Journalism 1189 Class Evaluation – Blog # 8

We are a diverse group of people. Most of us have never met in person. Some of us are high school kids, and some of us are middle-aged suburbanites. Most of us live in the general vicinity of Coon Rapids, but some of us live in Fargo and Kuwait. For all our diversity, we’ve shared pieces of ourselves through our blogs and articles. It was interesting to read about everyone’s activities and opinions. That was one of the many things I’ve enjoyed most about this class.

Other aspects of the class I especially enjoyed included the variety of assignments. Many assignments encouraged me to get out and learn more about my community. It was fun to attend a meeting or event, and then write about it, and publish it, if only on our class blogs. The variety of assignments allowed me to experiment with some different styles; it was fun to play.

The class exposed my to some web sites that have now become favorites, particular, the Twin Cities Daily Planet.

Because the class was online, it reduced travel time, and improved scheduling flexibility.

The comprehensive syllabus helped me stay on track with the assignment requirements and due dates.

Yes, I do like to lay out some sort of a plan for schoolwork, and so I’m not a fan of pop quizzes. I was not enthusiastic about those. That being said, in the real world, things do just pop up, so it is good experience to learn to deal with unexpected deadlines.

Overall, the class seemed to flow smoothly for me. There was some confusion over the first blog that did not have an assigned “theme”, but that was about it. Going forward, it might be helpful if the class’s home page made a note of that.

I really enjoyed the class, and I appreciate everyone’s suggestions and support. I hope you all have a great summer, and the best of luck with school and careers.

Note: art work by: Mike Licht - NotionsCapital.com - after J. Howard Miller

Jour 1189 Blog # 7: Twin Cities Yoga to Beat the Recession

A fitness frenzy fueled by a Power Yoga DVD (by Rodney Yee, the “stud muffin guru”) coinciding with a couple of news stories on yoga and the recession, got me wondering about the effect of the recession on yoga in the Twin Cities. These days, to wonder is to blog, so I contacted a yoga studio owner and a yoga instructor to get their perspectives.

Mary Margaret Anderson is the director/owner of yoga studio in Plymouth. She’s had the business for eight years. After a slight downturn, followed by a slight uptick last fall, Mary finds things are staying even with last year. Some students who have lost their jobs are able to do more yoga. Though the business is staying steady, Mary has a conservative approach right now. She isn’t taking on any large building projects and is watching expenses. To help out people who may not be able to take lessons for financial reasons, the yoga studio has added “Pay-What-You-Can” classes.

As an independent contractor for Bikram Yoga, Patrice Papke doesn’t see the business’s financials, though she believes the recession has affected business. However, class sizes appear to be the same, and some classes have been added.

Patrice is passionate about the benefits of yoga. When asked about the affects of yoga on people’s stress levels during an email interview, she writes, “When your normal day is do, do do, go, go, go, yoga gives you that reprieve to focus on something other than those life details creating a much needed break in the day, not to mention improving your sleep, digestion, metabolism, muscles, bones, glands, organs etc....You just out and out feel better.”

In an email interview with Mary, when asked about her clients’ stress, she writes, “(t)here is talk more than usual about financial stress, but nothing really unusual.” Regarding the clients’ yoga practice and stress levels, “(a)lmost everyone talks about how yoga helps them relax.”

As an unemployed full-time student, my normal financial state is in recession, and Patrice has this recommendation: “Yoga is a tremendous way to beat the recession. I recommend ANY class you can get, or check out your library for free videos or dvds (sic). Taking that time to refocus your brain AWAY from the day-to-day trials, improves your overall outlook. Then the rest will follow.” Now, that’s advice a poor college student can follow, even during finals week.

And there is hope for those of you in the corporate world, as Mary is finding: “I

have many requests for yoga at workplaces, so that's fun. I think that corporations are really trying to keep their employees healthy!”

Patrice and Mary have inspired me. It’s time to be done blogging. It’s time to get the Power Yoga DVD off the shelf and into the DVD player. It’s time to beat the recession, if only for an hour.

Note: photo by myyogaonline

Jour 1189 Blog # 6: Spring Break Day of Disc Doggin'

Seventeen members of the Minnesota Disc Dog Club (MNDDC), four guests, and numerous four-footed friends, sprang into the new season with a disc (Frisbee®) dog clinic held at Leashes and Leads in Byron, Minnesota on March 15, 2009.

