Top 5 Web sites

Check out these 5 Web sites.

1. News Groper
2. Fark
3. TV Links
4. Threadless
5. Wrecked Exotics

Internet offers more than Facebook

CHRIS SEGAL
Director of Strategic Planning

If you are sick of the same old sites, Facebook, Myspace and TMZ, there are some alternatives available on the Web that offer just as much mindless entertainment.

My newest online obsession is News Groper (newsgroper.com), a Web site devoted to the fictional blogs of celebrities, politicians and other notable people. Finally Brad Pitt has a place to vent about his frustrations about being married to Angelina Jolie.

If the imaginary exploits of Pitt traveling around the world are not of interest, jump over to the George W. Bush page and read about what the might be thinking about American politics. The site is perfect for a good belly laugh.

Read More >>>

Top 5: A2 News Columns

As I sit around the office thinking of topics to write about for my A2 column "Fly with Segal" that has been resurrected after a year and a half break I can't help but think back to some of my favorite A2 columns of the past.

Here are my TOP 5 A2 News Columns:

No. 1. Yin to the Yang: Words of wisdom passed down (By Jenny Yang)

With final weeks of college approaching, I’m tempted to look back and remember all the good times. Then again I’m also tempted to steal the parrot off our crazy neighbor’s bathrobe-clad shoulder as he paces the street at 10:00 a.m. stealing newspapers from driveways (true story). I’m not usually one to resist a good temptation, but this time I’ll pass on both the tearful goodbye and on petty theft, respectively.

No. 2. Breathe in, breathe out, inhale a memory (By Audrey Reed)

According to a deodorant commercial, “Scent is the strongest sense tied to memory.” If the slogan is true, when I leave Malibu in less than a year, I’ll have a potpourri of memories to look back upon.

No. 3. Football: ultimate spirit booster (By David Kob)

Face it — everyone is miserable because we do not have a football team. I see it in their faces. They know the weekend is coming and campus will be dead. They dream of waking up early on Saturday, getting their Pepperdine gear on, and spending the day tailgating and celebrating another Waves victory.

No. 4. Randy's philosophy provides insights (By Scott Miller)

As I sat in my lecture class in Elkins last week, my professor was explaining a biblical passage from the book of Luke; he was afraid that it would sound too much like social Darwinism, so he quickly explained that it was nothing of the sort, and that it wasn’t “Ayn Rand, or ‘Atlas Shrugged’ stuff” (“Atlas Shrugged” being a 1957 novel written by Rand, which was very political in nature, arguing against social welfare and for a very socially Darwinistic approach to government). As a reader, and moderate admirer of Rand, I couldn’t help but notice and mark the tone of contempt in my professor’s voice as he pronounced Rand’s name and magnum opus.

No. 5. Find new stress relievers or a date (By Chris Segal)

Forget buying stress balls or paying for massages — buy the book “Dianetics” by L. Ron Hubbard. The creator of Scientology, Hubbard, wrote the book, which has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide.



WHAT WERE YOUR FAVORITE A2 COLUMNS???

News Gropper/Gropping News?

Check out this Web site. Maybe another place to go for some entertainment after reading the Onion.

http://www.newsgroper.com/

Kimkio update

I received a letter from former Graphic Editor in Chief Joann Groff giving me an update about another former EiC's situation. Kimiko's house burned down a few weeks ago and through the generosity of many in the Pepperdine community Joann was able to send Kimiko nearly $1,000 for her and her young son.

I understand that Kimiko's son even got his new bike that was destroyed in the fire replaced.



Read Previous Posts >>>http://newsbuf.blogspot.com/2007/07/pep-alumn-suffers-fire-emerges-with.html

Bryan Givens Movie Club

Have any of you heard of the Bryan Givens movie club on campus. Apparently he is show Braveheart in the CAC 123 today at 4 p.m. This event is brought to you by Phi Alpha Theta, the History Honors Society.

Sounds interesting.

Deer on campus

Graphic Budget Meeting/Awards

Every Thursday the Graphic staff meets to share what stories are being work on for the next weeks issue. Two years ago former Graphic Editor in Chief, Crystal Luong, started a good tradition of the staff picking what we believe are the best of stories, photos and art for the issue that just came out.

