flying back again

It's amazing how this work comes from procrastinating on the dissertation. So I've just slobbed out for twenty minutes to have a smoke and a quick game of poker, when I remembered something. The other night when I was slacking and playing poker I found this website that says it'll watch you play and if you're good enough: sponsor you. It all sounds a bit suss right (?) but it turns out it's run by ex England cricketer Ed Giddens.

So I've just sent him this email:

(Oh yeah, and the site is called Geoff, I think it's like Dave on TV)

About Geoff Basically‏
From: Tim Horner (t********@hotmail.com)
Sent: 24 April 2008 00:13:20
To: ed@geoff.cc
Hello Ed,

I was checking my stats on SharkScope and stumbled upon your ad. This seems pretty interesting, I thought to myself and what not.

My name is Tim Horner and I'm a third year Journalism student at University College Falmouth. I also happen to have a massive interest in poker, writing, and writing about poker. (I'm currently having a quick Sit & Go break from my dissertation - which happens to be on poker.)

I've set up an account on Betfair under the alias 'Angry Youth' if you fancy keeping an eye on my form. I've been playing a bit on Full Tilt and it's a completely different kettle of (excuse the pun) fish.

If you could provide me with some information on your company, what and how you work... I'm sure I could come up with a real good article for those who play poker (young men...), I have contacts at Poker Player and Front who would considering running it.

Look forward to hearing from you,

Tim Horner

Angry Youth

So that's another option. Back to the diss.

flying visit

Sorry, can't stop. Got too much of the madness and mêlée of trying to finish a dissertation in a week to be hanging round here too long.

The Onion: is a great fictional online newspaper (they've also started doing broadcast stuff on youtube) The Onion. I'm going to write a few newsy/comedy pieces in their style, considering their audience.

I thought of a few ideas and I think this will work.

Area Man 1-0 Crushing Banality of College Work

response

That was quick. Auto-reply, I assume. Here's their response:

Reply from Polish Express Newspaper‏
From: Polish Express (redakcja@polishexpress.co.uk)
You may not know this sender.Mark as safe|Mark as unsafe
Sent: 07 April 2008 14:27:55
To: t******@hotmail.co.uk

Dziekujemy za kontakt z redakcja tygodnika Polish Express. Dolozymy staran, aby skontaktowac sie z Panstwem mozliwie szybko. W przypadku spraw pilnych prosimy o kontakt telefoniczny pod numerem: +44 (0) 208 96 444 88 wew 480 Osoby zainteresowane praca w naszym wydawnictwie, zapraszamy na www.polishexpress.co.uk/praca Informacje o praktykach dostepne sa na www.polishexpress.co.uk/praktyki Aby zareklamowac dzialalnosc uslugowa odwiedz www.polishexpress.co.uk/reklama, aby zamiescic ogloszenie drobne www.polishexpress.co.uk/drobne Tygodnik Polish Express jest dostepny w prenumeracie, ktora mozna zamowic na www.polishexpress.co.uk/prenumerata Pozdrawiamy,Redakcja Polish Express ....Thank you for contacting Polish Express, the biggest Polish newspaper in the United Kingdom. We will try to reply as soon as possible. If this is urgent matter please call us on +44 (0) 208 96 444 88 ext 480In meantime you are welcome to visit our website www.polishexpress.co.uk

I await a response from a human.

feature idea #7983274

Well the lazy lay isn't really going on at the minute. I think the pressure of dissertating every waking (non hungover) moment is getting to me. It's not going to be much better after the deadline, what with having to write up my Neg Port stories and all the P.R. work. But I digress...

I've got a new idea that seems pretty sharp. I have a friend/contact who works (and did teacher training) at Truro College. The angle is that she is Polish. (Very contemporary issue eh?) I'm thinking of interviewing her about the job, how she got into the job and about career opportunities in education; with the intent of pitching it to the Polish Express.

I've emailed the Polish Express with the idea:

editorial enquiry‏
From: Tim Horner (t*****@hotmail.co.uk)
Sent: 07 April 2008 14:27:50
To: redakcja@fortismediauk.com

Hello,

My name is Tim Horner and I am studying BA Journalism at University College Falmouth. I am currently undertaking a project in which we approach publications and pitch story ideas.

I have a contact who moved to the UK from Poland a few years ago and has found employment in the education sector, teaching A Level students at Truro College. I am considering writing a feature on her and how she got into the teacher training course as well as the pros and cons of teaching hormone fuelled teenagers.

Having only seen your newspaper via the website, could you tell me what sort of length (in terms of word count) a feature like this would be?

Also, I feel I should add that I should be able to have it translated into Polish.

Kind regards,

Tim Horner

Like so. I think it'd be a really interesting article whether they go with it or not. As shown in the email, I'm not too sure about the word count, but I think I can easily get a thousand words out of it, plus some photos for a good layout.

Long time no post...

Or at least it feels that way. Just a quickie tonight thanks. I just thought I'd mention that I'm meeting a couch surfer (Couch Surfing site) in a few weeks time, so I'm gonna pick his brain on the subject. I'm also going to email some of the founders of the site and maybe next time I go over to Newquay I'll try and catch a couch and meet some more interesting people. That's what the site seems to be all about.

Just not too sure as to what publication to aim it for. Any suggestions?