Blogging About Blogging: Summer Blog Party(op/ed)

Hello fellow bloggers,

It's been a while since I blogged, but I thought that I'd finally let you know of my latest op/ed in the TORCH.  Please click on the following link to read an op/ed on why you should blog during the summer!

Summer Blog Party - Opinion & Editorial

That's about it for now, I'll try to blog to you all at a later date. 

Happy Summer Blogging,

Daniel

Spread The Word To End The Word - My New Op/Ed,Torch

[Image Credit: the image above is from www.soill.org | www.specialolympics.org  > resources to use to promote.]

Hello fellow bloggers/readers,

Here is a link to my op/ed that I wrote for this week's (issue 21, April 20th) issue of the Torch (RU's student newspaper)! 

Spread The Word To End The Word - Opinion & Editorial

Check it out and comment on this story right on the webpage on the online edition for this story -- and pass it onto your friends and family!

COMING SOON TO A DAN'S WRITING NEAR YOU:

*I've got more thoughts to share, but that'll come when I've got more time to sit and blog.  (this blog)

*My informative speech from public speaking on my next episode of my podcast (photocast) -- plus feedback on my opening speech/last episode, a promo for an excellent Catholic Podcast that was sent to me and I highly recommend to you all, and who know's what else-- should be short-- goal: within 20 minutes to a 1/2 an hour (keyword here: approximate!)

*Another op/ed for the last issue of the Torch for the 2008-2009 year -- This time the topic that I pitched was... blogging. I'll leave it at that-- you will have to stay tuned to the TORCH's last issue/this blog for an update on more!

*WATCH this blog/my homepage for websites in what I have to share with y'all! 

 

Enjoy! 

 ~Daniel

P.S. Happy Warm Chicago Weather!

Spring Break Fun ~ weather is beautiful + some relaxing time is needed!

Hello my devoted readers, 

Today I would like to blog to you briefly. Here is what I plan to talk to you all about: Rereading a short story from spring2007 + Relaxing this week!   Let me start out by saying that I'm on spring break this week, and since its spring break, I remembered  that back in spring 2007, I had wrote a short story called "The Unexpected Spring Break" for my creative writing class during my junior year of high school.   I scanned in the 3-page short story and am going to try to link to it here.  

Please Read my Breaking News Blog Post with a link to the short story as well as to my latest podcast episode by clicking here. 

Remember your gracious comments and feedback are greatly appreciated! ~ Just add a comment below on this post or the blog post linked above. 

Happy Spring everyone!

Stay Cool,

Daniel

My FINAL Reactions To Ray's Book Part III: Sad To Finish; Excited For Another Good Read!...

Hello my dearest blog followers, 

I am going to be brief in this post just to tell y'all that I finished this book, EVERYTHING AND A KITE by Ray Romano that I posted 2 parts on this blog!    I'm not going to blog a lot about it now, but perhaps more later! OVERALL, its pretty funny and a very good book!

Finally, Last Friday I went to the book release book for Scott Blackwood's first, new novel called We agreed to meet just here which won the AWP Award Series in the Novel. 

I wrote a feature story about Scott Blackwood last semester (my first feature story that I got published).  

  *  Click here to read this story.

  * Click here to go to the webpage for this new novel.

  * Click here to order the book through the publisher of this novel.

  * Click here to buy it on Amazon.

(the photo to the right is from the Amazon store website link above)

I hope to blog to you again soon--- sometime when I find the time!

Stay warm,

Daniel

Is New Technology Helpful Or Useless?

Hello my dearest blogger readers,

I would like to quickly share with you about a few of new technology gadgets that I just heard about, plus one that I have just put my hands on personally!  Through this new technology exploration, I hope to give you an insight in my take on if new technology is helpful or useful.  

First, is what appears to be an awesome technical gadget called "Kindle 2" that just came out a week ago.  