Here are the results of today's meeting:

Best story: Africa home to new international program

Best photo: Putnam taken by Mack Carroll

Best design: A1 (the frontpage)

Funny story from laobserved.com

Worst City Hall red tape story ever?

Kevin Roderick

UCLA law professor Stephen Bainbridge blogs about applying to remodel his Los Angeles home and being informed by the bureaucracy that, on paper, his house doesn't exist. Nor does his street. He was told it will take at least a year to go through the process leading to a hearing on whether or not his home is legal.

Read More >>>

Former Graphic Editor's first articles in new job

Lights out at lamp shop
Covina retailer to close after 54 years in business

By Audrey Reed, Staff Writer

Article Launched: 09/06/2007 06:45:03 PM PDT
COVINA - The city will soon be a little dimmer.

Come Dec. 1, Lighting Elegance Lamp & Shade Shop will close its doors and turn off its lights after 54 years of business.

The closing sale started off strong Thursday with about a dozen customers waiting outside before the store opened and a steady stream of shoppers looking to make their last purchases.

But that kind of traffic is unusual for Lighting Elegance.

Owner Dennis Phillips attributes the closure to competition from big-box retailers like Wal-Mart, Home Depot and Lowe's, which sell cheaper, imported products.

Lighting Elegance carries a higher-end product line than chain retail stores.

Read More >>>

Graphic meets Facebook

We may start using Facebook to deliver some of our content to the Pepperdine community. I will keep you posted.

-Chris

Pay Tribute Where It's Due

BY SHANNON KELLY
Graphic Editor in Chief

Last night, as the Living and A&E sections were nearing their deadline, the staff members lingering in the newsroom began reflecting. The last minutes of Sept. 11 were ticking closer to Sept. 12, but before the seconds passed, we took a moment to remember.

“Where were you that morning?” one editor asked.

“I was getting ready for school and I heard the T.V,” answered her assistant.

“I still remember every single thing about where I was,” our advisor added.

I was driving to school when I heard a confused radio host interrupt a broadcast to say, “A plane just crashed in to the World Trade Center. I remember thinking, “that’s a pretty distasteful attempt at a joke.”

But his report was no joke. It was a tragic reality.

Our newsroom commemoration was brief, but respectful and real.

Today I read a letter to the editor in USA Today. “Coverage of 9/11 anniversary needless,” it read. “The media have an obsession with 9/11… we don’t need to be reminded of it with mindless documentaries or special news reports.”

I couldn’t disagree more.

Memorializing the 2001 assault on our country is not about remembering the vicious, inhuman people who flew planes into our buildings. It’s about paying tribute to the Americans who perished with the towers and to those who risked their lives to save others.

Every year, the anniversary should be observed as another day to honor our country and its people.

The Graphic not only commemorated the day privately Tuesday night, but it will publicly pay tribute on Thursday (probably on the front page).

It’s respectful, it’s right; it’s what we owe our country, our community, our classmates and one of our own — Pepperdine alumnus and Flight 93 passenger, Thomas Burnett.

Lunch at Marmalade: PROOF

Shannon Kelly, Graphic Editor in Chief, and I took Alan Beard to lunch today since he was the first person to post a comment on my blog. We had a great working lunch and talking about things the Graphic and our blogs do well and things that we need to improve on. Here's a picture of us inside my favorite Malibu restaurant.




On a side note my favorite waiter Brent was working today. I have not seen him around in awhile so that was as noteworthy for me at least.

Online Graphic Video

Make sure you check out our video of Frosh Follies on the Online Graphic.

Malibu Sign

Is this some new Malibu gang sign that I am unaware of? If you happen to travel to Neptune's Net for some seafood like I did last weekend be on the lookout for this - and big bikers (which I was afraid of taking a picture of).

8 a.m. classes

I do not understand why it is so hard to find parking for my 8 a.m. class. I thought no one took early classes besides dumb people like me that have been putting off certain courses that I now need to take to graduate.

Online Graphic numbers/table

For the first time since I have been at Pepperdine the Graphic setup a table in the Caf on a Thursday to distribute the newspaper and talk to students. We also gave out 50 free movie passes to the Malibu Theater in return for students filling out a survey about the Online Graphic.

The table was off to a rough start because we did not get the Graphic's until 3 p.m. More than a little past the lunch rush. The papers got here so late because the final pages were not sent until 6 a.m. on Thursday morning.

