For today's (Wednesday's) assignment, I would choose the eleventh observation on my list, about the workers building a wall. I would choose this one because it is something out of the ordinary and because it is bothering me as I type this very post. In order to get this story, I would interview one of the workers who is not doing much of anything. I would get the basic information from him, then move on to a different source (be it someone higher up or just another worker) to attain more information. From the book's section on interviews i would take the strategy of using the knowledge I have to get more knowledge from others. The problems I may meet in getting the information might come from the fact that the people I would initially interview are, in fact, busy building a wall.

25 observations/ potential stories:

1. That fellow has been sitting in the resource center for a long time just reading a magazine. why doesn't he go home? and why is he sporting the bandanna?
2. The emergency exit is propped open.
3. The default font on this computer has been changed.
4. Somebody left his or her book bag here.
5. Nikkie hasn't finished her tea.
6. That student is stapling a lot of papers. Why is he doing that?
7. Someone has just gotten candy out of Lynette's candy jar.
8. A female student has really great looking sneakers!
9. Danielle has arrived for work early.
10. The boss has not been here all day. There is no note informing us of her whereabouts. Where could she be?
11. Maintenance people are building a wall and complaining about their superior.
12. The resource center is loud and messy today.
13. Students are reading and discussing the hot-off-the-press "Bulldog."
14. David Logan is wearing a fantastic shirt and looks like a rock-star.
15. My shirt tag is itchy.
16. Students are engaging in meaningless, hackneyed conversations upon seeing one another.
17. The phone has not rung in hours.
18. My co-workers are speaking in French.
19. There is a strange-looking man that I've never seen using the part-time office. He is wearing aviator sunglasses inside. Hmmm...
20. Professor Mueller was on the telephone for quite some time.
21. The girl that looks lost all the time just skipped gleefully.
22. A pen was just launched across the room.
23. Eric only did 23 observations.

Donald Murray (not murphy, sorry don) defined surprise not in terms of everyone, but through the eyes of a journalist. Surprise and being ready to be surprised as Murray describes it seems to be more about the diligent perception of a journalist. Surprise, to me, insinuates shock, excitement, awe-- all that jazz. Combined with Murray's ideas, a good conclusive definition for surprise in terms of journalism would be as follows: A journalist should be open and perceptive to new and exciting things, be ready to learn and explore at the drop of a hat (there may be a story there), and always keep his or her eyes open to be ready to accept such surprising gifts.

There is clearly no good coming from this fuckup of a war. the american people arent happy, countries around the world are not happy, and even the people that we are "liberating" are reporting that things are unchanged, and even worse than they were before. I guess that even with sadaam gone, there are other evil dictators killing people. something must be done, this shit is getting rediculous. if everyone is so unhappy with the way things are going, how is this still being allowed to continue. bush is still going to smirk and lie and justice will never be served.