In Those Flowers

This entry turns into an essay about copy editing. Beware!

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 07:44:42 GMT

While I've failed in finding a relationship, I've been pretty happy at work. The hours were fucking killer the first few weeks, but we didn't have a system going and we had a bunch of new people working. It only took talking to our boss and a controversial sentence in a story about the death of a girl from UT to change things. I got out at 1 a.m. tonight, which is the way things should be going. I'm still shooting for 12:30, but we're working on it. I dread going to work sometimes, but actually, I am really happy at work. I think it's because I have stuff to keep my mind busy almost constantly and I'm doing something I love. This copy editing experience has made me wonder if I'm in the right sequence. I know I love journalism, but I am much better as the person who makes the stories pretty and shiny before they are put to print.

I know this sounds cliché, but copy editors really are undervalued. Many think that they aren't even needed. But I shit you not, the paper would get in trouble without us. We make sure names are spelled correctly - this shows respect toward who we are covering. With people's respect, they are more likely to talk to our reporters. This means we get valuable information, thus the public receives better-quality stories.

Sure, most of our readers are going to read the first few paragraphs of our stories and move on to the Crossword section, but for those who read on, they can expect the same quality they found near the top of the story - no slacking off halfway. Believe me, people would notice a paper without copy editors. Reporters are usually poor copy editors, thus leaving many mistakes in their stories. I've had to call reporters multiple times to have them tell me, "Oops, my bad! That's actually the wrong information. Lemme give you the real info." If we had maybe one copy editor who looked at that story about the girl who got killed, maybe he/she would've said, "Hey guys, maybe starting out the hard news lead with 'A white towel lay in a puddle of blood...' is a bad idea."

Yeah, we don't always get all the mistakes. That's what the Corrections section is for. But we try our damnedest. I can't speak for all the copy editors in the world, but I know the copy desk chief and associate copy desk chiefs at The Daily Texan truly care about getting a good paper out there.

As a copy editor, I pick up so much information every day. I read stories about music festivals, migrant farm workers' problems and women's volleyball. I don't necessarily want to know about women's volleyball, but I always pick up things to mention to friends, family and acquaintances. I am more informed and can speak on issues better. Having to read them so closely also helps me understand the issues and topics presented in these stories.

TL;DR: Yay, copy editing!

Johari/Nohari Window

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 21:04:23 GMT

Hey, this is back! Courtesy of Markos. Go to these links and do them! :D

Arena

(known to self and others)

intelligent, shy

Blind Spot

(known only to others)

clever, dependable, introverted, trustworthy

Façade

(known only to self)

mature, observant, self-conscious, sensible

Unknown

(known to nobody)

able, accepting, adaptable, bold, brave, calm, caring, cheerful, complex, confident, dignified, energetic, extroverted, friendly, giving, happy, helpful, idealistic, independent, ingenious, kind, knowledgeable, logical, loving, modest, nervous, organised, patient, powerful, proud, quiet, reflective, relaxed, religious, responsive, searching, self-assertive, sentimental, silly, spontaneous, sympathetic, tense, warm, wise, witty

Dominant Traits

100% of people think that CristinaH is clever
100% of people think that CristinaH is dependable
100% of people agree that CristinaH is intelligent
100% of people think that CristinaH is introverted
100% of people agree that CristinaH is shy
100% of people think that CristinaH is trustworthy

All Percentages

able (0%) accepting (0%) adaptable (0%) bold (0%) brave (0%) calm (0%) caring (0%) cheerful (0%) clever (100%) complex (0%) confident (0%) dependable (100%) dignified (0%) energetic (0%) extroverted (0%) friendly (0%) giving (0%) happy (0%) helpful (0%) idealistic (0%) independent (0%) ingenious (0%) intelligent (100%) introverted (100%) kind (0%) knowledgeable (0%) logical (0%) loving (0%) mature (0%) modest (0%) nervous (0%) observant (0%) organised (0%) patient (0%) powerful (0%) proud (0%) quiet (0%) reflective (0%) relaxed (0%) religious (0%) responsive (0%) searching (0%) self-assertive (0%) self-conscious (0%) sensible (0%) sentimental (0%) shy (100%) silly (0%) spontaneous (0%) sympathetic (0%) tense (0%) trustworthy (100%) warm (0%) wise (0%) witty (0%)

Created by the Interactive Johari Window on 9.9.2009, using data from 1 respondents.
You can make your own Johari Window, or view CristinaH's full data.

You don't have to put your real name in the Nohari one if you don't want to. But understand this - I WILL FIND YOU.

Just kidding. OR AM I?

