So I did exactly Jack Shit yesterday, other than a little shopping and a lot of PS2. I monitor the day job email from home, but there was nothing much of that.
I get up today to check the work website for comments (behold, I am MODERATOR!). An aspiring young politician managed to draw some unto himself up here by getting elected to an obsolete office, then inviting local TV crews to come and watch as he asks the county's commissioners to eliminate said office.
Sounds good, right? Smart young guy gets some attention for burgeoning political career, even a five-minute interview with Shepard Smith on FoxNoise. Good ink for the local rag and its website, right?
Wrong.
This young Rove had a good idea and made a credible case for it to the commissioners, but all the commissioners can do is pass a resolution in support of it. The legislature must change state law for it to go into effect. My reporter, who is ridiculously good and professional, lays all of that out in the story and is promptly ignored.
What's the reaction online? He's the new Ronald Reagan! We have a new light to lead us back to 1984!
This is what passes for popular political comment today. No context whatsoever. This seemingly decent idea is seized on and magnified beyond all proportion.
That's why I don't take conservatives seriously.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Respite
It's only Thursday to you, but it's Friday to me. I don't have to mess with the day job again until Sunday, save for a trip to a drunken afterparty for a snowmobile race to take a quick pic.
I am beat. I did news and sports (sort of) for three weeks while waiting for the new guy to show up and take over for the old sports guy. I think I spent one whole day away from the office in that span, which is pretty busy for me. The locals, as amiable as they are, were not terribly satisfied with my half-assed stab at sports. They didn't seem to care about the rest of the rag I prepared for them everyday, but that's what this business is like.
The worst part was letting things go to pot more than usual. I really, really am glad the new guy is here because I can get my work shit half way organized again. No more kicking cans down the road a-piece.
I have to say, however, that this is just about my favorite stop of my unremarkable career. The boss is wants things right, but isn't threatened when they don't go all the way right. My fellow managers are a good lot. The employees earn their money and don't bitch too much. Corporate is squeezing us hard -- shocking! I'm sure -- but nobody's throwing in the towel. There's almost no backbiting.
It's freaky, really.
Anyway, I get to goof off for most of the next 48 hours. My plan? I have no fucking idea and I couldn't be happier.
I am beat. I did news and sports (sort of) for three weeks while waiting for the new guy to show up and take over for the old sports guy. I think I spent one whole day away from the office in that span, which is pretty busy for me. The locals, as amiable as they are, were not terribly satisfied with my half-assed stab at sports. They didn't seem to care about the rest of the rag I prepared for them everyday, but that's what this business is like.
The worst part was letting things go to pot more than usual. I really, really am glad the new guy is here because I can get my work shit half way organized again. No more kicking cans down the road a-piece.
I have to say, however, that this is just about my favorite stop of my unremarkable career. The boss is wants things right, but isn't threatened when they don't go all the way right. My fellow managers are a good lot. The employees earn their money and don't bitch too much. Corporate is squeezing us hard -- shocking! I'm sure -- but nobody's throwing in the towel. There's almost no backbiting.
It's freaky, really.
Anyway, I get to goof off for most of the next 48 hours. My plan? I have no fucking idea and I couldn't be happier.
Monday, February 2, 2009
It will be okay, I promise
Before the national media went for the weekend Friday, this hopelessly vapid Greek chorus began chanting that President Obama was about to be neutered by Rush Limbaugh and his minions on Capitol Hill.
There was much hand wringing over the House Republicans refusal en masse to embrace the Democrats' $800+ billion stimulus package. Mediocrities like Ben Nelson were trotted out to reiterate how unstimulating the stimulus would be, and John McCain predictably stabbed Obama in the back the first chance he got.
Bitches, be cool. It's going to be okay. The House Republicans need votes from Limbaugh's mouth-breathing devotees, so their no vote was hardly surprising. They have no choice but to be spiteful, because they need the votes of the spiteful and ignorant. "Moderates" like Nelson are in much the same boat. The good news is that Obama has the votes in the Senate to pass his bill. He will make a few conciliatory sacrifices, in so far as he will detach them from the stimulus package and attach them to something else later.
