Friday, May 27, 2005

Assault On the Media:

"Conservative academics have long attacked 'postmodernist' philosophies for questioning whether 'truth' exists at all and claiming that what we take as 'truths' are merely 'narratives' woven around some ideological predisposition .... They shift attention away from the truth or falsity of specific facts and allegations -- and move the discussion to the motives of the journalists and media organizations putting them forward."

Conservative entertainers like O'Reiley and Dittohead have also poisoned the media. This is not good for democracy or the state of the union. It reflects how poorly the Bushies actually want to help the country and what they really want from it. Their patriotism should come under question and not some journalist that is searching for truth.

Thursday, May 26, 2005

News Groups Wrestle With Online Fees

This is a good look at the debate. I still think the pay model is dead. Earn money on ads. It's certainly easier to collect and better for your customers.
Global warming not new, but it's happening faster

Important to think about. Expecially sobering considering the New Yorker series on Climate Change. It's sad that this is going to kill our species and we're worried about incentives for SUVs. Another reason GM is going down the toilet. They should be trying to get out ahead of this thing instead of throwing red herrings like Hydrogen cars and then selling yet another Hummer.

Wednesday, May 25, 2005

The Senate's Real Leader

I don't believe that McCain had an eye toward the Presidency, but leaned more toward doing what was right for the Senate. This principle makes him a dangerous opponent in the future for the Dems. The question is is anyone else in the GOP is willing to be as ruthless and evil as the Bush/Rove axis. Possibly the Jeb/Rove axis? But somehow I don't think the Bushies are ready for another run yet and their is a lot of time yet.

This does push the Frist/Santorum/Allen etc. out though. These Senators don't have a compelling reason to be President. They are first and foremost Senators and therefore weak. As Kerry showed again (Dole, Mondale, etc) Senators make terrible Presidential candidates. McCain's position might be able to overcome this handicap, but he is the only one.

Tuesday, May 24, 2005

Chicago Tribune | How I got busted -- for harboring ham

I guess this is what I get for reading the Trib, but why the heck is this NOT in the food section? Just a random tuesday "Tempo" story? Frickin' idiots!
Cars

Brilliant! With the decay of its bond rating, this is yet another brilliant year in GM management. Why don't we give them a raise and a chauffered car!

Monday, May 23, 2005

Chicago Tribune | GM hoping its SUV gamble comes up big

It looks like GM is combining nameplates and not cutting Buick or Pontiac or GMC. Sounds like a good compromise for now. The SUV things is really bad. Why is GM so slow to react? I understand that it is a large company, but isn't their a new incentive to be a little more nimble? They are playing like a lumbering lummox while Toyota (which is not exactly a small company) is running circles like Mercury around the Sun. The whole hybrid thing is going to kill GM. By the time GM has one true hybrid on the street, Toyota will have 5 models. Not good, especially when you have already losing the post 90s era. Poor leadership and an inability to change. The key thing is that GM is so big that it will probably take another decade for them to die. Too bad ....

Friday, May 20, 2005

The New York Times > Automobiles > G.M.'s Brands to Cut Back on Variety

I guess Alfred Sloan would be happy with this. I have my doubts that they will carry the policy through. The UAW contract makes them overproducing cars the best option most of the time. Even "combining" brands under one roof may not be enough. Is there a good story about the UAW and their relationship with GM?

Thursday, May 19, 2005

WSJ.com - Questions for… Gary B. Pruitt

Good attitude about the future of newspapers by the exec from McClatchy Co. Like I said, it's about being creative and aggressive. Realizing that the paper doesn't need to be defined as old media.
Dean vs. Russert: It'll be a scream

He misses the point and helps lower expectations. Thank you Mr. Novak. The reason that Dean has some appeal rests in his blunt answers. He says the things that the media and the Democratic leadership won't. He sounds like McCain. I don't agree with his ideas all the time, but their is something about going after the GOP base (trucks with gun rack comment) that is necessary. Dems won't win anywhere in the South without going after men.

Wednesday, May 18, 2005

My friend wrote about the NY Times and their bright idea:

"You are missing an important point. It is a longterm strategy to shake people from the mentality that all content is free. Eventually, they will charge for the whole site."

I doubt it. Here's my reply ....

As the hard copy edition subscriptions shrink, the op-ed section will become more and
more irrelevent. The more dangerous thing is what happens when people wake up and go
a whole month without reading the NY times op-ed section and the sun actully rises
the next day? Then what? You'll never get those people back again.

Tuesday, May 17, 2005

NYTimes.com to Offer Subscription Service - New York Times

This idea is silly. Partial access means no one will read their op-ed folks outside of subscribers. Look what happened to the La Times and Calender Live. Either go whole hog like the WSJ or add some value like the WP. Earn $ off the Web ads and marketing info, not with subscriber income. Home delivery people aspect is interesting. This might give folks a reason to subscribe right? Especially in Chicago where the National Coverage is so terrible (the Trib can't even cover Chicago adequetly).
Drug Industry Is Said to Work On an Ad Code - New York Times

"We don't make ice cream or handbags or automobiles," he said. "We make products that save lives."

