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That is the philosophy of Occam’s Razor, and while this principle established the foundation for scientific method, at it’s heart, it gives precedence to simplicity.

So it applies here to time management, specifically, how to manage time in graduate school.  How can I get unnecessary information, tasks, or distractions out of the way, in order to not simply survive grad school, but to best utilize my time for successful endeavors ?

I have my own boot-camp for time management (TM), and it appears that some geeks and life coaches have developed something called GTD, or Getting Things Done, also known as “life-hacking.” So I did a little research today to see how other people are GTD–but I didn’t do too much research–because I already know what is working for me, and I didn’t want to waste time.

I came across two things that I thought were significant. The first seems to be the backbone for GTD.

• Context – Where are you? What tools are available? What are the limits and possibilities unique to this moment?
• Time available – Do you have, for example, 30 seconds, 30 minutes, or 30 hours available to you right now? What tasks could you accomplish given the time you have?
• Energy available – Are you full of energy, is your ass dragging, or are you somewhere in between? Which of the tasks on your list could you finish, given that energy level?
• Priority – If you had access to all the tools, opportunities, time, and energy you needed, what’s the most important or time-sensitive thing you could do right now?

The second is the backbone for a good life. Merlin Mann, who created the blog 43Folders, where I found that list, wins my respect. Because what I’ve been thinking is that appreciation for time is the first step, the mile zero. Mann says that, echoing a Buddhist tenet that I practice,“mindfulness is the ultimate life- hack.“

First, and foremost, graduate school has taught me to appreciate time and to be mindful of how I use it. And of course I’m learning all kinds of new, exciting technical skills. But TM + mindfulness equals a useful, general framework for almost every scenario.

Understanding how precious time is means being on time.  My punctuality for undergraduate classes could be counted using just two hands. I’m in a one year grad program and we’re halfway done.  For me, this is not a dress rehearsal. This is the idea of immersion. What I do with my time now reflects my long term career interest–multimedia journalism.

Context and priority are the trickiest things of GTD.

“Context: Where are you? What tools are available? What are the limits and possibilities unique to this moment?”

The desk is important. Every night, before I’m done, the desk gets set up for the next day. Clutter  creates distraction.

Tools are an important part of the desk for a multimedia journalist.  I invested in the tools that I need for my projects. That meant upgrading from an 11 inch laptop with no programs into a 21.5 inch, 3.06 GHz, 500GB storage desktop. I felt like I was wasting a lot of time traversing roundtrip to the school lab to use their programs–and the lab is creepy late at night when I’m in my prime–so I bought all the programs I need. Which I highly recommend, since we will need them for years to come, and right now we are eligible for education discounts.

There is an overlap between context and priority. It is easy to over/under exaggerate the limits and possibilities unique to the moment.

“Priority: If you had access to all the tools, opportunities, time, and energy you needed, what’s the most important or time-sensitive thing you could do right now?”

This where lists and calendars enter stage left.  Let’s face it, most grad students don’t have a family and a high level professional job. But if we are trying to mindfully make use of our time in a one year program, in a very competitive, diminishing field–there are always priorities to juggle. To be informed, to be engaged, to practice, to perfect, to self-teach. And to complete assignments.

I keep four main lists going:
What is due.

Projects to develop my portfolio. I brainstorm all the time, and don’t want to forget those brainstorms. Sometimes there is an overlap in these things and my assignments. Contact names for future interviews go on this list.

Things to learn/accomplish. I’ve been working off of a list from 10,000 words.

Boring real life stuff like going to the dentist or buying a stapler.

Let’s face it, the internet is the coolest think-tank ever, with a limitless supply of distraction. I bookmark things that I find, to read at a later time. I have 8 main bookmarks:

News,  Social Media, Jobs, Internships, Popular, Bizarre, Software and Technology.

At the end of the day, I go back and read the stuff I’ve found.

I find most of those things on Twitter. When I am at my desk working, I keep my email and my Twitter open. When I read a school or online article that references someone seemingly important, I look that person up on Twitter. I follow them. This is one way that I curate my network. That Twitter network is keeping me current on the issues, philosophies, resolutions, big players, and software that matter to my field.  Because of that network, two weeks ago, I found #wjchat on Twitter. For the past two weeks, I’ve been gobbling up and sharing ideas with awesome, educated, and professional journalists.