Kindle Envy! (Posted [LINK] using ShareThis)

Here's the quote technical specifics: 

source: http://new.catholicmom.com/2009/02/12/kindle-envy/ 

• Slim & Lightweight: Just over 1/3 inch and 10.2 ounces
  
• Books in under 60 seconds: Get books delivered in less than 60 seconds; no PC required
  
• Improved Display: Reads like real paper; now boasts 16 shades of gray for crisp images and text; even reads well in bright sunlight
  
• Longer Battery Life: 25% longer battery life; read for days without recharging
  
• More Storage: Take your library with you; holds over 1,500 books
  
• Faster Page Turns: 20% faster page turns
  
• Read-to-Me: Text-to-Speech feature means Kindle can read every book, blog, magazine, and newspaper out loud.
  
• No Wireless Bills: No monthly wireless bills, data plans, or commitments. Amazon pays for Kindle’s wireless connectivity so you won’t see a monthly wireless bill.
  
• Large Selection: Over 230,000 books, plus U.S. and international newspapers, magazines and blogs available
  
• Low Book Prices: New York Times Best Sellers and New Releases $9.99, unless marked otherwise
  

Now, I would like to tell you about the photo at the top of this post and how I became to know about Griffin Technology's iTalk Pro: a recording device for your iPod!   ~ I already have posted a video blog and podcast episode on this topic.  Here are the links:

• Griffin Technology: iTalk Pro webpage
  
• Buy the iTalk Pro CHEAPLY-USED-LIKED NEW on Amazon!
• My Video Blog(vlog) #6:  Using the iTalk Pro for the 1st time: behind the scenes video to the 1st audio approx. 2 min. recording! 
• PhotoCast09: And, Now Back To Our Regular "new" scheduled Programing
• 1st Soundseeing Tour: a great end to a busy week

Lastly, I would like to tell you how cool internet radio is and backbone! Check out this link for more information on creating radio networks: Backbone! 

And now I am currently listening to a very interesting Journalism lecture from Standford University called: Is News Journalism Under Siege?: A Conversation with the Editors of Newsweek and Time, with Jim Kelly, Mark Whitaker, Richard Stolley at the The Aurora Forum at Stanford University.  To Listen: Go to the iTunes Store or standford.edu and search for Journalism ---> audio and video! I highly recommend this.  I've just started listening! 

Oh boy, How cool is the new technology that I've listed above!

Talk to y'all soon!

Stay cool,

Daniel

My Reactions To Ray's Book Part II: Many Ironies & Still A FUNny Read!

Hello my dearest readers & blog followers,

I'm back after two weeks since last blogging! And, now its time to get back to part II of my reading reactions(RR) to Ray's Book. I'm listening to and following along to the audiobook read by Ray, himself--which, I think, makes it even funnier! In case I forgot to tell y'all in part I of my reactions to Ray's book, I'll tell you know, that I am reading this FUNny book (by stand-up comic and star of his hit sitcom, Ray Romano) for FUN! (do you see my "irony-wordplay-" fun?!) This is, as I previously stated in sentence #2 is part II of my reading reactions (RR) to Ray's book--As Of Tuesday, 1/27/2009.

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING DISCLAIMER: Any thoughts, reactions, or commentary mentioned are those not necessarily of those of the creators, or authors, of any of the works that I've mentioned here.

And, now here are my REACTIONS - thoughts -- "QUICK-BRIEF REACTIONS TO CHAPTERS 3 THROUGH 7 (PAGES 23 THROUGH 95)

• Chapter 3: Dad (Pages (pp.) 23-35) : I found that I could somewhat relate to Ray's dad with my dad -- both try to be funny...and, I think, that both Al Romano and my dad (same first letter) are both funny in their own unique way.

• Chapter 4: Single Guy (pp. 36-49) Since I am single, this chapter was very inspiring to me.
• Chapter 5: Married Guy (pp. 50-70) I learned a little bit about married life, through Ray's view on being married--as a guy!
• Chapter 6: Sports Guy (pp. 71-77) For this chapter, I'm not that interested in sports--as whole, but appreciated the humor that was instilled in the chapter by the very funny man, Ray Romano!
• Chapter 7: The Baby (pp.78-95) One thing that I found interesting in this chapter was on page 80-- when Ray makes what I like to call a war movie-story irony -- when he says, "It's a common war story that parents tell all the time. ... It's 'Saving Private Cryin'" (pg. 80, Romano)

First, how's that for a citation!
AND second, I found that the last bit of the quote, "Saving Private Cryin"(pg.80, Romano) was very FUNNY AND, like I previously said (but will say it again for "dramatic effect:when Ray makes what I like to call a war movie-story irony"(me, this blog post).

