There must be something wrong when a United States Senator, who has the power to vote on a piece of legislation to address an issue, turns to the Internet and asks constituents to sign an online petition urging action on the very issue at hand in the legislation.
Thanks, Mark Udall.
I really tried to not hate the Yankees this year.
That task seems to run counter to the inclinations of most American sports fans born and raised outside the Empire State... but I truly gave it my best effort.
Somewhere around the top of the eighth inning, as Mariano Rivera trotted out to the mound and there was absolutely no question that New York would secure its 27th championship, something happened.
I wouldn't call it anger or rage; I've seen enough of that from other sports fans (and heck, even just people who instinctively know they're *supposed* to hate the Yankees).
I went as far as to call out my fellow fans for laying on the hate a little too thick on the Bronx Bombers; I somehow rationalized that being a Yankees fan could be a contrarian's delight, almost punk in a way.
No, when my better beliefs kicked back in, I didn't hate the Yankees again out of anger — the sight of the 2009 New York Yankees winning it all brought with me a profound sense of sadness.
Despite despising anything in pinstripes for much of my sports-conscious existence (and before you ask, the only thing in baseball I hate more than the Yankees are the Red Sox), it still seems so wrong that the old Yankees Stadium is not the home of the New York Yankees. To me, the old Monument Park seemed like the most hallowed ground in the holiest site in all of sport; I can't imagine how much reverence the true Yankee diehards have for it.
They're demolishing The House That Ruth Built; it seems so wrong, but the prospect sits a little easier in the hearts and minds of those who care now that the highest-paid team in all of professional sport has christened its inaugural season in the new stadium with a championship.
I'd be a little less bitter if they had to wait for it; to work and play in a place with no history for another season or two before they inevitably got the formula perfect and conquered the Fall Classic.
This was too perfect.
They already held onto the "core four" of Posada, Pettite, Jeter and Rivera. The hip didn't hold A-Rod back. They added A.J. Burnett, C.C. Sabathia and Mark Teixeira to this stacked lineup.
Was this fate's way of making up the loss to Arizona back in 2001? The 37-year-old Pettitte getting the victory in the new stadium as Rivera closes out yet another big game?
The only way it could have been better would be the presence of one George Steinbrenner; at least then we would not be subject to player after player after player repeating the talking point: "We won this for the boss."
As Ozzie Guillen would say, "Pssh, please."
Every last person in the Yankee organization who wears a jersey to work can rest a little easier this offseason knowing they can point to this championship as proof (legitimate or not) they earned their paychecks.
Maybe they're a little afraid that the big paychecks will stop once "the boss" is out of the picture, but for now there's no indication that Steinbrenner the Younger will deviate at all from the style and method of ownership set forward by Steinbrenner the Elder.
No.... A-Rod, Jeter and the other veterans who have been on the roster for a few years have to be happy they finally went out and secured a title despite having the best team on paper for the better part of a decade.
And let me be clear: This has nothing to do with Yankee fans. Many others will deride the New York fan (be they Yankees, Mets, Ranger, Giants, Jets, Knicks or otherwise), but they're OK in my book. At the very least, the New York fan is the most entertaining of all. At least they're not Sox fans (Can you honestly say you hate the "Evil Empire" more than the myriad idiots who lay claim to citizenship in "Red Sox Nation" these days now that the "lovable losers" have two World Series titles in the past five years?).
No, my beef is with the sense of history lost in all of this and how easy it will be for so many to forget the way things were. And until the game institutes a salary cap, nothing will stop the insane spending that allows this all-too-perfect scenario from happening. The Yankees don't need anymore storybook endings; 26 world championship trophies in the bag is plenty. I know 27 was inevitable, but damn it, I wanted them to have to wait for it and remember they were playing in a place with no soul and no history for a year or two before they started chanting Sinatra in the streets while drunk on victory.
The only solace I find now consists of the following:
• There's always next year.
• The best team on paper still can't guarantee a championship year in, year out.
• I can quickly put all thoughts of baseball away for the next three or four months and go back to hating the Raiders on a full-time basis.
UPDATE: One of my favorite sportswriters, Joe Posnanski, says there's no way to define what happened other than "it was just their year."
UPDATE #2: Notice how I didn't pick on Joe Girardi. That's because he's a good guy.
It's "empty suit."
At this point, I think most people have developed an opinion on the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize being awarded to Barack Obama. I've got my own, but I don't think that's what important to mention.
Whether he deserved the award or not (as many have argued), that's inconsequential.
What does matter is how individuals have used their power within the media or their own political circles to bash the president for this turn of events.
Now, if it turns out President Obama lobbied as hard for this award as he did for Chicago to host the 2016 Summer Olympics, there'd be plenty of criticism to levy at his feet. But that has yet to be proven, nor is there any indication as to whether there's an ounce of truth to that suggestion.