Trust me friends: most people are as sick of assholes like Limbaugh as we are. The days of letting ignorant, hysterical crybabies have their way are over. Blaming everything on government and slashing rich people's taxes have fucked our economy royally. We can't afford it anymore and Nixon's "silent majority" knows that all too well.
There was much hand wringing over the House Republicans refusal en masse to embrace the Democrats' $800+ billion stimulus package. Mediocrities like Ben Nelson were trotted out to reiterate how unstimulating the stimulus would be, and John McCain predictably stabbed Obama in the back the first chance he got.
Bitches, be cool. It's going to be okay. The House Republicans need votes from Limbaugh's mouth-breathing devotees, so their no vote was hardly surprising. They have no choice but to be spiteful, because they need the votes of the spiteful and ignorant. "Moderates" like Nelson are in much the same boat. The good news is that Obama has the votes in the Senate to pass his bill. He will make a few conciliatory sacrifices, in so far as he will detach them from the stimulus package and attach them to something else later.
Trust me friends: most people are as sick of assholes like Limbaugh as we are. The days of letting ignorant, hysterical crybabies have their way are over. Blaming everything on government and slashing rich people's taxes have fucked our economy royally. We can't afford it anymore and Nixon's "silent majority" knows that all too well.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
A good day
There have been a million or so words printed, posted and spoke about the inauguration of Barack Obama today. I contributed about 400 or so for the day job, hopefully without too much grandiosity or seriousness.
President Barack Obama is a man, just like me. He is not omniprescient nor divinely touched. He has an awesome task ahead of him and he will, most likely, fall short on some counts. To think otherwise is naive. To be honest, I secretly wished that Al Gore had been the Democratic nominee heading into the fall campaign. I could credibly argue the Gore would be a better president.
I underestimated the junior senator from Illnois, as did his opponents. With every passing day, he showed confidence without hubris. He ran with purpose, never succumbing to the scummy tactics of his supposedly honorable opponent or the Greek chorus of commentators on Fox News and talk radio desperate to tear him down. He always acted and never reacted. He never pandered to any faction.
Barack Obama is not Abraham Lincoln or Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He faces challenges Wednesday different from those legendary American leaders. Luckily for us, he sought the presidency to make this a better place, rather than to show up his dad or to be the next John Kennedy. I am confident, however, that he will prove equal, or even superior, to the task before him.
The president has the opportunity to bring black Americans fully and enthusiastically into our country's governance, and convince recalcitrant whites that there struggle is the blacks' struggle. He has the opportunity to undo 30 years of simplistic, vicious economic practices and restore dignity and security to working people. He can make America a friend worth having again around the world.
I am not afraid that Barack Obama will fail, because he is not afraid of failing.
This is a good day for America.
President Barack Obama is a man, just like me. He is not omniprescient nor divinely touched. He has an awesome task ahead of him and he will, most likely, fall short on some counts. To think otherwise is naive. To be honest, I secretly wished that Al Gore had been the Democratic nominee heading into the fall campaign. I could credibly argue the Gore would be a better president.
I underestimated the junior senator from Illnois, as did his opponents. With every passing day, he showed confidence without hubris. He ran with purpose, never succumbing to the scummy tactics of his supposedly honorable opponent or the Greek chorus of commentators on Fox News and talk radio desperate to tear him down. He always acted and never reacted. He never pandered to any faction.
Barack Obama is not Abraham Lincoln or Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He faces challenges Wednesday different from those legendary American leaders. Luckily for us, he sought the presidency to make this a better place, rather than to show up his dad or to be the next John Kennedy. I am confident, however, that he will prove equal, or even superior, to the task before him.
The president has the opportunity to bring black Americans fully and enthusiastically into our country's governance, and convince recalcitrant whites that there struggle is the blacks' struggle. He has the opportunity to undo 30 years of simplistic, vicious economic practices and restore dignity and security to working people. He can make America a friend worth having again around the world.
I am not afraid that Barack Obama will fail, because he is not afraid of failing.
