Until they make us stop.

I've come to a very interesting conclusion.

Remember when I was complaining about having to switch the blog I have for multimedia storytelling over to a gmail account? I had signed up using a yahoo e-mail, while this particular blog uses a hotmail account. I didn't have to switch this blog to a gmail account.

I had been wondering why until today when something occured to me: Google and Yahoo are competitors, but no one gives a rat's butt about hotmail.

I'm the victim of a turf war between two Internet gangs...er, companies. I've been caught up in the crossfire as I'm sure many other blogger users have been. Who knows how many people have had to pay the price of this war? I say to google and yahoo, bring the troops home, end this unjust occupation and learn to work together.

The real issue here, I think, is that people assume the Internet is this wonderful, unfettered virtual land of the free, when it's not going to be that way forever. I hate to sound like a hippie whining about the tentacles of the corporate machine but...BEWARE! the tentacles of the corporate machine because they're out to control the Internet.

Sure, right now it's just google being a jerk about who's e-mail you sign up with blogger on, but once google crushes all other search providers it'll be google, and the people who own google, who dictate what you get to see on the Internet.

Next thing you know, you're hooked up to a machine that uses your body heat to harness electricity while your brain is jacked into a virtual reality meant to keep you docile.

Is that something you want, America?

The madness.

I feel another editorial coming on. Two to be precise. One is going to be about the amount of vandalism I see on this campus. Having worked with the custodians and maintenance, not to mention worked such jobs at other places, I actually respect these people and what they do. I'm also not so stupid as to think crap I wrote on the wall would "stick it" to any administrator. All it does is make more work for people who already work rather hard.

That's the one I'll likely articulate and print. The second one pertains more to the Critic's content, which I don't feel the need to defend in print.

So I'll defend it here.

The Critic is not a family newspaper. It's written for college students old enough to not read it if something in it is offensive to them.

If you see your eight-year-old picking up a copy of The Critic, I advise you to slap it out of his or her hand and tell the child that The Critic is not for him or her to read.

I'm no parent, but I realize keeping things out of kid's hands isn't easy. My advice: tell them that The Critic is boring. It's about school budgets, people retiring, ambassadors visiting, and other lame things children don't find interesting. Children, from what I've seen, hate boring things.

I'd be dumb if I thought this was really about the children. It's my humble opinion that it isn't about eight-year-olds picking up The Critic at all. It's about people who find the Holy Sheet column morally wrong (or gross) using their children as a debate point when it comes to ultimately deciding the content of a student-run newspaper.

Let's be honest, your child doesn't read The Critic. If they do at all, they look at the pictures and mess around with the Fun Page (which isn't for children either, so take it away from them).

Through conversations I've overheard, I know the exact people that The Critic is corrupting, and it isn't the children. Some students, as in people who are over 18 and are adults, know their parents would be upset if they were to see what's being printed in the school's newspaper.

This is the point where most student editors would say something about how you're old enough to deal with mature subjects and your parents should've known they were sending you to a college and not a convent, but I'm not going to do that.

Instead, I'm going to tell you that I don't care what your family thinks. The Critic's job isn't to protect people's innocence. It's our job to print things college students would want to read about and inform them about what's going on around the school that will affect their lives. If anything, it's our job to remove people's innocence (not that of eight-year-olds, though. Again, I implore you, keep The Critic away from your children).

We don't get much in the way of letters anymore regarding Holy Sheet. Most people were just mad that their school e-mails were being spammed up. I would hope that anyone who didn't care for the column would feel welcome to write a letter saying as much to us. We're supposed to be the voice of the student body, but I don't see why we couldn't be a public forum for everyone's use.

I'm getting a little off subject.

To sum up:

1. The Critic is not a family oriented newspaper.
2. Don't let your children or your parents read The Critic.
3. Why settle for grumbling when you can see your dislike of The Critic's content in print? Write a letter.

Of course, with all the problems on campus, including vandalism and the deficit, the only one fit to get angry about is a sex column in the school's newspaper...

You win...THE PRIZE!