I'm much more concerned about the bashing of Obama because a committee of foreign interests deciding that he should receive this honor. Let's turn the focus to the Nobel committee if we must, but even then it's widely known that they have made some dubious choices for their peace laureates over the years.
I'm all for debating the job Obama has done as President thus far, but it seems a bit ridiculous to use "He doesn't deserve a Nobel Peace Prize" as an indictment of his work overall; only two other sitting U.S. presidents (Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson) have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and only one other person to serve as President (Jimmy Carter) has received the honor outside of his time in office.
And since you've stayed with me to this point, I'll let you know how I feel: Obama is making the right decision to donate the prize money to charity. It might have been an even better decision to decline the honor outright, as there are MANY deserving people in the world (like Hu Jia).
What in God's name were you thinking?
So how do you follow that up?
A. Release an "apology" in which you express regret for the people who got offended without doing the two things you should have done, which are (1) say you were wrong and (2) say you are sorry.
B. Have your employers also accept culpability for your idiocy.
C. Make flippant remarks while being interviewed about your idiocy.
D. Continue to be employed as a professional writer.
E. All of the above.
(By the way, a busy Labor Day schedule at a newspaper is why you see dangling participles and misspelled words in your print edition; that's no excuse for running a horrific piece of words jumbled together that makes light of quite possibly the worst thing short of death I can think of happening to a young woman like Jaycee Dugard.)
If you watched or read enough news today to be properly informed on the happenings of the day, you likely saw coverage of the conservative and libertarian tea parties in the nation's capital and other cities across the country.
Today happens to be Sept. 12, the namesake of the 9-12 Project -- an effort fronted by Fox News commentator Glenn Beck -- whose members range from the basic anti-Obama crowd to the populist "vote out the incumbents" movement that is ready for 100-percent turnover in Congress based on issues such as the stimulus bills, the auto bailouts, et al.
But at the heart of the project are the nine principles and 12 values used as a framework for moving forward. The values? Honesty, reverence, hope, thrift, humility, charity, sincerity, moderation, hard work, courage, personal responsibility and friendship (Note that civility is not one of them; I'm looking at you, Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina).
You can read the entire manifesto on the project's web site. My issue isn't with what they're putting in words for the public; I have an issue with the invisible subtext they're playing with here.
Take this passage, for example:
"The 9-12 Project is designed to bring us all back to the place we were on Sept. 12, 2001. The day after America was attacked we were not obsessed with Red States, Blue States or political parties. We were united as Americans, standing together to protect the values and principles of the greatest nation ever created."
Was it really all the way back in February that I wrote about becoming a twittering nabob of negativity? Well, almost 2,500 tweets later, I've realized that the blog is in need of a comeback, and here it is.
The design has drastically changed, and it likely will continue to do so until I'm satisfied with all the possibilities. Please to enjoy the new Digg widget and updated Twitter widget in the far-right column (I lovingly refer to it as "Glenn Becktria").
If there's anything you thing should be added to Sliced Bread (or if you want to tell me to shut the hell up about whatever I'm rambling on about), just e-mail or tweet me.
I discovered this video by way of Logan Adams' "Good To Be in N.D." blog.... Makes me want to take a road trip:
Passing along this blurb from the folks at Buckley AFB here in Aurora:
The 566 Intelligence Squadron will be holding a Change of Command ceremony at the Learning Development Center, Bldg 1032, on Buckley Air Force Base 30 June at 1000.
Lt Col Jonathan Snowden will relinquish command after two years to Lt Col David Scanlon, currently the Chief of Special Technical Operations for US Pacific Command’s Standing Joint Force Headquarters, Camp Smith, Hawaii.
Lt Col Snowden is scheduled to report as Deputy Commander of the 692nd Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group, Hickam AFB, Hawaii.
In case you missed it, the "Tonight Show" torch has been passed from Jay Leno to Conan O'Brien, and while there will be plenty of episodes to follow for me to evaluate the status of NBC's top late-night offering, I'm compelled to break down the first offering from the comedy mind of Conan since his "Late Night" gig ended in February. WARNING: I will be using words such as "California-ish" and "Oprah-esque," and I'll also be referencing The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians. Hide your children and tread lightly. Here be dragons.
OPENING BIT: I'm very glad they started getting the "move to L.A." jokes out of the way early, although I enjoyed the running across America sketch (I'll watch just about anything set to "Surrender" by Cheap Trick). It made me realize that beyond the Rocky Mountains, there aren't many nationally recognized monuments or landmarks between the St. Louis Arch and the Welcome to Las Vegas sign (perhaps a dash across the Hoover Dam was in order).
TITLE & THEME: Great reworking of the old "Late Night" theme, set against some glitzy nighttime shots of a lit-up, neon Los Angeles. Having Andy Richter back as "the voice" of the show will take time getting used to -- I'm glad he's there, but I really think he ought to migrate into a true sidekick instead of the goofy announcer.
