I went into the laundry room this evening and at least one of the fluorescent lights is on its way out so the lights were blinking, giving off a strobe-light effect. This led me to believe one of three things was about to happen:
1) I was going to have a seizure doing laundry.
2) I was going to bust out some crazy cool dance moves that benefit from a strobe light and turn the laundry room into the best dance club in town.
3) An alien was going to jump out from behind the dryer and kill me.
At any rate, laundry night just got a lot more interesting.
Tuesday, December 28, 2004
On the road again
I had been without a car for four days as of today.
Well, I wasn't exactly without it. It was there, sitting in the parking lot of my apartment building, hibernating beneath a blanket of snow.
On Friday, I went out to the car to head into work.
It wouldn't start.
Now, my car and I have a pretty good relationship. I've put it through a lot in the five years or so that I've had it -- criss-crossing Kansas more than any car or human should on 11-hour trips between Denver and Columbia, Mo.; road trips around the Midwest; and sticking it in the middle of what might as well be the Antarctic for the past three winters -- but I think we're stronger for it. We've only really had two major spats: Once, when I left the headlights on when taking a nap at a rest stop and killed the battery -- my fault. And once, when it refused to start right before my friend Jeff's wedding -- not my fault.
Now I should mention that the night before my car failed me, the temperatures got down to about 20 below. The connection between these two events was not lost on me.
There are two funny things you'll notice about people and their cars up here if you're not from the area:
1) Many cars have extension cords hanging out of the hoods. This is to plug in their batteries to keep them from freezing overnight, I learned.
2) Many people will leave their car running in a parking lot. I've been out to eat with people who will just leave their car on so that it stays warm and doesn't stall.
To most people, these seem like odd things, but around here, it's pretty common. However, I'd gotten through two winters and this one so far without any more than some grumblings from my car. I had already promised it a warmer climate as soon as I can find a new job. So I was a little surprised when it wouldn't start. The battery wasn't frozen -- the radio and lights still worked. I thought maybe whatever it was would just need to some time to thaw. Although since we're not going to hit temperatures above freezing anytime soon, my wait-it-out strategy didn't have a lot going for it. But it was Christmas weekend so I didn't have a lot of choice but to rely on the generosity of a few friends to chauffeur me to work and back. Besides, it was inching above 0 degrees, and I figured that had to count for something.
I tried to start the car a couple of times every day over the weekend, to no avail.
Finally, this morning (Monday), I called my insurance company to get a tow truck to take me to a nearby repair shop. A guy at the shop had said it might be a flooded engine, in which case the spark plugs would have to be replaced and the oil maybe changed. All in all, it would be about $50.
When the tow truck arrived, the guy listened to me try to start it, agreed about the engine being flooded (through no fault of my own, it should be added; he said that just happens sometimes in cold weather with four-cylinder engines). But his solution was much simpler and cheaper -- press the gas and keep trying to start it until it burned off the extra fuel. Sure enough, five minutes and $0 later, I had a working car.
I guess sometimes Santa drives a tow truck and delivers his gifts a little bit late.
Well, I wasn't exactly without it. It was there, sitting in the parking lot of my apartment building, hibernating beneath a blanket of snow.
On Friday, I went out to the car to head into work.
It wouldn't start.
Now, my car and I have a pretty good relationship. I've put it through a lot in the five years or so that I've had it -- criss-crossing Kansas more than any car or human should on 11-hour trips between Denver and Columbia, Mo.; road trips around the Midwest; and sticking it in the middle of what might as well be the Antarctic for the past three winters -- but I think we're stronger for it. We've only really had two major spats: Once, when I left the headlights on when taking a nap at a rest stop and killed the battery -- my fault. And once, when it refused to start right before my friend Jeff's wedding -- not my fault.
Now I should mention that the night before my car failed me, the temperatures got down to about 20 below. The connection between these two events was not lost on me.
There are two funny things you'll notice about people and their cars up here if you're not from the area:
1) Many cars have extension cords hanging out of the hoods. This is to plug in their batteries to keep them from freezing overnight, I learned.
2) Many people will leave their car running in a parking lot. I've been out to eat with people who will just leave their car on so that it stays warm and doesn't stall.
To most people, these seem like odd things, but around here, it's pretty common. However, I'd gotten through two winters and this one so far without any more than some grumblings from my car. I had already promised it a warmer climate as soon as I can find a new job. So I was a little surprised when it wouldn't start. The battery wasn't frozen -- the radio and lights still worked. I thought maybe whatever it was would just need to some time to thaw. Although since we're not going to hit temperatures above freezing anytime soon, my wait-it-out strategy didn't have a lot going for it. But it was Christmas weekend so I didn't have a lot of choice but to rely on the generosity of a few friends to chauffeur me to work and back. Besides, it was inching above 0 degrees, and I figured that had to count for something.
I tried to start the car a couple of times every day over the weekend, to no avail.
Finally, this morning (Monday), I called my insurance company to get a tow truck to take me to a nearby repair shop. A guy at the shop had said it might be a flooded engine, in which case the spark plugs would have to be replaced and the oil maybe changed. All in all, it would be about $50.
When the tow truck arrived, the guy listened to me try to start it, agreed about the engine being flooded (through no fault of my own, it should be added; he said that just happens sometimes in cold weather with four-cylinder engines). But his solution was much simpler and cheaper -- press the gas and keep trying to start it until it burned off the extra fuel. Sure enough, five minutes and $0 later, I had a working car.
I guess sometimes Santa drives a tow truck and delivers his gifts a little bit late.
Saturday, December 25, 2004
Merry Christmas!
It's no letter from Klaus, but in honor of the day, I present one of journalism's finer pieces of work, which appeared in the New York Sun more than a century ago.
We take pleasure in answering thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of The Sun:
Dear Editor,
I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, ``If you see it in The Sun, it's so.'' Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?
Virginia O'Hanlon
115 West Ninety-Fifth Street
Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little.
In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy.
Alas! How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The external light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.
Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see.
Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.
You tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond.
Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding. No Santa Claus! Thank God! He lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.
We take pleasure in answering thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of The Sun:
Dear Editor,
I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, ``If you see it in The Sun, it's so.'' Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?
Virginia O'Hanlon
115 West Ninety-Fifth Street
Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little.
In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy.
Alas! How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The external light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.
Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see.
Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.
You tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond.
Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding. No Santa Claus! Thank God! He lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.
Friday, December 24, 2004
Blogger beware
Today, some news from the blogging world:
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch suspended a features reporter and seized his computer after an article was published in the Riverfront Times (employer of the lovely K-Mac) about his blog (which was written under a pseudonym). The full article can be found here. He commented a lot on stories he wrote and people at the paper.
Food for thought.
Also interesting, is this commentary on the incident.
Speaking of media, a good column from the Baltimore Sun talks about how the media has failed the public. This is an excerpt:
Journalists have allowed political operatives to successfully control what is discussed and how it is discussed. TV programs that pit an extremist on the left against an extremist on the right have made it clear there is no room for moderate voices. Walter Cronkite used to be the most trusted journalist in America. Now Jon Stewart - a comedian with a "fake news" show - may be. President Bush invaded Iraq on false pretenses, and many in the news media not only didn't question his assertions but served to legitimize them. The Patriot Act, which authorizes serious abridgments of civil liberties, was enacted and allowed to continue with hardly a whimper from the institutions that depend on the First Amendment for their existence. . . . Pursuing these kinds of stories takes time, energy and sources. It is fueled by a healthy skepticism from reporters and courage on the part of editors. And it requires that government be sufficiently in awe of the power of the press so that it provide answers and access. Instead, we have too many reporters who believe it is their job simply to quote what people tell them - who think being "investigative" is getting a conflicting quote.
If you want to read the whole column, click the link above. (If you don't want to register, you can use the user name and password ''commonbriguy.'')
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch suspended a features reporter and seized his computer after an article was published in the Riverfront Times (employer of the lovely K-Mac) about his blog (which was written under a pseudonym). The full article can be found here. He commented a lot on stories he wrote and people at the paper.
Food for thought.
Also interesting, is this commentary on the incident.
Speaking of media, a good column from the Baltimore Sun talks about how the media has failed the public. This is an excerpt:
Journalists have allowed political operatives to successfully control what is discussed and how it is discussed. TV programs that pit an extremist on the left against an extremist on the right have made it clear there is no room for moderate voices. Walter Cronkite used to be the most trusted journalist in America. Now Jon Stewart - a comedian with a "fake news" show - may be. President Bush invaded Iraq on false pretenses, and many in the news media not only didn't question his assertions but served to legitimize them. The Patriot Act, which authorizes serious abridgments of civil liberties, was enacted and allowed to continue with hardly a whimper from the institutions that depend on the First Amendment for their existence. . . . Pursuing these kinds of stories takes time, energy and sources. It is fueled by a healthy skepticism from reporters and courage on the part of editors. And it requires that government be sufficiently in awe of the power of the press so that it provide answers and access. Instead, we have too many reporters who believe it is their job simply to quote what people tell them - who think being "investigative" is getting a conflicting quote.
If you want to read the whole column, click the link above. (If you don't want to register, you can use the user name and password ''commonbriguy.'')
Tuesday, December 21, 2004
I've got style
Further proving how much of a geek I am, I bought the 2004 edition of the AP stylebook at the bookstore tonight. For those not in the biz, the AP stylebook is essentially the copy editor's Bible. We reference it for spellings, usage and other style related questions. The store didn't have the spiral-bound kind, which was a disappointment, but I was still pretty psyched to get a copy.
Of course the first thing I did was check the beginning to see what the new or altered entries were. Several of the changes were sorely needed. AP just finally got around to acknowledging ATMs, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Sacagawea (you wouldn't believe the debates I've had about how to spell her name; there are about five ways to do so), SARS, Scud missiles and Serbia-Montenegro.
The AP has also finally wised up and changed its preference on not guilty/innocent. It had preferred using "innocent" to guard against the word "not" being dropped from "not guilty," which was a pretty silly reason once we stopped manually putting type on the pages.
AP also continues its inconsistent rulings. Under "headquarters," it clearly states that you shouldn't use the word as a verb (e.g. The company is headquartered in New Orleans). But then, as the Associated Press often does, it violates its own rule under the new Humane Society entry, in which it says that the organization is "headquartered" in Washington.
It also still insists on not really embracing some of the world's new-fangled technology. DVD is acceptable on first reference in most stories but should be spelled out somewhere in a story "in which the context may not be familiar to readers." I have no idea in what kind of stories "digital versatile disc" will be more familiar to readers than "DVD," but OK, AP....
Although that's not nearly bad as the entry on VCR, which AP still insists should be called a videocasette recorder the first time you mention it.
That's just ridiculous.
Of course the first thing I did was check the beginning to see what the new or altered entries were. Several of the changes were sorely needed. AP just finally got around to acknowledging ATMs, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Sacagawea (you wouldn't believe the debates I've had about how to spell her name; there are about five ways to do so), SARS, Scud missiles and Serbia-Montenegro.
The AP has also finally wised up and changed its preference on not guilty/innocent. It had preferred using "innocent" to guard against the word "not" being dropped from "not guilty," which was a pretty silly reason once we stopped manually putting type on the pages.
AP also continues its inconsistent rulings. Under "headquarters," it clearly states that you shouldn't use the word as a verb (e.g. The company is headquartered in New Orleans). But then, as the Associated Press often does, it violates its own rule under the new Humane Society entry, in which it says that the organization is "headquartered" in Washington.