Looks like the Critic won Club of the Year. We were working on the paper while they were doing the award ceremony, but Ryan, our photo editor was likely eating in the dining hall at the time and grabbed the award after the thing ended. Good times.
















This Critic looks pretty good I think. We had two good front page stories and the stuff on the inside wasn't half bad either. The layouts went smooth too, although we didn't get to use as many China pictures as we would've liked.

We got some pretty good letters too.

Gyarr, it drives me nuts!

It seemed like we had a low turn out at the meeting today, but I knew where everyone was. We're also in better shape than we were last week. I think there's only two more issues to go, and I'd hate to get into a "Just get them done" mentality. I'd like to go out on good ones, but with this being the end of the semester, people are having final projects due and all the procrastinating they did during the semester is now coming up on their backs.

Graduating is rough, don't let anyone tell you different.

It's Reagan's fault!!!!

I went to something interesting today. The school is facing at least a 500k deficit in its budget, and money from the state doesn't look to be coming. The actual deficit might be 900k, but they're praying that's not the case.

Needless to say, there are going to be some cuts around here. I think a few of the jobs they were looking to fill are going to go unfilled and there was talk of cutting some courses with low enrollment or courses that weren't strictly necessary. I asked if that would affect retention and I got some response to the tune of "we don't want to affect students much."

What I should have asked was if we're facing a deficit, why is there an $8k television screen broadcasting nothing in the ATT? Eight grand is spare change compared to the size of the actual budget, but it does make me wonder the extent of this kind of thing.

You know who I blame? The state of Vermont. They sit there in Montpelier whining about how all the young professionals are leaving the state in droves, then they turn around and don't fund higher education. Nor do they support any industry that isn't farming or tourims related. Gee, I wonder why the population is aging? What's here for someone my age? Zilch, that's what.

Perhaps someone should write a letter to the government...

Get it while the getting's good.

This is the audio slide show I did for multimedia storytelling. I helped Kyle move out of my house and took pictures along the way. He's been around for...watch the video, it pretty much says it all.

One thing that irritates me is that while posting that above there was easy, it wasn't as easy as it should be. When I threw it up on the class blog, it was a simple matter of copying the embed code and pasting it. I had to fiddle a little to get this code to work right.

Why must I fiddle?

The Critic looks alright enough for my standards this week. I was a little dissapointed at the deadlines, but that's not suprising considering the break. The proof reading still stinks though. No one actually does it, they just look at the page and say they did it.

I had a job interview today, which I think went well. Meditech went with someone else, which spares me the pain of turning down a high paying job for a lower paying one.

I think something newsworthy will be announced on Monday. I have to dig through my e-mail and find out when it's being announced.

Get the beanbag gun.

How odd...I've got another blogger account which I signed up with using my yahoo e-mail, and I had the hardest time last night getting into it because blogger now seems to insist we all use g-mail accounts, but I didn't have an issue with this one.

The Internet is a mysterious thing.

I just got done running the booth to get the SGA's constitution ratified. Being the editor of the school's paper as well as an SGA member isn't a good thing.

Vacation was too short. Once again, I'm getting the feeling we'll have another fun Critic this week. Coming back from a break is always rough for the paper.

Bad puns are my relegion.

I've taken our paperwork into my own hands. The SGA treasurer has been telling people our forms have been signed, when they haven't. Another club guy informed me of this, and I found that we had a few weeks of paperwork backed up in the office. I took them out, had the SGA president sign them, made copies, and then hand delivered them to the Business department and put the account codes on...because no one in the SGA seems to know them.

I guess if we want anything done at all, we've got to do it ourselves.

The House meeting ran quite well I thought. It went extremely fast, and knowing we had 15k to spend, we didn't begrudge students that pay activity fees and are to busy having lives to show up to House meetings, a thousand dollars or so.

Certain other people didn't think we were being effeciant enough. They showed up about half way through and seemed suprised that we'd actually gotten a lot done in a short amount of time.

