with great interest- I worked with him for several years at the U. He was amazing then, and I know he will be terrific in what ever path he chooses. His ability to communicate is truly impressive- even then, as an intern, wet behind the ears, he was who patients wanted to talk to- because he was able to impart information in an accessible way. I feel great hope for a lot of the new administration with the choices BO is making (Oh dear- what horrid initials!) to support him in his very difficult job of turning the country around!

This is the beginning of my blog for Feature Writing!! 

So, here we go!

getting closer to the end of time.

I begin this blog with a huge sigh. It's been a long road, and yet, I feel we just started. This class, much more so then my other 2 classes, have been my life, my focus.

I think I have had a good understanding of what style is from the beginning of the class. I am not sure, however, if I was able to articulate it as well as I should, and that is where I learned the most about style as a writer, and as a student, too. I have always had an understand of audience, and have been fairly successful in writing for a specific audience outside of school. This has NOT been the case in school. Perhaps my distance of 20 odd years, perhaps my worry of getting it right has been a factor, but, it's clear to me that this process has been essential in my growth as a student.

Style as a student writer is a bit more difficult. I am still trying to decide how to meld those worlds, to create something that works for me. I realize as I write this that I come up against a particular road block for myself. I am someone that gets things right, and therefore, anything less then an A feels like a failure to me. I am just not a half-assed person.I carry this thru in all aspects of my life. If I am going to ride prelim, then damn it, I am going to be the absolute best I can be, given whatever shortcomings I may meet/have.

However, I also know that my writing style is pretty important to me, and as far as my voice as a writer must feel true- to myself, my ideas, and my purpose. So, now, with this class, my papers, my blogs, I must somehow create a comfort place for myself. Every person has a preference in what they read, and what style they appreciate. I know my writing will appeal to some, and not to others. My husband is a great example. He does not enjoy reading prose, poetry or literature that does not have purpose- action fiction, okay, but other sorts of writing does not appeal to him as it does to me. I know I will run up against this as I approach my next semester of writing, which, probably, will be non-existent with Chem, BioChem, Genetics as well as A and P. :-)

So, what has come to my attention is this- I want to write for my audience- that sounds strange, but stick with me here. I am grateful for the clarity that peer review has created for me, and grateful for the edits that Dr. K has provided- but as a way to hone my voice, not change it. But, I am not going to try and become something that I am not. How do I know what my audience is? I am not sure... When I write for USPC, I know it's kids, and horse kids. That one is easy for me; in all honestly, I just reach back a bit and I am there. I do think that I will write for more then that, perhaps after this science part of school is done. the one thing I know, and have gotten in touch with again, is that writing is very important to me. I am not as capable of sharing my feelings IRL, long story there, but in words, with language, I feel like I can give feeling and texture to the world as an artist does with paint and a brush. I am perhaps too sappy at times, and that worries me, but overall, it may also be where my strength exists.

So, style is creating what we want for who wants it. In that, it's tricky. It's subjective. In the end, style actually is as some suggested in their blogs earlier. It is how you wear your words, your way of creating a paper, book, essay, that reflects who you are, while reaching out to your reader in a way that they can absorb what your point, ideas are. So, Style is actually who we are, but as writers, rather then humans. It's not stagnant, but motionfilled, like water in a river. The banks are there, but the words can wash up on them, creating small disruptions that actually work, as long as the banks stay solid (Grammar, word usage, etc) you can succeed. (at least I hope so!! :-) )