***PLEASE NOTE: I ONLY HAVE JUST BRIEF NOTES for chapters 3 through 6, AS OF NOW, but if I think of any additional notes, I may or may not add to it, IT'LL BE FREEWRITE!

BTW(by the way), I just REALIZED TODAY after my first 2PM English 101, Intro To Composition, that my practice this summer of "annotating" and "reacting to" and "quotating" text from Ray's book, among another article that I read on Busted Halo (http://www.bustedhalo.com/features/god-on-campus) and underlined, jotted down notes n the margins --- just like what I learned from my English 100 class, and what is said in the "binding document", the syllabus for English 101. -- SO, I PREPARED MYSELF AND I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT ... OR DID I??? (that's for you go figure out through context and reading between the lines!)

In other book-reading news, I'd like to tell y'all that as of Monday, Jan. 26th, I discovered via search for christian artists on iTunes a NEW (as of this year, 2009) an audiobook by Christian Artist, Chris Tomlin, called "The Way I Was Made: Words and Music for an Unusual Life (Unabridged)-Two Parts (which cost about $5.95, but I think deducted MORE- 'cause my gift card credit got way lower---more than what I (yes, I) calculated. So, this morning (Tuesday, Jan. 27th, 2009), or maybe it was last night(Monday, 1/26/09), I brought the audiobook--and plan to listen to it soon when I'm on the train or walking, or working. The reason for my getting this audiobook by Chris Tomlin is simple: Well, for starters I enjoy his christian music, and two, I read two (how numerally-ironic) customer reviews and 5-stared reviews that were HIGHLY recommended! So, there! But, wait, I forgot to glance down at my notes, since I got "somewhat" ramble on, so here it is: I am thinking about (and did) buy that audiobook (new, and of this 2009) year! WEll, I think, now I pretty much said the reason... I think that my notes that I scribbled down late last night was more must to jog my memory (if I needed them), as per always what rambled and scribbled notes are meant for! (at least that's what I think, ... do you agree?--Post a comment to this post in response!)

• To Buy Chris Tomlin's book that I mentioned here, you can buy it from amazon.com by clicking here. (other ways of buying the audiobook are available through this link as well)
  
• To Download Chris Tomlin's book that I mentioned here, via audible (this is the SAME as through iTunes audiobook... its interconnected: audible.com and iTunes... trust me, I've recently just downloaded it!

***PRICING FOR THE BOOK AND AUDIOBOOK ARE ALSO AVAILABLE BY CLICKING THE LINKS ABOVE!

Well, I hope that ya'll enjoyed the 2nd part to my book review. Any feedback (if you like, don't like, improvements, or just feedbacked comments), then please feel free to post a comment on this post and/or email me at dan18writer@gmail.com

Talk to y'all soon! ~ Happy Reading and God Bless!

Stay Warm,

~Daniel

Celebrating Two Decades: Happy Birthday To Me!

Me at 20. (1.14.09)

Hello Friends & Family,

Today, I celebrate my 20th birthday... that's right, I am now--2 decades old! It is a little hard to believe that I'm sitting here today, no longer 19 years old nor a "--teen", but as a young adult. A 20-year old. Many people, perhaps you who are reading this, might ask me if you see me today, if I have any special, big plans today -- and to that, I saw that I don't have any "big" plans today, except to just relax. On the other hand, later today--probably later tonight, we are going to go out for ice cream -- yeah, I said it: Ice Cream... in this Chicago Winter Cold and Snow! And then, in celebration of my birthday today, on Friday, Jan. 16th, we are going to go out and see a movie-- as a family. So, in essence my birthday celebration will continue over the next two days! So, this post is going to be brief-- 'cause all I really wanted to "share" or "update" ya'll on is the fact that its my birthday and the "Big Two O"! So, on behalf of all the birthday greetings that I get from ya'll--whether it be a comment to this blog post, Facebook Wall postings, Facebook Messages, Email birthday greetings, letters or cards in the "snail mail", a simple "happy birthday" in person, or whatever other birthday greeting that I receive today, I would like to thank you all! Thanks!

Happy Birthday To Me!

~Daniel