"Easy Numbers for ID Theft, Lightly Guarded by Military"
The article from the New York Times has a stellar lead: "The government warns Americans to closely guard their Social Security numbers. But it has done a poor job of protecting those same numbers for millions of people: the nation’s soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines." It is tight, interesting and informing.
At bases and outposts military personel use their Social Security Numbers very casually. They even write them on their laundry bags. This puts them at a heightened risk for identity theft.
A West Point professor said that the military needs to rids itself of this practice that they have had since the 1960's. Representatives from the military say they are aware of the problem and are taking steps to fix it. Now the SSN's will no longer appear on Military I.D. cards.
Last year SSN's were used in 32% of identity thefts. 3.3% of active military personnel had been victims of such fraud that year, slightly below the 3.7 percent in the public at large.
Officials said some of the soldiers had been singled out because they were stationed in Iraq or Afghanistan where they would be slow to catch on to the fraud. That is precisely the fear of military officials concerning the vulnerability of soldiers, the NY Times reported.
I really like this article, but it makes me realize why as a young reporter I need to keep my articles under a thousand words.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Times Reading Log
"Taking Sides in Divorce, Chasing Profit"
Maybe I'm just getting sick of reading the New York Times, but this was another mediocre article on their part. Maybe I would be more intrigued if I was divorced or getting a divorce-like most of America.
The article began describing the situation of a woman who built a million-dollar business with her husband and then got a divorce.
In the divorce, all the rights to the business went to her husband and she lost the little money she did have in the preceedings.
"Then a lawyer referred her to Balance Point Divorce Funding, a new Beverly Hills lender that offers to cover the cost of breaking up — paying a lawyer, searching for hidden assets, maintaining a lifestyle — in exchange for a share of the winnings," reported the NY Times.
This is happening in NY and is expanding throughout the U.S.
I'm not surprised - America is at it again, waging bets on the potential profit of an emotional divorce. Bravo!
Maybe I'm just getting sick of reading the New York Times, but this was another mediocre article on their part. Maybe I would be more intrigued if I was divorced or getting a divorce-like most of America.
The article began describing the situation of a woman who built a million-dollar business with her husband and then got a divorce.
In the divorce, all the rights to the business went to her husband and she lost the little money she did have in the preceedings.
"Then a lawyer referred her to Balance Point Divorce Funding, a new Beverly Hills lender that offers to cover the cost of breaking up — paying a lawyer, searching for hidden assets, maintaining a lifestyle — in exchange for a share of the winnings," reported the NY Times.
This is happening in NY and is expanding throughout the U.S.
I'm not surprised - America is at it again, waging bets on the potential profit of an emotional divorce. Bravo!
Times Reading Log
"The Country Can Learn a Lesson From These Students"
Zakiya Qualls talked about her senior-year science reaseach at Howard Universityh and her dream to find a cure for Parkinsons disease.
She plunged into the results of her experiments which showed that an ingredient found in turmeric, used in curries, might protect neurons from toxins.
From this point on the article disapoints me because I was lead to believe it was about students doing research and were finding cures for diseases in spices, but it ended up being about medical education, which limits the audience significantly!
Zakiya Qualls talked about her senior-year science reaseach at Howard Universityh and her dream to find a cure for Parkinsons disease.
She plunged into the results of her experiments which showed that an ingredient found in turmeric, used in curries, might protect neurons from toxins.
From this point on the article disapoints me because I was lead to believe it was about students doing research and were finding cures for diseases in spices, but it ended up being about medical education, which limits the audience significantly!
Times Reading Log
"Weight Watchers Upends Its Points System"
Weight Watchers, one of the biggest names in dieting is changing their point system. The biggest change is that all fruits and most vegetables are point free. Processed foods have higher point values and should be eaten less.
Oranges are free, but orange juice costs 3 points. The new system is more complicated, but it also allows more points. I thought the article was average, to be honest. It was a good story idea, and definately appealing to a large, national audience, but truly, it could have been for interesting and informing.
Weight Watchers, one of the biggest names in dieting is changing their point system. The biggest change is that all fruits and most vegetables are point free. Processed foods have higher point values and should be eaten less.
Oranges are free, but orange juice costs 3 points. The new system is more complicated, but it also allows more points. I thought the article was average, to be honest. It was a good story idea, and definately appealing to a large, national audience, but truly, it could have been for interesting and informing.
Times Reading Log
"As Bullies Go Digital, Parents Play Catch-Up"
Before I read this article I was engaged by the picture of a pretty young girl wearing a leg brace sitting at her computer with her father standing over her. The caption: saying that she was a victim of online bullying because of her leg brace.
This article is definately a trend piece. Online bullying is huge and almost everyone can relate now. The people who are too old to have been victims of online bullying growing up have children who are at risk and the young adults today were the first generation of kids who were bullied online. During their (my) time in junior high, the media didn't discuss online bullying and it was not often brought up in school. It was, however, an issue.
The article is engaging be cause it has a narrative lead, telling the story of a child who was a victim of online bullying with a twist.
The twist - this kid was framed to be an online bully himself, a phony facebook page was set up in his name, with sneering comments about peers he barely knew. Someone had used him as an alias to mask their own cyber bullying.