THE SET: Amazing color scheme going on with lots of blue and California-ish hues, some heavy art deco influence here and there. The band's podiums are the worst offenders, and I kinda like them, so they're doing a number of things right, in my mind.
THE MONOLOGUE: Conan busted out a quick string dance to appease the loyal fans from "Late Night." It'll be interesting to see if that continues. The best line was one of the first: "I think I timed this moment perfectly, if you think about it: I'm on a last-place network, I moved to a state that's bankrupt, and tonight's show is sponsored by General Motors." He poked fun at Vice President Joe Biden's propensity for inappropriate remarks, the status boost of being seen at a Lakers game and -- in a bit that went on a little too long -- leading a tram tour of Universal Studios (The Oprah-esque showering of gifts on tourists, but this time from a dollar store). And how could we escape the episode without an octo-mom joke? It's an absolute necessity.
THE VIBE: Conan's biggest concern could be how his hardcore "Late Night" fans in the studio audience conduct themselves. For me, "Conan" was an institution of my adolescence, a must-watch tradition of my high school years that carried over slightly into college and waned into adulthood. Having him back on an hour earlier makes it easier to watch my new favorite late-night host (CBS' Craig Ferguson), but I don't know if other fans will acclimate themselves to this new show as well as I think I will. "Tonight" is not the madhouse that "Late Night" was, and a few extra seconds of the crowd going wild at the opening could ruffle some feathers with The Powers That Be, the ones who were used to Jay coming out, shaking a couple dozen hands with the front rows and then everyone sitting back and delivering the laughter exactly when they want it. For now we see through a comedy glass, darkly: when Conan became a man, did he put away childish things (i.e. Pimpbot 5000, Holiday Pictures, The Bear)?
THE TAURUS: Fabio with dark hair was a nice addition to the sketch, but I could go without ever seeing Conan's old Ford standby ever again. The whole "getting used to LA's car culture" concept was forever broken when Joe Torre started doing commercials from a surf board for State Farm.
THE GUEST: Will Ferrell isn't a bad choice for a first guest, but it's hard to gauge how hard he'll work at making his appearance be more than just what you'd usually expect from him. In this case, he made a great entrance, sang a song and helped us get through the requisite 4 hours of "moving to L.A." jokes we're bound to hear this week. It seems that Conan really wants to recapture the essence of what made Johnny Carson such an institution, and Ferrell at times strikes me as the closest modern society will get to recapturing the brilliance of Steve Martin, who always was classic on the old Carson show. Ferrell wasn't his best here, but if Conan sticks in this role, he'll have plenty of opportunities to produce the kinds of classic moments that were the hallmark of the Carson show.
THE MUSIC: It's true that Pearl Jam often doesn't get the credit it is due. I think most of the public regards them as one of those bands who just got incredibly popular in the 90s and that's how they'll always be remembered. But despite the fact that Eddie Vedder is slowly morphing into Russell Crowe, his band comfortably inhabits the space between seminal rock gods and above-average alt-rock outfit. Choosing Pearl Jam may be more of a reflection of Conan's musical tastes than the desire to put a "legendary" act out there; in fact, it may have been a measured move. How could you ever top your first show if the musical act were The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen or the likes of Elton John, U2, David Bowie or Prince? Pearl Jam is a solid choice.
FINAL GRADE: A good show that won't be particularly memorable except that it sets a good level of expectations for future shows. It wasn't awkward. It didn't strive to be more than it is. The jokes weren't all gems despite having months to prepare for this moment, but you get the feeling that every second of this first outing was not scripted, and that spontaneous nature likely will provide more laughs in the episodes to come than it will detract from its entertainment value. No one is expecting Jay Leno's "Tonight Show," and Conan certainly isn't going to deliver anything other than what he's been doing for the past 16 years. 7 out of 10
One of the cornerstones of American culture — a tradition unrivaled by most accounts — is under attack.
That’s right — I’m talking about the Dewey Decimal Classification system.
Old Melvil must be spinning in his grave.
Citing a “Customers First” movement to simplify life for its patrons, Perl Mack Library, nestled away in the Sherrelwood neighborhood of northwestern Denver, is ditching the standby method for hunting down what you want in favor of a “word-based cataloging system.”
The need for this new way, compared to how books might be organized in a retail store, completely escapes me.
Are there enough people who didn’t pay attention in elementary school during library orientation to justify the abandonment of the closest we’ll ever get to a perfect method for organizing books by category, discipline, author and more?
Let’s ignore the fact that every library worth its salt not only lists the Dewey decimal range at the beginning of each row of books, but it also gives hints as to what one might find. Germanic languages? You want 033. Metaphysics? That’s 110. Looking for Ephemerides? They’re still collecting dust over in 528.