It also still insists on not really embracing some of the world's new-fangled technology. DVD is acceptable on first reference in most stories but should be spelled out somewhere in a story "in which the context may not be familiar to readers." I have no idea in what kind of stories "digital versatile disc" will be more familiar to readers than "DVD," but OK, AP....
Although that's not nearly bad as the entry on VCR, which AP still insists should be called a videocasette recorder the first time you mention it.
That's just ridiculous.
Saturday, December 18, 2004
Tremble in fear ...
... of so many disjointed thoughts thrown helter-skelter into one blog post.
1) I can't believe that Jeff Probst is dating Julie from the latest edition of "Survivor." Actually, I should say that I can't believe Julie would date Jeff (I totally understand Jeff's decision). I mean, did she see the total cheesiness that consumed the last episode? Julie, if you date me, I promise that I will never be shown on television chopping my way through the jungle with a machete all night to a waiting plane, skydive out of that plane over the desert, hop on a motorcycle and then ride it to a television studio. I will also never let Sarge wear that shirt he wore for the final vote ever again.
2) I just got my Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine and it has an ad glued to the cover. It's designed like the cover, as if the magazine were all about this particular video game, but it's just a fake attached to the real cover.
This disturbs me. It's like when they try to make newspaper ads that look like news articles. I hate that.
3) I've just finished reading a great book, and begun another. Both are about a couple of Jewish boys growing up. "The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay" by Michael Chabon is set against the backdrop of World War II and talks a lot about the golden age of comic books. (It's fiction, but contains a lot of actual events and people.) Thanks to Amber for recommending it some time ago and to Capt. Dusty McAwesome for loaning it to me. The other book I've just begun is about the life of Jesus ... as told by his childhood pal Biff (again, thanks to Amber for the recommendation). "Lamb" by Christopher Moore (who also has a new book out -- "The Stupidest Angel") is a slightly more irreverent book. It starts with Biff meeting Jesus for the first time at the age of 6. Jesus has a lizard hanging out of his mouth, which he hands to his younger (half-)brother, who plays with it and then smashes it with a rock. The dead lizard is handed back to Jesus, who puts it in his mouth, and then takes it out again, alive and well ... only to be smote by the younger brother again. And so the cycle repeats itself.
So yeah, it's that kind of book.
4) If you're not familiar with Duluth, I live in a frozen wasteland. My apartment parking lot, which has the misfortune to be on the north side of the building and thus in the shade all day, has become an ice skating rink. For awhile, when it occasionally bumped above freezing, it would turn into a slush pond, but now, it's just sheer ice over the entire thing. I imagine it won't melt until July.
Naturally, the weather is a bit of a hindrance in getting people to come work here. Capt. Dusty McAwesome was talking to a job candidate for one of our open positions this afternoon when she suddenly asked about the weather. It's cold, he told her. (She's from Alabama, so this was going to be a major issue.) She mentioned that she was applying at a paper in Florida and that it was 70 there. Dusty said, "Well, yeah, it's like that here, too. Just drop off the zero."
She suddenly seems to have lost interest in the job.
We all told him he should have tried to spin it better. (It's still several hundred degrees above absolute zero, as he likes to say.)
5) Speaking of work, I've found my vehicle to fame. Some time ago, I was asked to be in a commercial for the paper that was promoting this daily deal thing the paper is doing. I play a husband sitting at the breakfast table with his wife, who has been cutting holes out of his paper everyday, much to his dismay. I only had one line but had to convey a number of emotions through facial expressions. I call this "emoting." I haven't seen the commercial yet, but I believe they rushed it onto TV so that it would be eligible for the coming Oscars and/or Emmys. So keep an eye out for me on the red carpet.
1) I can't believe that Jeff Probst is dating Julie from the latest edition of "Survivor." Actually, I should say that I can't believe Julie would date Jeff (I totally understand Jeff's decision). I mean, did she see the total cheesiness that consumed the last episode? Julie, if you date me, I promise that I will never be shown on television chopping my way through the jungle with a machete all night to a waiting plane, skydive out of that plane over the desert, hop on a motorcycle and then ride it to a television studio. I will also never let Sarge wear that shirt he wore for the final vote ever again.
2) I just got my Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine and it has an ad glued to the cover. It's designed like the cover, as if the magazine were all about this particular video game, but it's just a fake attached to the real cover.
This disturbs me. It's like when they try to make newspaper ads that look like news articles. I hate that.
3) I've just finished reading a great book, and begun another. Both are about a couple of Jewish boys growing up. "The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay" by Michael Chabon is set against the backdrop of World War II and talks a lot about the golden age of comic books. (It's fiction, but contains a lot of actual events and people.) Thanks to Amber for recommending it some time ago and to Capt. Dusty McAwesome for loaning it to me. The other book I've just begun is about the life of Jesus ... as told by his childhood pal Biff (again, thanks to Amber for the recommendation). "Lamb" by Christopher Moore (who also has a new book out -- "The Stupidest Angel") is a slightly more irreverent book. It starts with Biff meeting Jesus for the first time at the age of 6. Jesus has a lizard hanging out of his mouth, which he hands to his younger (half-)brother, who plays with it and then smashes it with a rock. The dead lizard is handed back to Jesus, who puts it in his mouth, and then takes it out again, alive and well ... only to be smote by the younger brother again. And so the cycle repeats itself.
So yeah, it's that kind of book.
4) If you're not familiar with Duluth, I live in a frozen wasteland. My apartment parking lot, which has the misfortune to be on the north side of the building and thus in the shade all day, has become an ice skating rink. For awhile, when it occasionally bumped above freezing, it would turn into a slush pond, but now, it's just sheer ice over the entire thing. I imagine it won't melt until July.
Naturally, the weather is a bit of a hindrance in getting people to come work here. Capt. Dusty McAwesome was talking to a job candidate for one of our open positions this afternoon when she suddenly asked about the weather. It's cold, he told her. (She's from Alabama, so this was going to be a major issue.) She mentioned that she was applying at a paper in Florida and that it was 70 there. Dusty said, "Well, yeah, it's like that here, too. Just drop off the zero."
She suddenly seems to have lost interest in the job.
We all told him he should have tried to spin it better. (It's still several hundred degrees above absolute zero, as he likes to say.)
5) Speaking of work, I've found my vehicle to fame. Some time ago, I was asked to be in a commercial for the paper that was promoting this daily deal thing the paper is doing. I play a husband sitting at the breakfast table with his wife, who has been cutting holes out of his paper everyday, much to his dismay. I only had one line but had to convey a number of emotions through facial expressions. I call this "emoting." I haven't seen the commercial yet, but I believe they rushed it onto TV so that it would be eligible for the coming Oscars and/or Emmys. So keep an eye out for me on the red carpet.
Friday, December 17, 2004
It's not mine
Sorry it's been awhile since I've posted; it's been a hectic week. I've managed to procrastinate quite well about critiquing papers for the Virginian-Pilot, where I'm applying for a job. I'm also way behind on sending Christmas cards.
But enough excuses, there are several things I'd like to blog about, but I'll start out with this:
I don't usually remember my dreams, so I always find it interesting, if not bizarre, when I do remember snippets. Last night, I dreamt I was being sentenced for using drugs. I'm not sure what kind of drugs, and I didn't remember ever using drugs or being convicted on the charge, but here I was being sentenced. I didn't fight it too hard, only saying, "I have no idea how to prove that I didn't do something." So the judge sentenced me to forking over half my salary for the rest of my life. (It should be noted that I'm pretty sure the court proceedings were taking place in a one-room schoolhouse, so in retrospect, I'm not sure they were entirely legit.) I complained about the unfairness of the restitution with the plea: "But I work at a newspaper. I barely make enough money as it is. If I have to pay half my salary, I won't have enough money to live."
The judge -- who I vaguely remember as being a friend, but I'm not sure who -- didn't care.
I think I like it better when I don't remember my dreams. My subconscious is seriously disturbed.
But enough excuses, there are several things I'd like to blog about, but I'll start out with this:
I don't usually remember my dreams, so I always find it interesting, if not bizarre, when I do remember snippets. Last night, I dreamt I was being sentenced for using drugs. I'm not sure what kind of drugs, and I didn't remember ever using drugs or being convicted on the charge, but here I was being sentenced. I didn't fight it too hard, only saying, "I have no idea how to prove that I didn't do something." So the judge sentenced me to forking over half my salary for the rest of my life. (It should be noted that I'm pretty sure the court proceedings were taking place in a one-room schoolhouse, so in retrospect, I'm not sure they were entirely legit.) I complained about the unfairness of the restitution with the plea: "But I work at a newspaper. I barely make enough money as it is. If I have to pay half my salary, I won't have enough money to live."
The judge -- who I vaguely remember as being a friend, but I'm not sure who -- didn't care.
I think I like it better when I don't remember my dreams. My subconscious is seriously disturbed.
Monday, December 13, 2004
This gets my goat
In this time of giving, I'll direct your attention to a worthy cause:
Heifer International
It's an organization that provides cows, chickens and other animals to poor regions of the world to provide a sustainable source of food and income. And the people who get these animals are obligated to pass along their offspring to others in need, thus spreading the chain.
It's a worthwhile site and a good cause, so I encourage you to check it out. There's also a section on things we can all do to help end hunger and save the planet.
A woman at work organized a group of us to donate for the holidays; I think we're getting a goat.
And while I've already gotten people's gifts for this year, I have to admit that I struggle finding things for people. So I think, in the future, charitable gifts may be the way to go.
So don't be surprised, if next year, I donate a chicken on your behalf.
Heifer International
It's an organization that provides cows, chickens and other animals to poor regions of the world to provide a sustainable source of food and income. And the people who get these animals are obligated to pass along their offspring to others in need, thus spreading the chain.
It's a worthwhile site and a good cause, so I encourage you to check it out. There's also a section on things we can all do to help end hunger and save the planet.
A woman at work organized a group of us to donate for the holidays; I think we're getting a goat.
And while I've already gotten people's gifts for this year, I have to admit that I struggle finding things for people. So I think, in the future, charitable gifts may be the way to go.
So don't be surprised, if next year, I donate a chicken on your behalf.
Thursday, December 09, 2004
Money talks...
Well, it doesn't really talk. That would be creepy.
But if money could talk, oh, the stories it would tell.
I got a $20 bill the other night that had the words "CURRENCY TRACKING PROJECT" on the top of the back of the bill, and "WWW.WHERESGEORGE.COM" printed on the bottom. Being a curious sort, I checked it out. It's a little Internet project to track where your currency has been and where it ends up after it leaves your hand. Most of my money hadn't been reported before, but the $20 with the writing on it had last been entered in Philadelphia about 175 days ago.
I find this interesting. I don't know why.
It also makes me want to wash my hands after touching money.
On an unrelated note, I saw "Blade: Trinity" tonight. I have a penchant for what most people would consider to be bad and/or cheesy action films. Don't get me wrong -- I like the movies with depth, character development, emotion and, you know, a plot. But the entertaining action movies are sort of my guilty pleasure. Luckily, I have a cohort in crime for this -- my friend Val. I actually have to restrain her from seeing some of the movies that are bad even by our standards. ("Alien vs. Predator"? Hell, yeah. "Catwoman"? Not a chance.) To most people, this will seem like an arbitrary distinction, but trust me, the line is there.
Anyhow, we both agreed that "Blade: Trinity" was excellent entertainment -- good action scenes and plenty of humor. The addition of Ryan Reynolds and a butt-kicking Jessica Biel (be still my heart) was definitely what the series needed to spice things up. And if that doesn't convince you, I just have two words:
Vampire dogs.
There's just something about turning dogs into evil creatures (also see: "Resident Evil") that I find fun/funny.
