Review: Five Guys Burger and Fries in Burlingame

So I went out with some friends the other night hoping to get some good food and sit down and talk. That's not what happened. We decided to go to Five Guys Burger and Fries instead of Big Mouth Burger. We wanted to try something new. We should've stuck to Big Mouth Burger. I had heard that Five Guys was all around amazing, but when we arrived it was really crowded and seemed to be almost hectic. The space wasn't very inviting...the line was stressful. We ordered our food after needing clarification on some menu items. The little burgers have one patty, the normal ones have two.....not so little. The place looked a lot like In-N-Out. And trust me....I had plenty of time to look around while I waited for my food. When I stood next to the pile of potato bags and a bin of peanuts, I assumed it was a line to just pick up food....nope. I was order number 42 and after I paid they were just calling order number 17.....I would have to wait about 20 minutes until I heard "42......number 42". I got handed a greasy bag with my little burger and fries inside. (Not gonna lie....the soda machine is cool to use, but the soda tastes funny....I had Vanilla Coke!) They got my order wrong.....no sauteed onions....no tomatoes....lots of mayo....oh joy. It turns out they had given my burger to my friend (order #43) , and I had eaten his. We weren't happy to have found this out after eating.

So my experience was: slow service, crowding...no place to sit, walk, (breathe!!!), my order was wrong....and it was anticlimactic. The food was so-so....not the best burger I've ever had. I'm not impressed. This is just my opinion....but I don't think I'll be returning. Well, at least not until they've been open longer....maybe it was crazy because it had recently opened.


What will my group of food-lovers tackle when we unite once again? Who knows....but I hope it's good.

It's Finals Week!

The semester is over, but I've had a great time blogging so I think I'll keep it up. Have a great finals week and Happy Holidays!!


This is what you call having too much time during finals week:

And since I am obsessed with this dance, I thought I'd post it:

Don't mess with a college student during finals...

First watch this:

 Breaking news: Finals are stressful.

Okay, so that's not breaking news...but it is funny how that is not really being taken into consideration by the people who filmed or posted this video.

While some people are making fun of the girl in the video for having somewhat of a freakout in the CSUN library. I can see where she was coming from. During finals I have noticed that many students are somewhat on the edge. We all - or at least most of us - are stressed out. Some finals are worth a significant amount of our grades. The real problem I see here is that people weren't being considerate of another student. I know that breathing loudly isn't something that should be freaked out about, but the girl in the video seemed like she was annoyed about people talking loudly as she was trying to study. When you're in the library to study you expect silence, or else you would've gone to a place like Starbucks. I know I have had my moments when I want to go up to someone in the library to tell them to shut up.

Finals are a time when college students are at risk for breaking down. Just earlier this week Virginia Tech had a shooting. I'm not saying this is connected to finals, but it very well could be. People are more stressed out. Students start pulling all-nighters, loading up on caffeine, and in some cases some partake in illegal activities to help them. I know people who have done drugs and taken medication such as Adderall or Ritalin to help them concentrate or stay awake. This really concerns me. It is a common practice in college now. I think the use of drugs like this and people freaking out should be taken into consideration when planning finals. Finals being worth so much of a student's grade may be easy for the professor but it is harming students in ways that sometimes are not reflected in grades. That honors student you think is the perfect student? Well yeah, they could be on a steady diet of Adderall and Starbucks. This is just one of the problems college students are facing.

Video on Ritalin and Adderall use:

On another note, I also think it is wrong to film someone and post it online without their consent. I'm sure the girl in the CSUN video doesn't appreciate it.

The Face of Beauty

Many in our society claim that they appreciate natural beauty, but the truth is that many don't know what it really is. People who look good with makeup on are beautiful, people who look good without makeup are also beautiful....but I admire most those who are willing to admit their insecurities. Earlier I was just online looking to pass some time before class when I came across an article about a video posted by a teen model. The video shows her without makeup, covered in severe acne. She then shows how she applies her foundation to give the look of flawless skin. This girl is a model. It says a lot about her character that she is brave enough to be in the field she is in with her skin like that and posting videos exposing it. Most models now are airbrushed and shown at the peak of perfection, but she is brave and is showing how she really looks.