My favorite section as a youngster? They used to keep the Hunter S. Thompson over in 813 (American fiction), but nowadays it’s stored in 070.92 (News media, journalism and publishing).
And don’t tell me there’s no room for growth! 040 to 049 is still unassigned, as are dozens of other numerical spots within the system.
This is a uniquely and profoundly simple system — flexible, nearly limitless and able to take anything you or I could possibly know and codify its place in this world.
I hesitate somewhat to even mention this, but it has nagged at my mind too long this holiday weekend to not opine:
Memorial Day is for the commemoration of the American men and women who died in the military service, including U.S. casualties of any military action.
We pause on this day to honor their service to this nation.
And while it's a shame that it is no longer observed on each May 30 (as it originally was intended), it is a brilliant reminder each year — as much of modern American life becomes further and further removed from the notions of self-sacrifice and service of one's country — that some paid the ultimate price for this nation, its security and its interests.
While it is more than worthy to pay tribute to our living veterans, this is not their day. They are joining those of us outside of the service in remembering their fallen brothers and sisters.
While it is certainly important to remember the tragedy of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, this day was not meant as a catchall observation of all lives lost.
Far be it for me to suggest anyone taking the time to do either of these things on the last Monday in May is doing so incorrectly, but I think it's worth a reminder that today means something very specific, and as the son of one veteran and grandson to two others, it should not be overlooked.
One of the aspects of my life that I'm less proud of is this:
I have not seen a movie in theaters since July 2008. I was out to see "The Dark Knight" on opening weekend (not my brightest idea ever), and my wife was suffering from a then-undiagnosed case of double pneumonia (She did her best not to cough through the whole film, I tried my best to not be a butthead about dragging her out to the theater). The film itself was underwhelming despite great visuals, great sound effects, good directing and a truly Oscar-caliber performance from Heath Ledger.
But I don't think that's what scared me off from the cinema.
If anything, I abhor watching a film for the first time on DVD or any other format other than a gigantic screen in a darkened theater. It's hard to explain and yet quite cliché, but NOTHING compares to seeing a film at the theater.
But I can't bring myself to shell out the kind of money they charge to enter the theater and enjoy the show; by all means, in my heart I think it's worth it — but my head says otherwise.
I have yet to find a great theater that shows a good variety of new releases each week within 20 minutes of my house. The whole reason to go out is to have THE MOVIE EXPERIENCE, and some rinky-dink multiplex that was put together with the same amount of love and care as a last-minute term paper DOES NOT provide said experience.
That's truly the first and last issue that keeps me periodically picking up a year-old, used DVD to catch up on what the artists of the moving image have produced. It's truly a shame.
You can say my seat's been empty, but I contend that the seat in that great moviehouse doesn't exist yet -- at least not within a drive shorter than the lengthy procession of trailers and commercials before the feature.
Sometimes it doesn't pay to be "biblically correct."
Booed and cheered simultaneously, Miss California Carrie Prejean has soared into the national spotlight for sharing her views on marriage during the Miss USA pageant, where she ultimately finished second.
“We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite," Prejean began, obviously ignorant of her home state's passage of Proposition 8, rescinding the right of same-sex couples to marry. "And you know what, I think in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that’s how I was raised.”
Was that so incendiary?
I don't agree with Ms. Prejean, but I cannot muster the furor others have at her response.
Perez Hilton, the gay blogger who asked her the question during the pageant, went on to call her a "dumb b--ch" on his website when it was over. His criticisms have been joined by a chorus of others.
But why so much fuss over a young woman whose scholarly pursuits extend as far as San Diego Christian College, whose biggest achievement beyond the pageants was being a finalist in a model search for "Deal or No Deal"?
I doubt they were offended that a potential Miss USA actually gave an honest answer during a Q&A, or even a semi-coherent response (a far cry from Caitlin Upton's nonsensical Miss Teen USA 2007 speech on maps). If that were the cause, every pageant contestant with a lick of common sense would eschew anything that could be construed to be the least bit un-PC. Perhaps they could just sing "The Greatest Love Of All" while waving an American flag in one hand and cuddling a puppy in the other in response to any prompt and leave it at that.
The real reason? Our country is no less unified than it was prior to the election and subsequent inauguration of Barack Obama as president.
If anything, we are more partisan and markedly fiercer in that partisanship. Look no further than the Tax Day tea parties for evidence of this on the right end of the political spectrum.
There was no malice in Prejean's response, but there certainly was spite in those who derided her. What happened to accepting our differences and realizing that there are few issues on which the world is in universal agreement?
But don't fret for Miss Prejean. She's survived the cutthroat world of beauty pageants; I imagine she can handle the scorn of the blogosphere. Besides, she may have unwittingly made herself the new darling of the Republican Party — look out, Meghan McCain, you've got competition!
