I’ll admit that for the past week, I have been in a concert haze and haven’t been paying much (OK any) attention to what is going on in the world. I glanced at the headlines in the ABH, but I really didn’t do much on my vacation other than watch sweaty musicians on stage.
So today has been catch-up day for me (in both my actual work and to see what the world has been up to).
As I have been trolling the news Web sites, there are a few of my favorite items I have come across.
Rove calls Obama 'arrogant'
Now I’ll admit that Barack Obama can sometimes seem a little bit standoffish, but Karl Rove calling anyone “arrogant” is just plain laughable. Seriously, talk about the pot and the kettle.
Born-again virgins
I love Ellen Goodman’s columns but this one made me kinda sad. Here we are, almost a full decade into the 21st century and women are still be judged on their virginity and are actually having surgery to have it reinstated (for lack of a better term). I just finished reading Philippa “The Other Boleyn Girl,” and it would seem that women have not made as much progress from the 16th century as we would like to think.
Escalator antics
Glad there is nothing else going on in the world right now so CNN can report this.
- Ann Marie Miani's blog
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Aren't they part of the huddled masses, yearning to be free?
So am what I'm hearing you say is that the inclusiveness of multi-cultural diversity may not be all that it is cracked up to be.
Virginity redux has been around for quite a while, the Japanese in particular being large practitioners of it. Of course, if virginity isn't quite your thing (pun very much intended), you have other options:
http://www.psurg.com/calgaryherald-2004-04-15.htm
I wouldn't be too critical of CNN. You after all live in a community that has reduced its problems so much that it can devote its policing and judicial powers to hunting down and penalizing someone with a couple of yard chickens. All the dope dealers, prostitutes, child abusers, underage drinkers, and drunk drivers have been dealt with.
I know the virgin thing has
I know the virgin thing has been around for a while ... I was just saying that we say that men and women are more equal now when actually we aren't. Because if you noticed, that column it was about female (not male) virginity.
And I actually agree with you on the last thing (surprisingly enough). But unfortunately, a news outlet like CNN that is supposed to be covering the world seems to reduce itself to stupid stories like some woman spinning around or the latest cute blonde girl who was kidnapped story.
I imagine the parents of the
I imagine the parents of the "latest cute blonde girl who was kidnapped" wouldn't be so flippant. Whether the story deserves the extent of coverage it receives does not diminish the tragedy of the event.
Of course not. I didn't say
Of course not. I didn't say it wasn't. But the problem with 24/7 news coverage is that there are giant holes to fill when there isn't really anything going on and they blow crap out of proportion, i.e. the Runaway Bride from Duluth (I think). And seriously, whenever there is a kidnapping case it's usually little white girls. I mean you hardly ever (note: I didn't say never) hear about minority kids or boys who are kidnapped.
Playing doctor
I was just saying that we say that men and women are more equal now when actually we aren't.
That's why not all of us are saying it. Like many things in life, stating it to be fact does not make it true.
The French example is just the absurdo reductio of the "multi-cultural diversity" movement. I always find it curious that the advocates of the appreciation of multi-cultural diversity inevitably come the "multi" that is unacceptable, whether it is the arranged marriages of child brides, or clitoral circumcision or as in this case, the insistence on bridal virginity. I'm just more up front about it, and start further up the line in believing that our society and cultural has considerable merit, and that it is not inhumane to expect those who wish to participate in it to integrate themselves into it.
Hmmmm-- I've been thinking, would having my virginity restored be a good thing or a bad thing.
I'm thinking good because it would give the opportunity to lose it all over again.
Really? Did you see The 40
Really? Did you see "The 40 Year Old Virgin"?
A humorous response, though
A humorous response, though it's a serious topic.
Look, I think that there are some cultures who don't want to be modernized, and we should respect that. I'm still confused about France refusing to let the girls wear the traditional coverings, but I'm not French, and I tend to think "to each his own" works best. You simply cannot force Muslims to westernize.