This is a good day for America.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Bacon sausage
I am basking in the afterglow of cheddar scrambled eggs and bacon sausage right now. I don't know who invented bacon sausage (tenderloin with bacon ground in), but I want to kiss them on the mouth.
It's cold up here and the snow hasn't went anywhere, but, from what I can tell, we're about halfway through the bad stuff. You can see signs of cabin fever everywhere; the people up here love being on the water. For now they have to settle for ice fishing, so things are getting a teensy bit edgy.
The day job is good. The holiday news slump is ending and we're getting back to some decent news holes. Ads are way down, but that's normal for this time of year. The publisher is a pretty good operator and is using the down time to get ready for the return of tourist season. The Lake People won't be able to handle such a stepped up effort.
I've had to trim a bit in the newsroom, but that actually looks like its going to work out. My sports kid is leaving to join the ministry, which sucks because he's really stepped up his game here, but one of the guys I had to cut back is a perfect replacement. I hope he takes the job. The other guy I cut back has another FT gig anyway, so he was a good sport about the whole thing.
The big move is working out for me, all told. There's just enough money for cable and groceries up there while making the note on the house in Indy, the people up are ridiculously friendly and I catch myself enjoying journalism a little more everyday.
It's been a long time since I could say that.
It's cold up here and the snow hasn't went anywhere, but, from what I can tell, we're about halfway through the bad stuff. You can see signs of cabin fever everywhere; the people up here love being on the water. For now they have to settle for ice fishing, so things are getting a teensy bit edgy.
The day job is good. The holiday news slump is ending and we're getting back to some decent news holes. Ads are way down, but that's normal for this time of year. The publisher is a pretty good operator and is using the down time to get ready for the return of tourist season. The Lake People won't be able to handle such a stepped up effort.
I've had to trim a bit in the newsroom, but that actually looks like its going to work out. My sports kid is leaving to join the ministry, which sucks because he's really stepped up his game here, but one of the guys I had to cut back is a perfect replacement. I hope he takes the job. The other guy I cut back has another FT gig anyway, so he was a good sport about the whole thing.
The big move is working out for me, all told. There's just enough money for cable and groceries up there while making the note on the house in Indy, the people up are ridiculously friendly and I catch myself enjoying journalism a little more everyday.
It's been a long time since I could say that.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Friday, December 26, 2008
House
I trust your Christmas was rewarding, as it should have been. I did the day job...which is just part of being a newsguy who is no longer lapsed.
I'm off today and trying to screw up the energy to go do some laundry. So far, however, I can't pull myself away from the House marathon on USA. I love Hugh Laurie's title character. Laurie forwards that fine English tradition of making the biggest assholes into the most appealing characters. It's a talent shared by too few American actors.
I'm off today and trying to screw up the energy to go do some laundry. So far, however, I can't pull myself away from the House marathon on USA. I love Hugh Laurie's title character. Laurie forwards that fine English tradition of making the biggest assholes into the most appealing characters. It's a talent shared by too few American actors.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Robert Fisk
Just like you, I am woefully ignorant of the particulars of the Israel-Palestine conflict. Aside from the late Yasser Arafat and odious Benjamin Netanyahu, I usually find the combatants very much worthy of empathy.
Robert Fisk, a British writer and historian without peer, has made a career of mapping out the morass that is Middle Eastern politics. His tome, The Great War for Civilisation: The Conquest of the Middle East, is just a wonderful, if demanding, read. It's the book I fall back on in between books; I hope to finish someday, but I am in no hurry.
Fisk just posted a piece at Truthdig that is a good introduction to both his work and the aforementioned struggle.
Enjoy.
Robert Fisk, a British writer and historian without peer, has made a career of mapping out the morass that is Middle Eastern politics. His tome, The Great War for Civilisation: The Conquest of the Middle East, is just a wonderful, if demanding, read. It's the book I fall back on in between books; I hope to finish someday, but I am in no hurry.
Fisk just posted a piece at Truthdig that is a good introduction to both his work and the aforementioned struggle.