Personal Life

“Grad School is like a mullet–business in the front, and party in the back.” ~Grad Hacker

Not so much. I understand that this is the idea that we’ve got to balance our school with a personal life. Whereas undergrad was a big social event, or a shaggy hair cut, grad school is a no-nonsense, short, well coiffed hair-do.  I don’t party now, I rest and relax. It’s just as exciting as a party use to be.

I should probably mention that I made the wonderful mistake of falling in love my fourth month into the program. The people who get my time are my partner, my mother, and my dog. I turn down a lot of invites. Friends get me on vacations, special occasions, and in email. But not too many emails, mind you.

Part of TM is that I’ve realized I can’t respond to everyone. I have friends all over the country and strangers who contact me via email. I field questions related to scooters on a weekly basis. I use to answer those right away. Now I don’t. Sometimes I forget to answer at all. It doesn’t matter. I’m immersed in school, and that’s how it is for five more months. The end.

The people who make my life so wonderful are still shuffled into certain days. I (try to) completely take the day off on Sunday. You can’t practice good TM if you are exhausted. Rejuvenation is essential for endurance. Mondays are for errands. I buy foods that are easy to cook, but healthy. On Mondays I make certain meals for the rest of the week–soup, chili, lasagna.

Mann commented that the idea of “life-hacking” or GTD seems “new-agery” to some.  I worked at the Omega Institute for three years and I know “new-agery.” What Stephen Rechtshaffen, co-founder of Omega, calls “time-shifting” is really “life hacking”.  I prefer the latter because it sounds like it involves a computer and not a peacepipe and full moon. When I describe my methods, I realize they might seem a bit militant. Maybe not for everyone. And keep in mind, none of the above really exist within a vacuum.

Sometimes, part of GTD is knowing when to take an appropriate powernap.

Statistics show increase in hate crimes against sexual orientation
by Alix Bryan

Since 2004, the overall number of hate crimes nationwide has remained level. But hate crimes against sexual orientation jumped 15 percent – more than for any other group. In 2004, a total of 9,514 hate crimes were committed, and 1,482 of those crimes were against sexual orientation.  In 2008, the total of hate crimes increased by 169 counts, whereas the crimes against sexual orientation increased by 224 counts.

These aren’t the only trends that can be gleaned from the latest FBI hate crime data. Most victims of sexual orientation hate crime are male and most crimes occur at the residence. The crimes have become more violent in the past two years, with sexual orientation as the motivation for 71 percent of all hate crime murders.

Some say the increase reflects the fact that more agencies are reporting hate crime statistics.  Trends are difficult to pinpoint when the list of reporting agencies changes annually. However, an examination of the 912 agencies that reported in both 2004 and 2008 represented an overall bulk of the filing agencies, enough to make sound statistical conclusions.

Five percent increase. Ten percent increase as part of all hate crimes.

Interactive visual of Ranking across the U.S.

Increases and ranking can be established with careful sorting, but it is much harder to determine the source of  these trends. Are victims more comfortable coming forward as society becomes more accepting of sexual orientation? Has law enforcement been more educated? Is more crime actually occurring? Perhaps it is all three, as well.

Referendums across the nation since 2004 have opened the doors for public debate on emotional topics such as marriage, homosexuality, and gender roles.  Opponents run campaigns that deem same-sex marriage as harmful to society and homosexuality as aberrant.  It seems that heightened visibility brings with it heightened risk.

“When leaders use truly hurtful language, whether or not they endorse violence, it seems to give people permission to perpetuate violence,” said Seth Croft, co-chair of the board of directors for the Virginia Anti-Violence Project

“Public visibility is double-edged sword, presumably people become more comfortable with who we are, but also more people get angry and a backlash ensues,” said Darlene Huntress, formerly the public policy director for Equality Maine, one of the co-sponsors of the marriage bill overturned last month by referendum.