It's funny to me when my friends say that and then turn around and wonder why these Muslim men think so little of their women. I don't think they do, but I think their ideas about gender roles are totally foreign to us, so when we try to view it within our limited understanding of their culture (i.e., though Western eyes), we assume these men are brutal and terrible, etc. This is the same reason, however, that the invasion of Iraq is progressing as it is. Muslims have a totally different way of thinking, and I'm not so sure they want our freedom.
All of yesterday's news that's fit to print.
"News outlet like CNN that is supposed to be covering the world"
And they do, though they occasionally throw in some trash for fodder.
Now turn the mirror on you guys and gals at the Banana. Your role should be to cover local events and relay national events through a local perspective. So what do you do? You buy wire stories so you can repeat the exact same story from CNN ( a day late, however) while keeping the resources that should be used for local news to be repurposed for important things like nonfunctioning helicopter pads.
On too many news days in the ABH, if you subtract national stories not written by a local reporter, irrelevant wire stories and stories that gush over REM, all that is left is the weather map.
Well if you have an extra
Well if you have an extra $20,000+ that we can borrow so we can hire another reporter who can rewrite national stories, we'll take it. Unfortunately our reporters are busy writing their own stories about local stuff.
Every newspaper our size uses wire services. Only huge ones like the New York Times and USA Today can afford to have a staff of hundreds. And quite honestly, not even those outlets can really afford that anymore.
And of course we write stories about R.E.M. Why wouldn't we? They are on tour, about to head to Europe and have released an excellent album. And if it wasn't for them, what would Athens be but a little college town in the middle of nowhere that has a baseball team that chokes during the title game?
We'd still have damn good
We'd still have damn good dawgs, Ann Marie.
That might be true, but then
That might be true, but then only sports fans would care about Athens. And sports fans only come to town for games. They don't move here and try to make careers. Watch the audio slideshow that Tricia did on our AthFest page. Bands move here from all over the country to try to build their indie cred and try to do what R.E.M. did. Those four guys put Athens on the map for everyone else in the world who couldn't give a damn about sports.
Sure. REM or sports. That's all that's here.
This University put Athens on the map long before a single skinny tie band dropped their first scarf in town. All the writers, photographers, artists, thinkers and yes, bands, are here because of the University.
I can see that’s lost on you because you cannot understand that someone might see the world different than you do. REM is fine but the continual rediscovery of them due to attrition in the journalism field gets very old. Widespread panic is a massive success but there is no drop down for them on your website. Jim Erickson is one of the most sought after photographers in America. Do you live blog from his photo shoots? Nope.
You don’t need $20k to rewrite national stories. You could find that money by not trying to rewrite the Flagpole every week. And what about your opulent office? Maybe you could rent out the unused side. And just perhaps if the churn of people working in and leaving the advertising sales and photography departments did not average two per hour you could save that money and pay your good writers what they are really worth.
Take some pride in your industry. This idea of good enough is what is killing the newspaper industry.
First of all, you are the
First of all, you are the one who brought up R.E.M. to begin with. I'm not even that huge of an R.E.M. fan, but you can't deny the influence they had on this town.
And yes, UGA put Athens on the map being as Athens pretty much grew up around the university. But Athens became an indie music mecca because of R.E.M. And I know musicians who came to this town not because of UGA, but because it's an indie music mecca. I know that the university wasn't a big draw for me to move here, but the music was. It's like that for a lot of people. Even those of us who can't play a chord or sing a tune.
When Widespread played that three-day stint in Athens last year, we had a story EVERY DAY on the front page. There are pages and pages of stories about that band if you search our Web site.
I'm not quite sure how you would do a live blog about a photo shoot, but OK I'll give that. And you are welcome to do one and I'll even post it here for you.
You could find that money by not trying to rewrite the Flagpole every week.
I don't even know what that is supposed to mean.
Uh, don't discount the
Uh, don't discount the B-52's.
I remember reading right
I remember reading right before I moved here that the love shack burned down and being really sad about it.
The only reason the whole R.E.M. tangent started was because someone said we write too much about them.
