Marianna L. Moles

Final Leads

2008-05-12T13:13:00.000-07:00

The the "Who" lead is the most appropriate, even though the "who" in this story is not a famous person. The fact that he was the one who was robbed and beaten with a toilet seat is important.

Who:

A man, 24, was robbed and beaten with a toilet seat in his own apartment complex at 2200 California St. yesterday at 9 a.m., and is now at El Camino Hospital.

Where:

At 2200 California St. a man, 24, was robbed and beaten with a toilet seat yesterday at 9 a.m.

How:

Two men lured a man into his own apartment complex, robbed him, took his keys, beat him with a toilet seat and drove away in his Toyota Corolla, yesterday at 9 a.m.

What:

A toilet seat was used as a weapon to beat a man, 24, when two men robbed him of his cars and keys after luring him into his own apartment complex, yesterday at 9 a.m.

Feature Story

2008-05-04T22:20:00.001-07:00

Marianna L. Moles
Feature Story, 770
April 27, 2008
The Omega Way
Everyone’s always telling us what to do to fight cancer, reduce our risk of heart disease and boost our IQ.

Walk more. Exercise three times a week. Eat veggies, fruits, and whole grains. Go organic. Stay away from cheeseburgers, fries, and soda. Exercise the brain and read more. Don’t watch so much TV. Get off the computer. Read the newspaper. Stay away from preservatives. Make sure to get a daily dose of antioxidants. Eat raisins, blue berries, and wheat grass. Drink tea. Cleanse the digestive system. Schedule regular check-ups with the doctor. Get eight hours of sleep every night, and spend ten minutes a day deep breathing.

We are told to do so much in order to keep our bodies in shape. And let’s face it, we live in a constantly moving world. We don’t have the time to do all of these things everyday. For those of us who think we could be doing much more, by doing only one thing differently, read on.

It’s true. Research shows that eating foods high in antioxidants helps prevent cancer. Exercising does lower cholesterol. Reading can, perhaps, make us smarter. However, there is one thing out there that is all natural and found in many foods that can do all three of these things at the same time. And for those of us who are pregnant, it can even work its magic on our un-born babies.

The magic word is Omega. Not to be related to the its well known scripture meaning, “The End.” Of course, it could be said that this wonderful polyunsaturated fatty acid is the end to all other “magic” life ingredients. But we won’t go that far. It is, however, a step in the right direction.

First, polyunsaturated fatty acids, unlike saturated fatty acids, are GOOD oils. The HEALTHY fats. In other words, these are the fats that are good for our health.

A polyunsaturated fatty acid is made up of an acid called alpha linolenic acid (ALA), which converts to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosanexaenoic acid (DHA). These three combined together create a force stronger than any raisin, yoga exercise, or brain exercise combined. Together, they do a whole lot of good.

For instance, when ingested, Omega’s may help balance hormones, increase the IQ of our unborn babies, help prevent post pardon depression and fight against breast cancer. And Judy Berigtold, employee at Sheri’s Sonshine Nutrition has her own personal experiences to offer, as well as what she has learned working in the world of nutrition, to help us better understand what Omega 3’s are all about.

First of all, Omega’s are good for babies. Especially, “in the womb” babies. Yes, they are so good in fact, that our babies’ IQ’s can be increased even when their brain is not fully developed. Pretty amazing, huh?

Simply put, “over half of an unborn baby’s brain is made up of DHA,” says Judy. Studies have shown that women who eat fish when they are pregnant benefit their baby’s health, brain, and over all well- being. We’re all thinking, but pregnant women are not supposed to eat fish because the fish may contain mercury. Problem solved. Health food stores carry fish oil in easy to swallow softgels. Just make sure that “if you’re getting fish oil, get good quality, especially if you’re pregnant,” says Judy. She adds, “get molecularly distilled fish oil, such as Nordic Naturals or Barlean’s Brand.”

Now, the benefits for us. Anything that may help with mood and balance hormones sounds like a winning product. Seriously though. Judy takes flax softgels and has noticed a change in her mood. She says that her hormones seem more balanced, especially during her menstrual cycle. It all has to do with estrogen balance, and the Omegas found in flax oil have a lot to do with this.

Also, flax oil containing high lignans, help fight against breast cancer. “Phyto-estrogens bind to the receptors sites in our breast and compete against bad estrogen,” says Judy. This helps fight one of our greatest fears as women.

Plus more and more doctors are prescribing Omegas to their patients. “Customers come in all the time saying their Dr. wants them to take Omegas,” says Judy.