Enjoy.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
A holiday requirement
Here's the feel good Christmas column (from 12/15 CDT) that every editor is required by law to write:
I have a confession to make: I'm a Christmas baby. I'd like to think I'm the best present my mom ever got, but that would be slighting my sister, Emily.
My great-grandma Radkovic was a big believer in omens and always said my birthday was a sign that I was destined to become a priest. She died before I had to decide whether or not to go to a seminary. I don't think she would be too disappointed with my career choice.
Christmas has always been my favorite time of the year. My mom and dad both come from large families and all of my aunts, uncles and grandparents spoiled me rotten. My mom and dad were far from rich, but Emily and I had plenty of what we needed and more than a little of what we wanted.
Later on, when I had a family of my own, I loved Christmas shopping for my two kids, Josh and Jamison. My wife, Josie, and I never had enough money to get the kids everything we wanted for them, but they always got as good a Christmas as I had when I was a kid. And, miraculously, Josie and I did it without credit cards.
Josh and J-mo are teens now, back in Indiana with their mom. They don't care as much about Christmas as they used to. They will care about it again someday when they have their own kids.
I went out shopping Saturday. The stores weren't any busier than they would be on an average summer day. Being the nosy newspaper guy that I am, I asked a couple of cashiers how the season was going. "Up and down" and "okay" were the responses I got...two weeks before Christmas.
Everyone knows how tough things are today, and how they are likely to get worse before they get better. Speaking for myself, I am kind of relieved that Josie and I don't have to spend so much on the kids nowadays.
My heart aches, however, for those of you with young kids at home. Christmas is the one time of year when kids should be spoiled, but who can afford it? Jobs are disappearing, credit is shrinking and everything is getting more and more expensive.
I don't have the numbers to prove it, but I'm guessing there will be more families than ever before in need of help this Christmas. In small towns like ours, neighbors look after one another more so than anywhere else.
If you have even a few extra bucks in the bank, go out and buy a toy to drop in one of the Toys for Tots bins around town, or call the Salvation Army and see if you can help out a family in need with a present, or two.
Christmas is too special of a time to think about a child going without. Do what you can and know that it will make the world a little better, if only for a day.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Criminal stupidity
This video, originally posted at Crooks and Liars, sums up how our economy got so fucked so quickly. It features Peter Schiff, an investment guy who lives in the real world, vs. Arthur Laffer (the architect of the last three decades of supply-side bullshit) and several other idiots speaking on behalf of the media/investment junta that was too stupid to see how stupidly our economy has been run since 1981 (Clinton years very, very much included).
Moral bankruptcy
I made myself stay away from the office today (ok, I went in to check my work email, which is non-web based), did a little Christmas shopping and a shitload of reading.
I read about half of Joseph Ellis's excellent biography of George Washington, His Excellency. It turns out that he didn't walk on water. All snark aside, our first president comes off much more interesting and, dare I say, Lincolnian than he is given credit for. He was largely self-taught, which made him much more open to change and adaptation than his rivals--just like Honest Abe. I hope to finish it this week.
I also boned up on the national political scene. Don't be shocked, but it turns out that southern Republicans hate unions so much that they are willing to watch the Big 3 die and take three million or so American workers with them. I hope Richard Shelby and Bob Corker and the rest of their enablers get ass cancer and die.
Oh yeah, I also read that the governor of Illinois is an asshole. It must be Obama's fault because he's from Illinois, too -- at least that's what they said on Fox News today. Honestly, does anyone really think Obama would hitch his wagon to a corrupt idiot like Blagojevich? Even if you don't like the President-Elect, you have to admit that he is a pretty smart guy.
What does all of this mean?
The national Republican party is rapidly disintegrating and grasping for any lifeline it can get. The opposition to the bailout is rooted in those senators' desires to show their continuing usefulness to big money donors and groups who hate government. If Shelby and Corker and their buddies can't beat the United Auto Workers, then said rich white guys are likely to give in and play ball with Obama and the Dems.