If you're like me, you've always wondered what would happen if the Los Angeles Police Department used a song from former Branson, Mo., favorite Ray Stevens to be the soundtrack for an early-90s training video. Well, if that's true, today's a big day for both of us. Enjoy:
"I read the news today, oh boy..."
I can't help but notice and comment on the exceptional increase in the number of stories I've seen as of late about people taking the lives of others and themselves.
• Four police officers killed in Oakland, Calif., in March in two separate incidents with a man pulled over in a routine traffic stop.
• More than a dozen people killed at the American Civic Association in Binghamton, N.Y., by Jiverly Wong, who then killed himself.
• A man in Washington kills his five children and then himself because his wife said she was leaving him.
• Three police officers killed in Pittsburgh in response to a call about a dispute over a dog urinating in a house.
• A man in Alabama kills his wife, teenage daughter and two relatives.
• Even here in Aurora, a man accused of gunning down his estranged wife, then fleeing with his two young daughters, only to kill himself as authorities tracked him down in Thornton.
"...And though the news was rather sad..."
Putting together Sunday's paper, I started thinking about all of this.
As someone who consumes a lot of news and has been exposed to a number of heinous stories and gruesome photos, few things get to me on a level that truly, deeply disturbs me. My skin has developed the thickness needed to read the AP wire and keep one ear on the police scanner, but this latest slate of violence just really got to me.
"I saw the photograph..."
I wonder what readers would make of all this.
I think one of the quickest and easiest reactions is to say that the economic downturn and resulting human traumas has put many people on edge, and a delicate minority of them have gone over that same precipice.
"A crowd of people stood and stared..."
How many people out there will read these stories, evaluate the difficulties in their own lives and begin pondering whether their lives (and the lives of others) are worth living? I think we try to do the best job possible in presenting honest news in the most straightforward ways possible, but my mind always has a nagging voice somewhere in the back, worried about the possibilities of copycats.
The local ABC affiliate, Channel 7, recently interviewed a number of experts to try and explain this recent spate of violence.
They say spring is the thing — that early to mid-April is a time when violence traditionally ramps up: The Waco standoff in 1993, the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, the Columbine massacre in 1999, and the Virginia Tech shooting rampage in 2007.
They cited psychologists saying the changing of the season affects people with mood disorders: The world renews itself, yet they realize they are still depressed — feelings that can lead some to hurt themselves and others.
"A crowd of people turned away..."
But ultimately, I'm more angered at how society can quickly brush off atrocities such as these and turn its focus back to the mundane and the inconsequential.
Rather, I think I became more incensed at the people who profess to care about protecting life and liberty yet remain largely silent in times like these.
There are people out there stockpiling weapons because they think President Obama will someday outlaw them. Some of these people are legitimate collectors; others may have issues that may one day lead them to misuse those weapons.
There are people out there with access to weapons that make them a threat to themselves, their friends and family, and to complete strangers.
At the same time, there are still vocal groups that concern themselves with one issue and one issue only, with no regard to the facts.... the issue could be guns, abortion, what-have-you.
I try to understand most points of view. I try to know why they feel the way they do. I understand why they often are so angry. And as the man says, I'll defend their right to think and feel the way they do.
But I cannot understand those who are vehemently pro-life or pro-gun who choose to ignore this issue: Violence claiming the lives of those who have been born and are living, working, thinking and full of potential and exercising their liberties. It seems to be happening at an alarmingly increasing rate, and sometimes there is no rhyme or reason to the rage that pushes some to kill.
But this isn't about whether you're pro-gun, anti-gun, pro-abortion rights or anti-abortion rights. This should concern anyone and everyone.
"...Somebody spoke and I went into a dream..."
I don't want people to think they need to be scared, but I do think it's prudent to think about what is going on in society today and recognize situations where the line between depression and homicide is very thin, and to recognize that one person can help another understand that there are few troubles in this world that should prompt anyone to want to end their own life, let alone the life of another.
Most people seem to have realized there are major issues unfolding beyond the horizons of their self-interests and single-issue platforms. I'm just hoping the stragglers will hop on sooner rather than later.
Of the many Groucho Marx lines I’ve committed to memory, one of the more profound ones was, in fact, sent by the legendary funnyman via telegram to the Friars Club of Beverly Hills:
“I don’t want to belong to any club that will accept people like me as a member.”
I gained renewed respect for that line after I was kicked off a jury last week.
Well, to be fair, I was never technically on the jury... For about a month and a half, I was a “prospective juror” on Colorado’s only death penalty case waiting to go to trial.
For 38 days, I pondered over and over the responsibilities of the possibility of having another person’s life in my hands along with 11 other citizens charged with their civic duty.
Thankfully, I don’t have to think about that anymore. The writing was on the wall long before I filled out the juror questionnaire.
