Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
lede/most interesting sentence
If you’ve ever wished you could pick up toothpaste, cereal, and a bottle of Smirnoff vodka all in one stop, your wish may be coming true soon.
A CITY DIVIDED: INITIATIVE 1100 AND 1105 CAUSING A STIR IN PULLMAN
BY: LAUREN MADEJA
If you’ve ever wished you could pick up toothpaste, cereal, and a bottle of Smirnoff vodka all in one stop, your wish may be coming true soon. With the November vote of Initiatives 1100 and 1105 coming up, people across Washington have been inundated with strong arguments from both sides of the issue. The initiatives, if passed, would both privatize liquor sales in Washington State, shutting down state run liquor stores and making hard liquor available in grocery stores.
Voters in Washington have been influenced by many different sources, which are all passionate about the initiatives for very different reasons. For example, Costco has contributed $642,000 to efforts to pass the initiatives. If passed, Costco would rake in huge profits from hard liquor sales, along with many other grocery stores who are hoping the initiatives will pass.
On the other side of the spectrum, many beer companies are opposing the initiatives because the sale of hard alcohol right alongside beer in grocery stores would majorly decrease the amount of beer people buy. People may choose beer over hard alcohol now because it’s easier to get, but when they are both easily accessible, beer profits will be hurt. Companies such as the Beer Institute has donated large sums of money in opposition to the initiatives.
While many of these messages in the media have been focusing on how I-1100 and I-1105 will affect Washington financially, not a lot of focus has been put on safety which is an issue that can’t be ignored in Pullman. Liquor sales in Pullman are some of the highest in the state, and one can only imagine how much more they would skyrocket if hard liquor was available at local grocery stores.
The passing of these initiatives could create so many new liabilities to students in Pullman. Having hard alcohol sold in any grocery store means it’s easily accessible whether it’s during the day, or at two in the morning. Although beer and wine is already sold in grocery stores, those beverages have much lower alcohol contents than most hard alcohols, making hard alcohol much more dangerous.
Senior WSU student Nick Miller thinks students would take advantage of hard liquor being sold in grocery stores.
“I’d be at Dissmore’s to make myself a PB&J and I could just pick up a bottle of vodka on the way out,” Miller said. “I just don’t think it sounds like a good idea.”
The hours restrictions of state liquor stores somewhat limit the consumption of hard alcohol since you can’t get it past 7 p.m. If students were able to run out to the grocery store and get hard alcohol at any time during the night, that could cause a whole new set of problems.
In California, where liquor sales have already been privatized, there were 1,509 drunk driving fatalities in 2008. In the same year in Washington, there were only 225 drunk driving fatalities. Hard alcohol being much more easily accessible in California could have definitely contributed to the excessive deaths there. If Washington had the same accessibility to hard alcohol there could be a major rise in drunk driving, especially in Pullman.
Another issue this initiative could bring about is the price of hard liquor. As of now, hard alcohol is pretty expensive because of the state tax mark up and the lack of competition since it is all controlled by the state. But with these initiatives, the state tax would be gone, or lessened, and prices of hard liquor would become competitive since it would be sold in almost every grocery and convenience store. With hard alcohol being so much cheaper, people would be able to afford much more, and therefore drink much more. To many college students in Pullman, this would seem like a great thing, but in reality it could mean kids drinking much more hard alcohol, putting themselves and others in danger.
Not only could there be dangers with people over 21 buying hard alcohol, but there would also be huge liabilities for underage kids getting their hands on hard alcohol. Grocery stores already have issues with people stealing beer and wine, and with hard alcohol on their shelves they would have even more problems. This is extremely dangerous because kids who don’t have experience drinking could steal hard alcohol from the grocery store and over drink. Since hard alcohol is so much stronger than anything sold in grocery stores now, this could send a lot of kids to the hospital or worse.