We need positive role models in our society. She is a young person with a good attitude...and that is something we need more of. People tend to lose focus on what is good in the world...and not to be overly critical, but I do think that is because of the news people are exposed to. Most of everything is negative. People focus on what disaster has happened, court cases, and drama. People focus on getting degrees, higher education, more pay, and more benefits from our government. But we need to stop and think about the simple things in life. We need to really try to be positive and not all gloom and doom. This might just be a makeup tutorial, but the bigger picture is what it says about her (Cassandra Bankson) personality and character. We need more positive people. We need more good news. Especially at a time where people are so bombarded with news from all angles...it is a good thing to have just a dash of something else in there.

Her makeup tutorial:

Good Morning America clip:

Review of Happy Feet 2

I took my brother to watch Happy Feet 2 today. I thought it was going to be a painful experience, but it was actually a really good movie. While I don't want to give any spoilers away...there are themes in this movie that are somewhat adult. When I say adult I do not mean explicit in any way. But they will make you reflect on things that children probably don't think about. One is global warming. I went to the movie hoping to cheer my brother up, it's been a rough week for my family....but I ended up coming out a bit sad. A movie can be really happy and cute (with amazing visuals) but when you reflect on the bigger picture....it can mean something entirely different. There are scenes with ice crashing down, harsh snow, and the emergence of green land in places that were once covered in ice. There are images of oil spills, ships, melting ice, and polar bears.

When I look to learn something I usually look for a book, a class, a news article, something that seems adult....but in most cases messages stick to a person more when they come in a lighter format. Movies usually have messages that are either obvious or barely there...but this movie's message was omnipresent without it being directly mentioned a single time. I think media is something that could be very important in classrooms. If used more, and more properly...it could lead to students really grasping ideas a lot more easily.

Finding entertainment on the web

There are trends in what people think is fun to look at online. I remember when Fmylife could flood my facebook newsfeed. Everybody was reading it and most people thought it was funny. Then came Texts from Last Night. Now, I see things people find on reddit. My point is, the internet is no stranger to fads. With technology there is always something new out there. But, why do some websites become significantly more popular than others?

My theory is that we all want to feel better about ourselves. So reading FML and Texts from Last Night gives us that feeling that we are not the only one out there with our moments. Also, I think it's one of the reasons people watch reality shows. If you think about it, the reason it is so entertaining is because people act so ridiculously that anyone would be happy they weren't in that position. Aside from that, they are plain funny. Websites that cater to that part of everyone's personality...the part of us that likes to poke fun at people (and probably won't directly to a person) usually are successful. This is why people like comedy, satire, and commentators. This is why shows like Chelsea Lately, The Daily Show, and The Colbert Report are successful.

It may be sad that people like stupid....but it's what many people (at least my age) flock to.

Bennett....please stop texting

A blog on tumblr went viral recently....yes, it was Texts from Bennett. This blog claims to be 100% real. The blog consists of screen shots of text conversations the blogger has with his 17-year-old cousin. The blogger describes his cousin Bennett as a "white boy that thinks he's a crip." While the texts are funny because of how stupid they are....it's hard to believe that they are actually true. Interestingly enough, the blogger was recently outed. It is "Mac Lethal" (David Sheldon) the rapping pancake guy.

He was outed by none other than his dad! His dad said that the Bennett blog is true, it's inspired by a friend of the blogger....but the texts are not real. The blogger constructs the jokes and puts them into text format. So, this guy is creative. I don't understand why people are mad that they are not real text messages. They are funny nonetheless...and it doesn't take a genius to realize that they are fake. It's cool that this guy's video went viral on its own...and so did the blog. The connection wasn't made until after both were popular.

So...don't believe everything you see on the internet. While many things are there for entertainment, some people do get confused with what is real and what is not. In the age of photoshop and other ways to manipulate things with technology it is best to proceed with caution....but you can laugh at things like this:

Passion for the Arts

While this may not exactly be journalism related, I think it is really important that people realize how important the arts are to our culture and society. Art comes in many forms, but these programs are at risk of being lost in schools. Also, as a tutor and a former coach, I noticed that more parents are focusing on the academic success of their children and on having them participate in sports, but many forget that in order to be a well-rounded individual it is essential to have experience with an art.

