Thoughts of an Erickson

            The 2012 Presidential Campaign is in full swing and the Republican candidates are vying for the party nomination. Every four years brings stories of a rise and fall of individual candidates. There are always individuals who return to try again, such as Mitt Romney or Ron Paul, as well as those who are vying for the first time. This year’s race brought included a particularly interesting candidate, Herman Cain.

Rise to Notoriety

            Herman Cain did not start his career in politics. He first rose to notoriety upon being appointed the Chief Executive Officer of Godfather’s Pizza as they faced bankruptcy. He managed to turn the company profitable by making drastic cuts. These moves eventually led to him working with others to buy the company and expand it’s reach. This eventually led to him taking the position as the head of the National Restaurant Association, working to lobby for the rights of the restaurant industry. He continued in this position until 1999, when he decided to enter the world of national politics.

            His position with the NRA gave him his first taste of dealing with the government. In 1994, the Clinton administration proposed a national healthcare plan that allegedly would have increased the operating costs of thousands of small businesses within the United States. Herman Cain and the NRA strongly opposed this bill and challenged the Clinton administration to change their proposed plan. Cain pointed out that this bill would cost Godfather’s Pizza an additional $1.7 million, forcing him to eliminate jobs. With the support of the NRA, Cain was able to help defeat the bill.

Political Aspirations

            After leaving the NRA and Godfather’s Pizza in 1999, Cain set his eyes on a potential presidential bid. He launched a bid in 2000 for the Republican nomination. He ended up withdrawing early on, claiming his seeking of the nomination was more for the sake of making a political statement as opposed to moving on to gain the nomination. Regardless, this event gave him a taste for national politics that he continued to pursue. He ended up running for a 2004 senate seat in Georgia, losing the nomination as the Republican Party candidate.

            As the 2012 election approached, Cain decided to make another go at the nomination. On September 24, 2010, Cain announced that he had been considering pursuing the nomination. The response was more than he had expected. He gathered so much grass roots support that he won straw polls throughout the nation, including polls in Florida, Illinois, and at the National Federation of Republican Women’s Convention.

(Graph courtesy of Washington Post)

            Cain’s campaign gained the most traction when he launched his plan for revising the National Tax Policy. Dubbed the “9-9-9” plan,” Cain proposed a flat tax across the board for individuals and businesses. This would introduce a 9% business transactions tax, a 9% personal income tax, and a 9% federal sales tax. The simplicity of this plan caught on with the general public, as it seemed to spread the burden of the tax budget around more and include every individual, regardless of status. This policy launched Cain to the head of the Republican crowd as many pundits believed he would eventually win the nomination. He eventually gained the nickname the “Cain Train” as people viewed his campaign as an unstoppable train.

Rocky Road

            The campaign hit a rough patch in October of 2011 when numerous women began to come forward with allegations of sexual harassment while he served as CEO of the NRA. These claims said that Cain approached the women in sexually suggestive manners, eventually paying them off to bury the events under the carpet. The allegations painted distrust for Cain’s campaign and were rumored to have been started by a rival candidate.

            The biggest accusation came a few weeks later when Ginger White claimed that she had a 12 year affair with Cain, ending it just before he launched his presidential campaign. The accusation was that she and Cain had traveled together on numerous occasions and carried on a sex life during the affair. Cain would also help her with bills, giving her money under the table.

The Cain Train Derails

            The accusations ended up becoming too much for Cain’s campaign, finally causing him to resign from the race in December of 2011. He never admitted to the affair, only cited that the accusations had been hurting his family and wife. Cain’s campaign came to a final rest in his hometown, ending years of attempts at national politics.

            It is uncertain what is next for Herman Cain. One thing that certainly can be said is that he spurred on a conversation during his time in the race. He encouraged others to address the growing tax laws and brought new ideas of how to address the growing National debt. Herman Cain may have dropped out of the race, but something tells me that this isn’t the last time he’ll be involved in the political world.

Life can be very tough in the nations of Nicaragua and Honduras. Wages are low, healthcare is scarce, and jobs are hard to come by. The majority of individuals live on $2 or less per day. Nicaragua is often recognized as one of the poorest nations in both North, South, and Central America. This gives a great opportunity for a response to Christ’s call for the Church to take care of the poor.

Baptist Medical & Dental Mission International meets this need through their various ministries to the country. There are two specific arms of BMDMI.

The first, the short term teams, sends teams on a one week trip to a specific village within the country. These teams offer clinics to individuals, meeting almost every need in their lives. This includes: Medical checkups, dental work, prescription drugs, food and clothing, family portraits, veterinary care, VBS and outreach services, OBGYN visits, as well as optometrist services. People are able to get, free of charge, a level of care that they may never have had before during their lifetime. OBGYN visits are able to catch simple illnesses that would otherwise kill the women that it infects. Optometrist visits provide vision to people who have never been able to see clearly before.