Madeline Gregory, a cashier at the popular WSU campus corner store Bob’s, says having hard alcohol sold in their store would cause a huge theft problem.
“We already have people coming in here all the time either openly running out with beer or trying to slip it out when it’s busy and I’m not paying attention,” Gregory said. “If we sold hard alcohol anyone could just come in and try to steal it, and I know people would.”
This would also make it easier for kids to not only steal alcohol, but also illegally purchase hard alcohol. As of now, underage kids can’t even enter a liquor store to even get the chance of buying or stealing liquor. But if liquor was sold in any grocery store or convenience store, any kid could walk in, and there is a much more likely chance that the cashier will either not ask for an ID, not properly check an ID, or not detect a fake ID.
Gregory says that this would be one of her greatest concerns if the initiatives passed.
“Here at Bob’s we are very careful about checking IDs and not selling alcohol to anyone who is too drunk,” Gregory said. “But I know a lot of places don’t care who they’re selling it to, if they’re under 21, if they’re wasted, it doesn’t matter because it’s a sale, and that’s what scares me.”
Junior accounting student Kayla Anguin agrees that small convenience stores and grocery stores are much more lax about the sale of alcohol than liquor stores.
“That’s how I got my alcohol in highschool, the guy at 711 never asked for my ID,” Anguin said. “I was just buying beer then, but it’s crazy to think kids could get away with buying hard alcohol that way now.”
There is obviously a lot more to think about than meets the eye when it comes to voting on I-1100 and I-1105. Voters have been hearing mostly about big financial affects this will have on the state, but here in Pullman there are much more personal reasons to be wary of these initiatives passing. With the safety of students and others at risk, let’s hope Washington voters can see through big company influence and think about what is truly important.
Sources: Nick Miller- 509-954-6704
Madeline Gregory- 253-973-5201
Kayla Anguin- 425-238-0060
Outline:
Lede: If you’ve ever wished you could pick up toothpaste, cereal, and a bottle of Smirnoff vodka all in one stop, your wish may be coming true soon
Point 1: Different sides of big picture/ big companies backing sides
Point 2: The more personal affects it would have on Pullman
Point 3: Accessibility to hard alcohol in Pullman is dangerous to students.
Point 4: Could lead to more instances of drunk driving
Point 5: Will lead to more theft/ illegal purchase of hard alcohol
Point 6: Hoping voters will think about personal risks instead on big financial picture
BY: LAUREN MADEJA
If you’ve ever wished you could pick up toothpaste, cereal, and a bottle of Smirnoff vodka all in one stop, your wish may be coming true soon. With the November vote of Initiatives 1100 and 1105 coming up, people across Washington have been inundated with strong arguments from both sides of the issue. The initiatives, if passed, would both privatize liquor sales in Washington State, shutting down state run liquor stores and making hard liquor available in grocery stores.
Voters in Washington have been influenced by many different sources, which are all passionate about the initiatives for very different reasons. For example, Costco has contributed $642,000 to efforts to pass the initiatives. If passed, Costco would rake in huge profits from hard liquor sales, along with many other grocery stores who are hoping the initiatives will pass.
On the other side of the spectrum, many beer companies are opposing the initiatives because the sale of hard alcohol right alongside beer in grocery stores would majorly decrease the amount of beer people buy. People may choose beer over hard alcohol now because it’s easier to get, but when they are both easily accessible, beer profits will be hurt. Companies such as the Beer Institute has donated large sums of money in opposition to the initiatives.
While many of these messages in the media have been focusing on how I-1100 and I-1105 will affect Washington financially, not a lot of focus has been put on safety which is an issue that can’t be ignored in Pullman. Liquor sales in Pullman are some of the highest in the state, and one can only imagine how much more they would skyrocket if hard liquor was available at local grocery stores.
The passing of these initiatives could create so many new liabilities to students in Pullman. Having hard alcohol sold in any grocery store means it’s easily accessible whether it’s during the day, or at two in the morning. Although beer and wine is already sold in grocery stores, those beverages have much lower alcohol contents than most hard alcohols, making hard alcohol much more dangerous.