Many might not know this about me, but I was a dancer from the age of 3 until the end of my senior year of high school when I had an accident and hurt my knee. After refusing surgery, I was left with an acceptance to a university as a dance major....and an injury that would prevent me from doing so. So...I don't think it's okay for someone to be only interested in an art. People need to have a variety of things they are interested in....I was planning on being a double major, so I still had political science there for me.

My point is that people should really try to find a way to be well-rounded individuals. Be interested in a subject in school, play sports, take up an art, do something that makes you happy. I believe that that leads to success...it makes for someone who has experience in a variety of things and often is a social person. Journalism is an art. While the writing may not be considered creative writing because it is not fiction, it is a craft. It takes skill to put together an article in a way that will capture the reader, imagination to think of a good feature, and an artistic eye to balance the pages. I see many individuals in my journalism class and on the school paper that truly can be considered artists.

While the most of us had arts programs in school when we were younger, kids one day might not. Budget cuts don't only impact college students, but students of all ages. Check out the Department of Education's website for more information on this tragic massacre of American culture.




My inspiration for this blog post was this song below. I used it in my last dance audition almost 2 years ago and I just found it on my old iPod. I hope you enjoy it :)

In honor of ethics

Journalists carry a monstrous burden of responsibility. People expect them not only to be credible and fair, but to be ethical. Ethics vary among people. They are not a matter of legality, but a matter of personal opinion. What one may find unethical, others would think is okay. So this is where they are open to criticism. When I hear about ethics in journalism, I usually only think of the United States, but it is an issue in other countries as well. Especially those with less regulations than what we have. In Nigeria, the Prophet Primate Babatunde Elijah Ayodele has asked journalists to shun sensationalism and adhere to journalistic ethics. Ayodele has said, "The ethic of the profession demands that you meet those you want to scandalize to verify your facts and get their own side of the story before publication. Papers are not there to scandalize achievers but to mirror the society. Journalism is not just to sit down and browse on the net and cook up stories, I refer to such people as ghost journalists, journalists should be able to confirm what they hear and verify the facts before publishing." Making sure you have an accurate story is more important than having a story that is so out there that it will sell. You are not writing fiction or a tabloid. For journalism to be respected it is essential for people to consider what they are reading to be credible. If they know it's not and they read it just for entertainment, the publication now has a bad reputation. 

Ayodele's comments were a reaction to stories about him being poor and asking for money. The stories took to extremes on this lie. They could have ruined the man's reputation. When a journalist does this they should be subject to legal action. In the United States they could get sued for libel or slander, but not all countries do this. But what about when ethics are further challenged? Are there more severe consequences? Should there be? When something is so greatly affected by perception and individual beliefs on morality, it is hard to make legislation that would regulate it. 

I thought this was interesting....

Journalism Scholarships

It's the time of year when many if not all students are stressing out about college applications. Another thing to add to the stress is wondering about how they are going to pay for scholarships. Fortunately, there are scholarships available to transfer students who are pursuing journalism as their major. Of course, in order to receive a scholarship it is important for the student to be in good academic standing and it helps if they have a portfolio of what they've written available. Some scholarships will ask for writing samples.

Here are some of the scholarships available:

One scholarship available is from the Inter-American Press Association. They give an annual $20,000 award to support journalists between the ages of 21 and 35 who wish to study in and report from a foreign country for one year. US journalists will spend a year studying and reporting in Latin America and the Caribbean. The deadline to apply for this scholarship is December 31st.

The William B. Ruggles National Right to Work Journalism Scholarship is a $2,000 scholarship that is given to a journalism major who "demonstrates the potential for successful completion of the educational requirements for the degree, and an understanding of voluntarism and the problems of compulsory unionism".  The deadline to submit an application for this scholarship is December 31st.

And last but not least...Google, the Online News Association, and the Associated Press have announced that they will be offering a $20,000 scholarship to six journalism students for the 2012-2013 school year. In their press release they stated, "The program is targeted to individual students creating innovative projects that further the ideals of digital journalism. A key goal is to promote geographic, gender and ethnic diversity, with an emphasis on rural and urban areas." The requirements listed on the website are as follows:

• Be a U.S. citizen
• Be a minimum of 18 years of age
• Be currently enrolled full time at an accredited U.S. post-secondary institution pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree. (College graduates returning to school are eligible to apply and must provide an acceptance letter from graduate institution.)
• Have at least one year of full-time undergraduate or graduate study remaining
• Have minimum grade point average of 3.0
• Be at least a college sophomore at time of application
• Be available for in-person or remote interviews with selection committee if selected as a finalist

 The deadline to submit applications is January 27th 2012.