The clinic began with throw training for the handlers. It’s important to throw correctly so the throws are safe and catchable for the dog. A variety of throws can add interest to a canine disc freestyle routine. According to Emily Northrup, “Roo and JG and Denise helped perfect my throwing...” This session became a trifle chaotic, because people were attempting new throws, and many of them went wild. It was a good way to work out your aggressions and plead “I’m just learning a new throw; I didn’t mean to kneecap you.”

After throw training, Abby Cline, of Pawsitive Vybe – Fargo, along with Andrew (Roo) Yori of Rochester, assisted individual teams. Some teams found new ways to build drive using the dog’s prey instinct, whereas other teams learned how to vault safely. Tania Lex shared a few thoughts regarding the training, “From watching Roo and Abby work with other players, I'm continuing to grasp the significance of tugging and bitework foundation and drive building work and beginning to add more of that to my practice sessions.” The use of the bitework also appealed to Jeff Johnson, who said when asked what a highlight of the clinic was for him, “…making a prey connection with my dog, Abby.” My dog showed absolutely no prey drive for discs. His only interest was the treats in my hand, and he’d have cheerfully bitten off my fingers to get at them, so our bitework was of a different nature.

Northrup concluded with sharing this the clinic: "I think the clinic was a great success. Everybody seemed to have a great time. I wish we did it every weekend!" It was a great time for all, and fortunately, the bites on my fingers have healed enough that I can type this blog about the event.

Note: Photo by D. Koster of Lex and Dori

Jour 1189 Blog # 5: Holistic Health Community Heats Up

On February 27, 2009 --- a bitterly cold day --- Anoka Ramsey Community College, offered members of the integrative health community an opportunity to shake off the winter doldrums through its second annual Holistic Therapies: Energizing Body, Mind and Spirit conference.

Chunyi Lin, creator of Spring Forest Qi Gong, delivered the morning keynote speech and led attendees through an afternoon meditation. Attendee Sarah Kirchner had this to say about Mr. Lin and the meditation: “He gave such a good message and was very informative, and the meditation he helped with was awesome.”

Breakout sessions followed the morning keynote speech. Participants could choose four from among eight breakout sessions to attend. I’ve summarized the four I’d chosen.


Annie Heiderscheit Ph. D. MT-BC, FAMI, MFT presented “Music Therapy: Music for Health.” Heiderscheit described some of the techniques and music used when treating people with eating disorders. She played a song chosen by a patient as a part of her therapy that warmed my heart, Superchicks “Stand in the Rain.” I’d always thought of music therapy as just listening to specific types of music; I hadn’t realized the level of involvement a music therapist can have in treating patients.


During the “The Role of the Labyrinth” session, Ellen Schultz discussed various common labyrinth patterns, origins and the use of the labyrinth as a resource for healing. Labyrinths can be used for healing individuals, relationships and communities. According to Schultz, there is no one way or right way to walk a labyrinth. Begin with a question, prayer or intention, and as you walk toward the center, you may receive an answer. To my surprise, my geographic community of Plymouth has a labyrinth, which I hope to visit when it warms up. I already know the question I’ll ask: “How do I become a super-hot blogstar?” Use the Worldwide Labyrinth Locater to find a labyrinth near you.
(Photo by celesteh)


The conference boasted a special guest, Sasha. Sasha is a Samoyed and a therapy dog. During the “Shedding Angels Can be Therapeutic” breakout, her teammate, Dave Kettering, presented the topic of animal assisted therapy (AAT) and how it can be used in the healing process. For example, Kettering and Sasha visit children who are hospitalized. There are a number of different organizations and certification levels for AAT. Kettering and Sasha are Delta Society registered at a Complex level with no restrictions. Because of this team’s special designation, they were able to serve families affected by the 2007 35W bridge collapse. It was heart-warming to hear the difference Kettering and Sasha have made in people’s lives. Some day, I hope to take therapy dog training with Zoey, but I don’t expect we’ll make it to Sasha and Kettering’s level. (Photo of Samoyed by tanakawho)


Colin Snow, founder of Natural Step School of Tai Chi and Qigong, presented “Tai Chi Chuan.” Snow described Tai Chi as “meditation in movement”, stated it has its roots in Daoism, and may have arisen from the need for a non-violent martial arts. As a part of his session, he led participants through some simple Tai Chi movements. This was my last breakout of the day, and a great way to warm up after spending hours mostly chair bound. (Photo by networker)

Though cold and dreary outside, the conference attendees were warmed and energized by a day of learning about holistic therapies. Kirchner summed up her reaction: “I thought that the health conference was very enlightening and insightful. I felt that I obtained more knowledge in different areas.” I hope I’m able to attend next year, though I do hope it’s not so cold!