Senior WSU student Nick Miller thinks students would take advantage of hard liquor being sold in grocery stores.
“I’d be at Dissmore’s to make myself a PB&J and I could just pick up a bottle of vodka on the way out,” Miller said. “I just don’t think it sounds like a good idea.”
The hours restrictions of state liquor stores somewhat limit the consumption of hard alcohol since you can’t get it past 7 p.m. If students were able to run out to the grocery store and get hard alcohol at any time during the night, that could cause a whole new set of problems.
In California, where liquor sales have already been privatized, there were 1,509 drunk driving fatalities in 2008. In the same year in Washington, there were only 225 drunk driving fatalities. Hard alcohol being much more easily accessible in California could have definitely contributed to the excessive deaths there. If Washington had the same accessibility to hard alcohol there could be a major rise in drunk driving, especially in Pullman.
Another issue this initiative could bring about is the price of hard liquor. As of now, hard alcohol is pretty expensive because of the state tax mark up and the lack of competition since it is all controlled by the state. But with these initiatives, the state tax would be gone, or lessened, and prices of hard liquor would become competitive since it would be sold in almost every grocery and convenience store. With hard alcohol being so much cheaper, people would be able to afford much more, and therefore drink much more. To many college students in Pullman, this would seem like a great thing, but in reality it could mean kids drinking much more hard alcohol, putting themselves and others in danger.
Not only could there be dangers with people over 21 buying hard alcohol, but there would also be huge liabilities for underage kids getting their hands on hard alcohol. Grocery stores already have issues with people stealing beer and wine, and with hard alcohol on their shelves they would have even more problems. This is extremely dangerous because kids who don’t have experience drinking could steal hard alcohol from the grocery store and over drink. Since hard alcohol is so much stronger than anything sold in grocery stores now, this could send a lot of kids to the hospital or worse.
Madeline Gregory, a cashier at the popular WSU campus corner store Bob’s, says having hard alcohol sold in their store would cause a huge theft problem.
“We already have people coming in here all the time either openly running out with beer or trying to slip it out when it’s busy and I’m not paying attention,” Gregory said. “If we sold hard alcohol anyone could just come in and try to steal it, and I know people would.”
This would also make it easier for kids to not only steal alcohol, but also illegally purchase hard alcohol. As of now, underage kids can’t even enter a liquor store to even get the chance of buying or stealing liquor. But if liquor was sold in any grocery store or convenience store, any kid could walk in, and there is a much more likely chance that the cashier will either not ask for an ID, not properly check an ID, or not detect a fake ID.
Gregory says that this would be one of her greatest concerns if the initiatives passed.
“Here at Bob’s we are very careful about checking IDs and not selling alcohol to anyone who is too drunk,” Gregory said. “But I know a lot of places don’t care who they’re selling it to, if they’re under 21, if they’re wasted, it doesn’t matter because it’s a sale, and that’s what scares me.”
Junior accounting student Kayla Anguin agrees that small convenience stores and grocery stores are much more lax about the sale of alcohol than liquor stores.
“That’s how I got my alcohol in highschool, the guy at 711 never asked for my ID,” Anguin said. “I was just buying beer then, but it’s crazy to think kids could get away with buying hard alcohol that way now.”
There is obviously a lot more to think about than meets the eye when it comes to voting on I-1100 and I-1105. Voters have been hearing mostly about big financial affects this will have on the state, but here in Pullman there are much more personal reasons to be wary of these initiatives passing. With the safety of students and others at risk, let’s hope Washington voters can see through big company influence and think about what is truly important.