Maybe it's because I'm not a pet person ...
But if money could talk, oh, the stories it would tell.
I got a $20 bill the other night that had the words "CURRENCY TRACKING PROJECT" on the top of the back of the bill, and "WWW.WHERESGEORGE.COM" printed on the bottom. Being a curious sort, I checked it out. It's a little Internet project to track where your currency has been and where it ends up after it leaves your hand. Most of my money hadn't been reported before, but the $20 with the writing on it had last been entered in Philadelphia about 175 days ago.
I find this interesting. I don't know why.
It also makes me want to wash my hands after touching money.
On an unrelated note, I saw "Blade: Trinity" tonight. I have a penchant for what most people would consider to be bad and/or cheesy action films. Don't get me wrong -- I like the movies with depth, character development, emotion and, you know, a plot. But the entertaining action movies are sort of my guilty pleasure. Luckily, I have a cohort in crime for this -- my friend Val. I actually have to restrain her from seeing some of the movies that are bad even by our standards. ("Alien vs. Predator"? Hell, yeah. "Catwoman"? Not a chance.) To most people, this will seem like an arbitrary distinction, but trust me, the line is there.
Anyhow, we both agreed that "Blade: Trinity" was excellent entertainment -- good action scenes and plenty of humor. The addition of Ryan Reynolds and a butt-kicking Jessica Biel (be still my heart) was definitely what the series needed to spice things up. And if that doesn't convince you, I just have two words:
Vampire dogs.
There's just something about turning dogs into evil creatures (also see: "Resident Evil") that I find fun/funny.
Maybe it's because I'm not a pet person ...
Wednesday, December 08, 2004
Censorship in the media
A friend of mine makes an excellent point about a church ad that does not promote homosexuality, but merely talks about being inclusive and welcoming to all people, homosexuals included. The reaction shows just how far the chilling effect of the FCC or of the administration's toe-the-line policies or whatever is driving this decision has gone. She puts it more eloquently than I could. You can read her blog entry here.
On a related religious note to any Jewish readers, Happy Hanukkah!
On a related religious note to any Jewish readers, Happy Hanukkah!
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
Fuzzy math
In honor of Capt. Dusty McAwesome taking the GRE today, I present you with the following math story problem:
Brian wins an electronic dartboard at the annual newspaper guild Christmas party. He takes it home and begins to set it up. The instructions insist that the center of the bull's-eye should be 5'8" from the floor. It then instructs him to place the top screw that will hold the dartboard 65.75" from the floor and the bottom screw 50.75" from the floor.
Explain how it is humanly possible to abide by all three measurements.
Brian wins an electronic dartboard at the annual newspaper guild Christmas party. He takes it home and begins to set it up. The instructions insist that the center of the bull's-eye should be 5'8" from the floor. It then instructs him to place the top screw that will hold the dartboard 65.75" from the floor and the bottom screw 50.75" from the floor.
Explain how it is humanly possible to abide by all three measurements.
Monday, December 06, 2004
Ode to a plant
I buried my plant today.
Well, actually, I yanked it out of its pot and threw the plant and dirt into a snow-covered field behind my apartment building. I figure it's better there than throwing it into the garbage. It can just decompose in nature -- dust to dust and all.
So it was sort of like a burial, but without all the digging and ceremony.
My plant and I weren't all that close. I never named it, like some friends I have do. I never talked to it or played it classical music to help it grow. But, more often than not, I watered it and tried to take care of it. And the plant, in return, bloomed nice, red flowers; gave my deck a splash of color; and came back from the brink of death more than once.
We met in the Wal-Mart garden center.
I had gone there one nice spring day (spring being June in Duluth). I had been hesitant about buying a plant. I wasn't sure I was ready for that level of commitment. Would I really remember to water it every other day? Did I have the time to pay it the attention that it would need? Maybe I should go with a starter plant -- like a cactus. But no, I decided to face my fears and give it a shot. Better to find out that I was incapable of taking care of a living thing by accidentally killing a plant than, say, a puppy.
I looked around at all the different kinds. I knew I needed a plant that would be OK in direct sunshine in the morning, but then shade for most of the rest of the day. (The balcony faces east.) Past that, I had no idea. I walked up and down the aisles, checking out the prospects. Some were pretty, others had not only been hit by the ugly stick, they WERE the ugly stick.
Then, I met my matchmaker.
She was probably in her 60s and seemed to have sensed my confusion. She asked what I was looking for. I explained as best I could -- a plant. Something with flowers maybe. She took pity on me and, after asking a few other pertinent questions, began hunting around, checking out various plants. There was much hemming and hawing; clearly, she wanted just the right plant for me. I think I reminded her of her adult son, for whom she was shopping for a plant. Apparently, he was about as knowledgeable as I. Finally, she found it. It was a geranium with red flowers. It hadn't yet hit its peak, and she knew that it would be absolutely beautiful once it did. She handed it to me proudly and I accepted, thanking her profusely for her help. She gave me some tips on how to take care of my newfound companion and I took it home.
Thus began a relationship that would last the rest of the summer (the length of July, in Duluth) and most of the fall.
Surprisingly, I actually did remember to water it every other day. Well, most of the time. There were occasionally times when I would forget and it would be three or four days, but the plant never complained. Once, I forgot to water it for about a week or a little more and it started to die, but after I started watering it again, it sprang back to life. Another time, an early chill nearly killed it, but again, it persevered and survived. I would like to think these struggles tested our relationship and made it stronger.
But it's gone now, killed for good by the first frost several weeks ago.
I do not mourn. I know it's in a better place.
Well, I guess laying in the field in the cold isn't really a better place. But whatever.
Will I get another plant? Eventually, maybe. But I know it won't be the same. Unless I get another geranium, in which case, maybe it will be the same.
But first, I need time.
And I have to wait for summer anyhow.
Well, actually, I yanked it out of its pot and threw the plant and dirt into a snow-covered field behind my apartment building. I figure it's better there than throwing it into the garbage. It can just decompose in nature -- dust to dust and all.
So it was sort of like a burial, but without all the digging and ceremony.
My plant and I weren't all that close. I never named it, like some friends I have do. I never talked to it or played it classical music to help it grow. But, more often than not, I watered it and tried to take care of it. And the plant, in return, bloomed nice, red flowers; gave my deck a splash of color; and came back from the brink of death more than once.
We met in the Wal-Mart garden center.
I had gone there one nice spring day (spring being June in Duluth). I had been hesitant about buying a plant. I wasn't sure I was ready for that level of commitment. Would I really remember to water it every other day? Did I have the time to pay it the attention that it would need? Maybe I should go with a starter plant -- like a cactus. But no, I decided to face my fears and give it a shot. Better to find out that I was incapable of taking care of a living thing by accidentally killing a plant than, say, a puppy.
I looked around at all the different kinds. I knew I needed a plant that would be OK in direct sunshine in the morning, but then shade for most of the rest of the day. (The balcony faces east.) Past that, I had no idea. I walked up and down the aisles, checking out the prospects. Some were pretty, others had not only been hit by the ugly stick, they WERE the ugly stick.
Then, I met my matchmaker.
She was probably in her 60s and seemed to have sensed my confusion. She asked what I was looking for. I explained as best I could -- a plant. Something with flowers maybe. She took pity on me and, after asking a few other pertinent questions, began hunting around, checking out various plants. There was much hemming and hawing; clearly, she wanted just the right plant for me. I think I reminded her of her adult son, for whom she was shopping for a plant. Apparently, he was about as knowledgeable as I. Finally, she found it. It was a geranium with red flowers. It hadn't yet hit its peak, and she knew that it would be absolutely beautiful once it did. She handed it to me proudly and I accepted, thanking her profusely for her help. She gave me some tips on how to take care of my newfound companion and I took it home.
Thus began a relationship that would last the rest of the summer (the length of July, in Duluth) and most of the fall.
Surprisingly, I actually did remember to water it every other day. Well, most of the time. There were occasionally times when I would forget and it would be three or four days, but the plant never complained. Once, I forgot to water it for about a week or a little more and it started to die, but after I started watering it again, it sprang back to life. Another time, an early chill nearly killed it, but again, it persevered and survived. I would like to think these struggles tested our relationship and made it stronger.
But it's gone now, killed for good by the first frost several weeks ago.
I do not mourn. I know it's in a better place.
Well, I guess laying in the field in the cold isn't really a better place. But whatever.
Will I get another plant? Eventually, maybe. But I know it won't be the same. Unless I get another geranium, in which case, maybe it will be the same.
But first, I need time.
And I have to wait for summer anyhow.
So ... ummm....
I'm not that great a small talk in the first place, but if you want a real challenge, try coming up with things to say at a sort-of-work function to a co-worker you don't know that well who has brought a date almost young enough to be his daughter, whom he met over the Internet and has since left his wife for.
Talk about awkward.
On a brighter note, you may have noticed that I've added some links to more people's blogs (our numbers are always growing) along with links to a few sites you might like. I would like to especially point out the last two blogs (Site of the Living Dead and The Hero Guild). The former will be particularly useful if you've ever wondered how to deal with a zombie attack (better to be prepared than eaten, I always say). The latter I expect will be a fascinating look at the extraordinary lives of a few superheroes. Though I have no idea who these brave men are, they have my eternal gratitude for making the world a safer place. They're also dapper dressers from what I hear.
Talk about awkward.
On a brighter note, you may have noticed that I've added some links to more people's blogs (our numbers are always growing) along with links to a few sites you might like. I would like to especially point out the last two blogs (Site of the Living Dead and The Hero Guild). The former will be particularly useful if you've ever wondered how to deal with a zombie attack (better to be prepared than eaten, I always say). The latter I expect will be a fascinating look at the extraordinary lives of a few superheroes. Though I have no idea who these brave men are, they have my eternal gratitude for making the world a safer place. They're also dapper dressers from what I hear.
Saturday, December 04, 2004
Some interesting links
A new study claims that walking is the most dangerous mode of transportation. This seems somewhat ironic seeing as how, not that long ago, health advocates were saying that walking is the best exercise and a great way to improve and lengthen your life.
If you haven't tried using Firefox as a browser, I highly recommend it. It's more secure than Internet Explorer and has a built-in pop-up blocker. Good stuff.
If you're a bit of an astronomy or weather geek like me, you'll love this site: Astronomy Picture of the Day. It even comes with handy explainers, even if I don't always understand them.
If you haven't tried using Firefox as a browser, I highly recommend it. It's more secure than Internet Explorer and has a built-in pop-up blocker. Good stuff.
If you're a bit of an astronomy or weather geek like me, you'll love this site: Astronomy Picture of the Day. It even comes with handy explainers, even if I don't always understand them.
Friday, December 03, 2004
For your amusement
A headline that almost appeared in today's paper on a story about the restructuring of the U.S. intelligence system, but which we decided against after realizing its double entendre:
"Bush faces test on intelligence"
A story on a fire at a butter plant that left a town swimming in melted butter: "New Ulm fire butters town, batters plant."
If you really want your faith in the decency of Superman and the comic book industry as a whole shaken, check this out. As far as I can tell, they're real comic book covers, but to say that they are atrocious would be kind. Thanks to Baby Blue for passing it along.
"Bush faces test on intelligence"
A story on a fire at a butter plant that left a town swimming in melted butter: "New Ulm fire butters town, batters plant."
If you really want your faith in the decency of Superman and the comic book industry as a whole shaken, check this out. As far as I can tell, they're real comic book covers, but to say that they are atrocious would be kind. Thanks to Baby Blue for passing it along.