Huntress believes, “there is a probably a correlation,” between increased hate crimes against sexual orientation and marriage amendments. Last year South Portland, Maine ranked in the top 20, with sexual orientation accounting for 80 percent of the areas hate crimes. In 2004, they ranked in the 73rd spot, with just two total reported hate crimes.

Out of the closet. Into the fire

The 2004 election year is pivotal on the gay rights movement time-line. Same-sex marriage was legalized in Massachusetts, and thousands of nuptials were exchanged by gay couples in San Francisco during the one month period that Mayor Gavin Newsom and other city officials issued marriage licenses.
Within six months after gay and lesbian couples began legally marrying in Massachusetts, 13 states approved constitutional amendments defining marriage as an exclusively heterosexual institution. Of those amendments, 11 were decided by voters.

The steep drop in both hate crimes and victims for the following year indicate the mainstream broadcasting of anti-gay rhetoric does create a backlash. In 2005, there were 80 less reported incidents and 269 less victims.  Analyzation of the sample containing only the 912 reporting agencies shows that despite that initial drop, there were a total of 90 more hate crimes against sexual orientation since 2004, and a total of 258 less hate crimes, creating an adjusted five percent increase of sexual orientation hate crimes in the four year period.

Top 6 Areas with Biggest Increase in SO Hate Crime Incidents

In 2008, the five locales reporting the most hate crimes against sexual orientation were New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Washington D.C., and San Francisco.

Perhaps reporting improved in New York, which had a total of 97 hate crimes in 2004, but double in 2008, with 258 crimes reported. Los Angeles remained in the second spot for both years. San Francisco moved from a first to fifth ranking, with 26 less sexual orientation hate crimes in 2008.

Metropolitan counties experienced a decline in all hate crimes while cities saw an increase in sexual orientation hate crimes and a decrease overall. Larger cities are considered to be more progressive, and safer for the LGBT community.

More reports can mean more violence, but also mean overall safer location

“Police have been more educated on what to look for and still it depends on geographical location,” said Huntress. “There is a new responsibility in law enforcement to educate and recognize it, whereas they haven’t always been educated to investigate hate crimes,” she also said.

A high ranking indicates discrimination towards sexual orientation, but could also imply that the locale is perhaps safer than one that reports no hate crimes.

Huntress notes that South Portland is a very accepting area.

“South Portland is a lot safer for sexual orientation than, say, Jackson, Mississippi, even if they don’t report any crimes,” Huntress said.

Huntress references the Maine passage of the non-discrimination act in 2005, which protects LGBT people from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in employment, housing, education, credit and public accommodations.

“Before passage of the non-discrimination law you have to make an assumption that they were reluctant to report it,” she said in speculation of increase in incidents.
These crime increases can’t be written off as just better reporting or education, regardless–crimes are still happening. Perhaps bringing to the nation’s attention something that has been occurring silently for far too long. Until this past October, crimes against transgender people were not even counted.

Federal Protection will bring new data to light

Passage of the Matthew Shepard Act will expand the United States federal hate-crime law to include crimes motivated by a victim’s actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. This is the first federal protection of crimes against transgender people and many believe it will have a great impact on reporting.

“It’s always better when it is a federal law, it sends a very strong message and will make a big difference in reporting,” said Huntress.

Autumn Sandeen served in the U.S. Navy for two decades before transitioning as a male-to-female transsexual. She points to The International Transgender Day Of Remembrance as the only prior form of data collection on anti-transgender hate crime. Held on November 20, 2009, 143 international deaths were remembered, 13 of them domestic.

“While the stats are much higher of hate violence towards men perceived to be gay over women who are perceived to be lesbian, the anti-LGBT hate crimes that appear to be the most vicious appear to be the hate crimes against trans women — especially trans women of color. The federal government to this point hasn’t kept any data on crimes committed against transgender people,” said Sandeen.

Men account for 58 percent of sexual orientation hate crime victims in 2008. This disproportionate percentage has remained high since the FBI began reporting hate crimes. Also, while the agencies recorded 981 male victims, there is a broad category labeled merely as “anti-homosexual,” with 466 reported victims that are more likely to be males.