For those of us who do not have the time to cook spinach and make a tuna casserole to get our Omegas, there are other ways to obtain these perhaps life-changing fats. Health food stores, such as Trader Joes and Sheri’s Sonshine Nutrition, carry flax seed meal and oil, and Omega 3’s in the form of softgels. A table spoon mixed into oatmeal or used as a dressing over a salad will give anyone the daily serving they need. Flax seed meal can be used for baking or even sprinkled over yogurt.

However, these beneficial fats can be found in other forms besides softgels.

Many foods, in fact, contain Omega 3’s. Walnuts, soybean oil, tuna fish, pumpkin seeds, avocados, spinach, salmon, anchovies, and hemp seeds all contain high amounts of Omega’s.

For women “there are many benefits for taking Omega 3’s through flax seed or fish oil,” says Judy.

Now we can confidently fight cancer, reduce our risk of heart disease, and even smarten up without harming our bodies. Thanks to Omega’s, the end of hope is far from close.

Tunnel of Oppression

2008-04-09T12:18:00.000-07:00

Slut. White trash. Skank. These are just some of the words that stared me in the face, causing my stomach to lurch and tie itself in knots, as I entered a most dark and gloomy tunnel, one of which I hope I never have to face in real life. Upon entering the Tunnel of Oppression, I did not think that I would feel victimized. But I did. I knew that I would feel pain in regards to the events of the past and people who were targeted, but I had no idea that the pain would feel so real. Even though these words were not specifically yelling at me, at some point in time they were in somebody’s face and their stomach was lurching, too. And this was just the beginning.

As my girlfriends and I turned the corner, we were faced with political scandal, media slander, and to top it all off, a detailed time-line, photos and all, of historical events that have, of course, shaped our country, but at the same time do not shine good light upon our society.

I took my thumb and pressed it on a dark, red ink pad, on a wall covered with photos of girls also bearing red thumbs, and stamped my commitment to voting. The shock of seeing all the discrimination and prejudice in one big blow had shocked me enough, but as I made my way to the next area, Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit” overflowed my ears, and I knew what was coming next. Lynching. Everywhere. Photos. Names. Statistics. It made me sick, but I walked ahead, angrily clutching the lyrics to Holiday’s sad, but true song.

Child soldiers surrounded me next. I had no idea this was happening, and now felt worse for being oblivious. This room shocked me the most. Bloody descriptions and photos of four-year-olds carrying artillery. I wanted to cry. I felt everything bad in the world was coming towards me at full speed. Next molestation. The statistics caused the familiar lurching once again. The artistic paper display of a women’s body, wearing only a bloody, dirty bra and panties sucked the life out of me even more.

I knew all of this existed. I knew from history lessons, warnings from my parents, the late night news, and articles in magazines. I knew all of this had happened and was still happening. But I had never felt it before. I’ve written about it. Been tested on it. I’m educated and worldly. But no matter how prepared anyone is, they will be surprised by what they feel when they come face to face with the truth.

In the last room, I felt relief. It stood in a room of “Childhood Memories.” Yet, it was eerie just the same. I knew, after going through all the other “tunnels” that these pictures of happy children were just moments in time and that much more bad things were happening than any of us could care to believe.
After walking through the past and present, I can only hope that the future Tunnel of Oppression is less oppressing than this one was, but offers just as much realization, causes more emotional feelings, and ultimately makes a difference in the lives of all who experience it, such as this one did for me.

Sports Broadcast

2008-03-19T12:48:00.000-07:00

The San Jose State University Spartans beat the University of Pacific Tigers on their own turf, at a women’s softball game Saturday afternoon.

The score was three to one. Both teams had outstanding defense. But if anything, the game was not the highlight, instead the fans in the stands are what made the game.

More blue and yellow colors swept the stands, as the cheers of the Spartans never ended.

The pitchers of both teams battled it out on the field, San Jose keeping the lead. Pacific switched their pitcher in the fifth inning too little too late, and were left in the dust that the Spartans kicked up, proving that nothing can stop the women warriors from taking home the win.

Sports Story

2008-03-19T00:24:00.000-07:00

San Jose State University (SJSU) Spartans defeated University of Pacific (UOP) Tigers in a battle on the softball field and in the stands, where more Spartans sported their pride at the Tigers’ home, Saturday afternoon.

More blue than orange colors swept the stands, as SJSU’s Spartan spirit took over the game, which ended in a defeat of UOP’s felines.

“Spartans do know how to show-off,” said SJSU fan, Joe Bunker, who came to watch his niece play, decked out in blue and yellow apparel. He added that if the fans have spirit, then the players would, too. His interpretation proved to be right.