In order to be taken seriously as a journalist it is important to be trained properly and have the skills necessary to look professional. Getting a degree is essential. There are many ways to get a degree without ending up with a massive amount of debt. Some scholarships require essays, some just ask you to fill out an application. Don't give up. Everyone can go to school.



You can find many more scholarships here and here.


And some relief for those of us who will have to take out student loans...

Wikileaks wins award in Australia

Wikileaks was awarded a Walkley Award for its "outstanding contribution to journalism." When presenting the award to WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, the Walkley Trustees said, "WikiLeaks applied new technology to penetrate the inner workings of government to reveal an avalanche of inconvenient truths in a global publishing coup. Its revelations, from the way the war on terror was being waged, to diplomatic bastardry, high-level horse-trading and the interference in the domestic affairs of nations, have had an undeniable impact."
Assange claims that Australian journalists are strong and fight back with the truth. While he did make many significant documents public, he also created chaos.
The WikiLeaks website claims its purpose is "to bring important news and information to the public. One of our most important activities is to publish original source material alongside our news stories so readers and historians alike can see evidence of the truth." While bringing the truth is important to journalism, there are better ways to make the truth available. Journalists are respected. If leaking documents and private files means exposing the truth, then the means of accessing the information is much like stealing....and that is not respectable. The ends do not justify the means.

Personally, I have a low opinion of Wikileaks. What is your opinion?

Should newspapers endorse political candidates?

Newt Gingrich was endorsed by The Union Leader of Manchester, New Hampshire's largest newspaper. While many did not think he would be a strong contender for President, it has been shown that endorsement from that newspaper has led to an increase of about 11 percent in the vote (from the poll taken before the endorsement). Endorsement may not be the only factor in this, but it is very possible that it influences people. People trust the newspaper they read. If they believe that a candidate is trustworthy and competent because a newspaper tells them that that person is the best for that election...then it is likely that they will sway more towards that candidate.

It may not seem like a big deal, but I don't think newspapers should endorse candidates. Newspapers need to remain unbiased and report the news simply as it is. While editorials allow opinion, this can get tricky when they endorse a candidate. Any news reported after that editorial runs will be subject to the bias the readers will then have. If anything, newspapers should publish profiles of all the candidates with both pros and cons about their platforms, but not full-on endorse a candidate. It isn't fair and it seems like a weird loop-hole. News stations give candidates equal air time....so shouldn't newspapers be just as fair?

Feminist Rant

The more I have been thinking about how female journalists are perceived as the sexy weather girl...the more I get angry. That's not right. Unfortunately, our society reinforces that stereotype by telling girls that they should write about "girly" things like clothes, relationships, and beauty. With it being Thanksgiving weekend, I spent some quality time with my DVD player and my DVR. Two of the movies I watched had a theme similar to what I am writing about. One, called "Beauty and the Briefcase" and the other called "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days".....you can already tell where this is going.

The first movie is about a girl who wants to be a journalist for Cosmopolitan. She gets assigned an article, but she'll have to work undercover at a firm in New York City. She has to find her perfect guy and date lots of the guys at the office. Perfect, right? No. In the end, she ends up writing her article about how she found the perfect guy for her and he wasn't anything that was on her list. What is sad about this movie is that the focus of a female journalist is makeup and sex and men. I understand that the publication she was writing for was Cosmopolitan, but by showing this....girls think that it is the dream job for a female journalist. Well, when I think "serious journalist" I do not think "Cosmo".

The second movie starred Kate Hudson as a girl who was stuck at a typical "girly" magazine, but wanted to write more serious articles. She gets assigned an article about "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days". Essentially, she has to make the guy fall for her.....and then drive him crazy so he breaks up with her. This doesn't exactly happen and she considers leaving for a more serious job and to get away from the guy she now has feelings for. She ends up staying. While I do not have as much to say about this one, I think it's important that she showed how upset she was that she wanted to write more serious pieces and all she was getting was fluff.

