Remember the procrastination bug? Yeah, pretty sure it moved in and brought all of its friends.
I can't concentrate on this project worth spit. I start to look stuff up, I get sidetracked with other news stories. I start this blog, I think, oh yeah, forgot to buy stamps. I check my campus email 50 times and recheck the assignments due an equal number. But I still don't work any further on the projects that are going to be due this week.
I'm also distracted by the professional development project I've been working on (or rather was supposed to have been working on) for the last few months. This will be due to be done in June as well.
Plus I have a baby reminding me she's coming soon every time she kicks my bladder. And the clutter is not gone from her room. And I have work projects that need to be done before I bug out on maternity leave.
I think I'm dealing with a crisis of my own.
Anyway, I have been thinking about my final project. Does that count? I've been mentally hashing through what kinds of things I could cover and where to look for them. Usually right about the time I think I could actually start writing something, I remember the load of laundry that should go in the dryer. And then that probably my family would like supper sometime before bed.
Perhaps I need to create a crisis communication plan of my own for this last week of class and the coming last weeks of work .
PLAN: Create major projects list, delineate tasks for each, assign each task due dates, STICK TO DUE DATES!
So my plan for this final project is to choose three media outlets, collect samples from each, and analyze them for content. I've already found samples from TV and newspapers, so the only other one to gather from would be internet. The problem is that internet is usually a reprinting from newspaper and TV by those two entities. I can look on the city's web page and look for direct statements from the mayor, police, and other civic authorities. I can also look for blogs from locals on the topic. These should provide for first hand and personalized experiences.
Now, if I can just keep working on this right now and not go off to do some other domestic task....
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Friday, May 1, 2009
The Flood that Didn't....
I am going to have a lot of work ahead of me to find out all the stories and news releases about the Mouse River Flood.
Because there was not actually a flood in Minot, I don't remember hearing any one specific spokesperson from Minot, although I have a feeling it would probably be the mayor, Curt Zimbleman.
However, there were many outlying communities that were affected, like Velva, Westhope, Upham, Willow City, Burlington, etc. who were affected. But because of the small size of those communities, I don't know that I will find any singular voice to label as the primary spokesperson.
That is why I believe that probably in our larger community, the recognized source to look to for information has probably become the local news media--primarily the TV stations. The paper has also had a lot of coverage, but the TV stations have more immediate coverage as well as updates on their websites. I'm thinking that is where I will begin my research.
I think this whole project will be quite tangled and confusing and I'm probably going to have to unwind it myself. Minot was preparing for flooding like the other major communities in the state, but because they were mostly spared, it was sor tof the big deal that flopped. It was a big deal, but the city did not have to deal with the major upheaval that other cities like Valley City and Fargo did. And now they still have cleanup to do just like the other cities--sandbags need to be hauled away, the arena needs to be cleaned--but all without the major climax of imminent danger.
Of course this is a good thing--people were spared a lot of damage and stress by not having to go through the ordeal that Valley City has dealt with, but it still leaves a bit of a lost feeling in that all the community support did not really end in a large "Hoorah! We saved the town!"
I hope that I am able to put together a decent project based on the information I find. These types of projects aren't my favorite, but I think it will be ok. Now if only the procrastination bug doesn't bite....
Because there was not actually a flood in Minot, I don't remember hearing any one specific spokesperson from Minot, although I have a feeling it would probably be the mayor, Curt Zimbleman.
However, there were many outlying communities that were affected, like Velva, Westhope, Upham, Willow City, Burlington, etc. who were affected. But because of the small size of those communities, I don't know that I will find any singular voice to label as the primary spokesperson.
That is why I believe that probably in our larger community, the recognized source to look to for information has probably become the local news media--primarily the TV stations. The paper has also had a lot of coverage, but the TV stations have more immediate coverage as well as updates on their websites. I'm thinking that is where I will begin my research.
I think this whole project will be quite tangled and confusing and I'm probably going to have to unwind it myself. Minot was preparing for flooding like the other major communities in the state, but because they were mostly spared, it was sor tof the big deal that flopped. It was a big deal, but the city did not have to deal with the major upheaval that other cities like Valley City and Fargo did. And now they still have cleanup to do just like the other cities--sandbags need to be hauled away, the arena needs to be cleaned--but all without the major climax of imminent danger.
Of course this is a good thing--people were spared a lot of damage and stress by not having to go through the ordeal that Valley City has dealt with, but it still leaves a bit of a lost feeling in that all the community support did not really end in a large "Hoorah! We saved the town!"
I hope that I am able to put together a decent project based on the information I find. These types of projects aren't my favorite, but I think it will be ok. Now if only the procrastination bug doesn't bite....
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