Posts
I am so proud o' my local newpaper. They have finally reared up on their hind legs 'n' shown some backbone, some leadership, some strength, some courage, some intestinal fortitude, some outright (please forgive my use o' local slang) cajones. The local paper today decided to thumb its nose at the conventional wisdome on what constitutes news 'n' how it should be reported. Forget that we got troops fighting overseas. Forget that we got personal, local, state, national, 'n' international financial crises. Forget the climate problems. Forget that we got a new President in office who seems intent on getting more done in his first month in office than most other folks have managed to get done in their first year.
Forget all that stuff. The local editors 'n' reporters have decided that the single biggest item o' news they could report in today's paper, at least in terms o' space dedicated to it (at least a quarter to a third o' the front page, with a big ol' pi'ture to boot), was a nice little piece 'bout folks getting their pi'tures taken. O' course, it weren't just any ol' pi'ture taking event. It's this new project the city has undertaken to help "beautify" a new underpass into the downtown area they's spending $26 million on to complete. What happened was, they've contracted with this group o' photographers to go 'round town fer a few months 'n' take pi'tures o' folks that they are then going to put on tiles to be used to cover panels at the entrances to the underpass.
'N' that's just how they reported it. They didn't bother wtih anything that would have taken away from the charm 'n' feel-good nature o' the story. They didn't bother to comment on the downturn in American ingenuity er the failure of American technoloy that is forcing 'em to send the photos down to Brazil 'cause America ain't got the know how ner skills to prduce tiles that would be UV-proof. Ner did they bother to question why the town elders decided that, in this time of economic downturn 'n' budget deficits, it was more important to spend this money on "make-up" instead o' using it fer infrastructure er to help the indigent er fer education er something important.
No, sir. They seem to feel that, if we just start ignoring er downplaying all the negative stuff going on, it'll all just go away. Keep it light. Keep it uplifting. That'll help sell papers 'n' make us feel better. Course, it could o' been worse. They might have gone with a celebrity update er, worst of all, a sports story.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Anyone fer Thirds?
Well, it looks they finally made it official. Maybe. Seems the powers that be decided they'd better give Oprama a second shot at the swearing in yeste'day to make sure it took. I reckon they woke up like the rest of us 'n' found that the market was still down, unemployment was still up, the troops was still out o' the country, folks was still in deep financial troubles, 'n' they wasn't no heavenly choirs singing "Hallelujah" 'n' figured that, maybe, Oprama weren't officially President yet since they messed up the oath the first time 'round. So they dragged ol' Mr. Chief Justice John Roberts out o' bed, made him dress back up in his black gown, 'n' had him try it again in the White House Map Room.
There were witnesses there, including some members o' the press, but they didn't 'low no cameras in the room, so they ain't got no real proof that what they said happened actually happened. Also, they claim that there weren't no Bible used this time. So maybe it didn't take the second time, neither, since ever'one woke up today to find that the market was still down, unemployment was still up, the troops was still out o' the country, folks was still in deep financial troubles, 'n' they wasn't no heavenly choirs singing "Hallelujah". Maybe they need to take a third run at the thing 'n' make sure they get ever' little thing right including having a Bible (I got a Gideon I can loan 'em if they's desperate) 'n' having pictures taken 'n' doing it in front o' the whole country with all the right words spoken in all the right order.
The whole thing has got me wondering if Mr. Chief Justice John Roberts got that memo that Jr. was supposed to have sent 'round 'bout how he didn't want any o' his folks pulling any shenanigans during the change-over. After all, Mr. Chief Justice John Roberts is one o' Jr.'s appointees, so maybe he's just fooling around, trying to complicate things 'n' either just make Oprama look bad er out-'n'-out invalidate his claims to office. Look fer all this to come back up when the Republicans decide to start talking impeachment after they decide enough time has passed to bring it up.
Course, none o' this stopped, er even slowed down, Oprama's acting like President. In his first day in office, he put a stop to trials at Guantanamo, claimed he was going to close the detention facility there withing a year, imposed new limits on lobbyists including banning them from giving gifts to anyone serving in the administration, froze the salaries o' White House aides making more than $100,000, met with the Joint Chiefs o' Staff 'bout changes in how to handle the campaigns in Iraq 'n' Afghanistan, presided over the White House meeting on the economy, 'n' talked by phone with leaders in the Middle East. 'N' that was just some o' the things he did.