Despite the never-ending cheering of UOP’s women’s team, nothing could drown out the clapping and yelling of the Spartans in the stands, who never rested, their enthusiasm growing more as their team swiftly moved ahead in the game.

Both pitchers, Chelsea Engle of UOP and Deanna Mauer of SJSU, battled for the win, striving to lead their team to victory through fast, hard pitches.

By the third inning, SJSU had no outs, leading the game 2-1 and by the fifth inning, UOP’s pitcher was switched, making Alyce Jorgensen the new girl on the block.

“She knows how to take control of the game, and she’s a real competitor,” said Jorgensen’s mother. “She doesn’t want to give up.”

And they did not give up, but unfortunately, they could not catch up, either.

Even though the switch proved to be good after a bad play by Engle, which left fans jeering, resulting in one more point for SJSU, it was not enough to land them at the top.

As SJSU fought to keep their lead, UOP strived to see through the clouds of dirt, trekked in by the runners of their opposing team, literally leaving them in the dust when SJSU closed down the battle field with a 3-1 victory, causing Spartan fans in the stands to erupt in applause.

“This is what it’s all about,” said Bunker, a hot dog in one hand and smile on his face, “coming out strong in the end and showing off school colors.”

Sports Story

2008-03-17T12:39:00.000-07:00

Spartan enthusiasm outnumbered the pride of the Tigers in the stands and the field, as the pitchers of San Jose State University's (SJSU) and Uiversity of Pacific's (UOP) battled it out at a soft ball game Saturday, March 15.

Starting pitchers, Chelsea Engle of UOP, and Deanna Mauer of SJSU, played to their strengths and filled the bases more than once, but neither held out for the entire game, which included a deadly play by the Tigers.

With a sea of blue in the stands, Spartan pride was more apparent at the Tigers' home game, which ended in a SJSU victory leaving the Tiger's chasing their own tails.

Column

2008-03-03T12:06:00.000-08:00

Men. “Can’t live with ‘em. Can’t live without ‘em.” This is how the saying goes, but lately I’m thinking the last part of it needs to be dismissed and be replaced with “have no problem living without ‘em.” I am bitter. This is true. But I have good reason to be, given the recent encounter I have had with the opposite sex.

Never in my life have a known a man to be so dramatic. So stressful. So incredibly boneheaded. Wait, let me rephrase that. Never in my life have I known a person to be….yeah. Tell me about it. This man, with whom I have come to have a recent spell of drama with, which is one thing that I like to keep on the down low, has possibly caused me more stress in two days than I have experienced in an entire month. And I’m a college student living with four roommates! By the way, they are all girls.

Anyone would think that four girls would create enough drama to cause the Titanic to sink. But no, my fellow man-lovers, it is the man who causes the Titanic to become stretched to its breaking point, finally sinking, fashioning a great undertow. We try to swim to the surface, but sometimes it’s just too much. Men.

What is it with men who attract drama and then complain about being the “Patron Saint of Ass,” without wondering why? I tell him, “People have drama because they attract it.” Can he understand this? No. Unfortunately. Is he in denial in regards to his recent break-up? Yes. Does he accept this? No. That’s why it’s called denial, I say. Still, yesterday he decides to call me in order to smooth things over. He makes the situation worse and my chest tightens, my heart pumps faster, and I am almost to the point of shaking after hanging up on him.

My roommate and I take a three-hour walk so that my body can neutralize itself. Three hours! What did I do to deserve this stress? What did I do besides try to help him? I swear, men are more frustrating than women who are PMSing. And this man definitely has more mood swings than a pregnant woman.

We all know men like this, who cannot handle rejection, yet deal out their opinions, to women especially, thinking they are Socrates. This man in particular thinks, no wait, he knows that he is Socrates. If only he could use this “wisdom” and apply it to his own life so that he doesn’t ruin mine.

Story Idea

2008-02-27T12:39:00.000-08:00

WHO: Interview:-
- students who attend mass, find out why they like this church and what it has to offer them
- members of Alpha O, since they are already involved and know the ins and outs of participating in events
- Jenny, Youth Minister, who organizes events, and oversees AO
- Father Jose, who conducts Mass and also takes part in the events
- Student Leaders, who brainstorm the events and organize AO

WHAT:
- Alpha Omega: Beginning and End
- A place where college students practicing the Catholic faith go to hang out, strengthen their faith, meet other Catholics, socialize, and wine and dine together.
- Jonah’s Wail, Praise and Worship, Karaoke Nights, miniature golf, movie nights, holiday get-togethers.
-