The article is extremely lengthy, but it empathsizes with parents who don't know how to tread the waters of cyber bullying. Its more crafty and psychologically savage than schoolyard bullying and parents just aren't as well acquainted with it as their children are. Its hard for parents to babysit their kids in cyberspace when the child is way more advanced in technology than they are.
This article was compelling and served as a great example of how to incorporate anonymous sources.
Before I read this article I was engaged by the picture of a pretty young girl wearing a leg brace sitting at her computer with her father standing over her. The caption: saying that she was a victim of online bullying because of her leg brace.
This article is definately a trend piece. Online bullying is huge and almost everyone can relate now. The people who are too old to have been victims of online bullying growing up have children who are at risk and the young adults today were the first generation of kids who were bullied online. During their (my) time in junior high, the media didn't discuss online bullying and it was not often brought up in school. It was, however, an issue.
The article is engaging be cause it has a narrative lead, telling the story of a child who was a victim of online bullying with a twist.
The twist - this kid was framed to be an online bully himself, a phony facebook page was set up in his name, with sneering comments about peers he barely knew. Someone had used him as an alias to mask their own cyber bullying.
The article is extremely lengthy, but it empathsizes with parents who don't know how to tread the waters of cyber bullying. Its more crafty and psychologically savage than schoolyard bullying and parents just aren't as well acquainted with it as their children are. Its hard for parents to babysit their kids in cyberspace when the child is way more advanced in technology than they are.
This article was compelling and served as a great example of how to incorporate anonymous sources.
Times Reading Log
"Web Site for Teenagers With Literary Leanings"
The Website "Figment" was created by a staff writer for The New Yorker who envisioned it to be a literary Facebook for teenagers.
The creators thought it would be a social network for young adult fiction, but early on they learned that people didn't want a new Facebook.
"The young people on the site weren’t much interested in “friending” one another. What they did want, he said, “was to read and write and discover new content, but around the content itself,” The New York Times reported.
The website will be unveiled as an experiment in online literature. People can read and write fiction on both their computers and cell phones. The idea merged from a 21st century idea: The Cellphone Novel.
I feel as though this article followed the inverted pyramid format perfectly. Although I read the article to the end, the information grew less pertinent and engaging as it went on.
I did visit Figment.com and thought it was pretty cool.
The Website "Figment" was created by a staff writer for The New Yorker who envisioned it to be a literary Facebook for teenagers.
The creators thought it would be a social network for young adult fiction, but early on they learned that people didn't want a new Facebook.
"The young people on the site weren’t much interested in “friending” one another. What they did want, he said, “was to read and write and discover new content, but around the content itself,” The New York Times reported.
The website will be unveiled as an experiment in online literature. People can read and write fiction on both their computers and cell phones. The idea merged from a 21st century idea: The Cellphone Novel.
I feel as though this article followed the inverted pyramid format perfectly. Although I read the article to the end, the information grew less pertinent and engaging as it went on.
I did visit Figment.com and thought it was pretty cool.
Times Reading Log
"Let’s Not Make a Deal"
This was my first time reading Paul Krugman's column. Prior to reading, I had preconceptions that it would be over my head, given its highly political nature. Then I read the first paragraph and it was educating, entertaining, and understandable.
A criticism of George W. Bush and his "temporary" tax cuts for the rich, Krugar says,
"And so here we are, with 2010 almost over and nothing resolved."
Krugar tells Democrats to "just say no" to Republicans when when demand that the Bush cuts be extended and have the needs of the middle calss ignored. Letting the Bush cuts expire is the least of all evils he said.
Krugar refers to Republicans as successful blackmailers. :) They belive that President Obama, wouldn’t dare preside over a broad tax increase while the economy is this depressed.
Krugar infers that if Obama gives into their ploys for "temporary" tax cuts now, that he will respond the same way to their blackmail down the road.
"The only way to cut spending enough to pay for the Bush tax cuts in the long run would be to dismantle large parts of Social Security and Medicare."
So let me get this straight...Republicans want to take from the injured and elderly to give tax cuts to the rich?
The country would be better off with all around higher taxes than to cut from these programs, I believe.
The column is written to advocate Obama to take a stand and for Democrats to raise their voices.
This was my first time reading Paul Krugman's column. Prior to reading, I had preconceptions that it would be over my head, given its highly political nature. Then I read the first paragraph and it was educating, entertaining, and understandable.
A criticism of George W. Bush and his "temporary" tax cuts for the rich, Krugar says,
"And so here we are, with 2010 almost over and nothing resolved."
Krugar tells Democrats to "just say no" to Republicans when when demand that the Bush cuts be extended and have the needs of the middle calss ignored. Letting the Bush cuts expire is the least of all evils he said.
Krugar refers to Republicans as successful blackmailers. :) They belive that President Obama, wouldn’t dare preside over a broad tax increase while the economy is this depressed.
Krugar infers that if Obama gives into their ploys for "temporary" tax cuts now, that he will respond the same way to their blackmail down the road.
"The only way to cut spending enough to pay for the Bush tax cuts in the long run would be to dismantle large parts of Social Security and Medicare."
So let me get this straight...Republicans want to take from the injured and elderly to give tax cuts to the rich?
The country would be better off with all around higher taxes than to cut from these programs, I believe.
The column is written to advocate Obama to take a stand and for Democrats to raise their voices.
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