Know about the case? Yep. Seen media coverage of it? Check. Already formulated a personal opinion on innocence or guilt? As a citizen, yes. As a journalist, no.
But I feel bad because in those 38 days, my mind was completely changed on the subject. When I was first summoned to jury duty, I had some pretty strong opinions on the matter as a Colorado resident, as an Auroran... as a human being.
Looking back, I’m not entirely sure what I think about murder, the death penalty and the like, but I do know my mindset on the issues has been changed when forced to think about them.
For me, the verdict is in: I probably didn’t belong anywhere near that courtroom as one to pass judgment, but I’m better for the process. Case dismissed.
Take a look at your stock portfolio and shake your head a tad. Maybe bite your lower lip and subtly grimace.
Read about golden parachutes on Wall Street and snear.
Hear news of the latest round of layoffs in town and sulk.
Do you dare mention the letters ‘A,’ ‘I’ and ‘G’ together in mixed company without fear of initiating some Incredible Hulk-esque populist rampage?
This nation is mad as hell, and it’s not going to take this anymore. Somewhere, Howard Beale is smiling.
This sort of vitriol was supposed to be a thing of the past — something that had no place in the post-partisan world of the Obama presidency.
Maybe we had our hopes too high.
The economy didn’t make a miraculous recovery (although it’s trying), and those celestial choirs Hillary Clinton talked about never did show up, just as predicted.
In a time where information travels at the speed of Twitter, we fooled ourselves into believing that big things could happen very quickly with a few Blackberry-wielding fresh faces in D.C. Unfortunately, most of the nation’s capital is still operating at the pace of a gubernatoral impeachment in Illinois.
We knew better, and we’re not happy about it.
But before we acknowledge that Obama & Co. bit off more than they could chew in the expectations department, we’re going to exhaust the list of scapegoat suspects.
Jon Stewart was compared to Edward R. Murrow for his grilling of CNBC and “Mad Money” host Jim Cramer. While few on and near Wall Street are innocent in this recession, Stewart got religion in this matter pretty late in the game. If Stewart were much more than a comedian or commentator, he’d tone down the holier-than-Dow attitude and realize he has more in common with Howard Beale than Murrow. With no Bush baddies to rail against, Stewart fixed his sights on the purveyors of honest mistakes and simple failures... and he’s not the only one.
AIG doled out retention bonuses for some time (for better or worse), and all of a sudden they’re persona non grata d’jour because they took money the government was offering. Obviously AIG failed its customers, many of its employees and the industry it helps shape, but in reality they did little worse than what happens at any workplace.
You might have been paid $24 an hour to perform duties X, Y and Z, but no one launched the full force and fury of the Congress against you when you spent 15 minutes watching YouTube when you were waiting for that fax to come in.
The reality is we’re having trouble being angry at ourselves... for not seeing this coming, for not doing more than we did, and for letting ourselves get cut by the jagged edges of shattered dreams.
And by God, someone’s gonna pay.
As you can see, I've joined the masses of people who post their ultra-concise comments on Twitter. I've found it so useful, it's taken precedence on my blog page over my most-recent post. Why? Because more than likely, I'll have five new Twitter posts before anyone realizes I've updated my blog.
Has the traditional blog gone the way of the newspaper? Shunned for its lack of immediacy over a newer technology that provides greater capabilities for social interaction and networking? You bet it has.
But the same answer cannot be given for the following question: Is the blog irrelevant? Ask the same question of newspapers and the answer remains 'No.' I think we're just seeing a sea change of how the medium defines the message online.
My sentiments here would be hard to convey in a single Twitter update... most of my Twitter updates (I refuse to use the phrase 'Tweeting.' If anything, I'm a Twittering Nabob of Negativity, to modernize a phrase from William Safire for Spiro Agnew.) do not merit the kind of writing at length I sometimes do for my blog, and they certainly have little use in a newspaper without being reworked for that format.
If the medium isn't the message, at the very least it's directing traffic to get 'Tweets,' blogs, columns, articles, soundbytes and viral videos to their respective areas for maximum consumption.
So belly up to the bar, blogs. The first round is on us in the newspaper business.
Good news, Zimbabwe: You've decided to switch from paying your civil servants and military with the "pariah" Zimbabwe dollar (which most consider "worthless") to using foreign currencies, which could also help stave off inflation.
From the UK's Guardian:
Bad news: You picked the U.S. dollar. Seriously? While still home to the world's largest economy and the top producer of American agrandissement, the U.S. of A. is also in the grips of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. And despite recent highs against the Euro, I don't think it's too far-fetched to say the U.S. dollar is primed to burst like the once-booming housing market."Although relatively low compared to what Zimbabwean professionals used to earn, $100 is a small fortune against the near worthless wages they had been receiving. Teachers were paid several trillion Zimbabwe dollars a month but inflation, which is above 10 sextillion (10 billion trillion) percent, wiped out the currency's value. Almost all shops in Zimbabwe now accept payment only in US dollars or South African rand."
