MetaBatty

And if you ask for an upgrade, we will arrest your family

Great blog in the Huffington Post today about the state of US airports and most airlines. Check it out, it's a funny read. Funny because it is so true, and so pathetic.

"Airports aren't airports anymore.  They're Communist China."

Google just made newspapers obsolete - and that might not be a good thing

Reuters reported today that Google has entered into a licensing deal which will pay major news services like the Associated Press for the right to publish their articles and content on Google News. This benefits the AP, because now they have an additional source of revenue (for now). And Google News readers have the benefit of seeing these articles once, and not the additional 147 links to the same article published in as many different publications.

This is no different than the New York Times or Rocky Mountain News paying  AP for the right to distribute their content on their Web and print pages. Which essentially makes Google an official news outlet, as of today. Perhaps they don't have an editorial board to decide what does and does not get printed, or what might be in the best interest of their readers - services that have made newspapers the voice of communities, cities, organizations and nations, and the Fourth Estate - but they do have a highly-trafficked site, and are already considered to be a "source" of news, even when they are really just an aggregator.

Many people have predicted this is the future of the news, newspapers, and news services, but this licensing deal is the first true sign, in my opinion, that this prophecy is actually being fulfilled.

So, if I can get all my AP, Agence France-Presse, etc news from Google, I have yet another reason not to read my local newspaper (Craigslist trumped the classifieds years ago). And if I, and others like me, stop reading the local paper and their Web site, they lose revenue and go out of business. Which means fewer outlets buying AP newsfeeds. Which means less revenue for AP, who then faces the risk of shutting down.

If that happens, then who will report the news, and who will pay them? I hear Rupert Murdoch waiting in the wings (if one can hear such things).

End of an Era

I just learned today that Teka Molino, hands down the best Mexican Food restaurant in the world (based in San Antonio, TX), closed its doors earlier this summer.

I wish all the best to Art Chapa and his family, and want to thank him for serving up the finest enchiladas I have ever tasted. Just as Tekas was a multi-generation tradition in his family, it was in mine, too. We will miss it very much, and always think fondly of it, and the Chapa family.

Now, Art - time to cough up that Enchilada recipe. No reason to hide it from us anymore!

Whatever happened to greeting cards and candy bars?

I got an email from a friend today, inviting a group of people to a Texas Hold 'Em poker tournament. Buy in is $30. Nothing too unusual about that, until I read further on and learned that it was a fundraiser for his son's preschool.

Is there a line being crossed here? I know school's are desperate for funding, and they need so much more than they are given, but even to me this seems to be going too far. Poker is the latest cultutral fad (replacing cigars, martinis and swing dancing from 10 years ago), with star-studded programs dedicated to it on national and cable television, poker clubs in every neighborhood, and a game in a garage almost any night on every block. It's everywhere you look, and people have a great time doing it. It brings friends together, it gives you a reason to get out of the house, and it's fun.

But it's still gambling. Is that something we should be teaching kids? Gambling is OK, especially since it helps us get books, crayons and supplies?

Don't miss the Art teacher take on the Music teacher in an Ultimate Fighting Championship match on Tuesday night, north gym. Popcorn, sodas and beer will be avaialble at the concession stand. All proceeds go to the winning department.

Branding the Blizzards

Apparently it is snowing in Denver again. I say "apparently" because I have only heard news reports of a second round of heavy snowfall in Denver happening once again this holiday season. I am in San Francisco all week, thankfully, and not subjected to yet another airport closure, power outages, unplowed roads, closed interstates, and more.

I wonder what this new blizard will be named by the media. Here are some ideas, based on themes used in various aspects of pop culture:
*War theme: Blizzard'06 II
*Hollywood theme: Blizzard '06 - The Return
*Summer blockbuster theme: B062
*From the Zuckers: Bliizard '06 Part Deux
*Sports theme: Blizzard '06 Round 2 - Snow v. Denver: This Time it's Personal
*Music theme: Blizzard '06 featuring Bliz Jr. in "Coming Down on All Y'all"

Pictures from the Colorado Blizzard

Ventured out this morning to take some pictures of the Holiday Blizzard's effect on my neighborhood, Stapleton. Click here to view the album.

Resignation is not resolution

Is it scandal season again?  Must be. Either that, or we are all trapped in a neverending spiral of corruption and malfesance in industry and government (for any readers in Boulder, no, I don't think this has been the case since Manifest Destiny). I just can't seem to get away from articles about White House cover-ups, corporate spying, congressional corruption...  I think it might be time to cancel my subscriptions to Newsweek and BusinessWeek, and go back to reading the one publication with the hard-nosed, take-no-prisoners political commentary that really spoke to me, even all the way back in 3rd grade - Mad Magazine.

But that's not what I want to talk about.

By now almost everyone in the country knows about former Congressman Mark Foley and his cybersex scandal - sending sexually explicit emails and instant messages to underage congressional pages over the past 8 years or so. What he was doing was deplorable, especially in light of the fact that he was the head of a congressional committee on missing and exploited children.  When ABC News broke the full story, complete with evidence, Foley quickly and wisely resigned from his seat in the House of Representatives.