As for Blago, Fox will try to bleed that turnip for another week or so. In the meantime, Blago will resign and there will continue to be no evidence of Obama's involvement in this mess because he wasn't involved. By Christmas, no one will even remember what Blago did and Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly will slink back to blaming Obama for the looming Depression and the ass cancer that I hope Shelby and Corker get.
I read about half of Joseph Ellis's excellent biography of George Washington, His Excellency. It turns out that he didn't walk on water. All snark aside, our first president comes off much more interesting and, dare I say, Lincolnian than he is given credit for. He was largely self-taught, which made him much more open to change and adaptation than his rivals--just like Honest Abe. I hope to finish it this week.
I also boned up on the national political scene. Don't be shocked, but it turns out that southern Republicans hate unions so much that they are willing to watch the Big 3 die and take three million or so American workers with them. I hope Richard Shelby and Bob Corker and the rest of their enablers get ass cancer and die.
Oh yeah, I also read that the governor of Illinois is an asshole. It must be Obama's fault because he's from Illinois, too -- at least that's what they said on Fox News today. Honestly, does anyone really think Obama would hitch his wagon to a corrupt idiot like Blagojevich? Even if you don't like the President-Elect, you have to admit that he is a pretty smart guy.
What does all of this mean?
The national Republican party is rapidly disintegrating and grasping for any lifeline it can get. The opposition to the bailout is rooted in those senators' desires to show their continuing usefulness to big money donors and groups who hate government. If Shelby and Corker and their buddies can't beat the United Auto Workers, then said rich white guys are likely to give in and play ball with Obama and the Dems.
As for Blago, Fox will try to bleed that turnip for another week or so. In the meantime, Blago will resign and there will continue to be no evidence of Obama's involvement in this mess because he wasn't involved. By Christmas, no one will even remember what Blago did and Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly will slink back to blaming Obama for the looming Depression and the ass cancer that I hope Shelby and Corker get.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Touching base
Hey kids, long time no blog.
I've been pretty busy with the day job. We've gotten a faceful of winter up this way and I've been working and fighting off the second round of the flu to blow through town so far this season. The paper is coming along nicely; we're still a ways away from where we need to be with each edition but I am pleased with the progress thus far.
Anyway, I've updated my blogroll to include The Daily Beast. This is Tina Brown's big play for internet domination. Brown, a British expat, set the table for Graydon Carter at Vanity Fair, then moved on to other publishing projects of varying degrees of success. I don't want to diminish Carter (he was the editor of the best magazine ever -- Spy), but Brown left him a very strong foundation to build on.
Magazine denizens know, and may loathe, Brown's reputation for self promotion, but the girl knows how to edit. She's a fair writer, too, as her columns for the Washington Post ably attest. I think she has come up with a sharper, more interesting version of what Arianna Huffington has done with her website.
I like HuffPo well enough, but it does lapse into virtual starfucking quite a bit. For every two or so interesting pieces, HuffPo posts the stale, uninspired notions of some celebrity with too much time on their hands.
If the web is your primary news source, give The Daily Beast a look.
I've been pretty busy with the day job. We've gotten a faceful of winter up this way and I've been working and fighting off the second round of the flu to blow through town so far this season. The paper is coming along nicely; we're still a ways away from where we need to be with each edition but I am pleased with the progress thus far.
Anyway, I've updated my blogroll to include The Daily Beast. This is Tina Brown's big play for internet domination. Brown, a British expat, set the table for Graydon Carter at Vanity Fair, then moved on to other publishing projects of varying degrees of success. I don't want to diminish Carter (he was the editor of the best magazine ever -- Spy), but Brown left him a very strong foundation to build on.
Magazine denizens know, and may loathe, Brown's reputation for self promotion, but the girl knows how to edit. She's a fair writer, too, as her columns for the Washington Post ably attest. I think she has come up with a sharper, more interesting version of what Arianna Huffington has done with her website.
I like HuffPo well enough, but it does lapse into virtual starfucking quite a bit. For every two or so interesting pieces, HuffPo posts the stale, uninspired notions of some celebrity with too much time on their hands.
If the web is your primary news source, give The Daily Beast a look.
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