“Despite the backlash, you have to be visible and stand up for your rights,” said Croft.

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NERD BOX: Data for this story was obtained from the FBI Uniform Crime Reports. I accessed reports from 2003-2008, Tables 1, 4, and 13. The FBI begs users not to rank from their data, and pinpointing smaller trends is difficult with the annual fluctuation in reporting agencies. While hate crimes against sexual orientation have seemed to increase, it was impossible to say so with complete accuracy using just the FBI excel sheets. I cleaned up the excel sheets for 2004 &2008, sorting out only metropolitan counties and cities. Next I imported those sheets into an Access database and joined the counties and cities, with a resulting list of 912 matches, or 43% of all reporting agencies. Keep in mind that around only 80% of reporting agencies report more than 0, so my list is a bulk of the data. I exported my query back into excel and crunched a variety of numbers: percents, increases, and then a ranking by area, not state.
I found the FBI data to be most jumbled when it came to reporting from colleges and universities. Almost all entry lines have to be changed because of the categorization process. I excluded those from my match list.

The sheets can be accessed by clicking on the below links and contain all inclusive hate crime data: race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and disability.

TOTAL VICTIMS, from 2003-2008

Hate Crimes_04 and 08, consolidated, matching agencies. Includes ranking for both years

Hate Crimes o4 and 08, cities

Hate Crimes 04 and 08, metropolitan counties.
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The GCCR hosts numerous activities for the entire Richmond community

Trying to thrive in conservative times.
by Alix Bryan

Two Richmond nonprofits rely on unique approaches to advance their missions, amid a recession that greatly strains available resources. Not only do they face conservative economic times, they face the challenge of bringing a message of diversity to a conservative state. Without their efforts, the LGBT community would be less visible, and the public less informed.

Colorful building stands out, provides services
Jay Squires, executive director of the Gay Community Center of Richmond, has been involved in LGBT ( Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, and Transgender) nonprofit work since the 1980s. The GCCR is Virginia’s first and only gay community center. It is a branch of the Gay Richmond Foundation Center, which has provided funding to LGBT nonprofits since 1999.

“We’ve made a great deal of progress,” said Squires.

He has witnessed the transition as Richmond becomes a safer, more accepting place for the once closeted LGBT community.

“Our community is more visible and much more engaged, as a community and in the community at large, which has allowed us to make a great deal of political and social progress,” said Squires.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Watch a video of one week at the GCCR

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The GCCR can’t help but be visible. It is easily spotted from I-95; a mammoth building painted in vibrant, rainbow colors. On Tuesday and Thursday, vehicles spill out onto the side streets from the large parking lot. Hundreds of people file in the door weekly to spend hours playing bingo. Numerous other events, and the Diversity Thrift store, keep the building active and raise funds.  Since 2008 the GCCR has given out more than half a million dollars to local groups with programs that benefit the LGBT community. Last year, the General Assembly recognized the GCCR for its community efforts in funding local organizations.

ROSMY is located at 2311 Westwood Avenue

Helping youth be themselves
The Richmond Organization for Sexual Minority Youth is 18 years old and ushering in a new epoch as they enter adulthood.  John Dougherty, at age 32, has held the executive director position at ROSMY for three years. Dougherty sits cheerfully at his desk, enthusiastic about just receiving a call from Sun Trust that they want to be financially involved with his organization. Chances are that he is spirited for many reasons.

“It’s very exciting to finally be in the spot where people are saying we are an organization to get behind and they want their name attached to it,” said Dougherty.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Click image to view a slideshow of ROSMY fundraising in action.

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Dougherty is not exaggerating. In the past month he has received an award trifecta.  Dougherty was recently profiled by Style Weekly in its “Top 40, Under 40“.  He accepted, on behalf of ROSMY, the Richmond History Makers award from the Valentine Richmond History Center, and the Richmond Peacemaker Award for 2009 from the Richmond Peace Education Center. Under Dougherty’s leadership, ROSMY developed the Institute of Equality, with intention to educate the entire social service system in Virginia how to assess and respond to the needs of LGBT youth, within their service setting.  The Institute offers nationally accredited training, and last year over 400 youth and family service providers attended. ROSMY is waiting confirmation on a contract with the Department of Juvenile Justice that will commit the DJJ to eight annual trainings at the Institute, with 30 slots in each session.