But does his resignation resolve the issue? Contrary to what some might say, I don't think it does.

Foley's resignation sends a clear signal that he knows he did something wrong, despite some gray areas around who received messages, how old they were at the time, etc. He has not fully admitted to any wrong doing, but he has revealed that he is gay (which, for anyone who is focused on that, needs to remember that being gay is not a crime).

Now, democrats and republicans alike have called for investigations by the House Ethics committee into not only Foley's activities, but also into allegations that GOP party leadership was warned about his behavior as much as 2-3 years ago, yet did nothing about it. If that is true - if GOP leadership knew about Foley's activities and took no action, for whatever reason - this issue is not resolved.  Not even close.

The Real Issue

Conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh said yesterday that he believes that Foley's resignation puts an end to this discussion, yet it won't die because liberals are using and contorting the issue in an attempt to siphon swing voters and Evangelical republicans to the democratic ticket just weeks before a major mid-term election. He argues that they do this primarily by focusing on Foley's homosexuality - showing swing voters that the GOP is hypocritical in its attacks on the gay community, when in fact there are gay members among its ranks. He then says liberals take that argument one step further by trying to entice evangelicals to the left by showing that their own conservative party has "*gasp,* one of them." He ends by saying the democrats are the hypocrites, as they are the party that has catered to the gay community, and are now attacking it.

I think this is terribly misleading, and that there are deeper issues at play here that need to be resolved. Aside from the fact that Foley was a potential sexual predator (don't let "gay" distract you from the crime), if anyone in the house knew about this and did nothing to stop it and protect the minors upon which Foley allegedly was preying, they need to be investigated and punished appropriately. Whether they were indifferent to the matter, or, worse, covering it up, they were going against the moral and legal codes that they are elected to create, define and embody.

Scapegoat or Responsible Party?

A central figure in this investigation is speaker of the House (and highest ranking GOP member) Dennis Hastert. It is alleged that he was warned of Foley's activities as far back as 2003, and on multiple occasions, but did nothing about it. Foley's former chief of staff says this is the story - Hastert says it is not.

All nitpicking aside, if even part of this is true, he should be held responsible for his actions (or inactions, as it were). As the leader of the GOP in the House (and third in line for the presidency), he sets the primary example for how one should conduct themselves in office, as well as serves as the primary figurehead for the party. His image is reflected in every other GOP house member. If he has any role in this - cover up or not - he should come forward and take responsibility. It's that simple.  This opinion is not politically motivated in any way (I happen to lean more toward the right, as most of my friends know).  It is simple ethics. And it's good crisis control - everyone from Bill Clinton to HP knows what happens if you try to avoid or downplay a scandal.  The truth always comes out, and if you misled anyone in anyway, the punishment then is far worse then if you owned up to it at the beginning.

I do not agree with wild calls - from democrats and overzealous politicians grabbing for the spotlight - that Hastert should just resign. That's knee-jerk and not realistic at all, especially if Hastert really had no knowledge of this crime. To his credit, Hastert has admitted that he is sorry this happened, and that the GOP is taking responsibility - albeit after he said this was all just about democrats trying to bash GOP in an election cycle. But how far will he and the party go to accept responsibility? If he did know about it, and any other elected officials knew about it, do we look the other way and let them go about their business without being held accountable, as they did with Foley? 

Lambs and Sleds and Wolves, Metaphorically Speaking

Former Secretary of State James A. Baker, someone I have always admired and an "elder statesmen" of American politics, told the Associated Press today that Hastert should not be a "sacrificial lamb" in this case.  He went on to say that "If they throw Denny Hastert off the sled to slow down the wolves, it won't be long before you'll be crying, 'Hey, you've got to throw somebody else over because they knew about it too."

Don't throw off anyone who didn't know about it. Just everybody who did know but did nothing about about it. It's not about protecting political careers, it's about protecting the innocent.

One More Thing

One more thing. Even if there were no ethics investigation into who knew what and when they knew it in the Foley case, I think there are two additional reasons why Foley's resignation does not resolve the issue for him, for the GOP leadership, and for elected officials nationwide:

1.) There is a clear upward trend of elected officials abusing their power and position to break codes of ethics - or even the law - and reap personal gain. Just this year alone, we have seen scandals of this nature emerge from the offices of Tom DeLay, Randy "Duke" Cunningham, William Jefferson, Allan Mollohan, Bob Ney, and Illinois Gov. George Ryan. Some resigned, some are in jail, and some still hold office. But the scandals continue. Resignation is not resolution to an undercurrent of corruption - that might bring closure to indivudual leaks, but it does not fix the dam.
2.) Foley may very well have broken the law while he was in office. Remember, the issue here is not whether Foley is gay, it is whether he was sexually propositioning anyone under the age of 18 (male of female). If he is a sexual predator, he needs to be brought to justice.  This is especially damning given his role as head of the House Committee of missing and exploited children. This is probably in the works..

