Against 24-Hour News:
I have decided that the advent of 24-hour news, rather than keep people informed, has done great damage to our political process. I have heard others say similar things from time to time and have adamantly disagreed. "24-hour news is great," I said. "I can turn the TV on at any time and find out what's happening with the war in Iraq or who's on top in the presidential race." I used to cite things like the 2000 presidential election as proof of why 24-hour news was so terrific. But now I think I was a total fool for ever falling in love with CNN and MSNBC.
Here's the deal. Even during a huge news event like the 2000 election or the beginning of the Iraq war, there is no need for 24-hour coverage all the time. Of course, the networks had to stay on all night on election night when the votes were being tallied and Gore, no Bush, no Gore... was winning. And of course we wanted to see the night sky over Baghdad as we attacked Iraq, but I can't think of any event that would call for more than a few days of nonstop coverage. (We all know that the following month after the election in 2000 we were subjected to watching Floridians staring at hanging chads for countless hours of riveting coverage.) When we're not experiencing some cataclysmic event, or even when we are, the networks need to fill time and that's when we get into trouble. Instead of creating thoughtful coverage, the anchors, who don't actually have the time to create thoughtful coverage, call in Joe Schmo Expert Someone Or Other and the coverage becomes thoughtless noise. (And that's the best case. What about all the people who were so psychologically scarred because they couldn't turn on a TV without seeing the World Trade Center collapsing for at least three months after Sept. 11.)
For a lack of anything better to do, CNN and MSNBC conduct multiple polls daily and then invite right wingers and left wingers and in-betweeners into the studios to comment on the poll numbers of the hour. Dean is shown to have a few percentage points less than Kerry and some asshole spends ten minutes talking about why this particular poll, Poll Number 5,263 of the election season, means that Dean's candidacy is doomed for certain. The next day, the same idiot is on TV saying that Dean is probably going to run away with the nomination because of a jump in the polls. (this poll being Poll Number 5,558 of the election season) It is my conviction that these pundits and the polls that fuel their commentating are doing a great injustice to the American political process.
Can you imagine who you would vote for if you didn't know who was behind and who was ahead in the poll of the moment? What if you read one newspaper story a day and saw one television news story a night about the campaign? You might have heard about Howard Dean's infamous scream, but would you have also heard the personal opinion of no less than 20 different politicos about what the scream would do to Dean's candidacy? Would you have heard the Dean Scream remix? Or what about yesterday... How many times did I see Joe Lieberman stand up in front of a room of supporters and tell them that he had Joementum? If I saw it only once I might have laughed. But I saw it four times just during the 30 minutes I was on the treadmill last night. And by the time I read my workout summary on the eliptical machine and headed to the weight room I was thinking that Lieberman was pretty much an idiot. (and I used to like him) Television has the uncanny ability to magnify one moment and turn it into an eternity by replaying and commentating and polling and picking apart. The men and women who are spouting off their predictions on TV are creating self-fulfilling prophecies. How many times does a voter need to be told that their candidate has no chance before they pick someone else in an effort not to waste a vote? If we didn't have this insane news cycle who would be ahead right now? Would Kucinich have received some votes? I don't know, but I imagine things would be very different.
Toward a Solution:
I know that most people in the media do not want to harm our democracy. They got into the profession to protect it. But I also know that news organizations are under a great deal of pressure to have the most recent and relevant information and to have everything first. Somehow this has turned into the game of who can conduct the most polls in a day and who can have more political insiders commenting on the polls. "Quick, call our polling company and have them call 500 voters. We need the numbers in an hour," I can imagine a news director shouting. I know the news networks aren't going to be silent any time soon and as much as I am frustrated with them, I don't even know if I could live without them... but what if everyone did a poll truce. What if CNN, MSNBC, FOX, BBC, ABC, CBS all got together and agreed to stop the polling madness and what if they agreed to all wait until a certain time after the polls closed on election days to announce the winners of elections. What if everyone went back to their newsroom and created thoughtful coverage that would inform voters about the candidates and then aired that instead of letting talking heads spout opinions and predictions? What if presidential candidates arrived at election day with records that had been fully examined by the media but personal lives and facial expressions and gestures that had not been visciously pecked apart. What if our politicans and potential politicians were allowed to keep just a shred of dignity during the election process? What if journalism discovered the line between responsibly informing the public about candidates and pandering to ratings?
Is this realistic? Maybe not. But the media needs to stop and think about what has happened to politics in America before it is too late and too late could be coming more quickly than we realize.
