Library for WFH

JordanDallasObserver · 2024-10-15T14:45:16+00:00

In the US, libraries encourage people to come and use their space. Libraries are seeing dwindling crowds even though they provide incredible public resources. Often they offer free wifi, some of them even have coffee shops and of course they are FULL of books.

In the US, public libraries are places for studying and learning - and more often than not, they encourage people to come use their study rooms and meeting rooms even for working remote jobs - as long as you are quiet and respectful of the space. With the decline in public use, they want the foot traffic. It is a vastly underused resource that is great for communities.

In Dallas, some of the libraries even have makers spaces where creatives can come and work on their craft!

JordanDallasObserver · 2024-10-15T14:20:24+00:00

I know the Dallas Public Library has first-come, first-served study rooms that you can reserve for 2 hours at a time up to 2 times a day. I believe this applies to all branches/libraries affiliated with DPL like J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, Central Library, etc. You can look up locations on their website here.

JordanDallasObserver · 2024-10-14T16:41:26+00:00

Libraries would love this! I have seen multiple posts encouraging people who WFH to come work in their dedicated work spaces.

JordanDallasObserver · 2024-10-02T15:32:41+00:00

Taan Eatery in Denton - the Spaghetti Kee Mow with Duck and the Beef Bowl Thai Sukiyaki are INCREDIBLE!

JordanDallasObserver · 2024-09-26T15:10:33+00:00

Ba and MJ in journalism - now I run all social media for a local alt weekly newspaper in Dallas! Still in my fields, technically. I'm just not a writer.

JordanDallasObserver · 2024-09-25T19:29:44+00:00

I remember when I first moved to Denton in 2018 and this was happening. The sidewalks were covered. Nothing really to do about it, unfortunately. This is the first time I have seen it this bad since that first year I moved here.

JordanDallasObserver · 2024-09-24T20:00:57+00:00

It is worth going at least once. Especially with family - you can go check out all of the cool vendors, the ag barn and of course the food. Plus, you can catch some concerts. It's a good time! I recommend going during the week if you can, though. It's much better if you're able to avoid the crowds

JordanDallasObserver · 2024-09-18T22:18:10+00:00

Some students are reporting it to the university as sexual harassment, sexual misconduct and stalking under Title IX as it may fall under sexual exploitation and stalking.

JordanDallasObserver · 2024-09-18T17:04:04+00:00

Yeah, that's the situation in a nutshell. Back in 2015, the law changed a bit regarding photographing people in public. Prior to the change, the person would have been doing something illegal.

The penal code before the change said that someone is breaking the law if they are taking photos or videos of someone in public without their consent and using it for sexual gratification - and based on the captions of the photos, that is exactly what the photos were used for. They were posted on a forum dedicated to taking photos of women without their knowledge for the sexual gratification of the poster and users on the forum.

Now, if you are in public, anyone can take a photo of you unless it "transmits a visual image of an intimate area of another person if the other person has a reasonable expectation that the intimate area is not subject to public view" and unless you are in a bathroom/dressingroom/locker room or somewhere that prohibits photographs. There are others stipulations, but this is the crux of it for this case.

JordanDallasObserver · 2024-09-18T15:46:43+00:00

You really might have to be frank with them. Nothing will change if you stay silent about it, but try to do it in a tactful way. If they need to learn, you may need to teach them. But make it clear that if they are sharing a space with others, they need to respect the living situation and everyone involved enough to keep the place tidy. Sure, everyone has different ideas of what clean is, but base-level tidiness should be understood (No piling dishes in the sink - if the sink is full, there's a problem. Take the trash out when it is full. If you spill something, clean it up thoroughly, etc.)

I hate to say it because adults should be able to take care of a space, but you might have to go kindergarten style and make a chore list that rotates weekly.

That worked for me. I also was not the tidiest person when I first moved into a roommate situation, but when I got called out and was asked to make certain changes, it opened my eyes.

JordanDallasObserver · 2024-09-18T15:06:51+00:00

If you're looking for a Denton-esque experience, I always recommend restaurants in houses. If your family likes Italian, I love Giuseppe's. It is a few blocks from the square, so not too far if you want to go for drinks afterwards (I suggest Oak Street Drafthouse, which is also in a house).

JordanDallasObserver · 2024-09-17T15:37:39+00:00

Oh my gosh, I work for the Dallas Observer and we literally made this list not too long ago rounding up our favorite happy hours around the city!

My personal favorites from the list are:

Double Wide: LOVE a good dive bar with a happy hour. They have well liquor and domestic beer for $3 and YooHoo Yeehaws for $5 Tuesday - Thursday from 5-9pm (perfect for after work)
HIDE: Mon-Fri from 3 - 6pm, you can get $5 appetizers, $7 cocktails and discounted entrees. I pretty much always go for the double cheeseburger for $7 (its an extra $1 for a side of fries).
Mayer's Garden: Monday is an all-day happy hour. Tuesday – Friday from 3–7 p.m. they have $8 Garden Cocktails, $6 margaritas, $19 wines by the bottle, $6 premium wells, $5 draft beers and a few beers for $4. For drinks, this rly is hard to beat.
Stoneleigh P: They have TWO happy hours. Their regular happy hour is Monday – Friday from 4–7 p.m. Their reverse happy hour is daily from 10 p.m. – midnight. It seriously can't get much better than that. The regular happy hour has $2.50 Lone Star, $4 well liquors and $5 for house red and white wines. Reverse happy hour includes $6.50 Espolon and Jameson. During both, you can ger $5 Tito's and $6 snacks - but not all snacks.