Here's a breakdown of some of the stats we got. There were 32 people that took the survey. Out of that 20 knew there was an Online Graphic and 13 had visited the site before. I think it is surprising that more students said they would not be willing to send in their cell phone photos of events like formal, recruitment or campus retreats. The vote was 13 in favor and 18 against. Any thoughts on that.

Free lunch no more

As you can see I got a few posts on the blog. This means that tomorrow I will be taking Alan Beard out to lunch at Marmalede.

News Pulls An All-Nighter

BY SHANNON KELLY
Graphic Editor in Chief

I’ve got to do better with this blogging situation!

No excuses, but the blog snuck its way to the bottom of my priorities list this week. With last-minute news stories, a couple of staff problems and a generally hectic week, I realized that I’m going to have to do this thing a little differently.

So I’m going to limit each entry to about 200 words and post more often (at least that’s the plan … and it’s starting after this one).

I should have been on the blog at 6 a.m. Thursday morning to post a simple: “The sun is rising and the paper still hasn’t been put to bed!” But, I’m a horrible blogger so I did no such thing.

Here is what I would have said had I been on my best blog behavior:

Thursday 6:15 — While most people are minutes away from waking up for their 8 a.m. classes, the news editors are finishing their pages and I’m sending the other sections' pages to the printers. Jane (news editor) is putting headlines on the front page, while Sam (assistant news editor) makes some last-minute edits to another page. Both girls have been in here since around 10 a.m. (Jane hasn’t even been outside today…or I guess that was yesterday).

Usually, deadline nights end at a semi-acceptable hour (2 a.m. or 3 at the latest). But sometimes no matter how hard we’re working, there are hold-ups and it’s hard to put a finger on what they are. This week, the news editors, their assistant and I wrote most of the news. That puts a strain on production since we aren’t able to design pages and edit articles while we’re reporting and writing ourselves. But it’s week two. We’re still training new writers and recruiting, so I think we did the best with what we have.

Finally the front page was sent (6:30) and Sam, Jane and I deliriously slumped out of the newsroom doors to my car. We were laughing when Sam opened the door on to the sidewalk and we were stuck there for a few minutes. Then, Jane sat on my emergency brake, causing minor problems (she and Sam were sharing the front seat because Sam was too tired to climb in the back). I dropped them off at their on-campus apartments after our clown-car ride.

Neither of them was off to bed — both had studying to do before their 10 a.m. classes.

They didn’t sleep, but they got the paper out.

They’ll sleep this weekend.

Free lunch or something similar still available

My blog post and column from last week has still gone unanswered. If you would like a free lunch all you have to do is post a comment.

Read Column>>>

Read Previous Post>>>

Online Graphic uploads first video

THE FIRST VIDEO HAS BEEN UPLOADED TO THE ONLINE GRAPHIC. TO SEE A VIDEO OF FROSH FOLLIES VISIT OUR WEB SITE.

GRAPHIC.PEPPERDINE.EDU

Spumoni???

What happened at Spumoni in Calabasas? I went in on Saturday night and it turned into a night club instead of the normal neighbor restaurant. Do you like or hate the new Saturday nights at Spumoni???

Maybe I will see you there this Saturday.

Malibu Chili Cook-off: First Time

I went to the Malibu Chili Cook-off for the first time. As a senior I felt is was about time to experience one of the only events that takes place in Malibu during the year that is actually open to the public - also my friend Megan picked me up and dragged me to Malibu.

I must say I was disappointed for a Saturday afternoon, I only saw 3 chili places. My idea of a chili cook off is eating lots of samples of different types of chili and voting on a favorite. The chili that gets the most votes then wins the Chili Cook-Off.

Apparently this is not the case in Malibu, I think the sign for the outcome of the event were the tons on "No Refunds" signs hanging up everywhere outside the event. It cost $10 to get into the event and then you had to buy food tickets to get food and ride tickets to ride any of the carnival rides.

The Chili cost $8 per cup, you have got to be kidding me. I know the money goes to a good cause but I spent $35 in the first 30 minutes at the cook-off and I did not really do anything. I did see Gary Busey at the event though.

I just Malibu would follow in the tradition of a Chili Cook-Off instead of a good old fashion Malibu "Rip-Off."

On the positive side I did get my picture taken in front of a giant hot dog.