“For the most part, we get 100 percent fantastic reviews because they have never had this discussion before, never thought about all the different issues before,” said Dougherty.

ROSMY’s ongoing programs include support and leadership services for youth. ROSMY provides a 24/7 hot-line for youth in crisis. For the first time in state history, ROSMY, in partnership with the Virginia Home for Boys and Girls, can provide emergency shelter for kids 18 and up. Truancy runs high among LGBT youth because it is often too traumatic for them to go to school, they get bullied and harassed.

Struggling to stay ahead of the curve in a recession
Both Squires and Dougherty wish they had access to programs like theirs when they were growing up.  They each understand the impact of their efforts to the LGBT community and incorporate innovative fundraising strategies to ensure that they can continue to provide vital resources.  The success of each organization goes beyond their effective programs.

ROSMY and the GCCR maximize resources by relying heavily on volunteers, which keeps operations costs low, as well as services. The GCCR asks the community for just five volunteer hours a month, and like ROSMY, banks at least 3000 volunteer hours annually.

The GCCR is located at 1407 Sherwood Avenue

“The passion of people who want to see this community thrive helps sustain us,” said Dougherty.

Still, the recession impacted both organizations. Donations to Diversity Thrift store slowed the past year, even though this is beginning to turn around. People don’t donate clothes and furniture if they can not afford any in replacement. Bingo attendance was less affected, good news with the games bringing in close to $400,000 revenue annually.

“Like every other nonprofit in the country, this recession has been challenging.” said Squires.

ROSMY was down 23 percent at the end of their first quarter, although a recent campaign successfully raised $100,000, half of it a match grant from the local Mary Morton Parsons Foundation.

In what is one of many of ROSMY’s progressive strategies, Dougherty recently brainstormed what he calls, “a nonevent event”. The event will begin in January and serves the dual purpose of community outreach, while funding marketing costs. Dougherty is leaving behind the traditional banquet dinner, where $10,000 is spent to raise $20,000. Instead, he is utilizing corporate and individual sponsorships to publish ads in Style, as well as The Hook, a Charlottesville weekly magazine. The ads are essentially a public service announcement. Dougherty is confident that it will be easier to sell corporate sponsorships because the circulation of each weekly magazine is greater than would be on an event program just seen by 200 people. This is the second major fundraising campaign for ROSMY that is low budget and will be done primarily without printed materials.

Keeping the conversation going
“My biggest fear is that we can’t get the community prepared enough for what the consequences of this becoming a public conversation are, at the level it is quickly becoming a public conversation,” said Dougherty.

Dougherty thinks that Virginia is not on par with the national dialogue about gay topics like same-sex partnerships, human sexuality, and safe-sex practices. The commitment of both the GCCR and ROSMY seems to have initiated a community awareness that was absent just five years ago.

“Things in Virginia are changing and they are changing quickly,” said Dougherty.

“We are here, and we are here to stay,” said Squires.

Mind Your LGBT’s and Q’s
DO:

LGBTQ2IA: The acronym for Lesbian, Gay, Bi, and Ttransgendered, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Allies.

LGBT: Shorthand for LGBTQ2IA.

Gay: Few people say homosexual anymore in favor of gay. This is what people call men who are more attracted to members of the same sex both emotionally and sexually. It should be used as an adjective as opposed to a singular noun. When referring to women, use the word lesbian instead. When talking about both say gay men and lesbians. If you need a smaller word, for titles or headlines for example, it is okay to use the word gays to describe both.

Queer: This too began as a pejorative term for gays, though these days some gay men, lesbians, transgender and bisexual people use it as a self-affirming umbrella term. Never to be used as an epithet, it would deeply insult the person.

Sexual Orientation: This refers to a persons innate sexual attraction. You can use this term in place of “sexual preference” it’s preferred now.