WHERE:
- Catholic Campus Ministry (CCM), 10th and San Carlos Street

WHY:
- Make students aware of CCM and Alpha Omega.
- Let students know where they can go for Mass, take part in community service activities, meet other students who are Catholic, socialize at events and find community. Also, CCM works with other parishes and other religious groups combines events with these organizations

WHEN:
- Alpha O meets Thursday Nights at 8pm
- Sunday Mass at CCM is at 12pm and 7pm

HOW:
- Get involved by stopping by the CCM office located next to the Church on 10th and San Carlos, located next to San Carlos Pizza
- Attend mass and talk to the students and the Youth Advisor and Priest and get a newsletter of the events going on.
- Go to AO on Thursday Nights

Pipe Fitter/ Car Accident

2008-02-22T17:05:00.001-08:00

Delayed Pipe:

While installing new pipes, an employee of Gross Engineers accidentally touched a power line carrying 15,000 volts with a piece of angle iron and suffered third-degree.

Immediate pipe:

A pipe fitter employee of Gross Engineers was listed in serious condition at Springfield Hospital, Wednesday, after accidentally touching a power line carrying 15,000 volts with a piece of angle iron.

Delayed car:

Driving south less than a mile north of Blue Ridge Road, James W. Cunning, 20, was suddenly hit by Wayne Clay’s car when it crossed the center line 11:45 a.m. Thursday.

Immediate car:

Springfield resident, James W. Cunning, is in satisfactory condition at the Springfield Hospital after being involved in a car accident Thursday, less than a mile north of Blue Ridge Road.

Fairytale

2008-02-20T13:18:00.000-08:00

Three children return home via flying golden ship after willingly leaving with a young boy, dressed in Robin Hood Attire, who entered the Darling’s house looking for his shadow, held by the eldest child.

Young girl who loves to tell stories of a boy who doesn’t want to grow up, along with mending his shadow, willingly flew to the second start to the right, straight on till morning to Never Never Land with her two younger brothers in tow, leaving the family’s nanny dog behind, late Saturday night.

AP Style

2008-02-13T12:54:00.000-08:00

4 Weird AP Style Rules

#1

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey
--two different forms of "and" (word and symbol) in the same name.

#2

habeas corpus
--must define this word when it is used in a story.
--not capitalized.

#3

ATM
--should be spelled out at some point in the story.
-- do not use "redundant" ATM machine.

#4

music
--the names of instruments are capitalized only in certain situations.
--the words "symphony" and "concerto" also may not be capitalized depending on context.

News Story #2, HW

2008-02-10T13:57:00.000-08:00

Striking Hollywood writers to vote on contract, end to walkout
The Associated Press
Article Launched: 02/10/2008 01:55:17 PM PST

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Writers Guild of America moved swiftly Sunday toward a resolution of its 3-month-old strike, with guild leaders deciding to recommend the contract to members and ask them to vote on a quick end to the walkout.
By asking writers to vote separately on ending the strike and accepting the contract, the union cleared the way for the entertainment industry to return to work almost immediately.
Membership meetings will be conducted Tuesday in New York and Los Angeles to allow writers to decide whether the strike should be called off, said Patric Verrone, president of the Writers Guild of America, West.
"This the best deal this guild has bargained for in 30 years," Verrone said.
The tentative contract secures writers a share of the burgeoning digital-media market, he said, including compensation for Internet-delivered TV shows and movies.
"If they (producers) get paid, we get paid. This contract makes that a reality," Verrone said. But, he added, "it is not all we hoped for and it is not all we deserved."
Still, the union's negotiating committee recommended Saturday that the contract be accepted, and the West guild's board of directors and the East guild's council agreed. They called for a membership ratification vote, which will be conducted by mail over about two weeks.
Show runners - industry lingo for the executive producers in charge of a TV series - are expected to be back at work Monday, preparing for the return of writers as soon as Wednesday, industry members said.
Although show runners are also guild members, they are allowed to work as long as they focus only on producer-related tasks.
Member approval of the contract and the strike's end appeared likely. At heavily attended membership meetings Saturday in New York and Los Angeles, there was resounding support for the proposed deal that could put TV and movie production back on track, salvage the rest of the TV season and remove a boycott threat from this month's Oscars.
The strike shut down production of TV comedies and dramas and disrupted moviemaking and Hollywood's glamorous awards season.
Verrone thanked television viewers who "tolerated three months of reruns and reality TV."
The guild's major bargaining concession to studios was agreeing to take unionization of animation and reality TV shows off the table, Verrone said. The guild has said it still intends to pursue those goals.
Negotiating committee chairman John Bowman said a turning point in negotiations was last month's Golden Globes, when its star-studded ceremony was scrapped after actors refused to cross writers' picket lines.
The Globes showed the strength of the writers' resolve and solidarity, Bowman said.
The threat of a similar fate for this month's Academy Awards also was a powerful bargaining chip, said chief negotiator David Young.
"It was going to be a huge thing for the industry to lose the Oscars," Young said. The Feb. 24 ceremony now appears likely to proceed in its full glory and with writers on board to script host and presenter banter.
Academy spokeswoman Leslie Unger said Saturday that Oscar organizers were hopeful but that writing on the ceremony could not begin until the strike was over.
--
AP Movie Writer David Germain contributed to this report.