I've tried to not have an opinion, or at least a balanced one, on the level of control certain college employees have over the SGA, but I think I've got an opinion now. See, the acronym SGA stands for Student Government Association. It's not SLGA (Student Life Government Association).

Thankfully it was my second to last House meeting, and thankfully I won't be returning for another year of this. I like this college, I'm glad I came here, but I'm glad to be leaving. I've had my fill.

Here's what I think I should be doing with The Critic once we get back from break. I'm going to make a list of things Ben needs to know how to do, and start having him take charge bit by bit. I remember when I took this job, there was a lot of things I hadn't been told I needed to do, or how to do them.

That'll let me begin my slow disconnect from this school, which will make finding work once I leave easier.

Beware, the shrew.

I've decided not to bother with a certain staff member anymore. They keep doing the same things over and over again, they don't want to put effort in, and the last thing they sent me was basically a big middle finger in text format. The teacher of the class this paper is attached to can find another project to grade him on.

I've decided to team up with maintenance to keep track of Critics. When large stacks get chucked, we'll know about it. I don't think it happens often on campus, or for malicious reasons, but sometimes I get the sense people are removing large piles of Critics, and thus harming the 1st amendment.

That gets thrown around a lot, but in this case, I mean it.

And for no reason, a frog I captured late last fall.

Wanted: Evil Spirit Editor.

Alright, there's a certain computer in LAC 409 that has The Devil living inside of it. Once again, the front page became corrupted and I had to make it anew. Guess what computer I'm not using anymore?

We put Harry Swett on the front page. He had Catherine take a photo of him with goofy teeth, so the front page looks good. Overall, a good issue with some stupid mistakes. Gwen's cooking column was a cooking contest type deal, but I didn't know that, so I had the bottom part cut off for space...making it a contest of one...

The local Umbrella chapter seems to think it's a club of some sort and should get free ad space. They're not a club, and nor do they get free ad space. Heck, I don't think even the clubs try to use that ability.

What happens in NYC, likely get spread around and lands us all in jail...

Back from New York and only half an hour late for work.

One thing that did bug me was the $5 and $7 water bottles in the rooms that were set on light sensors. If you took them off for more than 30 seconds, you got billed. I had a free one for being a speaker, and I'll say this much: the water was not worth what they were charging. Not by a lot.

I learned quite a bit at the convention. I've got some ideas I'd like to put to work with the Critic. Mostly layout and design stuff, but anti-paper theft and increasing our ad revanue are some other things.

I was told I should focus on one thing at a time. I've got roughly half a semester left, so if I try to do too much, I'll get nothing done. I pick design and layout...maybe some ads. I'll leave the rest for my successors.

My damned AC adapter died too. The problem was the adapter all along...so I need to get on that. I pretty much live off that lap top of mine.

Go check the Critic's Web site for the article on the homeless guy I spoke with. The interview was pretty intense. He insisted on writing his answers with my pen and note pad. I've never had a subject do that before.

Homeless types are characters, I'll tell ya. I've met quite a few and I have yet to meet one that wasn't an odd ball. That could be why they don't have jobs. If I ever get work as a reporter and get sent after homeless people, I'm going to find out why they can't get work. I think I know why, but some solid stuff on it would be nice.

Anyway, the convention was crazy. I need to collect my thoughts on it.

Behind me, some one is getting tutored in business. They seem to be complaining about the assignment they got. Life is rough, I'll get my tiny violin.

CIA is code for hot.

Guess what I did today?

I asked Valerie Plame-Willson out on a date. She said she had plans. I got shot down...

Still, it was pretty cool. I asked her a serious question first. I was going to ask via microphone, but they ended the question and answer session before I could get a chance. I stopped her as she was walking out.

Lets see, what else happened today? I came up with some ideas for the Critic that Ben can implement. We should print on Tuesdays instead of Fridays. It hit me like a ton of bricks. It seems so silly to print when we do, because no one is on campus when we distribute.

I'm a little off my rocker at the moment, so I'll post more later.

Live from New York, it's Keith.

Jesus, that's a lame post title...