Transgender: (adj.): This has become the umbrella term that refers to people whose physical gender and gender identity do not match one another. This can include preoperative, postoperative or nonoperative transsexuals, female and male cross-dressers, drag queens or kings, female or male impersonators, and intersex individuals. In most cases this is the preferred term but if you know someone who would rather be called a transsexual then go ahead and refer to them in the way they like best. If a person is born a man and lives as a woman they are to referred to as she and visa versa.

Transition: Refers to the process by which one alters one’s sex. This can include several different things from surgery to hormone therapy and even changes of legal identity.

Transexual: (n.): Men and women who work to acquire the physical characteristics of the opposite sex with which they identify. Individual can be of any sexual orientation, they are not necessarily gay or lesbian, this is unrelated. Refer to them as the sex they identify with and live as.

Mind Your LGBT’S and Q’s
DON’T:

Lifestyle: A term to be avoided as it is pretty politically charged. Often it is used in a way that implies that gays, lesbians and transgender people are “choosing” to live a gay lifestyle rather than a “straight” one. It is insulting and just plain false.

Fag (Faggot): Originally a pejorative term for gay men, this gay term, like the lesbian dyke, is now being reclaimed. Still extremely offensive when used as an epithet. To some, it is the new “queer,” but among queer-identified young people.

Homo: A pejorative term for homosexual men that should never ever pass the lips of anyone at all.

Dyke: This lesbian term began as a pejorative term for a lesbian, though these days it’s being reclaimed by some lesbians. This is still an extremely offensive word when used as an epithet.
Lifestyle: A term to be avoided as it is pretty politically charged. Often it is used in a way that implies that gays, lesbians and transgender people are “choosing” to live a gay lifestyle rather than a “straight” one. It is insulting and just plain false.

Queen: Began as a pejorative term for an effeminate gay man. Not to be used as an epithet. Avoid using this word.

Tranny: A word that was used to slag down a transgender person. Avoid this term unless you have already established that this is a persons self-identified term.

Transvestite: Never use this term. It is outdated and insulting, it is like calling a black person colored. Not cool. See cross-dresser.

*The list of LGBT terms has been compiled by The National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association.

The ROSMY 40K was a month long fundraising campaign done primarily online, with the exception of the final homestretch. Two public events rallied support for the ROSMY 40K, which generated funds and fostered community. “Perfect 10,” a date auction, was held at Babes. “Eat out for ROSMY,” was held at the Galaxy Diner. Both locations are in Carytown. ROSMY headquarters are at 2311 Westwood Avenue, in Richmond, Virginia. ROSMY will reach their $40,000 total and qualify for a match grant from the local Mary Morton Parsons foundation.

Larceny rises in Virginia, first time in nine years.
by Alix Bryan

Recent statistics across Virginia and the nation indicate that the floundering economy is likely to stimulate growth in one sector: crime.  Recently published FBI crime statistics show that last year property crime increased in Virginia. Larceny theft accounted for 77 percent of property crime statewide , 10 percent higher than the national average.

“Increases in property crime do tend to follow economic downturns,” said Debbie Roberts, a database administrator for the Department of Criminal Justice Services in Virginia.

Nationwide trends reflect a slight decline in property crime overall, with a significant 13 percent decline in motor vehicle theft. The 9 year trend for larceny had shown a decline until the past year. Last year in Virginia, there were 5, 915 more larcenies state-wide, with almost all areas reporting.

In the beginning of 2009, the Police Executive Research Forum released a report that 44 percent of the 233 agencies surveyed cited an increase in crime due to an economic crisis.

“In a limited way, a lot of police chiefs say, yes, they see crime that can be attributed to the economy,” said Craig Fischer, director of communications for PERF.

There are mixed opinions among experts about whether abnormal situations alter an individual’s normal behavior.

“People who have been law abiding citizens don’t just lose their jobs and go out and rob someone,” said Roberts.

Both Roberts and Fischer noted that while there appears to be a positive correlation between crime and the economy, there are many factors to consider. PERF also reported that 63 percent of the nation’s police departments faced cuts in their funding.  Fischer noted that policing has changed from the old method of waiting for a call and dispatch.