President er not, looks like maybe, just maybe, this feller has finished cutting his bait 'n' is ready to start doing some actual fishing. I don't care so much 'bout all his fancy talking. It's his doing that I'm concerned 'bout. 'N', from where I'm sitting, his doing in one day so far has given me more hope than all his talking did in the past 12 months.
There were witnesses there, including some members o' the press, but they didn't 'low no cameras in the room, so they ain't got no real proof that what they said happened actually happened. Also, they claim that there weren't no Bible used this time. So maybe it didn't take the second time, neither, since ever'one woke up today to find that the market was still down, unemployment was still up, the troops was still out o' the country, folks was still in deep financial troubles, 'n' they wasn't no heavenly choirs singing "Hallelujah". Maybe they need to take a third run at the thing 'n' make sure they get ever' little thing right including having a Bible (I got a Gideon I can loan 'em if they's desperate) 'n' having pictures taken 'n' doing it in front o' the whole country with all the right words spoken in all the right order.
The whole thing has got me wondering if Mr. Chief Justice John Roberts got that memo that Jr. was supposed to have sent 'round 'bout how he didn't want any o' his folks pulling any shenanigans during the change-over. After all, Mr. Chief Justice John Roberts is one o' Jr.'s appointees, so maybe he's just fooling around, trying to complicate things 'n' either just make Oprama look bad er out-'n'-out invalidate his claims to office. Look fer all this to come back up when the Republicans decide to start talking impeachment after they decide enough time has passed to bring it up.
Course, none o' this stopped, er even slowed down, Oprama's acting like President. In his first day in office, he put a stop to trials at Guantanamo, claimed he was going to close the detention facility there withing a year, imposed new limits on lobbyists including banning them from giving gifts to anyone serving in the administration, froze the salaries o' White House aides making more than $100,000, met with the Joint Chiefs o' Staff 'bout changes in how to handle the campaigns in Iraq 'n' Afghanistan, presided over the White House meeting on the economy, 'n' talked by phone with leaders in the Middle East. 'N' that was just some o' the things he did.
President er not, looks like maybe, just maybe, this feller has finished cutting his bait 'n' is ready to start doing some actual fishing. I don't care so much 'bout all his fancy talking. It's his doing that I'm concerned 'bout. 'N', from where I'm sitting, his doing in one day so far has given me more hope than all his talking did in the past 12 months.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
The Changing o' the Guard
Just a few quick thoughts on the inauguration 'n' speech 'fore the pundits, spin-doctors, nay-sayers, 'n' other assorted 'n' sundry "experts" ruin it for ever'one.
Firstly: Oprama seemed like an eager little beaver, didn't he. He just couldn't wait to light into the oath 'n' get it over with so he could get to officially call himself president, could he?
Secondly: Why has he got such a problem with saying that he will "faithfully" perform his duties?
Thirdly: What has he got against the brave soldiers who have fought 'n' died fer their country since the end o' the Korean war?
Fourthly: A campaign 'n' nomination acceptance speech that were compared to/paralleled President Jack's - a train trip 'n' Bible that were last used by President Lincoln - an inauguration on the day after MLK day: coincedences, smart politicking, er eerie omens/premonitions o' bad things to come?
Firstly: Oprama seemed like an eager little beaver, didn't he. He just couldn't wait to light into the oath 'n' get it over with so he could get to officially call himself president, could he?
Secondly: Why has he got such a problem with saying that he will "faithfully" perform his duties?
Thirdly: What has he got against the brave soldiers who have fought 'n' died fer their country since the end o' the Korean war?
Fourthly: A campaign 'n' nomination acceptance speech that were compared to/paralleled President Jack's - a train trip 'n' Bible that were last used by President Lincoln - an inauguration on the day after MLK day: coincedences, smart politicking, er eerie omens/premonitions o' bad things to come?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)