Who: Writers Guild of America

What: Moved towards a resolution and new contract, ending the 3-month long strike

When: Sunday

Why: To allow the entertainment industry to continue with work

Where: Los Angeles

News Story #1, HW

2008-02-06T12:37:00.000-08:00

California Supreme Court sets March date to hear gay marriage debate
By Howard Mintz
Mercury News
Article Launched: 02/06/2008 11:07:20 AM PST

The California Supreme Court has set arguments in the legal fight over gay marriage for March 4, assuring that a ruling will be issued by June.
The state's high court will hear the legal challenge in San Francisco, where the battle over same-sex marriage first unfolded four years ago when Mayor Gavin Newsom temporarily issued marriage licenses to gay couples.
San Francisco city officials and civil rights groups have challenged California's ban on gay marriage, arguing that it deprives same-sex couples of the same legal rights as heterosexual couples.
A divided state appeals court in 2006 upheld the state ban on same-sex marriage, overturning a San Francisco judge who previously declared it unconstitutional. The state Supreme Court will be reviewing that appeals court ruling.
The justices must rule within 90 days of the arguments.

Contact Howard Mintz at hmintz@mercurynews.com or (408) 286-0236.

WHO: California Supreme Court set arguments

WHAT: Gay marriage marriage rights.

WHEN: Legal arguments take place March 4, ruling will be issued by June.

WHERE: San Francisco, where the battle first began when Mayor Gavin Newsom issued marriage licenses to gay couples that were temporary.

HOW: San Francisco City officials and civil rights groups challenge California's decision to ban gay marriage.

MORE: The justices will rule within 90 days of the arguments.

Smoking Wheels/ Missing Boy

2008-02-06T12:18:00.000-08:00

Smoking Wheels:

Forty passengers were evacuated from a Northwest Airlines Jet, Flight 428 at the LaCrosse, Wis., Municipal Airport, Wednesday.

The flight, which was following another flight out of Minneapolis, noted to have smoke near the wheels.

Missing Boy:

A seven year old boy, who has been missing for three years, was found in Brick Township, N.J., Monday night.

A neighbor called the police after recognizing the boy's photo when it aired after the movie Adam: The Song Continues leading to the arrest of the boy's mother, Ellen Lynn Conner, age 27, who is charged with kidnapping and interference with a custody warrant.

Chevy Chase

2008-02-05T10:05:00.000-08:00

Chevy Chase, actor and comedian, who is alumni of Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y., was appointed to their Board of Trustees yesterday.

Fifteen dead and 175 injured in the worst accident in Amtrak history when the Colonial collided with three Conrail locomotives on a switch that merges four tracks into two at Near Chase, Md. yesterday at 1:30pm., when the Conrail apparently ran a stop sign, said Larry Chase, Amtrak Spokesman.

Air Crash

2008-02-04T12:54:00.001-08:00

One-hundred and thirty-one passengers were killed in the worst disaster in three years, when an airplane crashed as it prepared to land outside Pittsburg, yesterday.

My First Post

2008-01-30T12:47:00.000-08:00

I am a transfer junior in my second second semester at San Jose State, and I absolutely love it here! Last semester I finally decided that I want to major in Public Relations, and I am so excited to begin upper division classes. I am double minoring in Creative Writing and Business. This semester will probably be one of the most difficult but I am ready for the challenge.

I was born and raised in Lodi, California. Lodi is becoming a "Wine Country" more and more every year, even though it is a small town with only a population of about 60,000. Since Lodi is not a very exciting place, my family and I have traveled all over the U.S. since I was in elementary school. Just this last summer we spent two weeks in New York and Boston, and also traveled to a few other states within driving distance. By far, Boston has the best tirimisu ever!

I love taking pictures with my digital camera and printing and framing them. I like to spend time keeping in touch with my family and friends back in Lodi and Stockton, or across the country...where-ever they may be. I enjoy hiking, roller blading, baking, creative art projects, and singing anywhere and everywhere. I especially enjoy writing (as you can probably tell) and I am very much looking forward to pursuing a career in Public Relations.