Seriously, "Love Shack" was one of my favorite songs when I was a kid :)
What about Redneck Girls with Poofy hair?
Bands came here because there were students who liked live music. Be it REM, Flat Duo Jets, The Trench Coat Club, Chicksaw Mud Puppies, White Buffalo or plenty of other bands whose songs did not make up to wherever you're from.
The bigger point is that you seem to think that Athens ( and life in general) only exists from your point of view. From your lampooning of cultures who value virginity to the idea that one band is the epicenter of the Athens music scene to your constant bashing of religions and beliefs, you seem to that no one else can think for themselves.
No, this blog is from my
No, this blog is from my point of view, which is the point of view that opinion pieces come from. Sorry, I can't write about what other people think.
All I said about the virginity thing was that it was sad that girls were having surgery to get their "virginity" back and that women are still judged on their virginity or lack there of. I said nothing about cultures that value virginity. So please don't put words in my mouth.
And I never said one band was the epicenter of the Athens music scene. I said they had a really big influence and helped cement the Athens music scene, so of course we write about them. Who knows, one of the other bands you mentioned might have become international superstars if R.E.M. hadn't. It's all about right place, right time in the music biz right? Especially in the era before every band in the world had a MySpace page and could get their music out to everyone even without a record label.
And if you don't like what I have to say, no one is forcing you to read it.
Gosh, that was quite a leap
Gosh, that was quite a leap you made in your assumption of one news recap that Ann Marie believes no one can think for themselves. You know what they say about people who assume, don't you?
In general, students at most universities enjoy live music. Unfortunately, most of the universities I know were bereft the live music scene that is so dominant in Athens. I would like to think Athens has raised up some wonderful talents who came to the city to follow in the footsteps of the likes of R.E.M and the B-52s. With such a plethora of bands running around, coming to Athens and "making it" means you lived up to the highly discriminant tastes of a city who sees many, many talents (and "untalents") every year.
As for "cultures who value virginity," I believe Ann Marie's sentiments were possibly a bit misspoken, but yours are way off base. Clearly, only one sex is "valuing" virginity, and in the divorce at hand, the husband "valued" it more than the woman he was bound to. Had she "valued" virginity, she would have remained a virgin until marriage, as is the custom in her religion. Very obviously, based on her fraudulent admission of virginity, she "valued" the idea of being a virgin more than actually remaining one.
As a former good Irish Catholic girl, I can tell you in no uncertain terms that there's much more to "valuing" virginity than finding a doctor who can fake it for you after the fact.
Then let's leap back
Uhh....I don't disagree that REM is a great band. I believe that the paper spends too much time writing about REM and I do not agree with the justification that the Athens Music scene is a result of REM anymore than I would think the Charlottesville Music Scene is a result of Dave Matthews Band or the Columbia Music scene is a result of Hootie and the Blowfish. When you suggest that so many bands and musicians came to Athens because of REM, you discount the venues, local government, music stores, neighborhoods and community culture that allows the music scene to thrive here. I think this notion is lost on more than a few at the paper because many of you just got here and have no idea what the music scene was like just a few years ago. You see some great bands and just assume that it is all because of whichever band is the biggest. You know what they say about people who assume, right?
As for the virginity thing, I never said the value is gender disparate, you did. What I said is that it is inconsistent to gush over how open minded you are but then expect every person and culture to adopt your idea of what being open minded is.
And let’s not forget my original point which is your desire to throw stones from the porch of your glass house. I love the ABH more than most which is why I have high standards for it. The paper’s underfunding local coverage in favor of wire stories is a reality that I have discussed in agreement with ABH staffers much farther up the food chain and with far more time in country than you. You guys truly have some of the best writers but instead of letting them fully chase down the stories that matter, the paper chases fads, imitation and the cheap and dirty way to make a buck. Yet there you are accusing other news outlets of not covering what they should.
I think the paper could do better but I think they will need to employ and appropriately pay people who see Athens beyond a few bands, bars and games.
Knock, Knock....land shark.