A movie that was also on this weekend was "The Devil Wears Prada." This movie is about a girl who gets a job as an assistant at a fashion magazine when she really wants to be a serious writer. After losing everything that was really important to her she walks away and ends up getting a job at a serious newspaper. What I enjoyed about this movie was that they showed the negative side of being in the "feminine" part of journalism. It is not all what people think it is.

It is important for women to realize that they can be journalists and can have fun at their jobs. They don't need to work at a women's magazine if they don't want to. Also, they can start anywhere and end up being a serious journalist. It all ends up being about a woman taking herself seriously and not succumbing to gender stereotypes.

The life of a journalist can be fun

Tom Wicker, one of the Times most distinguished journalists, passed away today after suffering from a heart attack. He was 85 years old.

In his time as a journalist he covered the White House, wrote 20 books, and even covered the assassination of JFK. He was able to report on the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War, and give his opinion on American involvement in Southeast Asia. He was even put on the president's enemies list over his opinion on the Watergate Scandal. Now, that's what you call having an interesting life.
Tom Wicker showed that although people think journalists simply report the news, there is so much more. He was able to give his opinion and encourage people to "engage in civil disobedience" in order to get their points across. Journalism isn't a monotonous career filled with endless stories about city council meetings, new laws, and the latest technology. While it is up to the journalist to embrace the other aspects, many New York Times journalists do.

An example of this is Nicholas Kristof. Lately i've been trying to figure out how my major, my interests, and journalism fit together. After reading several of Kristof's articles, I finally realized that it is important for me to be able to view issues from a journalist's point of view if I am going to be successful in law or politics. While they do have a stand, a view, they know when to report without a bias and they know to look at the whole truth. The information does not get manipulated to suit their opinion. They just know how to defend it when the time comes. Being involved in politics or law or even journalism...well, it doesn't have to be a bore. Maybe my life won't be so dull afterall.


And here's a video clip from The Daily Show with Jon Stewart....I would love to have that job.

Click Here for Video

Fox News Fails

If you're watching Fox News...you might just be wasting your time. A recent study found that adults who don't watch the news performed better than those who watched Fox News on a series of questions. The people who did the best were those who listened to NPR, watched the news on Sunday mornings, and yes even those who watch The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. The phone survey was given to 612 adults in New Jersey.
Fox has a reputation for being less than reliable and pretty much a joke. Most people I know don't watch it. I watch The Daily Show every night and while he does not go too in-depth on topics, at least people retain information and the information is correct. If a satirical show on a comedy TV station can be more informative than a real news show....then that's bad. Fox needs to step up and start becoming more serious. Also, people need to start paying attention to what's going on in the world around them. The results of this survey showed faults with a news station, but it was also a reflection of American society now. We are living in a time when people don't really pay attention to the news or what is going on globally. People are too concerned with trivial things. Maybe a show like The Daily Show, that keeps viewers interested by not being so serious would be a better format for news...but would opinion get in the way of hard news? That would be a never-ending debate.



And now for a funny Fox News Fail...

Want to be a news anchor? Get a makeover.

I have never understood the male obsession with female TV news anchors. But, even without understanding it, I do understand why sometimes people who are less qualified for that position get the job. When you are on the radio, it does not matter how you look. When you are writing, no one is staring at you. But on TV, appearance does matter. While it may be a cheap way to get viewers, having attractive news anchors works. They also may get hired due to the way the human brain works. People perceive someone who is more attractive and symmetrical as being smarter and having better social skills. This has been known as the "halo effect". Beauty can influence whether someone will get hired and it can influence how much they are paid. On TV, it is necessary to capture the audience and keep viewers watching. This will have an effect on ratings and how much people are paid. So while hiring the better looking person may not seem ethical, it can be beneficial.
When it comes down to how much someone is paid. Those who have above-average looks usually are paid more. This is called the "beauty premium" and it is especially true in professions where someone needs to keep the "client", or audience in this case, interested. They can earn around 5% more than their colleagues. The below-average looking people are subject to the "plainness penalty" and can be paid around 9% less than their more attractive colleagues. Age, weight, height, and how symmetrical and appealing to the eye people are can really influence their luck in the work force. When it comes to TV journalism, it is very obvious.






And now...a clip about my favorite tv show about a girl trying to make it in the world of journalism...and she got a makeover...go figure!