I swear I'm not getting paid to put these ads up on my blog... they're just so bizarre that they must be pointed out. I caught this one while reading Salon.com. Is there a tooth whitener that's so powerful, the sight of your pearly smile will cause others' eyes to go the shade I like to refer to as "post-nuclear emerald"?
I saw this ad today on a popular blog, and ever since my life has been I complete wreck. Obviously people are concerned about the economy, and many of them are going back to school to get degrees in order to help the secure new jobs... But why the pandas? Are they people dressed as pandas? Most of the marketing specialists I know like to dress up as animals, but that's another story. Or could something far worse and sinister be at play? Is Degrees.Info a secret plot to transform the average Web-surfing human into happy, dancing pandas? If so, it's a brilliant ploy, because I know the truth about The Panda:
I'm drunk on panda mystery.
If you haven't read this piece from Colorado Biz yet, I advise you to do so, because the following is a sampling of my response to its heralding of the imminent demise of the Rocky Mountain News.
One less voice for a community is rarely a good thing.
More voices with more diversified opinions and content is a good thing, as best as we can tell from Severson's article. Technological advances in communications have served to better the human experience; there is no doubt about this. But sooner or later, the sources of content for these new media will either be forced to evolve or dry up.
As a young professional myself, I enjoy the explosion of niche products found via Internet, podcast, YouTube, etc. If you have a niche interest, you can find that specific media.
At the same time, how many young professionals like myself care as deeply about the physical, geographical and HUMAN community around them as they do their social networking groups? I imagine the ratio is staggering. But eventually people grow up, realize that being part of the immediate world around you is vital to making sure you live in an area with good schools for your children, high quality of living, etc. Who has stepped up to fill the niche of local community news?
It would be nice to think that citizen journalists could take a full-time, active role in direct democracy to serve that local need... but invariably people have other interests, other demands on their time and energy. Maybe each teacher, plumber, accountant, doctor, police officer, IT specialist and other working American should find the time to play an active part in civic life — but that is a utopian ideal not yet achieved. Until then, your local newspaper is there, working to be a part of the community, and delivering relevant content, providing an attractive medium for local businesses to advertise.
Newspapers — and newsgathering/content-producing organizations of all kinds — need to evolve with the times. But the core goals of the local news organization, be it paper, news radio, magazine, blog or TV news, are as vital to modern society as most others. If the workable business model of the future is out there, surely these organizations will be supplanted or adapted... but if anyone can show me that business model, I'm happy to hear it, learn it, sell it, teach it and champion it in all ways.
Here in Colorado, the Republicans -- who were virtually in lockstep with President Bush regarding the potentially unlawful detention of suspected terrorists at Camps Delta, Iquana and X-Ray at Guantanamo Bay -- are now screaming "not in my backyard" over the possibility of these detainees being transferred to ADX Florence, informally known as Colorado's "Supermax" facility.
For all their noise, I have yet to hear a rational reason to not do this.
They could argue that the prisoners should all be housed in one facility; currently, ADX Florence has a capacity of 490 and a prisoner population of about 463. A few dozen of the 200 to 300 Gitmo prisoners could be sent to Florence. But is that a good enough reason for Florence to not do its part in making sure these suspected terrorists aren't returned to the Middle East during a time of war?
Instead, the reasons mentioned are neglectful of the facts and usually populist jokes:
(Thanks to Al Crancer of BureauCats for sending in another of his poignant, mind-opening cartoons. I know art when I see it, and this is the equivalent of thinking about going to the art museum on a Saturday but instead staying in to watch lumberjack compeitions on ESPN2.)For all the untold miles traveled, hours spent and lives touched en route to this moment, 35 words stood between Barack Obama and history.
After a few seconds of wrangling with Chief Justice John Roberts over whose turn it was to speak and what should be said, the moment so many never imagined possible became reality.
“So help me God.”
And so it was, that Barack Obama became the 44th president of these United States, the first black man to lead this nation.
With the stakes of the nation as high as its expectations, the new president delivered an inaugural address that cautioned us not only of the obstacles ahead of us, but also recalled the hope and enthusiasm that prompted so many Americans to buy into his pitch for change.
The speech made it clear that the newest resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. understands that our trials and obligations are no less great because the reins of the nation have changed hands. There’s no inheritance from America’s rich uncle awaiting us now that George W. Bush is out of office.
But for each reminder of America’s struggles, there was a beacon of hope.
In my mind, it was groundbreaking for the leader of the free world to denounce the idea that our civil liberties should be the first sacrifice made when securing our homeland. For all the talk of smaller government by conservatives over the years, there never was a healthy dose of bigger liberties — unless you worked on Wall Street or bid on reconstruction contracts in Iraq.
