A Few Blogs of Note

Here are a few blogs you might check out, if you're interested in these topics...

Reality TV

Hawkeye Sports

Energy Conservation

Politics (liberal perspective)

Politics (conservative perspective)

ASSIGNMENT: Write a Letter

You already know all the interesting stuff about you. But I don't.

So I'd like you to write me a letter introducing yourself. The more I know, the better chance there is that I can make this class work for you.

Tell me any important stuff you think I should know. You could tell me about previous LA experiences, what you do outside of school, your hobbies, interests, jobs, plans for the future... anything at all. Be as formal or informal as you wish, but don't abandon common sense. It is a school assignment, after all.

Please do type it, rather than handwriting it. Easier for me to read.

This letter is due on Tuesday, September 2.

Looking for Blogs

On Thursday, I asked all students to make a list of 5-10 topics of interest, and then to go find blogs related to those topics. I want you all to get a sense of what blogs are like, how they work, and to find at least a few that you enjoy reading. Some suggestions:

• I'd start with Google, Yahoo, or some other search engine, and type in a few key words related to your topic. Be sure to include the word "blog," so you don't just get any old website or news article related to the topic. You want blogs.
• Blogs often have a set of links down one side or the other, sometimes called "blogroll." Even if you don't like a particular blog, you can use that blog to find other blogs on the same topic.
• Hopefully, you'll be able to find a couple you enjoy reading. If you do, write down the titles and authors (or "bloggers"), so you can find them again later, or copy and paste the URL (the address) into a Word document.

Hip-hop and copyright law

The blogger One Drop argues why the two don't fit together well. Here's a Slate article on the same topic.