Some People Out There Might Agree With Me:
Read this very good and tangentially related article about the scream.
Monday, January 26, 2004
First things first:
Have you heard about the documentary: Super Size Me: A Film of Epic Proportions?
The director ate nothing but McDonald's for 30 days to find out the health effects it would have on him and guess what? He got fat. But he also had a liver akin to an alcoholic's at the end of the month and lost his sex drive among other things. Now, it's not like I thought McDonald's was good for you, but I also didn't realize that it was that terrible for you. This has made me not want to eat fast food ever again and I haven't even seen the movie. It recently (yesterday, I think) won the best director award at Sundance and so, I think it might actually be released in theatres, despite expected opposition from Mickey D's. I can't wait to see it.
The weekend:
Skiing was out and I spent most of the weekend flat on my back with my feet in the air... but, my back is feeling mostly better. (whewh) And, we got to see FAME the musical on Sat. night which was fun. I don't think it's the best musical I've ever seen. I liked Rent thousands of times better, but I enjoyed Fame and hearing the old TV show theme song was fun as was seeing all the legwarmers. :)
On Sunday, Neil and I went to Acoma Sky City, the oldest continually inhabited city in the U.S. The Acoma tribe gives tours of the town, which is on top of a mesa and has no running water or electricity. Some of the newer houses are 500 years old. Our guide, Orlando, is a resident of Sky City. He's one of 30 people who still live there full time and he was amazing as a guide. He told us about the Spanish conquistadors who forced the tribe to build the catholic church beginning in 1629 and completed in 1640. The church, San Esteban del Rey, still stands on the mesa today. Orlando told us how the tribespeople built the church with dimensions that corresponded to sacred numbers in their own native religion. He told us about the matriarchal society and the cemetery that is 40 feet deep and contains layers of Acoma ancestors all buried under dirt that was carried to the top of the mesa.
Orlando spoke very quickly, used distinct hand gestures and interspersed words in his tribal language. When asked about this he said that he was speaking to us in three languages at once and that he spoke quickly because he wanted us to understand what he was telling us but not to remember everything because he wants to keep his oral history. It worked. I don't remember much of what he told us. I wish I took notes. But I left with this almost cheesy feeling that Orlando had given me a gift. I had been allowed into this sacred place and some greater wisdom was imparted to me... about survival and connectedness and strength. I will have to go back to the Sky City...
Meanwhile, I am crossing my fingers for Howard Dean tomorrow.... But I'm also going to try not to watch this time. (yeah right)
Have you heard about the documentary: Super Size Me: A Film of Epic Proportions?
The director ate nothing but McDonald's for 30 days to find out the health effects it would have on him and guess what? He got fat. But he also had a liver akin to an alcoholic's at the end of the month and lost his sex drive among other things. Now, it's not like I thought McDonald's was good for you, but I also didn't realize that it was that terrible for you. This has made me not want to eat fast food ever again and I haven't even seen the movie. It recently (yesterday, I think) won the best director award at Sundance and so, I think it might actually be released in theatres, despite expected opposition from Mickey D's. I can't wait to see it.
The weekend:
Skiing was out and I spent most of the weekend flat on my back with my feet in the air... but, my back is feeling mostly better. (whewh) And, we got to see FAME the musical on Sat. night which was fun. I don't think it's the best musical I've ever seen. I liked Rent thousands of times better, but I enjoyed Fame and hearing the old TV show theme song was fun as was seeing all the legwarmers. :)
On Sunday, Neil and I went to Acoma Sky City, the oldest continually inhabited city in the U.S. The Acoma tribe gives tours of the town, which is on top of a mesa and has no running water or electricity. Some of the newer houses are 500 years old. Our guide, Orlando, is a resident of Sky City. He's one of 30 people who still live there full time and he was amazing as a guide. He told us about the Spanish conquistadors who forced the tribe to build the catholic church beginning in 1629 and completed in 1640. The church, San Esteban del Rey, still stands on the mesa today. Orlando told us how the tribespeople built the church with dimensions that corresponded to sacred numbers in their own native religion. He told us about the matriarchal society and the cemetery that is 40 feet deep and contains layers of Acoma ancestors all buried under dirt that was carried to the top of the mesa.
