It seems the outside world can only understand what is happening in the aftermath of the Iranian presidential election through the use of electronic devices. As seen in the tweets of thousands of people protesting Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's assumed re-election and through the gory iconic photographs and videos from mobile phones of Neda Agha-Soltan's death, the new symbol of rebellion in Iran. The photograph along side this BBC article is of a protester taking a picture of herself using her cell phone camera to arrange a protest. The article is interesting, but the photo speaks louder to me in understanding the transmission of communication in a muted country.

The Evolution of Journalism

"The web has turned us all into content creators, publishers, and influencers. Social media has created a new ecosystem for the distribution and consumption of information. But, there's a problem: that ecosystem is built on a foundation of free content. As ad revenue all but disappears, traditional news and online media organizations are feeling the pain of giving something away for free."- Mediabistro

Last night, I volunteered for a mediabistro event with a panel discussion on the evolution of journalism. Here's a little bit about what was discussed:

Newspapers and magazines are in a lot of trouble. Since the net is free, everyone who is in the new world of journalism will need to learn how to compete with free.

Should content be free?

NY Times is thinking of charging a monthly fee of $5 for use of their website, which will set the standards for other news based websites.

How do websites survive if they are free?

Through advertisements. Advertising is a robust business. Media could learn from the porn industry because at least they know what they are selling.

Or through having fundraisers and paid networking events like NPR.

Twitter is free and an excellent way to advertise. It doesn't have a business model itself, but can be a very useful tool for small businesses.

What can freelancers do on twitter?

Tweets extend whose in your networking view.
Being genuine is important when tweeting.

"Do what you do best and link to the rest"

Be open, link to a story and give a little bit of own perspective.

Tweeting is a powerful way to find sources.

Huffington Post is a great example of a blog that combines aggregated information and original content.

Future Predictions from Panel about Journalism:
Newspapers will be reliant on their digital platforms.
Print will still remain.
News organizations will be far more specialized.
Many sources will be curated through several channels.

Berry Picking in New Hampshire

The Coffin Was Too Confining

With all the vampire craze going on, I thought it would be appropriate to find a story on Anne Rice, known for writing "Interview with a Vampire" amongst other seemingly gothic novels. Her life has changed since the death of her husband of 41 years. After his death, Rice moved out of New Orleans to San Diego. Though, the biggest change is in her writing from blood thirsty vampires to a series of books on the life of Jesus Christ.

This article warrants for being a great example of a feature article. According to Roy Peter Clark a feature story should "illuminate lives lived in our time", "take advantage of expanded set of language and narrative strategies," and have the foundation of being a "human interest" story. This story hits upon all of those points. Here's a link to "The Coffin Was Too Confining," from the New York Times.

Spanish Movies

I admit, I'm ignorant to the world of Spanish cinema. I've scratched the surface watching the few movies redone for an American audience, but I've never explored the movies that show the authentic and sometimes darker side of Mexico. I wanted to hear the voices of those less frequently heard.

Last weekend, I was at the beach with my friend Evan. His wife, Liliana is a native of Tijuana. She wrote a list of her favorite movies. I watched a couple of films to see what influenced her while growing up. Needless to say, I understand a little bit of what I've been missing.

Liliana's List

1. Todo sobre mi madre
2. Lucia y el sexo
3. El espiazo del diablo
4. Entre los piernas
5. Huevos de oro
6. Kika
7. La mala educacion
8. Hable con ella
9. Tacones lejanos
10. Martin "H"
11. Todo el peder
12. Atame
13. Los amantes del circulo polar
14. Como aqua para chocolate

Nikola Tesla

It's his birthday. In the most unassuming neighborhood of Belgrade lies a gem of a museum filled with Nikola Tesla's discoveries. Reconstructing his experiments with electromagnetism must have been a difficult task, but the folks at this museum have done a job well done.

Sitting in the back of museum, is a golden urn the size of a bowling ball. How did they get his ashes in there? Much respect to Tesla for leaving us with a mystery from the grave.

Betty Cini lost her sheepdog, Angie, on the Fourth of July ten years ago. “We were outside and she was with us. Some of the neighbors shot off fireworks and she took off running and we never saw her again,” Cini said. “My beautiful little sheepdog, she was a great dog.”

Fireworks are a staple to most Fourth of July celebrations, but some dogs are sensitive to noises and can respond with fear to sounds such as thunder or fireworks. Loud, unfamiliar noises can cause panic, which can lead to serious injuries.

More dogs run away on Fourth of July than any other time of the year.

“Dogs are individuals and have individual reactions to noises,” said Dr. Julia Albright from the animal behavioral clinic at Cornell University. “Some dogs seem completely unaffected, whereas others, the slightest pin drop sends them into a tail spin.”

The anxiety caused by fireworks is acutely physical. Several studies have indicated that dogs may respond mildly to loud noises with symptoms like excessive panting, barking, drooling and trembling. More severe responses include destroying drywall, damaging windows, and other destructive ways to find routes of escape.

“My dog is especially sensitive to fireworks,” said dog owner, Ashley Gerrison, 27, a sales associate from San Francisco. “He gets really clingy and this is even when the fireworks are from miles down the road.”

According to animal behavioral experts, dogs can hear ten times better than humans. However, anxiety doesn’t have to be caused by loud noises. “I once treated a dog for thunderstorm and noise phobia who had never shown anxiety until a tree fell on the family house during a storm,” said Dr. Albright.

Dr. Ilana Reisner, assistant professor of behavioral medicine, at The University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine Dogs said that some dogs appear to develop a worsening fear over time that eventually is characterized as a phobia.

A study of thirty dogs that showed signs of fear in response to fireworks came out of Animal Behaviour, Cognition and Welfare Group, University of Lincoln in England. G. Sheppard, One of the leading researchers in the study wanted to see if an appealing dog pheromone would alleviate their fear of loud noises. The owners said that their dogs showed significant improvements in most behavioral signs of fear. Although this is an effective way of dealing with fear, the FDA has not approved it for sale in the United States.

There are some precautions owners can follow to keep dogs safe. “Having a good solid fence at least five feet tall will decrease the probability of the dog escaping during a panic attack,” said Dr. Albright. “As veterinary behaviorists, we use medications and behavior modification to decrease noise and thunderstorm phobia.”

"Together with the right precautions and treatment," Dr. Albright said, “the dogs will learn how to stay in the situation and not let anxiety overtake them."