This Is Online

May is Not the Cruelest Month

Issue #3 of This is Online features our first hypertext on the Joomla platform. Kelley Ryan takes a look at writing in three contexts in My Writing Life.

But the entire issue is just as engaging.

• Mike Chambers reviews the Lakeside Food Court.
• Lilly Igbokwe's completes her her SF series with The Pulp and New Wave Era.
• Sarah Dahlheimer goes back online to buy a tent for summer.
• Annie Sinotte takes a look at men's rights.

This semester's use of Joomla as a CMS for ENGL 4169: Web Content Writing to publish TIO has been pretty successful. There may be a special issue in summer or fall, but we'll be back with new writers in the spring of 2013.

Have a good summer.

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by Kelley Ryan

What it Looked Like in the Beginning

My mother raised three readers.

Each night she read out loud to us even after we were able to read to ourselves. She carefully selected books that the youngest could comprehend and yet were interesting to me as the oldest. She regularly tucked us into bed despite ardent protests and pleas to read just one more chapter. Once in a rare while she caved.

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Time for Men's Rights

A group of Democratic legislators have mounted a campaign to change the serious imbalance of bills regarding men's reproductive rights. Because I love men I need to spread the word that they have been unjustly discriminated against for decades. It's time the subject of men's reproductive health join the political arena. In the first four months of 2012 over 430 reproductive related bills have been introduced in states throughout the country - and only one of those 430 is on behalf of men's reproductive health.

By Lilly Igbokwe

The semester is drawing to an end and this with be my last article for this website. It's been fun blabbering on about a subject that I find interesting. I hope you've enjoyed these articles as much as I did writing them.

The Pulp Era

The Pulp Era of Science Fiction spanned from 1896 to the 1930's.  Pulp fiction magazines did not limit themselves to science fiction. Crime stories, fantasy, adventure, harlequin romances, and horror could be found among their ranks. Printed on cheap paper and costing 10 cents each, they entertained many who had a small budget, especially during war times. Due to deadlines and the need for material and many of the stories were quickly written and, at times, poorly. Because of the low quality, Science Fiction was looked down upon by traditional literary writers. Also the writers' lack of scientific knowledge affected the creditability of the stories.

By Mike Chambers

There's a shortage of restaurants in Bemidji.  I've reviewed them all, and fear that I will be let go as regional food critic once I review them all.  In a last ditch effort, I followed a tip and dined at what is known as the Lakeside Food Court -- an odd name for a restaurant, but a fitting one.  The name is akin to the Uptown Cafeteria.

by Sarah Dahlheimer

What Item?

Sunshine, wood smoke, and a mucky lake puts me in paradise.

Problem: after my twin sister 'borrowed' my easy up tent, the zipper doesn't work. Without a good zipper, mosquitoes and rain make it unbearable. Not to mention other critters like spiders and snakes that might creep or slither inside at 3 a.m. and this can keep a person awake imagining the worse.

So I needed a new tent.

Besides there were other signs that years of use showed upon that poor tent. Holes peppered the grey tarp floor from overlooked twigs that stabbed through during camp nights. Missing steaks, snapped strings from the rain flap, and the poles never wanted to stay put together which the first time the tent falls down is funny but the next few times...

I just wanted another easy-up style tent. One that you could put up in less than a few minutes just so you could get on with the more important things of setting up camp--like where to put your camp chair first, by the lake or fire? And of course, it needed to be waterproof.

The Just-In-Time-for-Spring Issue

The BSU Student Scholarship & Creative Achievement Conference has come and gone. But we're still here with This Issue #2 of TIO.

In This Issue

• Mike Chambers on trending
• Lilly Igbokwe's second installment of her SF series
• Sarah Dahlheimer takes a week off texting and lives to tell.
• Annie Sinotte on what we eat
• Kelly Ryan on slime that isn't food as we know it
• and Eric Christenson gets his headphones on

Read on.

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By Eric Christenson

Does anyone actually listen to the lyrics in pop music anymore? I did.

It seems like lately all a pop hit needs to include is a good beat and lyrics about partying. But a closer look reveals that the best of the best actually have real meaning. Messages like "have lots of sex" and "Katy Perry could totally join the Marines." What are some of today's hits trying to tell us?