Sources: Nick Miller- 509-954-6704
Madeline Gregory- 253-973-5201
Kayla Anguin- 425-238-0060
Outline:
Lede: If you’ve ever wished you could pick up toothpaste, cereal, and a bottle of Smirnoff vodka all in one stop, your wish may be coming true soon
Point 1: Different sides of big picture/ big companies backing sides
Point 2: The more personal affects it would have on Pullman
Point 3: Accessibility to hard alcohol in Pullman is dangerous to students.
Point 4: Could lead to more instances of drunk driving
Point 5: Will lead to more theft/ illegal purchase of hard alcohol
Point 6: Hoping voters will think about personal risks instead on big financial picture
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
A little math to stretch your brain this morning (Note: The following numbers have been fabricated. Don't trust 'em.)
1. Last year, your business spent $83,000 for computer upgrades. This year, it will spend 5 percent less. How much will it spend this year?
$78,850
2. The AP Style quiz was taken by 177 students. Twenty-three failed. What percent passed?
87 percent
3. A college’s budget increases from $100 million to $120 million. What's the percent increase?
20 percent
4. a. Times are tough on College Hill. Your pizza budget has been cut from $200 to $150. What was the percent decrease?
25 percent
b. Bonus! You win $50 in a local pageant. Your pizza budget just jumped from $150 to $200. What was the percent increase?
33 percent
5. Last year, your property tax bill was $1,152. This year, it rose to $1,275. What’s the percent increase?
11 percent
6. Research funding at WSU increased 40 percent this year to $218 milllion. What was the funding last year?
$156 million
7. Joe Smith wants to build a 2,500-square-foot house for him. The builder tells him it will cost $112 a square foot to build. How much will the house cost?
$280,000
8. Desperate for revenue, the government decides to increase the tax on beer. The tax was 5 percent. But now it's jumped to 6 percent.
a. What’s the percent increase? 1 percent
b. What’s the percentage increase? 1 percent
9. Let’s say someone wants to establish a University District. To gain support, he/she needs to establish that safety is a problem in the area. So, Pullman had 183 assaults last year. Spokane had 502. Spokane has 200,000 people. Pullman has 25,000. How do we compare those two numbers? Is the average person more likely to be assaulted in Spokane or Pullman? (Again, not real figures.)
Pullman: for every 1,000, 7 will be assaulted
Spokane: 2 assaults for every 1,000 people
10. Five houses sold in your neighborhood for the following prices: $225,000; $207,000; $3.2 million; $129,000; $192,000.
a. What’s the mean price? $790,600
b. What’s the median? $207,000
1. Last year, your business spent $83,000 for computer upgrades. This year, it will spend 5 percent less. How much will it spend this year?
$78,850
2. The AP Style quiz was taken by 177 students. Twenty-three failed. What percent passed?
87 percent
3. A college’s budget increases from $100 million to $120 million. What's the percent increase?
20 percent
4. a. Times are tough on College Hill. Your pizza budget has been cut from $200 to $150. What was the percent decrease?
25 percent
b. Bonus! You win $50 in a local pageant. Your pizza budget just jumped from $150 to $200. What was the percent increase?
33 percent
5. Last year, your property tax bill was $1,152. This year, it rose to $1,275. What’s the percent increase?
11 percent
6. Research funding at WSU increased 40 percent this year to $218 milllion. What was the funding last year?
$156 million
7. Joe Smith wants to build a 2,500-square-foot house for him. The builder tells him it will cost $112 a square foot to build. How much will the house cost?
$280,000
8. Desperate for revenue, the government decides to increase the tax on beer. The tax was 5 percent. But now it's jumped to 6 percent.
a. What’s the percent increase? 1 percent
b. What’s the percentage increase? 1 percent
9. Let’s say someone wants to establish a University District. To gain support, he/she needs to establish that safety is a problem in the area. So, Pullman had 183 assaults last year. Spokane had 502. Spokane has 200,000 people. Pullman has 25,000. How do we compare those two numbers? Is the average person more likely to be assaulted in Spokane or Pullman? (Again, not real figures.)