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Misc. comments
I saw "National Treasure" last week. It's nothing Earth-shattering, but it was fun and entertaining in that usual Jerry Bruckheimer sort of way. It has also put Diane Kruger on my list of celebrity crushes.
I picked up U2's latest CD ("How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb"). It's a bit of an unwieldy title, but a great album. Not that best ever, as I believe Time magazine proclaimed, but definitely worth listening to.
I finished "Halo 2" the other day. I'd like to say that the planet is now safe from alien invasion, but the ending sort of ... sucked. It was very anticlimactic and just a lead-in for the next "Halo" game. I hate when they do that.
Boston has finally gotten around to starting the process of removing a law that bans American Indians from city limits. Good for them. (Alabama, incidentally, is beginning its recount this week of the close, failed vote to remove segregation language from the state constitution.)
3M has created this Fire Protection Fluid that looks like water and can be used to put out fires but doesn't have any of the bad side effects. You can actually immerse electronic equipment in the liquid, and it'll work just fine afterward. How crazy cool is that?! But maybe that's just my inner science nerd talking...
I picked up U2's latest CD ("How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb"). It's a bit of an unwieldy title, but a great album. Not that best ever, as I believe Time magazine proclaimed, but definitely worth listening to.
I finished "Halo 2" the other day. I'd like to say that the planet is now safe from alien invasion, but the ending sort of ... sucked. It was very anticlimactic and just a lead-in for the next "Halo" game. I hate when they do that.
Boston has finally gotten around to starting the process of removing a law that bans American Indians from city limits. Good for them. (Alabama, incidentally, is beginning its recount this week of the close, failed vote to remove segregation language from the state constitution.)
3M has created this Fire Protection Fluid that looks like water and can be used to put out fires but doesn't have any of the bad side effects. You can actually immerse electronic equipment in the liquid, and it'll work just fine afterward. How crazy cool is that?! But maybe that's just my inner science nerd talking...
Monday, November 29, 2004
Renter beware
Well, I got back from vacation late last night, and, yes, I had a very nice Thanksgiving. A funny anecdote from the trip:
Because we were going to be hauling around seven people (my immediate family and three relatives), my parents decided to rent a bigger vehicle from ... I'll call it "Hurtz." They got a Chevy Venture, a minivan with automatic sliding doors on both sides. This thing seems to have a number of design flaws, but the biggest problem came when, after one of the side doors wouldn't close automatically, my dad went to do it manually ... and the door came off in his hand. Yes, the entire door fell off. Needless to say, a call was made to "Hurtz" and a new vehicle arrived, along with a flatbed truck to take away the minivan turned sideways convertible.
The second vehicle was also a Venture. The first thing that seemed off was that the windshield wipers were either designed badly or had the wrong size blades in them -- they stuck together when you turned them on, thus somewhat minimizing their efficiency. After driving it for about 10-15 minutes and parking, we discovered that the battery was dead. (The clock was way off when we first got in, indicating that perhaps this had been a problem in the past.)
So another call to "Hurtz" and another vehicle: This time, no Ventures. We got a Ford Explorer instead, which retained all of its doors and did not die once. Woohoo.
In the course of this, I discovered that a car manual can provide some pretty interesting reading. A couple of excerpts:
(From the Ford Explorer)
Using this vehicle as a snowplow
Do not use this vehicle as a snowplow.
Using this vehicle as an ambulance
Do not use this vehicle as an ambulance.
(And my favorite, from the Chevy Venture)
Warning! Going through a car wash may cause automatic sliding doors to open. Be sure to turn off automatic-door function before entering car wash.
That's just classic.
Because we were going to be hauling around seven people (my immediate family and three relatives), my parents decided to rent a bigger vehicle from ... I'll call it "Hurtz." They got a Chevy Venture, a minivan with automatic sliding doors on both sides. This thing seems to have a number of design flaws, but the biggest problem came when, after one of the side doors wouldn't close automatically, my dad went to do it manually ... and the door came off in his hand. Yes, the entire door fell off. Needless to say, a call was made to "Hurtz" and a new vehicle arrived, along with a flatbed truck to take away the minivan turned sideways convertible.
The second vehicle was also a Venture. The first thing that seemed off was that the windshield wipers were either designed badly or had the wrong size blades in them -- they stuck together when you turned them on, thus somewhat minimizing their efficiency. After driving it for about 10-15 minutes and parking, we discovered that the battery was dead. (The clock was way off when we first got in, indicating that perhaps this had been a problem in the past.)
So another call to "Hurtz" and another vehicle: This time, no Ventures. We got a Ford Explorer instead, which retained all of its doors and did not die once. Woohoo.
In the course of this, I discovered that a car manual can provide some pretty interesting reading. A couple of excerpts:
(From the Ford Explorer)
Using this vehicle as a snowplow
Do not use this vehicle as a snowplow.
Using this vehicle as an ambulance
Do not use this vehicle as an ambulance.
(And my favorite, from the Chevy Venture)
Warning! Going through a car wash may cause automatic sliding doors to open. Be sure to turn off automatic-door function before entering car wash.
That's just classic.
Thursday, November 25, 2004
Happy Thanksgiving
This will be quick as it's late and I need to catch a flight out of the Twin Cities tomorrow (Thursday) morning, which involves getting up before dawn to drive down there. But I just want to say that I have much to be thankful for this year, including flying down to a warmer climate (Florida) for a few days to see family. I hope that this year has brought all of you a bounty of things to be thankful for as well. Happy Thanksgiving!
Thursday, November 18, 2004
Veggie Tales
I forgot to mention: My experience with the yuca root was mixed. At the suggestion of a couple of friends, I decided to turn them into potato chips (but, ya know, yuca chips). They tasted alright, but were very hard. It was weird. I'm not sure if this was a result of how I made them, or if yuca root is not as prone to being made into a chip as potatoes. Either way, I think potatoes are generally easier to deal with.
My next vegetable from the store: asparagus.
I'll take any suggestions on how to cook 'em up.
My next vegetable from the store: asparagus.
I'll take any suggestions on how to cook 'em up.
Are you ready?
There's quite a hoopla brewing over the intro to this week's Monday Night Football, which featured characters from the ABC show "Desperate Housewives" and (gasp) a woman clad in a towel who shed the towel to reveal (double gasp) a bare back. Apparently, there were numerous complaints, including from the NFL, which is still smarting from the Janet Jackson debacle. I, for one, thought the spot was actually kind of funny, but maybe I'm just prurient like that. (If you missed it, you can see the clip on www.ifilm.com.) ABC is now tripping over itself to apologize for its judgment in airing a segment that isn't half as sexual as the show it was promoting. While I'm willing to accept that there's criticism from some parents who see Monday Night Football as a family event, I think it's somewhat hypocritical from the NFL. This is the same organization that dresses hundreds of women in tight, skimpy outfits and parades them on the field as eye candy, is it not? Maybe I'm just missing something. Even funnier, all the attention this has gotten has led to the promo being shown over and over on news networks and Internet sites, effectively quadrupling the audience. Man, what a wacky world we live in.
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
That's no way to treat your Mother Earth
A recent newspaper story from the Los Angeles Times talked about how the Bush administration is planning on revamping environmental laws so as to help the industries affected by them -- focusing on preserving jobs and bottom lines. This means, among other things, making a number of pollution rules more lax, refusing to regulate carbon dioxide emissions (to help prevent global warming), opening up areas of the Rockies and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil drilling, and relaxing laws that help animals and plants from going extinct. While I'm not against considering economic and industry concerns when crafting environmental law, this is the same administration that let the energy industry craft the nation's energy policy -- sometimes word for word. So I can't imagine that this bodes well.
On the subject of global warming and such, this article is an interesting look at how science articles (including those on global warming) are reported by the mainstream media. The argument, and I believe it's a fair one, is that in many reporters' efforts to present a "balanced" story, they oftentimes give fringe science a greater importance than it deserves. This leaves readers with, at best, confusion about what is true and, at worst, a misinformed belief that the fringe beliefs are mainstream.
http://www.cjr.org/issues/2004/6/mooney-science.asp
On the subject of global warming and such, this article is an interesting look at how science articles (including those on global warming) are reported by the mainstream media. The argument, and I believe it's a fair one, is that in many reporters' efforts to present a "balanced" story, they oftentimes give fringe science a greater importance than it deserves. This leaves readers with, at best, confusion about what is true and, at worst, a misinformed belief that the fringe beliefs are mainstream.
http://www.cjr.org/issues/2004/6/mooney-science.asp
Sunday, November 14, 2004
Nerdfest 2004
One Xbox: $150
One copy of "Halo 2": $50
Using a system link to connect four TVs and Xboxes so that eight people can play "Halo 2" against each other in the same room for five hours: priceless
One copy of "Halo 2": $50
Using a system link to connect four TVs and Xboxes so that eight people can play "Halo 2" against each other in the same room for five hours: priceless
Saturday, November 13, 2004
aurora borealis
Oh, I almost forgot, I had one photo from the northern lights earlier this week that turned out alright. It's not a great photo, but this gives you an idea of what it looked like.
TGIF
I arrived at work today to find that I had written a headline for a brief yesterday that read: "Accident destroys spotlight."
In fact, it was a STOPlight that had been destroyed.
Oops.
This, two days after I mysteriously deleted the date from the flag of the paper on the front page. (Luckily it was fixed for the second-run papers.)
Following this embarassing discovery, I had to endure a budget meeting that lasted an hour and 10 minutes. I was about five minutes away from gnawing my arm off or faking a seizure in an attempt to escape. (For non-newspaper people, budget meetings are when we decide which stories will run where in the next day's paper; or on Fridays, which stories run where in the Saturday, Sunday and Monday papers. Still, the meeting should never be that long.)
In other disturbing news, they've come out with self-destructing DVDs that you can watch for about 48 hours before they become unusable and you can throw them away.
As if we need more disposable things in this world...
Alabama residents recently took a vote on whether to delete langugage from the state Constitution that mandates racial segregation -- and it failed! (The segregation is obviously not enforced, but still...) The vote was close and so there will be a recount at the end of the month, but why is this even a close vote?!
And finally, there were a number of ABC affiliates around the nation that chose not to show "Saving Private Ryan" on Thursday, Veterans Day. They said it was because of the violence and language. While I understand the desire not to offend people, especially with the chilling effect of the FCC's overzealousness lately, couldn't you just put a warning on it that tells people it contains graphic violence and language and then let people and parents decide for themselves if they want to watch? It's considered one of the most realistic portrayals of war, but some stations felt the need to shield ALL of their viewers from that. Wouldn't a better way to honor our veterans be to show the hell they endured for our liberties, rather than to stymie artistic expression and speech?
In fact, it was a STOPlight that had been destroyed.
Oops.
This, two days after I mysteriously deleted the date from the flag of the paper on the front page. (Luckily it was fixed for the second-run papers.)
Following this embarassing discovery, I had to endure a budget meeting that lasted an hour and 10 minutes. I was about five minutes away from gnawing my arm off or faking a seizure in an attempt to escape. (For non-newspaper people, budget meetings are when we decide which stories will run where in the next day's paper; or on Fridays, which stories run where in the Saturday, Sunday and Monday papers. Still, the meeting should never be that long.)
In other disturbing news, they've come out with self-destructing DVDs that you can watch for about 48 hours before they become unusable and you can throw them away.
As if we need more disposable things in this world...
Alabama residents recently took a vote on whether to delete langugage from the state Constitution that mandates racial segregation -- and it failed! (The segregation is obviously not enforced, but still...) The vote was close and so there will be a recount at the end of the month, but why is this even a close vote?!