Orlando spoke very quickly, used distinct hand gestures and interspersed words in his tribal language. When asked about this he said that he was speaking to us in three languages at once and that he spoke quickly because he wanted us to understand what he was telling us but not to remember everything because he wants to keep his oral history. It worked. I don't remember much of what he told us. I wish I took notes. But I left with this almost cheesy feeling that Orlando had given me a gift. I had been allowed into this sacred place and some greater wisdom was imparted to me... about survival and connectedness and strength. I will have to go back to the Sky City...
Meanwhile, I am crossing my fingers for Howard Dean tomorrow.... But I'm also going to try not to watch this time. (yeah right)
Friday, January 23, 2004
Back Pain and Political Obsessions
Ok. My back hurts. It's not just an ache, it's a full-on super-strength pain that I can't ignore. I have no idea how I did this to myself. Current theory: crunches at the gym last night. Lame. I have nothing else to say about this unfortunate situation.
In other news, I need to cease my obsession with politics. It is out of control. I can't stop reading political news stories. The Gawker people came up with a new political web log and I almost jumped out of my chair when I found out about it. (I probably would have leapt up were it not for the fact that my back hurts so much I can hardly move.) Wonkette seems like it has potential. I wish I'd started it.
I suppose Neil is not a help in curbing my political problem. Last night we watched a DVD he ordered about CNN's coverage of the 2000 election and then when it ended we flipped to Fox News (evil) where they were re-broadcasting last night's debate and watched that. I swear I would get a thousand times more work done if I wasn't compelled to search the web for campaign news daily.
New life plan of the moment: Run for president.
In the meantime, my weekend plans (skiing tomorrow, rollerblading Sunday) have seemingly been destroyed by the back disaster of '04. Very frustrating. Maybe I will read two more books this weekend to get on track for the 52 book plan?
And now, back to politics:
Highlight of last night's debate: Clark's clever answer to his party-affiliation issues: "I'm pro-choice, pro-affirmative action, pro-environment, pro-labor. I was either going to be the loneliest Republican in America or I was going to be a happy Democrat."
And Dean's good humored reaction to Sharpton's quote of the evening: "Well, first of all, let me say this. I wanted to say to Governor Dean, don't be hard on yourself about hooting and hollering. If I had spent the money you did and got 18 percent, I'd still be in Iowa hooting and hollering." (Debate Transcript)
Goals for the weekend: Relax, Resist watching news, Read, Heal my back.
Ok. My back hurts. It's not just an ache, it's a full-on super-strength pain that I can't ignore. I have no idea how I did this to myself. Current theory: crunches at the gym last night. Lame. I have nothing else to say about this unfortunate situation.
In other news, I need to cease my obsession with politics. It is out of control. I can't stop reading political news stories. The Gawker people came up with a new political web log and I almost jumped out of my chair when I found out about it. (I probably would have leapt up were it not for the fact that my back hurts so much I can hardly move.) Wonkette seems like it has potential. I wish I'd started it.
I suppose Neil is not a help in curbing my political problem. Last night we watched a DVD he ordered about CNN's coverage of the 2000 election and then when it ended we flipped to Fox News (evil) where they were re-broadcasting last night's debate and watched that. I swear I would get a thousand times more work done if I wasn't compelled to search the web for campaign news daily.
New life plan of the moment: Run for president.
In the meantime, my weekend plans (skiing tomorrow, rollerblading Sunday) have seemingly been destroyed by the back disaster of '04. Very frustrating. Maybe I will read two more books this weekend to get on track for the 52 book plan?
And now, back to politics:
Highlight of last night's debate: Clark's clever answer to his party-affiliation issues: "I'm pro-choice, pro-affirmative action, pro-environment, pro-labor. I was either going to be the loneliest Republican in America or I was going to be a happy Democrat."
And Dean's good humored reaction to Sharpton's quote of the evening: "Well, first of all, let me say this. I wanted to say to Governor Dean, don't be hard on yourself about hooting and hollering. If I had spent the money you did and got 18 percent, I'd still be in Iowa hooting and hollering." (Debate Transcript)
Goals for the weekend: Relax, Resist watching news, Read, Heal my back.
Wednesday, January 21, 2004
Catching Up
*New Orleans was awesome. Not only is the city below sea level/filled with fascinating history/more like a European city than an American one/populated by the most friendly and polite people on the planet, but, the seven of us had an amazing time there. We went on a haunted history tour while drinking Hurricanes (New Orleans like Las Vegas has no open container laws). We saw the Real World house, toured the garden district, ate at an amazing place called Mother's, saw awesome jazz at a club, walked around on Bourbon Street (truly terrifying) and had a really good time being girls at our hotel.
