Generation Gap

A recent study from the Pew Research Center suggests the gap in personal beliefs between young and old Americans is widening. Since the last presidential election, we seem to be heading in different directions when it comes to a number of domestic issues. A lot of people are talking about how younger people are embracing the technological boom while older people are shying away from it or just haven't caught on.

As a spokesperson for the 20-something demographic, I can see how the emergence of new technology can be startling to more traditional types. I recall attempting to explain text messaging or how to use some computer applications to an older relative this past year. Text messaging took awhile, but she's starting to get the hang of it. With the computer, she just writes word documents and sends emails, but she has no interest in learning anything beyond that. I see in some adults doubts about a genuine need for things like blogs, twitter feeds, even cell phones. Of course, as a student of journalism, I'm fascinated to learn how social networking across the web is evolving. I want older Americans to be more aware of, if not genuinely interested in exploring, the web's potential.

All this thought about the gap raises a number of questions:

Is the new wave of cell phones and iPods and twitterers and bloggers just too crazy for the older generations to wrap their heads around? Will today's older citizens eventually breakthrough the theoretical technology barrier? When we get old, will we be as techonologically-saavy as the kids coming up after us? Will my generation's collective understanding of computers keep up with future waves of electronic advancement.

The essential illustration of the one generation's struggle with technology comes from comedian Frank Caliendo. For his TBS show, "Frank TV," he portrayed Andy Rooney of "60 Minutes" fame reviewing the iPhone. Hilarity ensues.....YouTube - FrankTV and the iPhone

A Victory For Hockey In Ohio

Kudos to the Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Steve Mason on his Rookie of the Year award! The 20-year-old sensation's incredible season with 33 wins, 10 shutouts and an overall save percentage of .916.

During last Valentine's Day weekend, I drove three of my friends down to Columbus and took them to see the Blue Jackets play the Red Wings. None of them had ever seen a pro game before. Their first game ended up being an amazing, down to the wire nail-biter. Mason outdueled Chris Osgood and the Jackets narrowly won 3-2 in front of a big, playoff-like crowd. Ever since that game, my Ohio friends have become hooked on hockey.


Although the Jackets were swept in the first round of the playoffs at the hands of Detroit, they did manage to make their first appearance in the postseason. As a result, this year saw a dramatic change in the team's image in the area.

The city of Columbus is a college town on steroids, complete with a rabid and faithful legion of Ohio State followers. With obsessive enthusiasm, thousands follow Buckeye football and basketball the way some people follow religion. Given a culture so appreciative of competition, it was only a matter of time before the Jackets caught the eye of the fans.

Since it opened for hockey in 2000, Nationwide Arena has gone from nearly empty to nearly sold-out. Now that Coach Ken Hitchcock has trained his players to play his system of hockey, he has instilled discipline and maturity in this young team. If Columbus continues to develop its young talent and makes smart acquisitions through the season, the Jackets could be poised for a serious run at their second playoff berth. In the ever competitive Western Conference, Hitchcock's team stands out as a legitmate force to be reckoned with.

How To Rearrange Your Sleep Schedule

It takes about an hour to commute from my apartment to my internship.  I enter the newsroom a little before 2am each weekday morning so it tends to dictate when I sleep and when I hang out with people.  To accommodate my final piece of credit needed to graduate, I go to sleep around noon and get up around 8pm.  First, let me advise you:  

DO NOT rearrange your sleep schedule unless you absolutely have to.

...but if you must, here's some things that may help:

• coffee--I still haven't acquired the taste, but I became a coffee drinker strictly to support my work hours.
• late night restaurants---When midnight is lunch time, it's good to have a hangout where you can be loud and won't disturb roommates. 
• friends who don't work/work when you sleep--When I get home and go to bed at noon, no one else gets back from work until 4pm.  When I wake up, we discuss dinner/breakfast and possibly going out for the evening/morning.  
• replacing calendars with alarms--I frequently forget what day it is so I try and set alarms for places I need to be.

Working during hours that most dream of is difficult to get used to, but I find that it can have its perks.  I have an XM radio in my car with a great selection of music to choose from.  When I approach Cleveland and see the skyline come into view, I immediately change to the Real Jazz station or some similarly swanky channel.  The resulting combination of audio and visuals feels like the beginning of some stylish crime drama.  Also, looking out of the newsroom, I can see the light of the sun climb up the street.  Then, as if a switch was turned on, people start flooding the walkways and buses start flying by.  I get the distinct privilege of seeing Cleveland wake up and roll out of bed.     

First Post, An Introduction

Hello. My birthday is tomorrow so I decided to write my first ever blog. You're excited...I can tell. I guess I'll start with some background on how I ended up here:

I dumped Myspace in college to focus on Facebook, I've posted on Helium (cool site if you like writing articles) and I do Netflix friends and top movie lists, but that's been the extent of my online social networking. I've heard about blogs and I've read some relating to current events, hockey and other things that interest me. I never really seriously considered blogging until my internship started earlier this week.

In order to finish college and earn my B.A. in Broadcast News, I need to complete 300 hours at a TV news station. News, as you've probably heard, is one of those industries where newer is better. Lots of people are talking about newspapers on the decline and how the internet is going to replace everything.

While I like to keep up to speed with what's happening in the industry I'm supposed to be entering, getting a job just seems more pertinent at the moment. If things don't change by late August, I'll be entering a competitive job market made worse by our economy.

I'm from New Jersey, but I studied at Kent State. My internship is in Cleveland. In the newsroom, reporters and producers have been talking about the Iran elections and the Twitter/Facebook source of news. Some say Twitter could actually be the death of traditional news because it can get information out quicker than any mass medium used today. Others see it as a passing fad, thanks to people following cats and random posts about daily routines. Some of the stuff people post on sites like that is pretty lame, but I guess the same could be said for blogs.

In any case, it would be presumptuous of me to assume I live a fascinating life worth telling lots of other people about. I'll include observations and random thoughts from time to time, but this blog will also be used to keep me connected to the digital world and explore issues relating to media and its influence in the world. If you happen to read anything of mine, your comments and observations would be greatly appreciated. Peace.