And finally, there were a number of ABC affiliates around the nation that chose not to show "Saving Private Ryan" on Thursday, Veterans Day. They said it was because of the violence and language. While I understand the desire not to offend people, especially with the chilling effect of the FCC's overzealousness lately, couldn't you just put a warning on it that tells people it contains graphic violence and language and then let people and parents decide for themselves if they want to watch? It's considered one of the most realistic portrayals of war, but some stations felt the need to shield ALL of their viewers from that. Wouldn't a better way to honor our veterans be to show the hell they endured for our liberties, rather than to stymie artistic expression and speech?
Thursday, November 11, 2004
In the news
I had just finished putting together the front page of the paper and begun the jump pages inside when we got word that Yasser Arafat had died. It was about 10:10. Deadline is 11:05. I did my version of swearing, which was to loudly yell, "FRICK!" and we began to rearrange everything. My computer froze shortly thereafter and erased the jump page I was almost done with. But after that, things went as smoothly as these last-minute, deadline-pressured things can go. I was lucky because my partner-in-copy-desk-crime, Capt. Dusty McAwesome, had spent the better part of the evening preparing a full page on Arafat that we were going to use whenever he died ... in the future. But, as they say, the future is now. But if that hadn't already been done, it would have been a much more difficult hour. As it was, we got four pages, including the cover, reworked to handle it all and got it out by deadline. Go team.
I'll be curious to see what happens next in the Middle East. I think Ariel Sharon has largely been using Arafat as a scapegoat to avoid peace talks. If a more moderate person takes Arafat's place, he will no longer have that excuse and we'll see just how committed to peace he is. The major problem, though, will be the Palestinian radicals. Without Arafat's influence to rein them in at least a bit, it could get even uglier, if such a thing were possible. Or maybe the moderates will rise up and make it clear that they will no longer tolerate their actions and have the lives of the majority of Palestinians be dictated by the abhorrent actions of the few. We shall see.
I'll be curious to see what happens next in the Middle East. I think Ariel Sharon has largely been using Arafat as a scapegoat to avoid peace talks. If a more moderate person takes Arafat's place, he will no longer have that excuse and we'll see just how committed to peace he is. The major problem, though, will be the Palestinian radicals. Without Arafat's influence to rein them in at least a bit, it could get even uglier, if such a thing were possible. Or maybe the moderates will rise up and make it clear that they will no longer tolerate their actions and have the lives of the majority of Palestinians be dictated by the abhorrent actions of the few. We shall see.
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
Election reaction
It's been a week. A few final (though not necessarily brief) thoughts on the election and then I'll be done.
I was discussing this with some friends earlier this evening and we all agreed that the most shocking aspect of the election's outcome wasn't that Bush won -- it was the realization that there is such a huge cultural disconnect in this country. It was the realization that so many people seemed to be basing their vote off of their hatred and fear of gays. Eleven of 11 states (Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon and Utah) approved amending the constitution to ban gay marriage. The Constitution, whether national or state, is a document usually used to give freedom to people and to protect people's freedom. So to see so many people want to amend the documents to take away others' freedom and to make sure they can not be treated equally, was appalling to many of us. I get that some people are uncomfortable with homosexuality and that some people find it immoral from a religious standpoint. But our laws are not based on the Bible, despite what advocates for Ten Commandment monuments would have you believe. And it wasn't as if these measures passed by small amounts -- they passed by large majorities. In Mississippi, 86 percent favored banning gay marriage. It should also be noted that eight of those states also banned civil unions and giving gay couples and their children the same legal rights as married couples. The same people who vilify gays as being promiscuous, strangely, are the first to deny them the ability to enter into a committed relationship and enjoy the benefits of such. I've also never understood the argument that allowing gay marriage diminishes the value of heterosexual marriage. It makes as much sense as saying that allowing interracial marriage or allowing black people to marry each other diminishes the marriages of white people. And that's what this feels like. Racism and Jim Crow laws and segregation for our generation. We also elected a senator from South Carolina who said homosexuals shouldn't be allowed to teach in schools and a senator from Oklahoma who said that lesbianism is so rampant in southeast Oklahoma schools that teachers can only let one girl at a time go to the bathroom. He has also said: "The gay community has infiltrated the very centers of power in every area across this country, and they wield extreme power. Their agenda is the greatest threat to our freedom that we face today." And yet, this guy was elected. Out of fear.
That was what was depressing to many about last week's election. It became clear: We are not a liberal nation. (Despite what many seem to think, I still do not believe "liberal" is a dirty word.) We are more conservative than many had thought ("conservative," also not a dirty word), but more surprising was the realization we as a nation are not yet willing to even entertain the idea that homosexuals are equals.
I was also disappointed in the way the campaigns were run. It seemed like each side kept trying to appeal to the lowest common denominator in people, and each side kept trying to get lower and lower. The wolf commercial run by the Bush campaign was only slightly less ridiculous than Cheney's implication that if we elected Kerry we were more likely to be attacked by terrorists. Kerry's hunting/snowboarding/workcoat-wearing photo-ops were about as pandering as you could get short of him wearing a sign that exclaimed: "LOOK! I'M A REGULAR GUY!! JUST LIKE YOU!!!" Ugh. To all future candidates for president, or most political offices: I, for one, do not want someone just like me to run for office. I want someone better than me, smarter than me, more adept at politics than me. I want someone who has spent years training how to do that job. If I wanted a regular schmoe to be president, I would elect one of my friends. I don't want a drinking buddy, I want a leader.
So here's my idea for how to run a political campaign: Run a campaign of truth. I'm so sick of seeing ads and hearing speeches that distort the truth or just plain lie. You know how after the debates or after campaign ads have run, a lot of media outlets will run "truth squads" that examine them? Wouldn't it be something if all of a candidate's ads and claims were verified as being true? Wouldn't you want to vote for that person? So why is it so hard? Stop cherry-picking facts and statistics to your advantage. Stop taking your opponent's statements and votes out of context. Point out where you stand on the issues, stay consistent and have a plan to accomplish what you say you're going to set out to do. And have a plan to pay for it, for crying out loud. How hard a concept is it that you should have a balanced budget? Defend yourself, but do it with the truth, not with lies. You can attack your opponent, but do it fairly and keep it to the issues. Visit all 50 states, at least once, and meet with the people. Do your standard stump speech that sets out your vision, but then talk with the people. And more importantly, listen to them. Hear their concerns. Care about their concerns and tell them what you can do to help. Or if you can't or are unwilling to do what they want, tell them that and explain why. Be honest with them, even if they may disagree with you; even if it means they may vote for your opponent. Don't pander.
In a time when everyone says they hate attack ads, but studies show them to be the most effective, would a strategy based on sticking to the facts and reining in the relentless negativity really work? Could a campaign of truth actually succeed?
I don't know.
But I'd sure like to find out.
I was discussing this with some friends earlier this evening and we all agreed that the most shocking aspect of the election's outcome wasn't that Bush won -- it was the realization that there is such a huge cultural disconnect in this country. It was the realization that so many people seemed to be basing their vote off of their hatred and fear of gays. Eleven of 11 states (Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon and Utah) approved amending the constitution to ban gay marriage. The Constitution, whether national or state, is a document usually used to give freedom to people and to protect people's freedom. So to see so many people want to amend the documents to take away others' freedom and to make sure they can not be treated equally, was appalling to many of us. I get that some people are uncomfortable with homosexuality and that some people find it immoral from a religious standpoint. But our laws are not based on the Bible, despite what advocates for Ten Commandment monuments would have you believe. And it wasn't as if these measures passed by small amounts -- they passed by large majorities. In Mississippi, 86 percent favored banning gay marriage. It should also be noted that eight of those states also banned civil unions and giving gay couples and their children the same legal rights as married couples. The same people who vilify gays as being promiscuous, strangely, are the first to deny them the ability to enter into a committed relationship and enjoy the benefits of such. I've also never understood the argument that allowing gay marriage diminishes the value of heterosexual marriage. It makes as much sense as saying that allowing interracial marriage or allowing black people to marry each other diminishes the marriages of white people. And that's what this feels like. Racism and Jim Crow laws and segregation for our generation. We also elected a senator from South Carolina who said homosexuals shouldn't be allowed to teach in schools and a senator from Oklahoma who said that lesbianism is so rampant in southeast Oklahoma schools that teachers can only let one girl at a time go to the bathroom. He has also said: "The gay community has infiltrated the very centers of power in every area across this country, and they wield extreme power. Their agenda is the greatest threat to our freedom that we face today." And yet, this guy was elected. Out of fear.
That was what was depressing to many about last week's election. It became clear: We are not a liberal nation. (Despite what many seem to think, I still do not believe "liberal" is a dirty word.) We are more conservative than many had thought ("conservative," also not a dirty word), but more surprising was the realization we as a nation are not yet willing to even entertain the idea that homosexuals are equals.
I was also disappointed in the way the campaigns were run. It seemed like each side kept trying to appeal to the lowest common denominator in people, and each side kept trying to get lower and lower. The wolf commercial run by the Bush campaign was only slightly less ridiculous than Cheney's implication that if we elected Kerry we were more likely to be attacked by terrorists. Kerry's hunting/snowboarding/workcoat-wearing photo-ops were about as pandering as you could get short of him wearing a sign that exclaimed: "LOOK! I'M A REGULAR GUY!! JUST LIKE YOU!!!" Ugh. To all future candidates for president, or most political offices: I, for one, do not want someone just like me to run for office. I want someone better than me, smarter than me, more adept at politics than me. I want someone who has spent years training how to do that job. If I wanted a regular schmoe to be president, I would elect one of my friends. I don't want a drinking buddy, I want a leader.
So here's my idea for how to run a political campaign: Run a campaign of truth. I'm so sick of seeing ads and hearing speeches that distort the truth or just plain lie. You know how after the debates or after campaign ads have run, a lot of media outlets will run "truth squads" that examine them? Wouldn't it be something if all of a candidate's ads and claims were verified as being true? Wouldn't you want to vote for that person? So why is it so hard? Stop cherry-picking facts and statistics to your advantage. Stop taking your opponent's statements and votes out of context. Point out where you stand on the issues, stay consistent and have a plan to accomplish what you say you're going to set out to do. And have a plan to pay for it, for crying out loud. How hard a concept is it that you should have a balanced budget? Defend yourself, but do it with the truth, not with lies. You can attack your opponent, but do it fairly and keep it to the issues. Visit all 50 states, at least once, and meet with the people. Do your standard stump speech that sets out your vision, but then talk with the people. And more importantly, listen to them. Hear their concerns. Care about their concerns and tell them what you can do to help. Or if you can't or are unwilling to do what they want, tell them that and explain why. Be honest with them, even if they may disagree with you; even if it means they may vote for your opponent. Don't pander.
In a time when everyone says they hate attack ads, but studies show them to be the most effective, would a strategy based on sticking to the facts and reining in the relentless negativity really work? Could a campaign of truth actually succeed?
I don't know.
But I'd sure like to find out.
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
It's here!
"Halo 2" came out today (Nov. 9) and I had pre-ordered my copy a couple of months ago. The Game Stop at the mall was opening from midnight to 2 a.m. so people get their copy early, so I went. There were at least 100 people gathered outside the store at the mall entrance when I arrived shortly after midnight. For a fleeting second, I considered waiting until another time to get the game, but I'm a hardcore gamer and Master Chief wouldn't let something like that deter him, so neither did I. It only took about 25 minutes to get through the line. Thank goodness I paid in full earlier.
On a separate note, a few recommendations:
Books:
"Life of Pi" by Yann Martel. It's a great read and hard to put down. Many thanks to Amber and Melanie for suggesting it to me; and especially to Mel for forcing me to take her copy when I left Chicago.