We got into NYC sometime around 4:30. I heard the two Charter buses CAB hired broke down an hour outside the city. We had some trouble finding where the hotel has its parking, but we made it.

After monkeying with the Internet, Dan and I went to meet Mary, who showed us where she works at Red Book. We've got a day before the convention starts, so sometime tonight I've got to look over the schedule and see what's up.

New York isn't as bad a place as I'd expected, at the least the part I'm looking at. We're in Times Square, and I was slightly dazzled coming in. It's one of those places you always see on TV and hear about, but seeing it with your own eyes is something.

As far as Critic stuff goes, I've got to find some way to run the paper from down here. I'm thinking some e-mails are in order.

Do YOU love freedom? Say it, say you LUURVE it!!!

I need to keep an eye out for things to make photo spreads of. We're in the same boat as usual, although we might be better off content-wise.

This week is our SGA themed issue. It was a good idea, but I'm worried about the exocution. I've only seen one article for it so far and some people didn't seem to think it was even this week we were doing it.

Gwen also still has my green book. I need that book. Somehow I knew the second I passed it off, I'd never see it again.

Maintenance has been recycling Critics. That means I've got no idea whatsoever how many actually get read. Ugh. Also, I found a few in the garbage the other day. Small stacks, meaning someone junked them. Freedom hating communists, most likely.

Matt's column got us some mail, which is great. It's hate mail, but I count that as a win.

Round 15.

Let's recap the last issue. I put Matt on the front page, had to edit the article and make some phone calls, as well as take pictures. I thought it was a good issue, but I'll likely change my mind once Adviser has time to review it. I'm guessing he'll not like the fact we have yet to mention two resignations from the SGA. I see his point.

The issue looked good. Due to my infinite skills, I was able to make the bottom front page photo relevant to the article next to it. We've got a two-week streak of the front page photos being relevant.

Right now, I'm gathering material for this week, as well as collecting for the editorial I've been planning on writing. I don't open my editorial mouth often, so I like to make it count when I do.

My other task, and I'll likely be sorry I signed up for this, is to work with the SGA Board of Elections.

New York this weekend, so I need to write up my stuff for that and drink heavily. I'm not looking forward to it, and I'll be glad once the pannel is over.

I'm crurious as to where all the Critics go. I wonder if they don't get chucked by person's unkown...Perhaps I'll come up some Saturday and check the trash bins...maybe I'm being paranoid.

It's on MyPod and iSpace

The point of having news meetings on Tuesdays is so we can get stuff assigned ahead of time. With only half, on a good day, of our members making the meetings I'm wondering if something shouldn't be done.

Ben tells me we've got pictures, I told them to think in terms of photo spreads, and we're still waiting on people's articles.

To the mind of a student, especially a student journalist, due Tuesday means sometime Wednesday, or at the earliest, 11 p.m. Tuesday evening.

Last issue was the best so far, I'm hoping for a repeat this week, but I've got that feeling. People tend to be a little rusty coming off a break, including myself.

Budgeting meetings start this week. Let's all pray the Critic's budget doesn't get slashed to pieces because I didn't sell ads. It would be silly to punish next year's staff for my errors. At least that's what I'll tell them.

Currently, the Critic's greatest threat is the Final Fantasy Tactics game I bougt for my PSP over the weekend. It's just like the old Playstation version, only they changed what stank and left in what rocked. Rare for a game company, I know. I see myself sinking a lot of valuable hours into it.

If it weighs ten pounds, does it matter if it's a frog or a toad?

We don't print the week before a break, so I had it easy the past few days. I was a bit nervous about our budget packet getting through, but even the House meeting was relatively smooth. We were out by 11 and I didn't have a headache when I left.

Our business manager might wrangle us some ads before long, via an ad agency. Perhaps, cross our fingers everyone, we'll have some fundraising to report come budget time.

I edited some articles for the online version a few minutes ago. Punched up some headlines and tweaked the content.

Over the break, me and the adviser are going to plan our pannel for the convention we'll be attending. Guess what I'm not looking forward to doing? Stage fright to say the least.

