Plunkett_James_AudioSlideShow_Church from James Plunkett on Vimeo.
All Day Reporting
Reported on the “Ground Zero Mosque” and the St. Nicholas Church Ordeal.
Got lots of great pics and audio. I probably walked about 6 miles today and talked to 25 people. I’m rather too exhausted. It was great working with a journalist from The Telegraph. Sucks, I just looked at my email, and I have some major required reading (Pentagon Papers and case studies) and a few essays/memos to write.
Check this out, I was reporting at the same time as Reuters:
I took this photo around 2:00 this afternoon.
Reuters comes along and takes photos of the same guy! I beat you to it!
New York voters contradicted themselves over a planned Islamic cultural center near the World Trade Center site, with majorities saying both that Muslims have the right to build one but that they should be forced to move it, a poll issued on Tuesday finds.
Read more at Reuters Blog
And It Hits the Fan
Alright, all three of my professors are now back from their worldwide trips, and it is officially assignment hell!
The task function on my Gmail is brimming with new assignments. I’m looking forward to a great night’s sleep, and working all day tomorrow with Lucy. British accents are gorgeous. 
UPDATES: I’m working on a Portfolio section and a revised resume, all of which will be uploaded soon. My photo slideshow is temporarily delayed until I can find a way to implement it. Full-time class schedule begins Tuesday. Lots of content to follow soon.
Swimmin' in a fish bowl.
Preparing A Photo Slideshow
I am currently on lunch break (thank goodness my apartment is right around the corner and I don’t have to climb steps!). Shortly, however, I am going to post a pretty nifty photo slideshow. I’d do it now, but I’m enjoying watching 3:10 to Yuma and munching on some oatmeal.
Surprisingly, I was able to recover from yesterday’s shenanigans in a very short time.
Yesterday, I had a moment of clarity–you read it right. Inspiration hit me like a stone. My passion and creativity for this field is starting to grow. I can feel it. That’s all I’ll say for now.
Here are some pictures I took from my outing yesterday. I didn’t get too many, on the account that I purposely left my camera at home around mid-day:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesproclaims/sets/72157624849298374/
At Day’s End–Recapping and Agenda.
Today was incredibly productive:
I began with a soft awakening at 9am, saddled up, and hit the trains for a stop in Staten Island. I met Paul at 11, and our first stop was Applebee’s on New Dorp, where Paul has been pursuing a beautiful Italiana. We commenced drinking at 11:30, and kept drinking until we hit the Richmond Avenue Applebee’s at 1pm.
I met with all my old bosses and friends and drank some more. I dropped off a cigar for Phil, and was really happy to find him pleased. (Phil, great guy!) We left pretty hammered around 3, then met with Leanne Plunkett (no relation) at a Bay Street bar. We drank Purple Haze, which was phenomenal.
At 4, we took the ferry to Manhattan, drank in Times Square at several Irish pubs–including Heartland Brewery and O’Lunney’s. Looking for cheaper drinks, we went to Columbia University and surveyed the incoming freshmen. They are eager and looking forward to a top-notch education! 
Haakon’s Hall (bar), around the corner from my place, gave us $3 drinks and awesome service. We’ll certainly be back. We took home some submarine sandwiches from Subs-Conscious, watched Seinfeld, bought some 40′s, and drank some more.
Then, Yankee Stadium came next, enjoyed watching the game on some flat-panels, and met with some buddies after the game, after Paul and I barhopped around the Bronx.
For the third time, we went into an Applebee’s and took advantage of yet another Happy Hour. Ended the night around 1:30, and now I’m recapping. Classes tomorrow at 8.
I don’t recall drinking this much during one day in a while. I loved every minute of my “day off.” I also heard this song on every radio station and at every bar…
So, about 50 times.
On the agenda:
1. Classes, appointments, and picnic M-F
2. Heading to Long Beach Island on Friday to capture the storm and to report–I’ll be compiling an audio/photo slideshow.
3. Taking Steph out to a Yankees game next week.
4. Planning my trip for my big bro’s wedding, October 3! Can’t wait to be back in Cali!
5. Thankful for a beautiful day, and to many more this fall!
And good night!
Flickr II
Here is a second set of photos. There are only a few :-/ I wasn’t as productive today. I love that cathedral, though!
Flickr
Really enjoyed reading this New Yorker article this morning. I think it humanizes New Yorkers.
Apologia
by Jeffrey FrankI was glad to be offered the apology—and about time, too—but I was far from ready to accept it. Not that it was a bad apology, but it never quite rose to the level I’d expected, and so I declined. Then, a day or two later, the apology was resubmitted and I was asked again if I would accept. Perhaps, I said, but not in that form.
As a matter of principle, I find it hard to accept an apology that is tendered too quickly. What is the apologist saying by acting with such haste, and what am I, by accepting the apology, saying about myself? It’s possible to demean oneself by sinking to the level of those who promiscuously accept any sort of apology. Also, in doing so, would I be veering dangerously close to forgiveness?
Read more http://www.newyorker.com/humor/2010/08/30/100830sh_shouts_frank#ixzz0xv2GEqEJ
Listening to REM:
My First Assignment Sucked.
I got my ass handed to me on my first assignment.
I admit–it was a horrible–no, TERRIBLE–piece of journalism. Having not written or studied in months, I yielded a bad story with tons of grammatical errors.
Suffice it to say, I have never seen so many red corrections in my life. LoL, back to the drawing board. Currently rewriting, when I could be watching America’s most-celebrated TV show: The Jersey Shore.
In lieu of anything thoughtful or meaningful, here is a picture I took on the sixth floor of the J-School:
The school's getting ready for the arrival of lots of undergrads.
Smile.
One of my subjects turned the camera on me. We couldn’t find the right manual settings, so it’s a bit blurry. :-/.
Cheese.
Best shot we could pull off. 96th Street.
I’m going to work on resizing these pictures to make them smaller. This was my first day with the camera, okay!