Movies:
"The Incredibles" -- A very entertaining and fun movie. I highly recommend it.
Roman Polanski's "The Fearless Vampire Killers (Or Pardon Me, But Your Teeth are in my Neck)." Having trouble getting to sleep? If so, I highly recommend it.
Incidentally, I tried the green onion today. After a few bites, I realized that, even if it doesn't look like a normal onion, it still tastes like one. Yech. It took two hours for the taste to go away. Onions are truly the scourge of the vegetable world. On my trip to Cub today, I got a yuca root. It looks bizarre, but the informative little sign said I could treat it much like a potato, which I think bodes well.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to defend Earth from an invading alien species known as The Covenant.
On a separate note, a few recommendations:
Books:
"Life of Pi" by Yann Martel. It's a great read and hard to put down. Many thanks to Amber and Melanie for suggesting it to me; and especially to Mel for forcing me to take her copy when I left Chicago.
Movies:
"The Incredibles" -- A very entertaining and fun movie. I highly recommend it.
Roman Polanski's "The Fearless Vampire Killers (Or Pardon Me, But Your Teeth are in my Neck)." Having trouble getting to sleep? If so, I highly recommend it.
Incidentally, I tried the green onion today. After a few bites, I realized that, even if it doesn't look like a normal onion, it still tastes like one. Yech. It took two hours for the taste to go away. Onions are truly the scourge of the vegetable world. On my trip to Cub today, I got a yuca root. It looks bizarre, but the informative little sign said I could treat it much like a potato, which I think bodes well.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to defend Earth from an invading alien species known as The Covenant.
Sunday, November 07, 2004
I'm back
Sorry it's been so long since I've posted anything here. Last week was a rough week, mostly for reasons I can't get into yet. But I will when I can. And at some point I'll have some thoughts on the election results, but on to happier things ...
I saw the aurora borealis tonight. One of the things I was most excited about when moving up to Duluth was the possibility of seeing the northern lights. I was hoping to see them often, but until tonight, had only seen them once -- and it was from the middle of downtown where there was a lot of light pollution. So I was thrilled when, upon waking from a late afternoon nap, I looked outside and saw the shimmering green lights of the aurora borealis. I tried to take some pictures, but you never know how that sort of thing will turn out. If they do, I'll try to post them. But it was awe-inspiring just to watch. They're very dynamic; they don't just shimmer in one place, they move around fluidly -- as if the sky were playing with a colorful liquid mercury, except without all the craziness and death that can accompany that sort of activity.
In other news, it's pledge time at Minnesota Public Radio (probably in all the other states, too, though I don't know if they all do it at the same time or not). The pledge drive is cool in a way because, for instance, I got to listen to two hours of "This American Life" tonight -- sort of a "best of" collection that included two David Sedaris readings. But pledge time is also immensely annoying because every 10-15 minutes you get to hear 5-10 minutes of them begging, cajoling and guilting you into donating money. I think it would be just as effective to ask for money every 30 or 60 minutes for 5 minutes at a time, rather than constantly annoying me to death. I don't really know, but I'd sure like to give it a try. At any rate, I did decide to donate. I'm not a daily listener, but I do enjoy much of their programming, so what the heck. I also get a free gift with the donation. This sort of offer has never really made sense to me. Have we become such a materialistic, self-involved society that people won't even DONATE money anymore without wanting something back? That's not even really donating. It's paying for what will become, over the course of a year, a $120 travel mug. (Actually, they have a really wide range of gifts, which was nice, but it also sort of worked against them. I would much rather have several of the $10-per-month gifts than most of the more expensive ones. Incidentally, I chose the "9/11 Commission Report.")
I saw the aurora borealis tonight. One of the things I was most excited about when moving up to Duluth was the possibility of seeing the northern lights. I was hoping to see them often, but until tonight, had only seen them once -- and it was from the middle of downtown where there was a lot of light pollution. So I was thrilled when, upon waking from a late afternoon nap, I looked outside and saw the shimmering green lights of the aurora borealis. I tried to take some pictures, but you never know how that sort of thing will turn out. If they do, I'll try to post them. But it was awe-inspiring just to watch. They're very dynamic; they don't just shimmer in one place, they move around fluidly -- as if the sky were playing with a colorful liquid mercury, except without all the craziness and death that can accompany that sort of activity.
In other news, it's pledge time at Minnesota Public Radio (probably in all the other states, too, though I don't know if they all do it at the same time or not). The pledge drive is cool in a way because, for instance, I got to listen to two hours of "This American Life" tonight -- sort of a "best of" collection that included two David Sedaris readings. But pledge time is also immensely annoying because every 10-15 minutes you get to hear 5-10 minutes of them begging, cajoling and guilting you into donating money. I think it would be just as effective to ask for money every 30 or 60 minutes for 5 minutes at a time, rather than constantly annoying me to death. I don't really know, but I'd sure like to give it a try. At any rate, I did decide to donate. I'm not a daily listener, but I do enjoy much of their programming, so what the heck. I also get a free gift with the donation. This sort of offer has never really made sense to me. Have we become such a materialistic, self-involved society that people won't even DONATE money anymore without wanting something back? That's not even really donating. It's paying for what will become, over the course of a year, a $120 travel mug. (Actually, they have a really wide range of gifts, which was nice, but it also sort of worked against them. I would much rather have several of the $10-per-month gifts than most of the more expensive ones. Incidentally, I chose the "9/11 Commission Report.")
Thursday, November 04, 2004
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
The morning after
The day you finally get back to the gym when you haven't been for a while feels great.
The morning after ... not so much.
In an important lesson for fellow copy editors, the Daily Iowan made quite a front-page headline mistake last week, for which they wrote a mea culpa Monday morning:
http://www.dailyiowan.com/news/2004/11/01/Metro/
Daily.Iowans.Oct.29.Headline.Error.Inexcusable-788406.shtml
While I'm a little unsure as to why it took them a few days to issue this formal apology, I suspect this is another example of why you should never write anything on a page that you wouldn't want to see in print. I also suspect the Iowan may have a copy editor opening if anyone is interested.
Incidentally, this comes on the heels of the The University of Kansas' college daily stealing the Lawrence World-Journal's voters guide and printing it as their own. As if no one would notice...
The morning after ... not so much.
In an important lesson for fellow copy editors, the Daily Iowan made quite a front-page headline mistake last week, for which they wrote a mea culpa Monday morning:
http://www.dailyiowan.com/news/2004/11/01/Metro/
Daily.Iowans.Oct.29.Headline.Error.Inexcusable-788406.shtml
While I'm a little unsure as to why it took them a few days to issue this formal apology, I suspect this is another example of why you should never write anything on a page that you wouldn't want to see in print. I also suspect the Iowan may have a copy editor opening if anyone is interested.
Incidentally, this comes on the heels of the The University of Kansas' college daily stealing the Lawrence World-Journal's voters guide and printing it as their own. As if no one would notice...
Monday, November 01, 2004
Get out the vote
Even though the bitterness of this election is enough to make anyone throw their hands up and walk away in exasperation, I still encourage everyone out there to take the time tomorrow to vote. I'm not going to say it's the most important election of our lives, like many have, because I think that's rather presumptuous, but voting is always important. Ignore the polls (which are largely worthless) and the attack ads (which are even more worthless) and vote on the candidates' actual stances on the issues -- and not just one issue. Even though you'd hardly know it from the campaigns and the media coverage of them, this election isn't just about Iraq or the war on terrorism. The next president will also have to deal with the environment, education, the economy, health care, Social Security and many other foreign and domestic issues -- all of which are also important.
So good luck, watch out for the lawyers swarming the polling places and let's all hope this election ends soon.
So good luck, watch out for the lawyers swarming the polling places and let's all hope this election ends soon.
Saturday, October 30, 2004
Misc. thoughts
A couple of things I learned while making pot roast for the first time:
1) There is a difference between a clove of garlic and a bulb of garlic. (Luckily I realized this in time.)
2) It helps to have swim goggles handy when chopping onions.
I got an invitation to join AARP today in the mail. Sweet. Early retirement, here I come....
Don't forget to set your clocks back one hour this weekend.
1) There is a difference between a clove of garlic and a bulb of garlic. (Luckily I realized this in time.)
2) It helps to have swim goggles handy when chopping onions.
I got an invitation to join AARP today in the mail. Sweet. Early retirement, here I come....
Don't forget to set your clocks back one hour this weekend.
Friday, October 29, 2004
Political ad satire
I think whether you make this apply to Republicans or Democrats, this is not far off from a lot of the attack ads I've seen from both sides lately. Thanks to Alicia for passing it my way. (Click on the photo for a larger image.)
Thursday, October 28, 2004
A trip to the grocery store
I entered Cub Foods this afternoon and got some fruit, something I've been pretty good about buying and eating lately. And then I stood looking at the adjacent section ... the one I never venture into ... the vegetable section. And in a rare moment of adultness, I decided that I'm going to try everything in the vegetable section. I'll simply start at one end, buy one item a week, and give it a try. I'll buy a few so that I can try them a few different ways and I'll see if I like them. I thought I was beginning this foray into the unknown with cilantro, but it ended up being green onions (the cilantro was on the shelf above the green onions). Like I can tell the difference. From what I can ascertain, you usually eat green onions raw but can also grill or saute them. Of course, I have no idea how to saute anything, so I guess I'll stick with grilling and eating it raw.
I'm also going to use my Crock-Pot for the first time since my parents gave it to me several years ago (sorry, Mom and Dad). I've decided to make pot roast, but the recipe called for a boneless pork loin roast, which I couldn't find. I could find a pork loin roast that wasn't boneless and some boneless pork butt roast (yeah, I laughed, too). I opted for the butt roast, even though it's got "butt" in its name. But then again, I originally wanted something with "loin" in its name, so I guess I can't be too judgmental.
I highly recommend Strawberry Burst Cheerios if you haven't tried them. I think they're quite yummy. Just don't let them sit around for terribly long or the frozen-dried strawberries get rubbery.
Does anyone else miss Apple Newtons? They seem to have stopped making them and I mourn their passing every time I see all the packages of other Newton products.
I'm also going to use my Crock-Pot for the first time since my parents gave it to me several years ago (sorry, Mom and Dad). I've decided to make pot roast, but the recipe called for a boneless pork loin roast, which I couldn't find. I could find a pork loin roast that wasn't boneless and some boneless pork butt roast (yeah, I laughed, too). I opted for the butt roast, even though it's got "butt" in its name. But then again, I originally wanted something with "loin" in its name, so I guess I can't be too judgmental.
I highly recommend Strawberry Burst Cheerios if you haven't tried them. I think they're quite yummy. Just don't let them sit around for terribly long or the frozen-dried strawberries get rubbery.
Does anyone else miss Apple Newtons? They seem to have stopped making them and I mourn their passing every time I see all the packages of other Newton products.
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
A few random TV thoughts
After so many exciting playoff series, the World Series feels rather anticlimactic.
I freakin' love "Lost." You just never know what's going to happen. Not so thrilled with the musical montages though.
Speaking of not thrilled, I am not pleased with the direction "The West Wing" is going. Not pleased at all.
Good old "South Park." You can always depend on them to match satire (on voting and the election for tonight's episode) with irreverent humor.
It ends up I don't like reality TV with animated characters any better than reality TV with real people. Who'd have thunk?
On a non-TV-related note, the stupid sky was all cloudy tonight in Duluth, so if you missed the lunar eclipse like I did, you can see photos of it here: www.spaceweather.com
I freakin' love "Lost." You just never know what's going to happen. Not so thrilled with the musical montages though.