This may sound harsh, but NO one saves lives. We ALL die, no matter how rich or poor, what we eat or drink, get exercise or not. What medical care does is let us live longer or more comfortably. We need to get away from this self-centered view about our lives being so important. It's really not and no one cares ;)
Media Notes Extra

I know Newsweek did a bad thing and this is certainly no defense. However, my question is isn't it a bigger deal that we were lied to about WMD, "Mission Accomplished," etc. Where's that accountability?

The sentence was bad, but reflects how little the media actually reads itself. Again, the foregin press picked this up, not the NYT, WP, WSJ or even the terrible Trib.

Monday, May 16, 2005

Virtual Power Brokers

I wonder what the lawyers will say :) This is interesting part of the online experience ....
Democrats Covet the West, but Can't Keep Losing the South

No more senators and no more candidates from the NE. They suck and cannot win for this generation (Baby Boomer Presidents). The best chance is to get someone to poke a hole or two in the South. you don't need to win a majority, just your home state and maybe one more.

The other thing about the density those sunbelt states are going to get may change things too. When you have a lot of folks moving in from other parts of the country, things can subtly change. Not every carpetbagger is going to be a genius like Newt. They could have different values on separation of church and state or don't like sitting in traffic for three hours a day. This shift is taking place in Virginia and Florida. This still means John Kerry is will lose, but if there was actually a viable candidate, he could steal a state or two. We'll see when Jebby comes out in 2008 and 2012.

Thursday, May 12, 2005

The Estate Tax: Efficient, Fair and Misunderstood - New York Times

Never understood why people were so against the estate tax. For all of Grover's hypocrisy, we still need basic services and if that comes from an eaasy source, like the estate tax, it'll have to come from another source. The zero-sum game is not complicated. If the GOP weren't a bunch of liars and came out and said that they were in office to win, not to lower taxes, it would all be more plain.

Wednesday, May 11, 2005

Vanity Fair: PRINTABLES: "Gannon says that up to a third of the e-mail he gets accuses him of blackmailing someone for access, a charge he called 'absolutely, completely, totally false.'"

Comprehensive look at Guckert/Gannon. Not sure what this says about the blogoshpere. He's just a weird small dude.

Although one interesting quote ....

Gannon says that up to a third of the e-mail he gets accuses him of blackmailing someone for access, a charge he called "absolutely, completely, totally false."

I wonder if Grover's .... nah.
WSJ.com - In Washington, Watchdogs Bear Watching

Maybe Dems are just good people that care about their country .... Better yet, let's look at the donor list at AEI or Cato. $50,000 from Streisand may sound like a lot, but that's peanuts compared to $5 Million from Scaife.

Tuesday, May 10, 2005

Kerkorian Sees a Different Shape in GM's Sinking Ship

Ah hah! The reason that Kirk is going after GM. The long-term message is a sham and everyone knows it. GM is done. If he gets them to spin-off GMAC, they will be finished. Too slow, too much union power, and too stubborn. Why don't they tell the union that they will declare bankruptcy to get out of the contract. Why don't they tell the dealers that they will declare bankruptcy to get out of having to make cars no one wants to buy. I thought some of the vision stuff would be taken care of when they got Lutz, but I was wrong. The cars do look better, but why do they need five nameplates selling the same car?

Monday, May 09, 2005

It's to Laugh (or Cry) About

More better about the missing white women ...
Chicago Tribune | Missing white female alert

I wrote about this awhile ago. It's scary that this is such an obsession, this is also nothing new. All those lurid pulp fiction novels and other media of the last century focused on "white slavery" and the other attractive, missing, white women. It got so bad they passed the Mann Act. It's still a bad thing, but like the red state blue state thing, their are more of them than us.
Mexico Runs on Sidewalk Economy

The underground economy looks more like a release valve for entrprenurialism in Mexico. I'm not sure it's good or bad. The important thing for them is to make sure that collect somes taxes. How would you do this? I bet the financial/banking system has much to do with the problems. Poor access to capital means that folks have little possibility of getting a business loan. No loan means, they try to scratch out a living as a vendor is a stall (versus a storefront). Vendor means cash, means nothing for the tax collector.
Confessions of a Listener

Requested by Puff ... It's a good ditty on the joys of small radio by Kellior. I can't say that I have listened to much of this since I got FM in my car. When forced to listen to AM I do remember fondly liking the afternoon show on WMAL. That was before Limbaugh and all that. I have to admit Chicago Radio is pretty good (FM all the way). Although the idea of satellite is intriguing. What do you get with that? Music, sports? What about weird?