Time has indeed come for us to rethink how our government works and how we should be active players in that process.
No one sentence or phrase in Obama’s address stressed this point as much as the idea that we must hand down our achievements for the next generation of America to build upon, a tradition that has continued since this nation’s inception.
Someone much smarter than me once said, “When history has been made, all that’s left is the future... and if you live in the present, you’ll be left with nothing.”
Insomuch as the historic unveiling of the Obama presidency is for all that has come before us, the weeks, months and years to come are for us now. The new president made it clear that there is precious time to savor his victory, and that responsibility to the ages is one that need be shared.
And with any luck, each day of the presidency of Barack Obama will provide chances anew to realize the dream of Martin Luther King, Jr. While black Americans should take pride in this moment and the achievements of this administration, the greatest good awaiting people of all races and ethnicities lies not in Obama’s skin color, but in the content of his character.
We are at a point in our course of human events where great action is necessary from our government. If Obama can deliver on that promise beyond his promises laid out in speeches, he will be remembered for those deeds better than the fact he is America’s first black president. That historic achievement in overcoming our nation’s racial problems will be no less important for what it is, but America will be much better off for the many other things that are possible with a change in the White House.
History has been made; here’s to the future.
From BuyANewspaperDay.Com:
"The newspaper is heavily focused on local news. It keeps you informedabout events in your town and keeps local government in-line.So for one day, Monday, Feb. 2, 2009, please make it a point to pickup your local newspaper (reading it online doesn't count).It doesn't matter if it's a daily or weekly, right-leaning orleft-leaning. If you're a college student and you get the school paperfor free, buy the town paper. If you subscribe, why not pick up asecond copy?Who knows? You might like what you see and come back another day, andanother, and another…"
A little bird told The Sentinel that former NBA MVP Shaquille O'Neal was at Buckley Air Force Base today to shoot a video for President-Elect Barack Obama and the next First Family, all this a day before his Phoenix Suns take on the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night at the Pepsi Center.
Attempts to secure a game of H.O.R.S.E. with the 7-foot-plus O'Neal were unsuccessful as of late Wednesday afternoon.
'Howard' is really stupid to think he should deep-fry anything that's frozen... he's also channeling the acting skills of one Nicholas Cage, methinks.
(Yes, it seems like I'm on some sort of ad critic rampage as of late. Enjoy and/or deal with it.)
Take the money being spent on cell phones for snowmen and pay down the national debt. You can thank me in gold.
So here it comes... Tuesday is the first day of political grandstanding in the US Senate in the Year of our Lord, Two Thousand Aught Nine.
Roland Burris will be denied a seat in the United States Senate, despite he and everyone else on God's green earth knowing that no appointee of scandal-tainted Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich will get within throwing distance of proposing a bill or being designated legislative office space.
Burris' travel to Washington, D.C., and the circus surrounding it will be greater theater (This time of the political variety) than any former "Saturday Night Live" player could ever hope to be involved in — with the exception of Al Franken.
Yes, Stuart Smiley himself is poised to ascend to the Senate after a lengthy recount effort in his home state of Minnesota versus Republican incumbent Norm Coleman. The man who couldn't keep Air America out of bankruptcy is now set to help tackle the nation's massive economic crisis. Thankfully, he has a full slate of senators, the House of Representatives, all the president's men (mainly in Treasury and Commerce) and a slew of private businesses looking for bailout to help advise him on what's best for the taxpayers' money.
(I mean no disrespect to Mr. Franken. He seems like a decent fella, and I tend to think he'd be more honest in his dealings than Sen. Coleman... but the extent to which he has demonized Coleman in the past has bordered on obsession. We will soon find out if Mr. Franken is an able statesman or just a very good campaigner. Either way, it's no laughing matter.)
In the meantime, watch how Joe Biden, Ken Salazar and Hillary Clinton respectively spend their waning days in the Senate. Biden's headed for the Vice President's office, Salazar for the Interior Department, and Clinton to some faraway land to handle whatever global crisis crops up for the Secretary of State to deal with (it also wouldn't hurt if they could arrange a private fundraiser while she's there to help her continue to pay down her presidential campaign debt).
But never fear, Americans. All this hubbub will be extinguished in mere days when the inauguration occurs and the post-election hangover for Democrats wears off. This is the worst of times for the Democrats to be in the majority, with little money for the government to spend on respective members' pet projects. This is also the worst of times for the Republicans to be on the outside, looking in on power-broking, as they are generally the most-ardent supporters of cutting "waste" out of the budget (that is, to clear room for tax breaks for the rich and no-bid contracts to Halliburton, et al.).
But I count my blessings — today we are up in arms over Rick Warren performing the invocation at the inauguration. It wasn't all that long ago some crazy folks disrupted a Senate invokation by a Hindu guest chaplain.
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