老照片

和T他乡重逢，难免一道回忆往事故友，还被追问大学、读研时候的事情。今天整理照片，碰巧有看到这张去往敦煌路上的照片。我们一行六人，从青海搭火车到了格尔木。格尔木是青藏高原上交通要塞，历朝历代都驻扎重兵把手，如今也不例外。这里北通敦煌，祁连山口；南接通往西藏的必经之路；向西就是著名的可可西里，盗猎藏羚羊的和追扑盗猎的都在这里安营扎寨。

我们下了火车就赶紧租车，省得在那是非之地多停留一秒。说时候，虽然一行三个大男人，走在荒凉而燥热的火车站广场，被一双双上下大量的眼睛看着，心里还是毛毛的。

租了一辆破面包，走一路要加一路水的那种车，就上路了。出发前押车老板和老板娘依依惜别的情景还让三位mm感动了一吧。老板娘有是送吃的，又是送喝的，还装上备用胎，备用灯泡，还有各种备用零部件。车上坐着的看到这架式，只能心中暗暗祈祷了。

一路虽然磕磕碰碰，但还算安全，在路过万丈盐桥的时候，我们的车需要再一次修理，乘空，我们坐在了跨越中国最大的陆地盐场的路上，拍下了这张照片。正如我们城市里来的人在出发前想像的那样，公路上人少车稀，盐碱地一望千里。

德州的鸭子

San Antonio最出色的景致要算river walk了，一条小河蜿蜒穿城而过。市中心的河岸两边，商贾酒家灯红酒绿，很有秦淮两岸的味道。我们第一天就迫不及待做上游船，绕着river walk游了一圈。河中同游的还有鸭子，悠然自得，全然不把各地游客放在眼里。这张图，很有春江水暖鸭先知的味道。

在德州更值得一提的鸭子是在“独一处”。开完会，俺一个人开车到Houston见老同学。十年没见了，T还真够意思，一大早就在当地最地道的中餐馆定了一只烤鸭，因为独一处一天只卖１０来只，定迟了可没口服了。这是俺在美国吃到的最香的鸭子了，甚至比在国内吃的还正宗。据说大厨是北京全聚德来的，当初Yao Ming还没有开Yao餐厅的时候，经常光顾独一处，为的就是着烤鸭。

不说吃了，被人叫打球，回头再写。

德州归来

从德州回来了。这一趟短短一个礼拜，收获却不小。Present了paper，见到了很多有意义的研究，结识了新朋友，面试了几所学校，尝了各地美食，喝了免费的美酒，见了十年没见面的老同学，吃了俺在美国吃到的最地道的北京烤鸭，拍了很多照片，挨了一张驾驶警告...
等明天再细细纪流水账。

又回来了

很早以前的blog,用了没多久就转到LH那里去了。不料LH那台机子终于支撑不住了，俺也就有两个多月没有blog了，也失去了跟很多认识的和不认识的人的联系。　

今天kinnyhui打来越洋长途，很突然，居然都不知道说什么了。乱七八糟说了一通，有被拉到老地方来了。也好，可以重新开始。

明天就要去德州了，今天先匆忙的收拾一下，也不知道德州的酒店里有没有免费网上。

(顺便发个新买的相机拍的照片：D)

Telephone survey

“Hello. My name is Paul. I am calling from Ohio University, as part of a class assignment. I would like to ask you a few questions…”

From last Sunday to Wednesday, I spent 3 hrs every evening saying the same sentences to different people living in Ohio and West Virginia by telephone. The survey is one part of our boring tasks for Research Method. No one in my class likes conducting such stupid survey including me. But to my satisfaction, I did not fall behind other American students as I had worried about before. Because language is the only channel to communicate with respondents in telephone survey, I, as a foreigner, sometimes can not make me understood easily or understand others either. Although repeating the same questions in four evenings was absolutely tough and boring, I found something interesting, which will be more interesting if we do not need to repeat it again and again.

