zack shapiro dot com

Foursquare or Gowalla?

I have two apps on my phone and I hate using both. You decide which one I keep.

Vote based on which you use, which name you like better, whatever.

Which one gets the boot?

American Slang Tracklisting

So far it looks like there are three confirmed track names on The Gaslight Anthem’s 2010 release, American Slang:

1. Bring It On
2. American Slang
3. The Queen of Chelsea (confirmed by Rolling Stone)

Assignment: Hard News Leads

1. A survey was released yesterday by the Child Abuse Prevention Center in Baltimore shows that three to four children die every day in the United States from child abuse or neglect.

2. MILWAUKEE – Nearly 150 anti-abortion protesters were arrested yesterday on disorderly conduct charges after blocking the entrances to an abortion clinic, according to police.

3. A delivery driver from The Great Wall of China Restaurant was robbed at gunpoint yesterday at 718 S.W. Western Ave.

4. A manageable late night fire was extinguished by firefighters last night but not before doing $45,000 in damages to a two-bedroom home in the 2300 block of Main Street.

5. Murders in Maryland increased 53 percent in the first quarter of 2010 according to a crime report released yesterday by the Maryland State Bureau of Investigation.

6. Damages to the Earth’s ozone layer, which absorbs the Sun’s harmful cancer-causing ultraviolet rays, are increasing, according to a report released yesterday from the United Nations Environment Program.

7. SANTA ANA, Calif. - A local woman was charged with attempted murder yesterday after dousing her disabled husband with rubbing alcohol and attempting to set him on fire, according to police.

8. The dropping prices of broadband Internet has led the number of users to surpass that of dial-up users.

9. PRINCETON, N.J. - Princeton University has limited the number of high grades that can be given per class in order to crackdown on grade inflation.

10. As many as 47 million adults may be putting themselves at risk for injury, health and behavior problems because they aren’t meeting their minimum sleep requirements, according to the National Sleep Foundation.

Assignment: Quick Editing

PANORA, Iowa – A small town welcomed home one of its soldiers Friday. Instead of jubilant well-wishers, there were 525 mourners who packed United Methodist Church.

To the rest of the country, Army Spec. Michael Mills was one of 191 Americans killed in the war. Though to Panora residents he was one of 28 people killed Feb. 25 when an Iraqi suicide bomb exploded.

To the 1,100 people here, Mike Mills was the 23-year-old hometown boy who carried on a family tradition by joining the Army.

His funeral Friday provided a somber contrast to the joyous reunions held for returning troops throughout the country.

After the ceremony, not a parade, but a stream of cars that stretched down Main Street from the church to the West Cemetery.

There were flags at half-staff and red, white and blue ribbons tied to flower sprays that surrounded the altar. And there were tears – of grief, not joy.

The Buffaloes Remain Strong At Home

The Big XII is strong at home and the Colorado Buffaloes are no exception. The Buffs spun past Iowa State Saturday, beating the Cyclones 75-72.

Cory Higgins scored a season high 33 points to increase the Buffs’ home record to 12-3.

“I’m extremely proud of our team effort,” said CU head coach Jeff Bzdelik.

In addition to Higgins’ 33 points, Marcus Relphorde, Alec Burks and Casey Crawford combined for another 33. A team effort, indeed.

“We’re a growing team,” said Higgins, who moved into 12th place on CU’s list of all-time scorers.

The Buffs are currently tied for eighth place in the Big XII along with Texas Tech and Oklahoma. Coach Bzdelik said that the team’s record does not necessarily reflect its level of play.

After playing close games at home against ranked opponents Baylor, Kansas and Kansas State, Bzdelik has begun to turn the Buffs around.

Posting an overall record of 13-15 and 4-10 in conference play, the Buffs have two games left before the Big XII tournament. Coach Bzdelik has the chance to reach a coaching milestone at Colorado, finishing the season at .500.

With upcoming games at Nebraska and home against Texas Tech, the Buffs have a chance to finish strong.

“We’ve got to get better every day,” Bzdelik said.

Assignment: Blogging a Scene

The fifth floor of the UMC is a quiet place. It might as well be a nap room. As close as one can get to being in a cupola on CU’s campus, the fifth floor of the UMC is a pretty unique place. Natural light illuminates the room, bouncing off of a trophy along the north wall and carpet that’s meant not to show dirt, lining the floor.

Sure, you can find a quiet spot in Norlin Library among a million other stressed out college students, florescent lights, and humming computers but up here it’s pretty relaxing. Green and blue couches line the room, two tables in the middle make themselves available for those who don’t come up here to nap.

The quiet is implied through dirty looks given to students on the phone and the rare laptop user who types too loudly. The silence makes the clicking of laptop keys sound like horses running the Kentucky Derby, their horseshoed feet clicking against the ground.

There aren’t many words spoken up here. The only sounds permeate from laptop keyboards, as well as cars and buses that pass on Broadway, just west of the building. These sounds come and go, gently rousing the occasional student out of his midday nap.

“Are you gonna leave now?” a male student whispers to a female student. She, wearing a black knit cap, says no, and pulls out her blue and grey Dell laptop to continue her work. He leaves. It’s quieter now.

Other than this, no words are spoken.

The sun setting behind the Flatirons reflects off of the four black and white photographs, each wrapped in black frames with white padding, that line the east wall. It fees like a hotel lounge without the implied stress of business men coming and going, powered by coffee and caffeine.

A sign on the east wall says that the maximum occupancy of this room is 87 people. 87 people would ruin this room undoubtedly. A sole security camera monitors this perfect room, a room away from the college bustle, a room a step closer to serenity.