Speaking of not thrilled, I am not pleased with the direction "The West Wing" is going. Not pleased at all.
Good old "South Park." You can always depend on them to match satire (on voting and the election for tonight's episode) with irreverent humor.
It ends up I don't like reality TV with animated characters any better than reality TV with real people. Who'd have thunk?
On a non-TV-related note, the stupid sky was all cloudy tonight in Duluth, so if you missed the lunar eclipse like I did, you can see photos of it here: www.spaceweather.com
Just in time for Halloween
Don't forget to check out the total lunar eclipse tomorrow night (or tonight -- Wednesday -- by the time most people read this). It should be pretty cool.
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
Justices, spies and the In-ter-net
Something else to consider in this presidential election: Given william Rehnquist's surgery this weekend, it's very likely that the next president will appoint a new chief justice of the Supreme Court. The chief justice is the major determiner of the court's docket and, if someone young enough (relatively speaking) is picked, the choice could determine the direction of the Supreme Court for decades. That's a big deal.
Now onto a few things less serious:
1) For the scoop (including some spoilers) on the coming season of Alias, check this out: http://www.darkhorizons.com/news04/041024a.php
2) For an incredibly funny view of how real life is different than the Internet, check out www.ifilm.com under the "Viral Video" section and look for "Red vs. Blue: Real Life vs. the Internet." Good stuff.
3) I really hope Ashlee Simpson's 15 seconds of fame are up starting tomorrow. I admit to putting her "Saturday Night Live" faux pas into Monday's people column. (Again, see www.ifilm.com for the clip. Quick synopsis: Ashlee was lip-syncing and the wrong song started up. She hopped around a bit and then walked off stage.) It was funny and a talker. And I saw several stories about it come across the features wire Monday, which was fine. But I started to get concerned about the news media's infatuation with entertainment after seeing it repeatedly on CNN Headline News all night. But the icing on the blown-out-of-proportion cake came in the form of a 20 inch story by the NEW YORK TIMES that moved on the NEWS wire. Come on, people! While I think she handled the situation like an idiot, the fact that she lip-syncs is not news to make anyone stop the presses. A lot of people who are actually capable of singing better than her do it all the time. Not a big deal. (Although the New York Times story did have my favorite line of the night, referring to her appearance Monday on the Radio Music Awards: "Ms. Simpson's panting performance of the song made it clear that she was indeed performing live.")
Now onto a few things less serious:
1) For the scoop (including some spoilers) on the coming season of Alias, check this out: http://www.darkhorizons.com/news04/041024a.php
2) For an incredibly funny view of how real life is different than the Internet, check out www.ifilm.com under the "Viral Video" section and look for "Red vs. Blue: Real Life vs. the Internet." Good stuff.
3) I really hope Ashlee Simpson's 15 seconds of fame are up starting tomorrow. I admit to putting her "Saturday Night Live" faux pas into Monday's people column. (Again, see www.ifilm.com for the clip. Quick synopsis: Ashlee was lip-syncing and the wrong song started up. She hopped around a bit and then walked off stage.) It was funny and a talker. And I saw several stories about it come across the features wire Monday, which was fine. But I started to get concerned about the news media's infatuation with entertainment after seeing it repeatedly on CNN Headline News all night. But the icing on the blown-out-of-proportion cake came in the form of a 20 inch story by the NEW YORK TIMES that moved on the NEWS wire. Come on, people! While I think she handled the situation like an idiot, the fact that she lip-syncs is not news to make anyone stop the presses. A lot of people who are actually capable of singing better than her do it all the time. Not a big deal. (Although the New York Times story did have my favorite line of the night, referring to her appearance Monday on the Radio Music Awards: "Ms. Simpson's panting performance of the song made it clear that she was indeed performing live.")
Monday, October 25, 2004
Let's talk politics
Disturbing story of the day: "Poll finds reality gap among Bush supporters"
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/
special_packages/election2004/9980622.htm?1c
It's about the disconnect between what a lot of voters think and what's reality. I'm not sure if this pervasive misinformation is the fault of the media or the fault of voters for not seeking out any information. Probably some of both. But if you're relying just on the candidates' TV ads to make your decision about who to vote for, please, take a minute and check out www.factcheck.org. (Yes, the Web site that Dick Cheney unsuccessfully tried to steer viewers to during the vice presidential debate.) It's a nonpartisan site run by the University of Pennsylvania that sorts fact from fiction in a lot of the charges that BOTH candidates are flinging at each other. If you're going to vote (and you should), it should be an informed vote.
Here endeth the sermon.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/
special_packages/election2004/9980622.htm?1c
It's about the disconnect between what a lot of voters think and what's reality. I'm not sure if this pervasive misinformation is the fault of the media or the fault of voters for not seeking out any information. Probably some of both. But if you're relying just on the candidates' TV ads to make your decision about who to vote for, please, take a minute and check out www.factcheck.org. (Yes, the Web site that Dick Cheney unsuccessfully tried to steer viewers to during the vice presidential debate.) It's a nonpartisan site run by the University of Pennsylvania that sorts fact from fiction in a lot of the charges that BOTH candidates are flinging at each other. If you're going to vote (and you should), it should be an informed vote.
Here endeth the sermon.
Sunday, October 24, 2004
Game 1
Part of me hopes that the World Series goes to seven games, just so that it's exciting. But another part of me hopes it only lasts four games, just so I can minimize my exposure to commercials for Fox TV shows.
On an unrelated note, a friend and colleague on the copy desk, who has chosen to go by the pseudonym Captain Dusty McAwesome for the purposes of this blog, keeps a list of funny headlines that he can use in case the right story ever comes along. One example is: "Looking for love in all the wrong blazes." It would go with a story about underappreciated firefighters. In the middle of trying to come up with a headline for one of my stories tonight, I came up with a completely random headline that could one day go with a religion story: "Sowing seeds of ascension." I have no idea what exactly the story will be about, but, like indecency, I'll know it when I see it.
Bizarre story of the day:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/
2002070907_stranger23.html
On an unrelated note, a friend and colleague on the copy desk, who has chosen to go by the pseudonym Captain Dusty McAwesome for the purposes of this blog, keeps a list of funny headlines that he can use in case the right story ever comes along. One example is: "Looking for love in all the wrong blazes." It would go with a story about underappreciated firefighters. In the middle of trying to come up with a headline for one of my stories tonight, I came up with a completely random headline that could one day go with a religion story: "Sowing seeds of ascension." I have no idea what exactly the story will be about, but, like indecency, I'll know it when I see it.
Bizarre story of the day:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/
2002070907_stranger23.html
Friday, October 22, 2004
Christmas came early for everyone this year
Target had its Christmas decorations up at the same time it put its Halloween stuff out.
I walked into the Gap today and they were playing "Walking in a Winter Wonderland."
What kind of madness have we wrought?!?!?!
That being said, I contributed to the problem today by buying Christmas cards. Normally, I refuse, based on principle, to consider anything Christmas related before Thanksgiving. I firmly believe in keeping my holidays as separated as the food on my dinner plate. But every year, I struggle to find decent Christmas cards because, by the time I'm willing to buy them, the good ones are gone. I was in Hallmark today and there they were -- rows and rows of box sets of Christmas cards. And a couple of funny ones caught my eye. And I knew they wouldn't be there in another month. So I broke down and bought them. I'm not proud of this. In fact, I feel a lot like the retail industry's bitch.
I walked into the Gap today and they were playing "Walking in a Winter Wonderland."
What kind of madness have we wrought?!?!?!
That being said, I contributed to the problem today by buying Christmas cards. Normally, I refuse, based on principle, to consider anything Christmas related before Thanksgiving. I firmly believe in keeping my holidays as separated as the food on my dinner plate. But every year, I struggle to find decent Christmas cards because, by the time I'm willing to buy them, the good ones are gone. I was in Hallmark today and there they were -- rows and rows of box sets of Christmas cards. And a couple of funny ones caught my eye. And I knew they wouldn't be there in another month. So I broke down and bought them. I'm not proud of this. In fact, I feel a lot like the retail industry's bitch.
About me
Alright, if you're reading this, you probably already know me. Otherwise, why would you be inclined to read my random thoughts? But just for kicks, I thought I'd post one of those old e-mail personality quizzes that used to be so popular back when I was a freshman in college and everyone was passing the dang things around. It's kind of long; I apologize. Anyway here we go...
Name: Brian
Age: 25
Hair color: Black
Eye color: Brown
Favorite relatives: That's not nice to pick.
What do you remember most about this year: I have a feeling Nov. 2 could be pretty memorable -- in an election-debacle sort of way...
What do you think of Ouija boards: I've never used one, and I'm generally skeptical of such things.
How are you feeling right now: I'm good, thanks.
Guys, with or without hats: Umm... if it's asking about me; I rarely wear hats.
Girls, with or without nail polish: I really don't care.
Favorite TV shows: Current shows -- Alias, West Wing, Lost, Celebrity Poker. Past shows: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Quantum Leap, MacGyver.
What's on your mouse pad: It's plain black.
In the car, AC or windows: I usually roll down the windows.
Do you believe in yourself: Yes.
Favorite board game: Trivial Pursuit or Scattergories
Favorite magazine: Electronic Gaming Monthly; Time is a solid second place.
Favorite sound: Laughter
Favorite smell: Buttered popcorn or homemade cookies
Drinks -- with or without ice: Without; it dilutes the drink too much after awhile.
Worst feeling in the world: Knowing you've hurt someone you care about. Or accidentally getting yourself caught in a zipper. It's a toss-up.
Best feeling in the world: Laughing with friends
Favorite thing to do on a weekend: See above (just one above, not the zipper thing)
Favorite soundtrack: I just bought the "Garden State" soundtrack, and it's pretty cool. I'm not sure really.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years: At the age of 35. Everything else is a little hazy. But I plan on being happy.
Favorite place to live: In terms of simple location, I probably liked Colorado the best of any of the places I've lived thus far. There are probably some other places that would be pretty fun, like Paris. Or the moon.
What's the first thought you had this morning: Don't really remember, but it was probably something like "uuuhhhhhhh ....."
Do you get motion sickness: I did a lot when I was a kid; very rarely now.
Roller coasters, deadly or exciting: What, they can't be both?
Pens or pencils: Depends on what I'm doing, but I generally prefer pens.
Favorite author(s): David Sedaris, Dave Barry, Jonathan Kozol; I'm sure there are many others.
How many rings before you answer the phone: At work, 1; at home, 2.
Future son's names: I haven't really given this any thought, but I think Thor, God of Thunder, has a nice ring to it.
Future daughter's names: See above. (OK, maybe Thorette)
Are you a good friend: I try to be.
Chocolate or vanilla cake: Puh-lease ... chocolate.
Do you like to drive: Yes.
Thunderstorm -- scary or cool: Cool. Very cool.
Zodiac sign: Sagittarius
What do you wear to bed: Wouldn't you like to know?
Do you eat stems of broccoli: Ick. I try to avoid veggies as much as possible.
If you could streak in front of one person's house, who would it be: Wow. That is one bizarro question. And the more I think about it, the more disturbed I become, so I'm just going to stop thinking about it.
If you could have any occupation when you get older, what would it be: Teacher or politician.
Future goal for next summer: Enjoy the outdoors more.
If you could dye your hair one color, what would it be: I like my hair as is, thanks.
If you could have a tattoo, what and where would it be: Not really my thing.
If you could turn into an animal, real or imaginary, what would it be: A monkey or an otter. Or, since they can be imaginary animals, too, how about a flying monkey that can swim like an otter?