Oh, the VP of SGA resigned. Seems they can't have more than two exec board members at anyone time or something...maybe I'll stick that up on the Web site over break. I'm sure there's a photo of him around somewhere.

Oh, apparently the Gay/Straight Alliance was mad at us. Champagne's article about Kemp and Buckley briefly mentioned their selling penis and vagina cookies for a fundraiser. He was comparing it to something about Kemp's lack of a shirt...I guess they were upset. I haven't figured out why, or the reasoning behind it, but it wouldn't be the first time I've heard complaints with no grounds whatsover.

We did a story on RAs a semester ago and one got upset and accused us of putting words in her mouth or something to that effect. She was basically quited as having no comment, so I'm not sure what she was mad about either.

I guess it's the valid complaints I should worry about, like the Valentine's Day messages. Giving some one their money back would be much easier if they'd let us know who they were to begin with...

Give all of your money to The Critic, or you hate freedom.

I finished the budgeting packet. Sadly, I had to report $0 in fundraising. I'd rather not have selling ads go on my list of failures when it comes to this newspaper. Unless something changes soon, as in by the end of the week, I'm going to look into things. This is something I should have been up on in the fall, but for some reason didn't get to.

Not having much money for enxt year is currently my biggest headache. I'm not going to be here, but I'd hate to leave the Critic in a mess.

This week we don't print, but I'm planning to work on something that should take up a page if I work it right. The level of apathy on campus has finally gotten to me, so I think I'll drop an editorial about it. I've only done one before and that was to clear the air about the sex column incident.

Technically, I've got a busy week ahead of me, but without a paper to put out, it's a cake walk. I finished that paper for my English class Friday night, so that's off my mind. It's an awful paper, but not as bad as my first idea for it. I was going to compare Superman Returns to The Scarlet Letter...

Green Mountain coffee: mold blend.

I'd say this issue is a good one. It had a lot of pictures, ones that actually fit the articles they were enxt to, and a lot of news. We even had to people write in to us, althoug I suspect at least one was a class assignment.

The column that was supposed to raise a stink had more to do with conduct, not so much what was written. Still, the paper has been out about three hours, so we'll wait and see.

Speaking of hours, the paper was sitting in the mailroom since about 9:30 this morning, little did I know at 11:30 until I wen't down to check out mail. Good thing someone was looking at caught me through the mail box hole...I didn't get a call or anything, I just happened to catch their attention when I went down.

Last week I asked if the delivery guy left it in the breezeway to please give us a call. Nothing more. They seemed a little cold towards me this morning too. I wonder what we did to piss them off? If anyone should be annoyed at us now, it's the bookstore and Student Affairs. I don't recall upsetting the mailroom that much recently.

Let's see, I've got some critiques to write, an essay for Alan's class, and I've got to type up a budget. This will all be after my work hours in the writing center and after I take Kathy out to dinner.

Thankfully, next week isn't a busy one, as there's no paper. Still, I've got me an idea for an editorial.

On a funny note, a Hezbolla commander was killed. The funny part: he looks exactly like my father. Or rather, he looked like him. I told my old man I'd found what his estranged brother had been up to all these years; he laughed.

The pretzel supplies are running low.

The meeting could have gone better. Some people seemed shocked that we need to constantly be writing articles and generating story ideas each and every week for the paper to, you know, print or something.

Perhaps I'm being too pessimistic. We've got a ton of photos going in and everyone (most everyone) has an article assigned to them.

My one worry for this week is a column. It hasn't been written yet and already people are upset. I'll have to make sure there's nothing in it that warrants a lawsuit, but even so, I'm sure I'll be in for a few interesting House meetings. I guess it comes with the job, though, so I guess I'll live.

What else? We lowered our ad rates. Burke even seemed to think we were high. That thing about ads isn't quite shaping up like I had hoped...perhaps I thought it would be easier than it actually is.

We're headed off to Burlington this weekend. Kyle is headed home for a visit. Normally, we'd all go down, but he hasn't been home in a while.

I wonder if my car will make the hill tonight?