Jour 1189 Blog # 4: Community Leaders and Residents' Key Issues -- It's the Economy, What Else?

The formal leaders of Plymouth are its mayor, Kelli Slavik, along with a number of council members: Judy Johnson, Kathleen Murdock, Bob Stein, Ginny Black, Tim Bildsoe and Jim Willis, who are indicated on the city of Plymouth’s web site.

I contacted the mayor via email, requesting the key issues on residents’ minds that she was aware of. She responded (thank you so much!) quite late Wednesday night.

Not surprisingly, the economy was the foremost, and essentially, the only issue. Slavik wrote, “The biggest issue on the minds of Plymouth residents is definitely the economy. Residents share the same concerns and issues that are facing our country. Although job losses, loss of retirement funds, state budget deficits and the general downward turn in consumer spending are not local government issues, they do spill over into our city.”

Slavik wrote that property values are down somewhat (about 3%), though that isn’t the sharp drop that some communities are faced with. Along with the decline in property values, foreclosures are up a little. Residents are concerned about the loss in property values. They do not want a tax increase, neither do they want services cut.

There have been some job losses, yet with over 50,000 jobs, the Plymouth community still offers more jobs per capita than Minneapolis or St Paul, according to the information Slavik provided.

One item Slavik mentioned caught me by surprise. The state has cut funding for the local market value homestead credit program. The state requires cities to refund property taxes to homeowners. As the program was set up, the state reimbursed the cities. However, this year the state will not reimburse the cities, yet the cities must still make the refunds for this program. Slavik hoped unfunded mandates are ended. The MN Sun, in a story on the Februray 26, 2009 Minnesota Legislature's nonpartisan hearing reports “…Kelli Slavik asked the state not to pass any more unfunded mandates and to recognize the importance of local control.”

The city is in fairly good shape for 2009, Slavik maintained. Some positions at the city have been cut. This occurred through attrition; no lay offs were needed. Certain capital projects planned for 2009 will be postponed. Core services will be maintained. Wrote Slavik, “All in all Plymouth is in a good position. We have a Aaa bond rating, allowing us to borrow at the lowest rates available, if necessary. The city has very little debt and has been conservative with our spending. We will continue to monitor the economy and the affect that it has on our city.” While searching for information on the significance of an Aaa bond rating, I’ve discovered that is an achievement. A news release published by Prior Lake asserts: “Only six of the 854 cities in Minnesota currently fit in this category. They are Bloomington, Eden Prairie, Edina, Minnetonka, Plymouth and Rochester.” According to the city’s 2009 goals and objectives, the city council plans to maintain this rating.

I’ve joked in the past that I didn’t remember the mayor’s name. But now, given her thoughtful response, and the care she and the council members are taking in shepherding the city through these economic challenges, I will remember Kelli Slavik for a long, long time. At least long enough to vote for her in the next election.

Jour 1189 Blog # 3: Community Concerns

The sky was overcast, and a cold wind iced the air at Parkers Lake in Plymouth. People of all ages, with friends and family, watched a carver create a Fire and Ice logo out of a huge block of ice. Sled dogs streaked across the frozen lake, while ice skaters glided over its groomed surface. I stepped inside the brick warming house, and felt enveloped in warmth. Families were putting on or removing their skates. A few picnickers enjoyed sandwiches. I spied a table with a Music in Plymouth poster sitting on it, and headed over see what it’s about. A well-dressed, auburn haired woman was manning the table. She’s with the Music in Plymouth organization. We struck up a conversation about her organization. Barb noted that it accepts donations. She mentioned she understands how the economy is these days, and I can tell she didn’t like to ask for donations. Barb is a real estate agent, and she had never seen such slow home sales. She expressed amazement---she remembers some of the home sale closings she attended, and the mortgages! The buyers had no idea what they were getting into, the finance terms were so complex, and it was unlikely the buyers would be able to repay their mortgage. We commiserated for a few minutes. Barb handed me some literature, and I headed out to the cold once again.

The following week, on a crisp winter evening, I drove to Plymouth City Hall, a modern red brick and glass building, and located the City Chamber. The Chamber itself has a glass wall; proceedings are visible from the hallway, imparting the proverbial fishbowl effect. I attended a council meeting for the Plymouth Parks and Recreation Committee. The staff and council members appeared to be typical suburban men and women. City staff and council members reported on various topics. A couple of reports alluded to the state of the economy. Not all the news is bad; Eric mentioned there had been a “resurgence” in open ice skating sessions. Field house rentals have been picking up steam, surprising in this economy.