The second arm of BMDMI are the long term missions teams. These are missionaries placed throughout the nation, providing care to individuals throughout the year. These people are able to build relationships with those they come in contact with and have more of a long term impact. The services they offer include: Free clinics, orphanages, homes of protection for battered women and children, sewing schools, universities, as well as youth programs.

Both arms of BMDMI initially meet the physical needs of the individuals, but then continue to serve those in the country by providing opportunity for them to be pointed to Jesus. Short term teams include a daily chapel service as well as VBS service, while the long term teams plant churches. This two-fold mission allows for all areas of individuals to be met, physical as well as spiritual.

For more information on BMDMI, go to www.BMDMI.org or check out their 2011 Promotional video.

Vuvox Presentation:

When the truth is hidden, and a public deceived, great journalistic efforts must come into play. All the President’s Men, directed by Alan J. Pakula, tells the story of how Bob Woodward(Robert Redford) and Carl Bernstein(Dustin Hoffman) uncovered everything behind the Watergate Scandal. Initially starting out as reluctant partners, Bob and Carl end up teaming up to expose the corruption of the Nixon government, eventually leading to his resignation.

The journalistic integrity of the two men was what helped them to be able to uncover the story. The Nixon government had covered their trail by threatening and buying off any individual who may have known even a piece of the puzzle. The two journalists had to gain the trust of those they came in contact with, promising not to expose those who went on the record. The initial source of the lead of those wihtin the Nixon reelection campaign comes from another member of the newspaper staff who dated one of it’s higher up employees. 

One specific source who was the primary source of confirmation of facts was an individual nicknamed “Deep Throat.” Woodward was able to meet with him on numerous occasions, but could never get anything more than a riddle from him. Deep Throat would only speak in riddle and confirm when Woodward had stumbled upon a correct path.

The journalistic practices of the individuals came into play as they dealt with their sources. No one wanted to go on record for fear of their life, so each confirmation they had was listed as an anonymous source or hearsay. It took a great amount of trust from the individuals who gave rough confirmations, trusting that the journalists would live up to their word and not quote them. If the journalists had gone against their word, the trail would go dry and nothing would be accomplished. It also took a great amount of trust from the paper to allow the story to run. Without having quotable sources, they put the reputation of the paper on the line to back up their journalists and pursue the story.

Overall, All the President’s Men is a compelling story of what good journalism looks like in a corrupt world. The film grips the viewer from the beginning, never failing to let go. I’d be more than happy to see it again.

     There is tons of news out there. The internet contains millions of various sources of news. Sites cover anything and everything, ranging from technology news to political news as well as everything in between. There are certain standout news sites that are known for their coverage. In this blog we will evaluate three sites - the Gotham Gazette, the LA Times, and the New York Times. We will discuss a specific article within each news source, using it to analyze the News Values, News Elements, and the use of the Pillars of Online News within each site. The news values include the timeliness, proximity, impact, magnitude, prominence, conflict, novelty, and emotional appeal of the article. The news elements are the who, what, where, when, why, and how. Finally, the pillars of online news include the multi-media used, how interactive the article is, as well as the on-demand aspects included.

     Taking a look at the Gotham Gazette, we will be looking at the article “After Delays, Fulton Street Transit Hub Takes Shape.” The article discusses the new transportation hub being built within New York City, or the element of the what and the where. As the Gotham Gazette is aimed as a New York paper, the proximity certainly hits close to home. The future impact of this hub will have a great impact on the transportation of the city, so the magnitude is large. The future impact also serves as the why, as transportation is a major issue within New York City. As it is a major construction effort in New York, the prominence is certainly high.

     The Gotham Gazette includes numerous pillars of online news. Each article seems to include multiple forms of media, including photo slideshows. Each article includes a section for readers to comment, creating an interactive space for personal involvement. In addition to that, within each article, as well as along the side, there are numerous hyperlinks to other related stories, allowing the reader to pull in additional information on demand.

     The LA Times article “12 California Hospitals Fined for Medical Errors” is a good representation of the articles typically posted within their site. The writer discusses how recently, 12 California hospitals have been fined for medical errors that either injured or killed patients, also known as the who, what, where, and why. This report was released on Wednesday of this week, or the when. As this is a recent development in the news, the article hits upon the timeliness of the story. Three of the papers are located within the primary county served by the paper, giving this story a close proximity to many of it’s readers. The impact could be huge, as the fines were aimed at correcting future medical mistakes that are “preventable.” There is certainly an emotional appeal, as numerous people have died due to these mistakes.

     The pillars of online news are once again prominent within the site. The articles include photos depicting the story. Other stories I saw, specifically “Man in Gumby Costume Attempts Robbery,” included video to illustrate the story. Each story is once again interactive, with a space for comments at the bottom. Finally, it includes numerous links to related stories, once again giving the user on-demand features.