Scripps Survey Center is located in an old building, which looks like a warehouse. There are about 35 tables in the survey center. 35 interviewers can conduct survey at the same time. On each table, there is a computer, a telephone, a pen and some paper. Sometimes you may find some candy too.

The whole survey is conducted with a computer. First, the numbers are dialed randomly by a computer program. Every interviewer has an account, with which every person’s behavior and payment, if hired to do so, can be managed. We, interviewers, act like pc-game-players, sitting at the tables, logging on the cute system, clicking the bottom “Dial” and waiting for all kinds of Monsters. There are many options when dialing: no answer, busy, answer machine, fax or modem... and answer. When a call is answered and Answer is chose, another set of options is shown on the screen: yes, refuse, call back, business call. Most of time, we choose refuse because most people would not like to be bothered by a stranger. Some hang up rudely and some persons say “no interesting” or “busy” after you read the sentences I mentioned at the very beginning. If you are lucky or your voice is attractive enough, you have chance to finish the pc-game remained with that kind interviewee. When survey begins, each screen shows only one question. Your job is only to read them and record the answer and go on.

The most important is the first minute when a call is connected. Experienced interviewers can keep those who plan to refuse being bothered. Promotion skills and some key points of the survey contribute to a successful survey. For example, if you mention “class assignment”, some people would lower their anger. For me, the most crucial thing is to express myself clearly at first. On Sunday evening, when I was not familiar with the survey, I did not read the announcement clearly. A lot of people said “what? Who are you? I can not understand you!” Sign! Then, after I found my classmates, native speakers, do not read as fast as I did, I slowered my speed and I got it. At the last day of survey, I was so excited as to find I can read as fluent as others. I also learned a lot new words on environment, the main topic of the survey, such as asbestos, Caucasian and so on. Some pronunciations are corrected. For example, I read lead as lead before.

To celebrate National Day

I went to shopping this evening with my roommates.
This is the list:

from wal mart

PB kisses (candy) 1.50
honey buns 1.44
loaf cake 2.50
saltn cra (crackers) 0.87
kindney bean 0.44
spinach bnch 0.94
bananas 0.94
grn onions 0.50
cabbage napa 2.31
maxwel coffee 3.97
gv juice 0.97
tomato sce 0.25
pp wings 2.76
large eggs 1.16
gv 1 lf (milk) 1.88

total 24.57

from bob's

round steak 2.99
pork loin 2.92
ball park 1.99
ommt bologna(sausage) 1.79
total 9.69

3rd: Truth is Crucial in Journalism


Journalism has become one of the most significant industries in the modern society. Numerous newspapers, television stations, and other mass media supply a great deal of valuable information for the public every day. People begin to pay more and more attention not only to the news that media report, but also to the news industry itself. The profit of media tycoons, media celebrities or a remarkable press prize has attracted people’s interests. However, the most important issue in Journalism is to report the truth, which is an underlying claim on all the other aspects in news industry.

The influence of journalism demands the authenticity of news coverage. News is defined as information on recent events, including political activities, economic development, social affairs and so on. Once news information is published, it is expected to affect the organic society. If a piece of false news were created and transmitted to the public, it would cause serious results. A wrong number in business coverage will result in fluctuating of stock markets; a mistaken signal in news reporting accelerated the breakout of America-Spain War. Even if in an ordinary community, rumors may usually lead to a family’s tragedy. Consequently, reporting the truth is widely believed as the substantial requirement in journalism in terms of audience, managers and journalists.

Audience appeals to news media in order to receive true information about people’s daily life. Living in the information age, people encounter all sorts of unlimited information everyday, news stories, advertisements, science fictions, or music videos. Meanwhile, recoding true stories is the unique characteristic of news media, compared with novels, poetry or other literature. Readers will not be interested in newspaper if they wish to find some romantic stories to enjoy. Although, deals of news media also print some fictional content, such as essays, quiz, or continued story, they merely play an affiliated role.