A couple of weeks ago, I went for a hair cut. The salon, housed in a small, boxy strip mall, was still chilly at 9:00 a.m. However, it was blessedly free from talk of the bad economy. The stylist, a vivacious red-head named Jaime, and I just chatted about what’s going on is our lives. She has a couple of good friends getting married. Jaime’s looking forward to their weddings. It was a nice change from talk of the bad economy!

People in the community seemed concerned for the future and for others. They’ve experienced downturns because of the recession, but overall, they seem to be getting by OK. There’s a sense of “hunkering down” and riding out these coldly uncertain times.

Jour 1189 Blog # 2: Covering Communities

After much angst over moving to a “gasp” suburb, I moved to Plymouth 10 years ago because my husband and I found an affordable house fairly close to Minneapolis. I’ve enjoyed many neighborhood parks, summer outdoor concerts, art classes—the recreation. I’ve never been active in the community, though. I couldn’t even name the mayor, though I’ve voted in the past few elections. I just voted for whatever name appealed to me at the time.

I’ve since discovered the mayor’ name, along with that of my ward’s councilmember. Plymouth operates under the council-manager form of government, who knew? The city council receives input from a number of citizen commissions. The commissions consist of Environmental Quality, Housing & Redevelopment, Human Rights, Parks & Recreation, Planning and Plymouth Transit. The rosters for each commission list the citizen leaders. I reviewed several months’ agendas and meeting notes for three commissions.

From the Environmental Quality committee meeting agendas and notes, I infer several residents are very interested in water quality. Very commendable.

The meeting notes for the Human Rights committee didn’t indicate much activity, though the commission promotes training for teachers, and an essay contest for students. I’m hopeful this means there are not many human rights violations in the community, though the suburb is stereotypically “white” with limited diversity.

The committee that most drew my attention was the Parks and Recreation committee. From the meeting notes, I gathered this was an active committee, involved with parks, ice rinks, performance and activity centers (meeting places for residents and community leaders) and lots of events, such as Plymouth on Parade and a fine arts exhibit. In fact, there is a winter festival, Fire and Ice, this Saturday, February 7th, at Parkers Lake. Some of the activities include “hayride, ice mini-golf, and snow bowling.”1 The festival will end with fire works. Fun!

So, I’ve learned more about Plymouth, but guess what? I still like the recreation the best, and I’ve already forgotten the mayor’s name.

1 http://www2.ci.plymouth.mn.us/pls/cop/docs/FOLDER/RECREATION/REC_ACTIVITIES/LEISURE_TIMES/WINTER_SPRING/COMPLETE+WINTER+GUIDE.PDF (02/02/09)

Journalism 1189 Blog #1

Now, just a bit about blogs. The term blog comes from “web log.” At its essence, a blog is an online journal, or log. A blog may be maintained by professional journalists, citizen journalists or ordinary people who have something they’d like to share. Ideally, the writer updates the blog frequently. Blog entries tend to be informal and conversational. The quality of thought and research going into the writing varies widely from blog to blog. There are well-written blogs representing the entire political spectrum; the opposite is also true.

Often readers respond to the writer’s blog entry through a comments section. The interaction allows readers to feel a part of the blog, and allows the writer to gain information and ideas from the readers, which can help create a conversational, interactive feel to the blog. A skillful blogger can create a sense of ownership and community for the readers through the effective use of comments.

Blogs often go beyond merely displaying text. Graphics and video enrich the readers’ experience. Links to other information such as relevant news stories and other writers’ blogs are common.

Compared to setting up and maintaining a web site, blogging is an easy and inexpensive way to share thoughts, opinions and media via the Internet. That’s one of my favorite things about blogging. It’s just so quick and easy to visit the blog site and add an entry, along with photos.

Though easy technically, blogging has its challenges. The major challenge I see is finding topics of general interest I might have some knowledge about, so I’ll know where to begin. I’ll struggle with writing style also. I’m more experienced in “technical” writing, where using passive voice, big words and long sentences is desired. It’s a bad habit I’ll need to break.

Writing for blogs is a helpful skill for anyone who wants to communicate effectively online --- I’m looking forward to learning more.

Test Post

Because I don't want to get to the blog entry due date, only to find some glitch with posting, I'm testing the process early.

I also thought it would be fun to add a photo; here's one of hubby playing flying disc with one of our dogs.