TopFinds: The DigitalJournal.com Week in Review

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- Download this podcast! (Right click and Save) - Subscribe through iTunes - Podcast RSS Digital Journal — This week gave us everything from global warming debates to Paris Hilton dishing out enemas to robots gone human. Find out what stories are worth repeating and which DigitalJournal.com writers win the TopFinds Awards in another round-up of the best posts from our community of citizen journalists. Celebrity news took the spotlight for a good part of the week, but I’m not just talking about the never-ending story of paternity tests to find the father of Anna Nicole Smith’s daughter. We were treated to a decent range of star-studded articles: HockeyGirl reported on the fire destroying Johnny Cash’s long-time home; speaking of deceased celebrities, wiccania broke the news on the death of renown author Kurt Vonnegut (who we profiled in an issue of Digital Journal Magazine); self-proclaimed “defender of Paris Hilton” shoyu let us know that The Simple Life star will administer enemas to the bums of campers in an upcoming season (wow, that’s a desperate ratings grab); and mirrorwarp credits the movie Borat for helping Kazakhstan land a massive loan from the World Bank. Very nice! In more news-you-can-use, DigitalJournal.com was treated to a flurry of health articles, most notably museinspiredart’s intriguing article on an underground market for raw milk. Writing one of the best introductions to any piece this week, muse educated us on a black market in Brooklyn focusing on raw milk, which has sickened 451 people so far. And gohomelaker posted some bad news for cancer-stick lovers: Study Finds That Those Addicted to Smoking Are Born to Stay Hooked. Looks like the genetic makeup of smokers keep them reaching for the pack, although the study should be suspect since it was partly funded by cig maker Philip Morris. Nevertheless, it’s interesting to argue whether people are born with addictive personalities, which some scientists say is pure bunk. On the topic of arguments, one of the most heated discussions this week was sparked by GotTheScoop’s excellent op-ed on racial slurs in rap music. From blunt statements by alia7368 to squidny to boss Hogg, the thread explored whether hip-hop stars speak on the behalf of the African-American community. Don Imus and the ensuing media circus might be interesting to some readers, but the passionate discussion that followed gave us a peek into what DJ writers think about this controversial issue. Amidst all these relevant social issues, it’s easy to forget the sci-tech news pouring onto the site. Including eye-popping embedded photos, muse tipped us off to Robocop-type armour created by the Pentagon. Too bad the U.S. government didn’t design some kind of digital armour to protect us from the growing annoyance of spam, which Caydel told us will increase to seven messages per Earthling. Spam might remind Planet Janet of a Monty Python sketch, but all I can think of is Viagra, mortgage rates and Nigerian princesses “requesting my partnership.” And kudos to cgull for taking advantage of both photos and video in the post about realistic robots that can jump, walk and catch balls. While these are baby steps in robotics, as the creators say, it’s only a matter of time until bots are serving us coffee, walking our dogs and massaging our backs. Actually, scratch the last one, that’d be pretty cold. Ethical questions won a place in TopFinds, courtesy of malan’s Should Churches Forgive Child Molesters and Let Them Join? It was riveting to learn what DJ vets like Picasso and Scoop thought about this contentious issue, which gave newbies a good idea of where certain writers stand on religious topics. Let the debating begin! In one of the more attention-grabbing headlines of the week, Leah posted the title You Need to Have More Sex. Doesn’t everyone? Well, according to an Egyptian sex therapist, gettin’ it on should be the spice of life. It’s newsworthy to find out about a sex promoter in one of the world’s most restrictive societies, which should give hope to Chinese swinging clubs. As always, we present you with the weekly TopFinds Awards for the citizen journalists who truly stood out these past seven days. Every week, a freshman user to the site makes us sit up and take notice. Winning the New DJ Member of the Week Award is Michael J Wagner, a name that should stick out simply for being so...driver's license. He made a name for himself with his debut post, 17,200 Scientists Dispute Global Warming, displaying a penchant for in-depth research and impressive journalistic skills. Since that article, he’s been known to write on politics with a unique slant: he name-drops congressman and presidential candidate Ron Paul into almost every article (examples here and here). Hmm, Michael knows his politics but is that possible because he’s working for a presidential hopeful? History is being made today on DigitalJournal.com — for the second week in a row, the first time this has happened, Carpenter S. Newton wins the TopJournalism Award for another expansive article that goes beyond our expectations. He researched the mystery behind the disappearance of Ohio resident Brian Shaffer, penning a 1,500-worder that could’ve made the front page of any national paper. Also worth noting is the emotional responses from the DJ community, including a powerful message from Brian’s girlfriend (courtesy of Chris) that said “I can’t really put into words how much I appreciate you taking so much time to put it together!” We second that motion. There’s a P.S. to Carpenter’s week of distinction — he also likes to flash some humour when he can, as we saw in his open letter to Vonage. Like any valuable journalist, Carpenter shows his range by writing a local story one day and then morphing into a cheeky columnist the next day. What’s next, a Carpenter exclusive with Barack Obama? This week also saw another DJ online chat party (lasting almost five hours by the time the room had cleared). Gohomelaker decided this week's theme should be a masquerade in which users should come guised as their fave alcoholic drink. The conversation was lively with many people joining in, and special recognition goes out to Sheba for staying "in costume" and not revealing her true identity until the very end. I heard you drove Hogg man wild trying to guess :) Finally, we're at a loss what award category to slot wolfman2001's powerful entry on how suicide touched his life. Dripping with honesty and personal reflection, the story shows how this citizen journalism community is giving writers courage to shake the skeletons out of their closets. And so we wrap up another exciting and discussion-filled week at DigitalJournal.com, where you never know what good find will welcome you morning, noon or night.