What is your favorite brand of gum: Don't know, don't chew it.
What is your favorite quote: "You really can change the world if you care enough." -- Marian Wright Edelman (yeah, I have no idea who that is either.) Close second: "I hold these treasures close to my heart: The first is love; the second, simplicity; the third, overcoming ego." -- Unknown. And my third: "If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them." -- Henry David Thoreau
Is the glass half empty or half full: Depends on if you're pouring or drinking.
Pick a song that describes yourself: I always think of myself when I hear John Mayer's "My Stupid Mouth." But there's really no basis for it. I just think it's funny.
What is your favorite Snapple flavor: This must have been a question from when Snapple was much more popular. I don't drink Snapple, so I don't know.
Favorite movie(s): "Spider-Man 2," "Office Space," a little known movie called "Faces of Undeath."
Coke or Pepsi: I can't tell a difference between them, to be honest. But all things being equal, I tend to choose Coke; I don't know why.
Which is your favorite kind of milk: I always get 1% low-fat milk. But if we're talking about drinking it straight, it's gotta be chocolate.
If you were to kill someone, which method would you choose: Hmm ... an interestingly disturbing question. Something quick and painless. And then I'd burn the body to ashes because buried bodies always show up sooner or later.
Are you a righty or a lefty: Right-handed
Do you type with your fingers on the right keys: Yes
When you meet a person of the opposite sex, you first notice: Hair color, probably. And whether she's smiling.
Have you ever been attacked by a big dog: No. But I bet I could take one. Maybe.
Do you save your e-mail conversations: Many of them. Be warned.
Do you eat chicken fingers with a fork: No. That would be barbaric.
If you could be a gardening tool, which one would you be: Umm... a shovel. Why not? Better than a hoe.
What kind of shoe would you be: Probably a running shoe -- comfortable but practical.
Would you rather be an ear of corn, canned corn, dried corn or creamed corn: An ear of corn. I have no idea what that says about me.
If you could do anything to the person you hated most, what would you do: I don't like hanging on to hate. There's no point.
Which do you prefer, mud wrestling or Jell-O wrestling: Well, mud wrestling is less expensive. You'd have to buy a lot of Jell-O if you were to wrestle, I would think.
What's the best number: 19
Who is your biggest crush right now: Natalie Portman, but there's usually a string of lesser crushes on a permanent cycle.
Favorite album: Bare Naked Ladies' compilation CD or John Mayer's "Room for Squares"
Most important thing in a friendship: Trust
Guys, if a girl asked you for the shirt on your back, would you give it to her: What are the circumstances of this strange request? It would have to depend.
What's on the walls in your room: Pictures of friends and family and a couple of wall calendars (one an Alias calendar, the other a Chik-Fil-A "Cow Superheroes" calendar).
Whew.... sorry that was such a long quiz. And I deeply apologize if it was boring. But there you go -- more than you probably ever wanted to know about me. :-)
Name: Brian
Age: 25
Hair color: Black
Eye color: Brown
Favorite relatives: That's not nice to pick.
What do you remember most about this year: I have a feeling Nov. 2 could be pretty memorable -- in an election-debacle sort of way...
What do you think of Ouija boards: I've never used one, and I'm generally skeptical of such things.
How are you feeling right now: I'm good, thanks.
Guys, with or without hats: Umm... if it's asking about me; I rarely wear hats.
Girls, with or without nail polish: I really don't care.
Favorite TV shows: Current shows -- Alias, West Wing, Lost, Celebrity Poker. Past shows: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Quantum Leap, MacGyver.
What's on your mouse pad: It's plain black.
In the car, AC or windows: I usually roll down the windows.
Do you believe in yourself: Yes.
Favorite board game: Trivial Pursuit or Scattergories
Favorite magazine: Electronic Gaming Monthly; Time is a solid second place.
Favorite sound: Laughter
Favorite smell: Buttered popcorn or homemade cookies
Drinks -- with or without ice: Without; it dilutes the drink too much after awhile.
Worst feeling in the world: Knowing you've hurt someone you care about. Or accidentally getting yourself caught in a zipper. It's a toss-up.
Best feeling in the world: Laughing with friends
Favorite thing to do on a weekend: See above (just one above, not the zipper thing)
Favorite soundtrack: I just bought the "Garden State" soundtrack, and it's pretty cool. I'm not sure really.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years: At the age of 35. Everything else is a little hazy. But I plan on being happy.
Favorite place to live: In terms of simple location, I probably liked Colorado the best of any of the places I've lived thus far. There are probably some other places that would be pretty fun, like Paris. Or the moon.
What's the first thought you had this morning: Don't really remember, but it was probably something like "uuuhhhhhhh ....."
Do you get motion sickness: I did a lot when I was a kid; very rarely now.
Roller coasters, deadly or exciting: What, they can't be both?
Pens or pencils: Depends on what I'm doing, but I generally prefer pens.
Favorite author(s): David Sedaris, Dave Barry, Jonathan Kozol; I'm sure there are many others.
How many rings before you answer the phone: At work, 1; at home, 2.
Future son's names: I haven't really given this any thought, but I think Thor, God of Thunder, has a nice ring to it.
Future daughter's names: See above. (OK, maybe Thorette)
Are you a good friend: I try to be.
Chocolate or vanilla cake: Puh-lease ... chocolate.
Do you like to drive: Yes.
Thunderstorm -- scary or cool: Cool. Very cool.
Zodiac sign: Sagittarius
What do you wear to bed: Wouldn't you like to know?
Do you eat stems of broccoli: Ick. I try to avoid veggies as much as possible.
If you could streak in front of one person's house, who would it be: Wow. That is one bizarro question. And the more I think about it, the more disturbed I become, so I'm just going to stop thinking about it.
If you could have any occupation when you get older, what would it be: Teacher or politician.
Future goal for next summer: Enjoy the outdoors more.
If you could dye your hair one color, what would it be: I like my hair as is, thanks.
If you could have a tattoo, what and where would it be: Not really my thing.
If you could turn into an animal, real or imaginary, what would it be: A monkey or an otter. Or, since they can be imaginary animals, too, how about a flying monkey that can swim like an otter?
What is your favorite brand of gum: Don't know, don't chew it.
What is your favorite quote: "You really can change the world if you care enough." -- Marian Wright Edelman (yeah, I have no idea who that is either.) Close second: "I hold these treasures close to my heart: The first is love; the second, simplicity; the third, overcoming ego." -- Unknown. And my third: "If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them." -- Henry David Thoreau
Is the glass half empty or half full: Depends on if you're pouring or drinking.
Pick a song that describes yourself: I always think of myself when I hear John Mayer's "My Stupid Mouth." But there's really no basis for it. I just think it's funny.
What is your favorite Snapple flavor: This must have been a question from when Snapple was much more popular. I don't drink Snapple, so I don't know.
Favorite movie(s): "Spider-Man 2," "Office Space," a little known movie called "Faces of Undeath."
Coke or Pepsi: I can't tell a difference between them, to be honest. But all things being equal, I tend to choose Coke; I don't know why.
Which is your favorite kind of milk: I always get 1% low-fat milk. But if we're talking about drinking it straight, it's gotta be chocolate.
If you were to kill someone, which method would you choose: Hmm ... an interestingly disturbing question. Something quick and painless. And then I'd burn the body to ashes because buried bodies always show up sooner or later.
Are you a righty or a lefty: Right-handed
Do you type with your fingers on the right keys: Yes
When you meet a person of the opposite sex, you first notice: Hair color, probably. And whether she's smiling.
Have you ever been attacked by a big dog: No. But I bet I could take one. Maybe.
Do you save your e-mail conversations: Many of them. Be warned.
Do you eat chicken fingers with a fork: No. That would be barbaric.
If you could be a gardening tool, which one would you be: Umm... a shovel. Why not? Better than a hoe.
What kind of shoe would you be: Probably a running shoe -- comfortable but practical.
Would you rather be an ear of corn, canned corn, dried corn or creamed corn: An ear of corn. I have no idea what that says about me.
If you could do anything to the person you hated most, what would you do: I don't like hanging on to hate. There's no point.
Which do you prefer, mud wrestling or Jell-O wrestling: Well, mud wrestling is less expensive. You'd have to buy a lot of Jell-O if you were to wrestle, I would think.
What's the best number: 19
Who is your biggest crush right now: Natalie Portman, but there's usually a string of lesser crushes on a permanent cycle.
Favorite album: Bare Naked Ladies' compilation CD or John Mayer's "Room for Squares"
Most important thing in a friendship: Trust
Guys, if a girl asked you for the shirt on your back, would you give it to her: What are the circumstances of this strange request? It would have to depend.
What's on the walls in your room: Pictures of friends and family and a couple of wall calendars (one an Alias calendar, the other a Chik-Fil-A "Cow Superheroes" calendar).
Whew.... sorry that was such a long quiz. And I deeply apologize if it was boring. But there you go -- more than you probably ever wanted to know about me. :-)
Thursday, October 21, 2004
Getting started
I feel like I'm jumping into the blogging scene a little late. (But then again, I don't even own a cell phone, so is anyone really surprised?) A lot of my friends have blogs, though, and I think it might be fun. So I'm going to give it a try. But I don't think I'll tell anyone about it for a few days. See if this thing takes, you know? I've noticed, though, that I've started thinking in blog entries. I think it's a combination of reading other people's blogs a lot lately and too much time to think during a recent roadtrip.
I think I'll mention more about myself later, but I have to relate a bizarre incident that just happened. I was sitting here at the computer, when all of the sudden, there was a sharp rap on my sliding glass door. I live on the second floor of an apartment building, so it seemed unlikely to be anyone but a superhero stopping by for a visit. I went to investigate and was quite surprised to find an owl sitting calmly on the floor of my balcony. I quickly turned out the lights to avoid scaring it and sat down to check it out. I've never actually seen an owl before, except in books and at the zoo. It was pretty cool looking. It didn't seem to be hurt (I assume the sound I had heard was that of the owl running INTO the window); it was just sort of hanging out looking over the field that my apartment overlooks. I briefly wondered if it was bringing me an invitation to Hogwarts. (It IS an owl that does that, right? I'm a Muggle; I've never read "Harry Potter.") After watching it for a bit, my curiousity got the better of me and I got a flashlight to shine at it so I could see it better. Dumb move. Of course, after a few seconds, he noticed the light, got spooked and flew off. I felt really bad. It was just sitting there and I scared it off.
Plus, what if it HAD been inviting me to become a wizard??
I hope it comes back.
I think I'll mention more about myself later, but I have to relate a bizarre incident that just happened. I was sitting here at the computer, when all of the sudden, there was a sharp rap on my sliding glass door. I live on the second floor of an apartment building, so it seemed unlikely to be anyone but a superhero stopping by for a visit. I went to investigate and was quite surprised to find an owl sitting calmly on the floor of my balcony. I quickly turned out the lights to avoid scaring it and sat down to check it out. I've never actually seen an owl before, except in books and at the zoo. It was pretty cool looking. It didn't seem to be hurt (I assume the sound I had heard was that of the owl running INTO the window); it was just sort of hanging out looking over the field that my apartment overlooks. I briefly wondered if it was bringing me an invitation to Hogwarts. (It IS an owl that does that, right? I'm a Muggle; I've never read "Harry Potter.") After watching it for a bit, my curiousity got the better of me and I got a flashlight to shine at it so I could see it better. Dumb move. Of course, after a few seconds, he noticed the light, got spooked and flew off. I felt really bad. It was just sitting there and I scared it off.
Plus, what if it HAD been inviting me to become a wizard??
I hope it comes back.
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