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ATL Idol: Week 2, Head-to-Head Round (Part 1)

Wednesday, August 6, 2008 1:52 PM - By David Lat

Welcome to the first half of this week’s “head-to-head” round in ATL Idol, the reality-TV-style talent search for Above the Law’s new editor. The second half of the head-to-head round will published later this afternoon.

To refresh your recollection, here’s how this round will work:

ATL Idol Above the Law Idol AboveTheLaw Idol smaller.jpgThe head-to-head round is designed to serve as a test of pure writing ability. We’ll publish the contestants’ different takes on two similar stories. Two ATL Idols were randomly assigned one story, and two were randomly assigned another.

The head-to-head round is designed to show how the bloggers write up the same or similar stories, to eliminate any advantage from story selection. Story selection is an important skill for bloggers, but it’s one that the contestants have demonstrated in their features and freestyle posts.

Just like last week, this round will be reviewed by ATL’s panel of celebrity judges: Ann Althouse, Tom Goldstein, and Dahlia Lithwick.

Check out the first half of the head-to-head round, in which MARIN and ALEX write about the same story, after the jump.

Here are the takes of MARIN and ALEX on the same story, marked with each contestant’s avatar (at the top of each submission). We gave them this link:

Making Federal Case of Stolen Water Cooler [Chicago Sun-Times]

And a length limit of 300 words. Here’s what they came up with (presentation order determined by coin flip):

avatar Marin small ATL Idol.jpgU.S. MARSHALS AND THE MYSTERIOUS WATER COOLER CAPER

By MARIN

In today’s crimeless society, U.S. Marshals spend their days practicing their Wii gunslinging skills and re-watching The Fugitive. But a recent crime has snatched the Marshals from their slumber and challenged their manhunt expertise to the very core.

US Marshals.jpgLast week, a water cooler and two refill jugs were stolen from the 15th floor of a Chicago federal courthouse. Parched and panicked 15th floor workers immediately notified the Marshal Service of the theft. The heist was nearly flawless - the federal court location remote and unwatched, the thieves themselves untraceable except for the fact that they worked in the building. Only by watching routine surveillance footage did the Marshals identify the looters as contract workers and pinpoint the exact location of the abducted cooler on the 29th floor. No word yet on the brand of water.

The three bandits were charged with stealing or purloining government property, a misdemeanor, and will likely be executed.


avatar Alex ATL Idol.jpgTHIEVES CAUGHT WET HANDED

By ALEX

Federal courthouse employees, who were undoubtedly gathering to discuss reruns of Everybody Loves Raymond, were shocked to discover that the water cooler on the 15th floor of their Chicago building was missing last week. Oh no. The employees quickly notified the, um, U.S. Marshal Service, launching a building-wide search that culminated in three arrests.

“Three men doing contract work in the downtown federal courthouse were charged with theft late last week after they allegedly helped themselves to a water cooler and two large refill jugs, taking them from the 15th floor to their work area on the 29th.”

water cooler watercooler.jpgThe U.S. Marshal Service used fancy surveillance footage to identify the culprits, Russell Kozbiel, Greg Ingersoll, and his brother, Jeffrey. The criminal masterminds had used a freight elevator to transport the stolen water cooler, and one of them had attempted (unsuccessfully) to block a security camera during the heist.

Authorities have not yet released the race, national origin, religion, or breast size of the individuals involved. Apparently, the story is newsworthy regardless.

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Posted in: ATL Idol, Blogging, Contests, Crime, Weirdness

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