Journalism then and now

In class we learn of the different types of news writing and the different jobs available. We also learn about beats and how journalists are assigned jobs. Watching the below video, it is easily noticed that not much has changed except for technology. But some aspects have changed a lot.
Now, women are involved in all aspects of journalism. That wasn't the case years ago. I was watching the clip below from HuffPost Media's "A Look Back" series and it left me feeling very proud to be a feminist. It pretty much said that women were only involved in the society pages and wrote stuff about cooking, beauty, and keeping house. It also said that women find it difficult competing with men in general reporting jobs....well could this be because of how much they are already oppressed? If someone isn't taken seriously and they need a job, chances are that they will take the job that they can get. So instead of encouraging women to go for their goals in journalism, it claims that if a woman wants to be successful in journalism she should aim for the special women's departments. I am glad we are no longer in that time. If I were to pursue journalism there is no way I'd want to write a column on how to set the table.

Clinton on the news

Many know news reporters by watching the news. Some people have a favorite journalist because of the articles they read in publications. But when a station needs viewers, sometimes a celebrity reporter is added to the payroll.
Chelsea Clinton, the girl who evaded reporters, is now one of them. She has no journalism experience and is famous due to her political parents. For someone who truly has worked towards their goal of being a journalist and has not had the advantages she has had, this would be really unfair. I'm simply a viewer. As a viewer I think it's unfair, but at the same time I see how she will pull in viewers and even though she comes from a famous family, she shouldn't be barred from the profession.I do strongly believe that only those who are best fit for the profession should be working in it, but just because someone comes from a privileged upbringing does not mean that they are not fit. The real issue at hand is that journalists are losing jobs to celebrities because stations want more money. This is wrong. If this trend continues, news sources will lose the credibility that people trust them for.
I hope she does well and if people don't like her on the air, well then change the channel. It's as simple as that. 

"Journalism License and registration please."

You are on your way to report on something and all of a sudden you get stopped by the police. Only registered journalists can be in that area. In a country built on a foundation of freedom, is this right? Is it right for police to ask journalists to have a permit to report in certain areas? While to some this idea seems ridiculous, some journalists and organizations are actually okay with the idea of journalists having to have some sort of license or registration. This is due largely to civilian reporters. Access to websites and social media have made it possible for anyone to be a reporter. News can be posted online instantaneously by anyone, meaning that the rush to be the first to post is more intense than ever. My personal opinion is that while people might read something on a social media site, they usually want to check with a credible source to make sure that what they are reading is true. Real journalists will never become a thing of the past as long as they remain trustworthy and accurate. As far as licensing goes, it could lead to a reduction of the freedom the press currently has. It might also lead to more rules about who can post news online. But if done correctly it could be like other professions that require licensing. In order for the journalist to have access to more sources and to be seen as more official, licensing could take place. Considering licensing is being used as an excuse to keep people out though, it probably won't happen. 

SOPA = censorship?

The Stop Online Piracy Act is a bill that was introduced to the House of Representatives last month. The purpose of the bill is mainly to protect Intellectual Property online. People fear that without enforcement, the US copyright system will become obsolete and that many jobs will be lost. Personally, I am really interested in this because Intellectual Property Law is what I hope to go into.....but on the other end, it is necessary to question what measures will be taken in order to enforce the bill.
  This bill would end up censoring the internet. The Attorney-General would be allowed to create a blacklist of websites which Americans would not be allowed to access. Now, the last time I heard people not being able to access certain websites was when I was reading about China and Egypt (before the revolts)....that is not the US I know. The blocking would be done by the same system used by those countries and if the United States does it, chances are more countries will follow. What this would mean for journalism is that any site that has self-expression on it would be blocked. So social media such as blogs, and facebook, and twitter would be things of the past. These are used as ways to reach audiences now in the world of journalism. And if these sites get blocked, then the avenues for news would be print or maybe a really self-censored website. News writing would suffer. Goodbye Opinion pages! Some websites would not even allow you to upload images or video due to the fear of being blocked. This would be a step backwards for innovation of thought and technology. Unfortunately, due to a lot of support in government (thanks to some "helpful" nudging by corporations) this bill could be passed. Our careers could be in danger, so it's time to speak up.