“The big development is that police are more interested in community engagement,” said Fischer.

“Smart policing can bring crime down, but fewer officers might be a factor allowing more crime to happen,” he also said.

Larceny statistics could likely continue to increase this year, with so many police departments facing budget cuts.

Despite the difficulty in making a direct correlation between crime and economy, opportunistic crimes have increased. Fischer and Danville police Chief Philip Broadfoot both cited the theft increase of copper pipes from vacant homes.

Of cities with a population greater than 40,000, Danville was in the top five for larceny increases. Danville had an 18 percent increase, with a total of 2,097 larcenies reported to the FBI. The rate of larceny in Danville is 47 for every 1,000 inhabitants.

Chief Broadfoot attributed the increase in larceny to the high prices of scrap metal and changes in legislation that relaxed the steps scrap metal dealers had to take when purchasing scrap metal from the streets.

“When copper prices peaked we had any and everything stolen and sold to scrap dealers,” said Broadfoot.

“We had AC units taken, copper gutters stolen off churches, copper pipes, copper wiring from homes under construction,” he also said, to illustrate the severity of theft.

The price of scrap metal and a city’s proximity to a scrap metal yard could account for a city’s increase in larceny.

“I predict that any city within 50 miles of a scrap metal yard had an increase in larceny,” said Broadfoot.

His statement holds true for the five cities with a population greater than 40,000, who had the highest larceny increase. Lynchburg, Danville, Portsmouth, Hampton and Alexandria are all within forty miles or even closer to a scrap metal buyer.  This also applies to the top five cities with the highest numbers of larcenies: Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Newport News, Richmond and Chesapeake.

Broadfoot confirmed that Danville‘s budget was cut with the recession and he said that for 2009, “We will probably continue at our current pace, we have some serious poverty issues here that contribute to our larceny rates, despite a recession.”

“Larceny is a way of life for many people here,” he said.

Roberts pointed out that from 1999-2008 there was a 15 percent decrease in property crime statewide. Richmond, Virginia Beach, and Chesapeake all placed in both the top five for highest amount of larcenies and biggest decrease in larcenies.

“Spending on a police department could more than pay for itself, because the price of crime is so high, ” said Fischer.

See spreadsheet data: http://tinyurl.com/yb4ufey

Well, that’s just a sneak peek.
MASC 642 presented the opportunity to craft my very own website from scratch. For our final project, we had to design a website that showcased our assignments for the semester. My finished product resulted in a more portfolio-like creation versus a news-site.  Over the winter I plan on making a new one, because I tell you, I just LOVE having the tune Dreamweaver stuck in my head. Seriously though, it was a great learning process.
Have a look at it.

The Oktoberfest 5k, a walk/run fundraiser took place in Richmond on Oct, 3, 2009. The course went through the Financial District, down Shockoe Slip, across the Mayo bridge, along the Floodwall, back over the Manchester Bridge, and returned through the Financial District. The founder of the OK5K, Greg Hennig, said,”it is a race that everyone wins.” All registered participants received a ticket to attend the official Oktoberfest celebration on October 24th.

We were divided into teams and sent out to shoot this assignment. Our time frame was 3.5 hours, for shooting, editing, posting and lunch. Kinda like the real world I suppose. Our team picked the OK5K.  Credit also goes to Miguel Souza, Ben Sellers and Jacyln O’Laughlin. I worked on shooting and editing.

Miranda Mulligan

After our heads had stopped spinning, and the dust settled, Mulligan distributed a document essential to our multimedia evolution: 30 THINGS YOU SHOULD BE DOING NOW.

Item #6 decreed that the budding, competitive journalist must improve at least 5 Wiki entries. Me?
I wrote an entire entry. From scratch.

This involved drudging through unfamiliar and somewhat exclusive Wiki software and tutorials. The professor gave me permission to write my profile piece as a Wiki entry, and seemed enthusiastic about the creative slant I chose to take. Well, countless hours later, American journalist and author Joshua Lyon has his own, well deserved Wiki commemoration!

Read my first Wiki entry here…