     Finally, the New York Times had an article titled “Perry and Romney Trade Strong Blows at Debate.” This particular article discusses the most recent Republican debates that took place at the Regan Library, which is the what, where, and when. Primarily, the article focuses on the two front runners, Mitt Romney and Rick Perry, also known as the who. The article was posted just hours after the completion of the debate, so it was certainly timely. The potential outcome may impact the entire nation, so the proximity is vast. The purpose of the debate was to help voting for the Republican candidate for president, so it certainly holds great prominence.

     The pillars of online news were prominent within the article. In addition to photos within the article, there was a specific section dedicated to multimedia, including a slideshow as well as an interactive feature discussing the candidates. The article had numerous links to outside sources and further stories, allowing the on-demand aspect of the article to be there.

     Christianity is a religion that is not something that is just an outward decision that is uttered once in a life. Accepting Christ is something that creates an inward change. It permeates every part of the human life. Naturally, this will begin to impact decisions, beliefs, and actions in every area. The life of a Christian journalist is no different. The ethics, values and worldview of a Christian journalist contribute to them making a positive contribution in their community.

     The Christian ethics stem from how the Bible instructs the believer. They are instructed not to lie, to help those less fortunate, and to love others. The desire not to lie should lead the writer to look closely at how things are worded, as well as double checking sources for accuracy. The desire to help those less fortunate means that the angle of articles should be one that not only aims to inform the reader, but also will equip them to take action to help others. Additionally, the desire to love others means they will strive to not defame individuals, instead aiming to only address the actual issues at hand. They will not desire to tear the individual down.

     The Christian values similarly will impact the writing style of the journalist. Family is a huge part of Christianity. Ideally, the articles written will encourage people to look towards their family and process news together. It will encourage a sense of unity that brings opportunity for iron to sharpen iron. Additionally, it will bring them to a point where they encourage one another, motivating each other to continually improve themselves.

     Worldview plays a key part into the angle articles will be written from. As hard as a writer tries, there will always be some angle of bias that comes through in the writing. Thus, the journalist’s worldview will come through. Christianity brings along a worldview that all things happen for a purpose. Life is not a random group of actions that happen to play out. God has a plan and life has a purpose. Additionally, as life looks more and more grim, the Christian will find hope in Christ’s grace. There is a hope in spite of the fact that we live within a fallen world, and the journalist will share this through their stories.

     Each of these things play into the way the journalist will write their articles. Journalism has a central part in every community as a source of news and opinion on world events. In fact, individuals are interacting with news on a greater level than ever before, often within the realm of an online news source. As the journalist approaches articles from a positive Christian standpoint, that attitude will seep into the community. The more the community is encouraged, the more optimistic they will tend to be, living with more of a purpose.

Sources:

1. “Ex. 20.1-17.” The Holy Bible: New international version, containing the Old Testament and the New Testament.. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Bible Publishers, 1978. 0. Print.

2. “The State of the News Media 2011.” The State of the News Media 2011. N.p., 12 Mar. 2011. Web. 2 Sept. 2011. <http://stateofthemedia.org/>.

3. Patrick, Michael. “Writing Changes Things.” SCA 542 Writing For Digital Media (MAD). Regent University. Regent University, Virginia Beach. 30 Aug. 2011. Lecture.

The hardest part of the creative process is the blank slate. It is a moment of freedom, but often freedom brings struggles as we work to come up with that initial idea for the project. Blaine Hogan explores in his book “Untitled: Thoughts on the Creative Process,” the new document, often called “untitled.” Pulling from 12 years as an actor, and more recently in his role as creative director at Willow Creek Community Church, Blaine has compiled a vast amount of experience in the area of the creative process. The vast majority of this book is pulled from thoughts from his daily diary, focusing on the struggles, thoughts, and encouragements he’s faced in the field.

“Untitled” challenges the reader to step up their game as a creative professional. It encourages readers to not undersell themselves, to put projects past the idea and vision stage and into the execution stage. It brings readers to a point of continually searching for ideas, even when there isn’t a project on the horizon. Blaine refers to this as making sure you’re “always scratching” an itch, even when you don’t itch. His transparent writing reveals his personal fears with projects, only to turn around and challenge you to face your own fears. It’s a challenge to step away from the digital and go back to analog every now and then.

Blaine’s book equips you not for a single individual project, but instead helps you to create a continual point of creative growth. It challenges the reader to develop habits that contribute to the creative life. It encourages you when you’re in the midst of a tough project, as well as when you’re recovering from the “post project blues.” It is a book about perspiration as much as it is about finding creativity.

This book belongs on your virtual bookshelf alongside the most highly regarded book on “resistance in work,” Steven Pressfield’s “The War of Art.” This is one of those books you’ll want to return to each year just to refresh. It’s a breath of fresh air that encourages and challenges you with every word. I know that I will be returning to this book frequently as I continue to work on my projects.

You can pick up a copy of this amazing book here. (Amazon Link)

Disclaimer: I was given a promotional copy of the book for the sake of this review.

33 Ways to Stay Creative

Good ideas.

(Source: haiyum, via mikay1a1a1a)