Pullman: for every 1,000, 7 will be assaulted
Spokane: 2 assaults for every 1,000 people
10. Five houses sold in your neighborhood for the following prices: $225,000; $207,000; $3.2 million; $129,000; $192,000.
a. What’s the mean price? $790,600
b. What’s the median? $207,000
Monday, October 11, 2010
do ask do tell
I would not publish this article because there just isn't enough solid proof yet. You could get in trouble for libel for publishing this at this point because all it is is rumors stemmed from one person who doesn't have much credibility. This blogger could be making the story up for a number of reasons, and you don't want to publish something that could turn out to not be true, because that could majorly damage your own credibility. If you just waited for a while and tried to find some proof either way, it would be a much more powerful story because you could use facts instead of just speculation. Not only would it be a better story, but then you also wouldn't have to worry about a libel suit or damage to your credibility.
Correct the following sentences. If the sentence is already correct, write “correct.”
1. He looked through the door, but he did not see anyone inside the church.
2. "We could wait to see if anyone else comes or we could go back home," she said.
3. Reed, a graduate of Washington State University, was elected Secretary of State in 2000.
4. The organization paid the speaker $1,000, but its officers were unable to attend the event.
5. According to Washington state law, bars will become smoke-free on Feb. 15.
6. He saw Karen and they had coffee.
7. The bales are then sold to a processing center in Tacoma, Wash., which ships them to Moscow, Idaho.
8. It was raining so we stayed home.
9. Later he phoned again.
10. This will end up having an effect on consumers, she said.
11. He introduced the speaker to Floyd, Moos and Wulff.
Appositions, hyperbatons and non-restrictive relative clauses: We don't need to remember the names of these grammar tools. But let's look at how they can help us form shorter descriptive phrases. In other words, squish these two sentences into one.
1. Sam Reed spoke at the Honors College on Wednesday, Sept. 22. Reed is a graduate of Washington State University.
Sam Reed, a graduate of Washington State University, spoke at the Honors College on Wednesday, Sept. 22.
2. The concert will be held on Friday night. The concert is part of WSU's Homecoming Weekend.
The concert, which is part of WSU's Homecoming Weekend, will be held on Friday night.
3. President Elson S. Floyd promised he would lobby legislators in Olympia. Floyd is frustrated by cuts to higher education.
President Elson S. Floyd promised he would lobby legislators in Olympia because he is frustrated by cuts to higher education.
1. He looked through the door, but he did not see anyone inside the church.
2. "We could wait to see if anyone else comes or we could go back home," she said.
3. Reed, a graduate of Washington State University, was elected Secretary of State in 2000.
4. The organization paid the speaker $1,000, but its officers were unable to attend the event.
5. According to Washington state law, bars will become smoke-free on Feb. 15.
6. He saw Karen and they had coffee.
7. The bales are then sold to a processing center in Tacoma, Wash., which ships them to Moscow, Idaho.
8. It was raining so we stayed home.
9. Later he phoned again.
10. This will end up having an effect on consumers, she said.
11. He introduced the speaker to Floyd, Moos and Wulff.
Appositions, hyperbatons and non-restrictive relative clauses: We don't need to remember the names of these grammar tools. But let's look at how they can help us form shorter descriptive phrases. In other words, squish these two sentences into one.
1. Sam Reed spoke at the Honors College on Wednesday, Sept. 22. Reed is a graduate of Washington State University.
Sam Reed, a graduate of Washington State University, spoke at the Honors College on Wednesday, Sept. 22.
2. The concert will be held on Friday night. The concert is part of WSU's Homecoming Weekend.
The concert, which is part of WSU's Homecoming Weekend, will be held on Friday night.
3. President Elson S. Floyd promised he would lobby legislators in Olympia. Floyd is frustrated by cuts to higher education.
President Elson S. Floyd promised he would lobby legislators in Olympia because he is frustrated by cuts to higher education.
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