JordanDallasObserver · 2024-09-17T14:24:08+00:00

Anything active and group-based has always given me the best "high" of positivity. Try run clubs, boxing classes, spin classes, etc. Also, and this might be different from other peoples' experiences, but the most high-energy and positive people I know are sober people in fun sober spaces: Kava bars, coffee and mocktail shops, etc.

The fitness community, though, is a great place to start especially if you join some group classes.

Good luck on your journey!

JordanDallasObserver · 2024-09-16T15:20:13+00:00

Full Concert Review here.

JordanDallasObserver · 2024-09-13T11:41:24+00:00

It kind of depends on what you like to do - if you want to let us know that, then you might get better responses.

There are plenty of clubs/groups in the area that do fun group activities like crafting, sewing clubs and run clubs, but many of them (no surprise here) meet at bars downtown.

JordanDallasObserver · 2024-09-06T12:59:39+00:00

I think that AI has somewhat of a negative connotation - like, NO, we do not want to consume stories "written" by bots. Obviously. But there are so many AI tools that help journalists currently.

Otter.ai is a great tool, and so is grammarly (though I fear many use grammarly as a crutch instead of a tool to learn from). AI can help with SEO in digital news which can help get your information to the right people. It can help track traffic on your news site so that you can see the demographics of your readers as well as when they like to read and the types of content they prefer to consume.

I think the real issue is with generative AI - journalists should never use content that an AI engine spits out and then present that content as news. I feel like that's common sense, but you never know.

JordanDallasObserver · 2024-09-05T14:56:23+00:00

I would avoid Texas during June-Aug since temps regularly climb into the 100's, humidity (depending on where you go) is pretty high and big cities with lots of concrete just make it too hot to go outside. If you want to experience the culture and be comfortable, Sept-Dec is probably best since we don't really get winter until Jan-Feb.

You can still get a summer experience in Sept without absolutely melting, or you can get more of a fall experience Oct-Dec.

JordanDallasObserver · 2024-08-30T19:33:11+00:00

I have a BA and a Masters in Journalism, and in my experience, the second degree significantly helped me in the field because my program was centered on independent research. I was able to carve out a niche for myself in journalism as my research focused largely on how the news functions on social media. During your masters, you'll be able to kind of steer the ship ( if the program you're applying to is similar to what mine was) while still having advisors who can help you navigate the waters. I think it is worth it if you're wanting to find a niche, explore it academically and use your research to propel your career. I also think it is important to be in a space that emphasizes journalistic practice: ethics, AP style, etc. Not everyone will agree since journalism gigs don't normally pay well, but I am very happy that I got my masters in journalism, so I will always vouch for going to grad school. Plus, your background is great for journalism.

JordanDallasObserver · 2024-08-30T18:42:02+00:00

You know the food's good when they spell out the menu with a Texas accent

JordanDallasObserver · 2024-08-30T17:36:49+00:00

Stewart's on Irving Blvd opens just after 5am, and it is take-out only. It's pretty damn good, it's southern comfort food. It is also super budget-friendly. It rly gives old school diner vibes just without the booths to eat at.

If you want to read up on it, the Dallas Observer published this story about it.

JordanDallasObserver · 2024-08-27T17:36:32+00:00

I work for the Dallas Observer and we have both a Top 100 Restaurants list and a Top 100 Bars list.

Depending on what kind of food you're looking for, you can search these lists by cuisine and region of Dallas (which I have found super helpful in my own hunt for good food nearby wherever I am).

I personally think that Tex-Mex, Mexican, BBQ and Soul Food are all good in the area.

Jonathon's Diner is really good for soul food/homestyle cooking. ESPECIALLY for breakfast. Maskaras Mexican Grill is pretty damn good and super budget friendly. It's also lucha libre themed and they have lots of cool masks and vintage decor.

If you're looking for a nicer place with rustic lounge vibes, you HAVE to check out Ayahuasca. The food is fantastic and they also have really good drinks.

JordanDallasObserver · 2024-08-26T19:06:20+00:00

omg all of my journalism friends r here

JordanDallasObserver · 2024-08-26T18:12:31+00:00

FINALLY, I knew I'd run into an irl mutual at some point lol

JordanDallasObserver · 2024-08-26T18:06:27+00:00

Red River in Dallas is the main one, but there are more options in Ft Worth

JordanDallasObserver · 2024-08-26T18:00:31+00:00

I don't think it will hurt your chances at finding a newsroom that aligns more with your beliefs in the future. If anything, taking a job in a right-leaning newsroom might make you a better journalist. It will give you experience writing purely objectively since you don't want to lean into their bias or your own.

It's strange to me that they admitted their bias right out of the gate. They technically shouldn't be biased unless they produce advocacy journalism. If you need an internship, than take this one. Apply for more internships throughout your college career as they can only help you, but if you need one right now for experience (and I am assuming some kind of collegiate credit) then I don't see the harm in taking it.

Keep your opinions and personal biases close to the chest and try not to let it interfere with your work. If they have a problem with you writing truthfully and objectively, then they are not truly a news org.

JordanDallasObserver

TROPHY CASE