Arena

(known to self and others)

lethargic

Blind Spot

(known only to others)

insecure, withdrawn, cynical, embarrassed, foolish

Façade

(known only to self)

timid, glum, selfish, unimaginative, overdramatic

Unknown

(known to nobody)

incompetent, intolerant, inflexible, cowardly, violent, aloof, stupid, simple, irresponsible, vulgar, hostile, unhappy, unhelpful, needy, inane, brash, cruel, ignorant, irrational, distant, childish, boastful, blasé, imperceptive, chaotic, impatient, weak, loud, vacuous, panicky, unethical, insensitive, self-satisfied, passive, smug, rash, dispassionate, dull, predictable, callous, inattentive, unreliable, cold, humourless

Dominant Traits

100% of people think that CristinaH is insecure
100% of people agree that CristinaH is lethargic
100% of people think that CristinaH is withdrawn
100% of people think that CristinaH is cynical
100% of people think that CristinaH is embarrassed
100% of people think that CristinaH is foolish

All Percentages

incompetent (0%) intolerant (0%) inflexible (0%) timid (0%) cowardly (0%) violent (0%) aloof (0%) glum (0%) stupid (0%) simple (0%) insecure (100%) irresponsible (0%) vulgar (0%) lethargic (100%) withdrawn (100%) hostile (0%) selfish (0%) unhappy (0%) unhelpful (0%) cynical (100%) needy (0%) unimaginative (0%) inane (0%) brash (0%) cruel (0%) ignorant (0%) irrational (0%) distant (0%) childish (0%) boastful (0%) blasé (0%) imperceptive (0%) chaotic (0%) impatient (0%) weak (0%) embarrassed (100%) loud (0%) vacuous (0%) panicky (0%) unethical (0%) insensitive (0%) self-satisfied (0%) passive (0%) smug (0%) rash (0%) dispassionate (0%) overdramatic (0%) dull (0%) predictable (0%) callous (0%) inattentive (0%) unreliable (0%) cold (0%) foolish (100%) humourless (0%)

Created by the Nohari Window on 8.9.2009, using data from 1 respondents.
You can make your own Nohari Window, or view CristinaH's full data.

Albums/Soundtracks/Songs

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:50:43 GMT

Feel free to comment, but you don't have to comment if you take anything.
Enjoy the musics!
♥ ♥ ♥

xx=tt

Albums [44]

65daysofstatic - The Fall of Math
65daysofstatic - One Time for All Time

Air - Moon Safari
Air - Premiers Symptômes
Animal Collective - Water Curses EP
Autolux - Future Perfect

Babyshambles - Down In Albion
Beck - The Information
Buzzcocks - Singles Going Steady
Bright Eyes - Digital Ash in a Digital Urn

Cat Power - You Are Free
Coldplay - Parachutes
Cold War Kids - Robbers and Cowards
Crystal Castles - S/T

Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs
Depeche Mode - Violator
DJ Shadow - The Private Press

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Yanqui U.X.O.
Goldfrapp - Black Cherry
Gogol Bordello - Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike

Franz Ferdinand - Tonight: Franz Ferdinand

Iggy Pop - The Idiot
Islands - Arm's Way

Jeff Buckley - Grace
John Coltrane - A Love Supreme
Joy Division - Closer

M.I.A. - Arular
M.I.A. - Kala
Modest Mouse - The Lonesome Crowded West
Morrissey - Southpaw Grammar

Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon
Pixies - Surfer Rosa
Primal Scream - Screamadelica

Radiohead - In Rainbows
RJD2 - Deadringer

Serge Gainsbourg - Histoire de Melody Nelson
Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
Spoon - Girls Can Tell

Thom Yorke - The Eraser
Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes

Vampire Weekend - S/T
The Velvet Undeground - White Light/White Heat

Why? - Alopecia

Soundtracks [8]

Alice In Wonderland (Disney)
A Charlie Brown Christmas (Vince Guaraldi Trio)
The Darjeeling Limited (Various)
Ichi the Killer (Karera Musication)
Flight of the Conchords - Season 1
Slumdog Millionaire (A.R. Rahman, Various)
Trainspotting (Various)
The Virgin Suicides (Air)

Songs [18]

Akira Yamaoka - Alone in the Town
Boards of Canada - Roygbiv
Daft Punk - Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Take Five
The Ditty Bops - Gentle Sheep
The Dining Rooms - Numero Deux
Eddy Grant - Electric Avenue
Faces - Stay With Me
A Flock of Seagulls - I Ran (So Far Away)
Gang of Four - Natural's Not It
Garbage - Only Happy When It Rains
Handsome Boy Modeling School - The Truth (feat. Roison and J-Live)
Nena - 99 Red Balloons
Santogold - Creator
Skinny Puppy - Dig It
The Undertones - Teenage Kicks
The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony
The Zutons - Pressure Point

In Those Flowers

This entry turns into an essay about copy editing. Beware!

Johari/Nohari Window

Arena

Blind Spot

Façade

Unknown

Dominant Traits

All Percentages

Arena

Blind Spot

Façade

Unknown

Dominant Traits

All Percentages

Albums/Soundtracks/Songs

xx=ttAlbums [44]

Soundtracks [8]

Songs [18]

xx=tt

Albums [44]