I could have stayed for another week exploring and having girl time, but the weekend was really refreshing. Perhaps the best part... nobody puked. Thanks Clea, Britten, Walker, Zandra, Nancy and Rachel for a teriffic time. Can't wait for Rachel's wedding in June!
* The Iowa Caucuses were a different story. I began to suspect that things night might not go well for my candidate (Howard Dean) about a week before the caucus... It was at that point that I decided not to watch. I was going to just read the paper in the morning and spare myself the agony of early predictions and political pundits. But, Neil had the night off and wanted to have a caucus party. So, I caved. Like I really would have been able to sit around watching American Idol without flipping back and forth to CNN and CSPAN, anyway. So we had a party and invited all of our political-minded friends which meant we ended up with two guests, Nancy and Colleen (another reporter at Neil's station). We drank a bottle of wine and we all faced the fact that we're humongous political junkies/nerds.
Howard Dean's third place finish was disappointing, but I was bracing myself for it. I was not, however prepared for his speech. The growling yell he burst into was unexpected, but didn't seem terrible to me... it just seemed like he was trying to be upbeat for his room full of supporters, but the media has lambasted him. I'm ashamed to admit that I even laughed at the Leno monologue last night when he said something about Dean's aids having to shoot him with tranquilizers to end his speech. But enough already. Give the guy a break. People are actually saying his candidacy is over not because of his third place finish but because of his speech. I think it's appalling that the media has the power to make such pronouncements. I've seen more editorializing on the news in recent weeks than ever before...
*Last night's State of the Union address made me nauseous. Bush's pie in the sky plans without funding were transparent. The highlights: eye-rolling by various democrats including Hillary Clinton, the clapping after Bush said that part of the Patriot Act will expire next year, my secret hope that most Americans realized what a load of crap the president was delivering.
*Neat fact: Did you know that John Edwards (despite looking like a 35-year-old) is actually 50!!!!!!!!
*Declaration: I need a break from politics.
*New Years Resolution Updates:
-I have read almost two books... which makes me a little behind, but well on my way to the goal of 52 books by 2005.
-I have been going to the gym at least three times a week since late Nov. (I started early so that I wasn't one of those January gym people because those people a) never make it to the gym past the first of Feb. b) always seem so desperate and c) are really annoying to the regulars.)
- I have taken copious notes when I've felt inspired to write but haven't had the time so that when I have the time, I will also have the inspiration. (we'll see if this new method works)
*Mid-January Resolution: I will update my blog more often.
*New Orleans was awesome. Not only is the city below sea level/filled with fascinating history/more like a European city than an American one/populated by the most friendly and polite people on the planet, but, the seven of us had an amazing time there. We went on a haunted history tour while drinking Hurricanes (New Orleans like Las Vegas has no open container laws). We saw the Real World house, toured the garden district, ate at an amazing place called Mother's, saw awesome jazz at a club, walked around on Bourbon Street (truly terrifying) and had a really good time being girls at our hotel.
I could have stayed for another week exploring and having girl time, but the weekend was really refreshing. Perhaps the best part... nobody puked. Thanks Clea, Britten, Walker, Zandra, Nancy and Rachel for a teriffic time. Can't wait for Rachel's wedding in June!
* The Iowa Caucuses were a different story. I began to suspect that things night might not go well for my candidate (Howard Dean) about a week before the caucus... It was at that point that I decided not to watch. I was going to just read the paper in the morning and spare myself the agony of early predictions and political pundits. But, Neil had the night off and wanted to have a caucus party. So, I caved. Like I really would have been able to sit around watching American Idol without flipping back and forth to CNN and CSPAN, anyway. So we had a party and invited all of our political-minded friends which meant we ended up with two guests, Nancy and Colleen (another reporter at Neil's station). We drank a bottle of wine and we all faced the fact that we're humongous political junkies/nerds.
Howard Dean's third place finish was disappointing, but I was bracing myself for it. I was not, however prepared for his speech. The growling yell he burst into was unexpected, but didn't seem terrible to me... it just seemed like he was trying to be upbeat for his room full of supporters, but the media has lambasted him. I'm ashamed to admit that I even laughed at the Leno monologue last night when he said something about Dean's aids having to shoot him with tranquilizers to end his speech. But enough already. Give the guy a break. People are actually saying his candidacy is over not because of his third place finish but because of his speech. I think it's appalling that the media has the power to make such pronouncements. I've seen more editorializing on the news in recent weeks than ever before...