SNL just came on so I must give you the quick, quick.
* BS, most of what you write is about how others do, or should think.
* What about women who judge themselves well concerning their virginity? Do you also find that sad? What if it is part of their faith? Oh yeah, I forgot I was talking to you.
* Sorry you don't like REM. I really like their music. What I don't like is people who seem to think this town is only made up of REM, The tree that owns itself and football. Maybe you and some of your compadres came here for a band. Alot of us didn’t.
* "No one is forcing anybody to read anything." Good one. You are officially smarter than a fifth grader.
Again with the putting words
Again with the putting words in my mouth ... I said I wasn't a huge R.E.M. fan. I didn't say I didn't like their music. I judge "huge fan" by my friends who are in fact huge fans who have all their albums and seen them multiple time in concert. I have a few of their albums and had a 20 minute conversation with Mike Mills backstage at the 40 Watt a few months ago. I think Accelerate is a great album ... their best in years.
Personally, if I don't like what someone is saying I wouldn't waste my time reading their blogs or columns (unless I am being paid to by this newspaper). I don't read people like Michelle Malkin for that very reason. Which is why from now on when you comment I will ignore you.
"...if I don't like what
"...if I don't like what someone is saying I wouldn't waste my time reading their blogs or columns (unless I am being paid to by this newspaper). I don't read people like Michelle Malkin for that very reason. Which is why from now on when you comment I will ignore you."
Lol. You sound very open-minded, very much like my 15-year old daughter.
I spend every work day
I spend every work day reading things I might not agree with. It's basically the job of a copy editor. I have to edit the columns on our opinion page whether I agree with them or not. So in my personal time when I do have a choice, I am not going to waste my time reading things that probably are going to anger me. It's not about being opened or closed minded. It's just that I'd rather spend my free time happy and content not seething and pissed. Is that wrong?
Because something angers you
Because something angers you doesn't make it wrong. To learn and develop and expand requires reading what we agree with, along with what we don't agree with. How many native Southerners grew angry reading editorials by Ralph McGill back in the dark days of segregation? I personally can't stand to read Ed Tant, but I keep doing it just to possibly catch something relevant in what he is writing. JMO
I do read stuff that angers
I do read stuff that angers me ... just not at home in my spare time. That is what my time at work is for. Do you think I agree with what every columnist at this paper says? No. Do I have to read it because it's my job? Yes. Do you think I like writing headlines that say "40 killed by bomb in Iraq"? No. Do I have to do it? Yes. Do you think it's fun editing the 60-inch blotter in the Oconee Living section? No, it isn't. As I am sure everything about your job isn't peaches and cream.
And I didn't say that just because it angers me it's wrong. But I'll be damned if I am going to read Ann Coulter when I am at home. But if we ran her in the paper, I'd read it.
I know I am fairly young, but I learned a long time ago to leave work at work and not bring it home with you. When I was a kid, I almost always saw my dad in a bad mood when he came home from work. He was only happy when he was at a car show, in the garage fixing his cars or playing music in the basement. So maybe that is why music is so important to me and I am not going to apologize for that. And I love living here because it's a music town. I love that I can go out on a Monday night and and see live music. And if I write about Athens music more than anything else, who cares. It's what I love. I'll leave it to Blake to write about the commission and the various elections.
But back to the point, the news is my work so when I am at home I'll click on our Web site or turn on the news for a few minutes to see what is going on, but I am not going to obsess about it. I do that 40 hours out of the week already.
News vs. Opinions
I believe that the problem is not with "news" that angers you as it does all of us, it's with "opinions"that are avoided because they might/will anger you. I read them all and, while some still annoy me beyond belief, I still learn from those who I don't agree with. Why, just this week Paul Krugman had a great article on why the U.S. may have too many homeowners and how it has contributed to the mortgage meltdown. I usually disagree with most of what Krugman says but if I'd avoided him because of it I would have missed a great learning opportunity.
But "news" and "opinions"
But "news" and "opinions" still fall under the same category of "work" for me.