As a business in most western countries, journalism can also produce profit that is always what manage men concern. Nevertheless, the operating performance of a news company is immediately affected by the validity of it reports. The truth is said the lifeline of news media. Journalists are encouraged to investigate any undiscovered fields. Because it is believed that the more sealed events a paper publishes, the more readers, i.e. potential profit, this newspaper wins. The Washing Post has built up such a successful model as it disclosed the historic “Water Gate” and overthrown ex-present Nixon. On the contrary, a fake reporting can ruin a media company. In the early 1900s, at the risk of being bankrupt, the New York Daily News, one of the major newspapers in New York City at that time, printed a number of rumors such as UFO’s attack to the earth, in order to appeal readers. However, this kind of stories did not satisfy the readers but buried the paper.

Based on the fact that readers and managers prefer true stories, to report the truth is therefore the primary demand to journalists. Reporters have the responsibility to investigate new events and record the events exactly. They need verify very details of coverage before it is printed. It is the professional ethics that requires journalists be honest, just as bankers should keep a reliable credit. If an inappropriate report is published, it usually leads to severe accusation for journalists as libel or slander.

In sum, news industry is attractive and competitive, but principally, the crucial issue in journalism is to record the world truly and exactly.

I was rejected

My application for credit card was rejected by a bank. The excuse they insist is I have not sufficent income guarantee and credit record.


I do not think the bank, creditunion, really considered my application. For, I received their rejection 2 days after I applied. Either they are efficent enough, or they did not read my materials at all. I would like to believe the ladder. I am confused how they can make such conclusion that I have no guarantee or credit history, because I did not have a chance to testify myself when I filled out their application form. Although most students like me will be rejected at the first application, I still would not accept such unkind rejection. Therefore I signed in again.

Actually, I applied 4 banks for credit card since I received my SSN--Social Security Number--last Saturday, when I was so exicited because SSN is as important as my passport. Without this number, you can not work in US, or apply a license, or apply credit card...Unfortunately, These happy time did not last that long.

laundry


American people introduced drying machine so that such familiar scenes as clothing-shows can seldom be seen in U.S. There are many public laundries in every community. People usually carry a big basket and go to public laundries once a week. Some one even drive to laundries which seems to me a little funny. I am lucky enough that the laundry of my apartment locates at the same floor with my apt. Today, it is my second time to use that efficient machines.

It costs me 8 quarters (2 dollar) each time to wash a basket clothes, 4 for washing and 4 for drying. First, fill in some detergent instead of soap powder we use, into washing machine. Then put clothes into the tub, adjust the temperture of water, and insert 4 quarters. It works! About 50 mins. later, it is done. Then take clothes out of the washing tub one by one so as to not leave any furrow on clothes, and put into the drying tub. Add some bounce over the clothes to make them fragrant. Next, Insert another 4 quarters and push start bottom. The last thing should be done is to wait another 50 mins and fold dried clothes into closet.

Sometimes, certain clothes will shrink after being dried. So preparing some a bit larger
clothes is a wise idea. Since people here change clothes everyday, a large number of cloth is necessory. Furthermore, machines sometimes like to play tricks. During my first time going to laundry, a drying machine ate my 4 quarters and did nothing! 4 quarters equals 8 yuan. :-(

On Journal


Journal is said to be a kind of literature that requires limited grammar and logic, and offers writers extreme freedom to record everything they thinking about. Even if they forget or do not have anything more to write down for the moment, they may continue to record something like “I forget what I want to say”, or “My brain is blank now”…In one word, the goal of journal is to encourage people to keep writing and writing. Ms Dawn, my teacher of Graduate Writing course, suggest me to write journals as much as possible so as to improve English writing. It is definitely a good idea, since I wish to record the days when I study in Ohio University.

Fortunately, I find Blog a excellent space for me to write and to save these journals. I have set up two categories: Journal and Assignment. Most of my journals should be kept in Journal, while some of my homework on every course may be read in Assignment. I do not care whether all those articles and paragraphs are good job or not, but I wish all my readers could leave something for me. Critiques, comments, and corrections are welcome.