*Last night's State of the Union address made me nauseous. Bush's pie in the sky plans without funding were transparent. The highlights: eye-rolling by various democrats including Hillary Clinton, the clapping after Bush said that part of the Patriot Act will expire next year, my secret hope that most Americans realized what a load of crap the president was delivering.
*Neat fact: Did you know that John Edwards (despite looking like a 35-year-old) is actually 50!!!!!!!!
*Declaration: I need a break from politics.
*New Years Resolution Updates:
-I have read almost two books... which makes me a little behind, but well on my way to the goal of 52 books by 2005.
-I have been going to the gym at least three times a week since late Nov. (I started early so that I wasn't one of those January gym people because those people a) never make it to the gym past the first of Feb. b) always seem so desperate and c) are really annoying to the regulars.)
- I have taken copious notes when I've felt inspired to write but haven't had the time so that when I have the time, I will also have the inspiration. (we'll see if this new method works)
*Mid-January Resolution: I will update my blog more often.
Thursday, January 08, 2004
In a couple hours I am driving to the airport where I'll board a plane and fly to New Orleans. Every time I tell someone I'm going to New Orleans for a Bachelorette weekend, I get strange "Oh. My. God. You are so wild and crazy" looks, which is hilarious actually because this group of girls I'm meeting up with is not the wild and crazy type. At all.
I am most certainly not wild and crazy. I sometimes harbor the romantic notion that I could be mistaken for a wild girl... but I need to face the facts: I am not crazy. I might have been a little crazy in high school and I may still harbor the soul of a crazy girl somewhere deep inside...
Anyway, I am really looking forward to my not so crazy weekend in New Orleans. Being with friends is fun (as I may have mentioned in previous blog postings).
If the weekend turns out to actually be WILD and CRAZY I will be sure to inform my reading public...
Off to the airport.
I am most certainly not wild and crazy. I sometimes harbor the romantic notion that I could be mistaken for a wild girl... but I need to face the facts: I am not crazy. I might have been a little crazy in high school and I may still harbor the soul of a crazy girl somewhere deep inside...
Anyway, I am really looking forward to my not so crazy weekend in New Orleans. Being with friends is fun (as I may have mentioned in previous blog postings).
If the weekend turns out to actually be WILD and CRAZY I will be sure to inform my reading public...
Off to the airport.
Monday, January 05, 2004
New Years Eve
This was the first year since 2000 that New Years was better than I expected it to be. Granted, I wasn't really expecting much, but it was truly terrific. I went to dinner at my favorite Thai restaurant with Topher, Lotus, Rebecca, Sarah and Chris (yumm) then we all went to my house where we were joined by Nancy and Justin and at 10:30, after we had finished watching him on TV, Neil came home. I got sufficiently drunk...but I think Chris and Topher and even Neil were all a bit more drunk than I was. We played trivial pursuit, drank wine and champagne and ate brie and fresh-baked rolls from a bakery. Topher and Chris taught Neil how to do "the butt", a classy dance that consists of wagging your butt around in the air in unison with the other people performing "the butt". Topher and I were the dream team in trivial pursuit and got three wedges on our first turn, but then we both got a bit too drunk to repeat our stunning success on any of our subsequent turns. Oh well...
Overall, it was really wonderful to have a house filled with friends and to laugh and just to feel warm and connected...surrounded...part of something larger than myself. What a good way to begin my anticipated new beginning that is 2004.
This was the first year since 2000 that New Years was better than I expected it to be. Granted, I wasn't really expecting much, but it was truly terrific. I went to dinner at my favorite Thai restaurant with Topher, Lotus, Rebecca, Sarah and Chris (yumm) then we all went to my house where we were joined by Nancy and Justin and at 10:30, after we had finished watching him on TV, Neil came home. I got sufficiently drunk...but I think Chris and Topher and even Neil were all a bit more drunk than I was. We played trivial pursuit, drank wine and champagne and ate brie and fresh-baked rolls from a bakery. Topher and Chris taught Neil how to do "the butt", a classy dance that consists of wagging your butt around in the air in unison with the other people performing "the butt". Topher and I were the dream team in trivial pursuit and got three wedges on our first turn, but then we both got a bit too drunk to repeat our stunning success on any of our subsequent turns. Oh well...
Overall, it was really wonderful to have a house filled with friends and to laugh and just to feel warm and connected...surrounded...part of something larger than myself. What a good way to begin my anticipated new beginning that is 2004.
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