We're with you, Louie

While walking to church on Sunday morning, an old family friend in Grand Lake, CO was attacked and severely injured by a moose. He was not hiking through the woods - he was just walking down the street in this small town at 9:30 in the morning.

This is one of those things that could only happen in a mountain town like Grand Lake, but unfortunately it is somewhat serious.  Even though he is one of the toughest men I know, Louis/Louie Heckert is 92, and was knocked down and trampled by an 800-pound moose.  It is all over the news here in Denver, which just shows what an impact a man like Louie has had on his community and his state over several generations.  I have known him for many years, as has my father, and my grandfather (my family has owned a cabin in Grand Lake since my great grandparents picked out the plot of land in 1909).

And while he is tough, it must be noted that he also is incredibly kind, generous and entertaining. I have seem him on the dance floor at the Lariat Saloon for many years now, tap dancing with whichever lady was lucky enough to get her turn with him. Even after his dancing partner and lovely wife Gladys died a couple of years ago, he didn't stop painting the town with us on the weekends. And I want to see him out there again this summer.

Louie, we are all thinking about you and hoping for a fast and full recovery.

Ashes to Ashes?

Apparently the backlash against the cigarette industry over the last decade is starting to get some real results.  According to a report released yesterday by the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG - coincidence?), the number of cigarettes sold in the US last year was at its lowest level in 55 years  - back in 1951, when cigarettes were GOOD for you (just ask handsome Hollywood actor and ladies man Rock Hudson).

The report also said that this decline was part of an eight year drop in sales that began with the signing of the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) between the states and Big Tobacco, which settled the mounting state lawsuits against tobacco companies for recovering costs associated with treating smoking related illnesses. According to the report, cigarette sales in the US have dropped 21 percent since the agreement was signed by the major tobacco companies - Philip Morris, RJ Reynolds, Brown & Williamson, etc.

What does it mean?

Aside from the monetary settlement to the states, a big part of the MSA dictated that tobacco companies had to invest real money and resources into developing and launching awareness campaigns that helped educate the public on the risks and dangers of smoking, with a goal of reducing cigarette consumption.  This decline in sales is solid proof that the MSA is actually working.

And I have no doubt that, without government intervention, tobacco companies would never have instituted programs like they did under the MSA, and cigarette sales and consumption would never have declined - meaning more deaths from smoking, more costs to treat smoking related illnesses going to the states, and a continuing decline in the overall health of America.

But think about this - from a purely political standpoint, Democrats and Republicans alike must be tearing their hair out right now deciding whether or not to come out and sing the praises of this report.  Here’s why.

From the Left:

The MSA is a great example of how democrats envision the government serving its people. Dems led the way and enacted a sweeping, activist program aimed at stopping corporations from profiting off of products linked to sickness and death, and forcing them to change their ways for the betterment of society. And on top of that - it WORKED. But there is a downside for the left. As cigarette sales decline, many of the big tobacco companies will have to cut costs, which will start with cutting jobs. And most of these tobacco companies, with operations situated squarely in the middle of southern blue states, employ blue-collar workers – the very people and geographies that democrats depend on to get elected to office and get majorities in the Congress. How do you think these workers (read: voters) will feel about the people who enacted/supported MSA, which directly led to their unemployment? And, as these companies' revenues go down, so do the amount of taxes they must pay at the local, state and federal level. Many southern communities have schools, hospitals and other critical social services that depend heavily on the money that big tobacco puts into their tax base. What happens to those communities as that money slowly disappears? Especially when more of them are claiming unemployment...

From the Right:

Republicans generally don't like government intervention in the affairs of corporations and business - certainly not on such grand a scale as something like the MSA. It’s counter to some fundamental rules of capitalism, and they almost always support self-regulation first (which obviously wasn't working with Big Tobacco). But they also know: States have to raise taxes to pay for the costs of treating smoking related illnesses. As costs go up, so do taxes. No good - lower taxes are the mantra of the GOP. So, fewer cigarettes smoked means less money spent by the states on treating smoking related illnesses. Here’s a chance to lower taxes, take credit and get re-elected. Not so fast. Many in the GOP get big campaign donations from Big Tobacco. If a GOP official comes out in favor of this, or, worse, supports drafting similar agreements for other controversial industries (sue McDonalds!), they risk losing a huge part of their base. There go the campaign donations, fundraisers, etc – most of the primary sources of money that help them get elected.

Basically, what I am saying is...

Don’t get me wrong – I think cigarettes are just plain bad, and would be happy if they simply disappeared from the face of the earth. But there are some serious ramifications to our health without cigarettes – or, more accurately, without a good plan for what we do after we put Big Tobacco out of business.

 

 

Happy Birthday to my Little Brother

Todd - Just a little shout out to you on your 29th.  I hope the Best Buy certificate fulfills all your wildest fantasies.

To everyone else, my New Year's Resolution (since I have nothtng to quit) is to be more active on this blog and post more often.  Here's a start.

In the last 12 months, I have met Vince Vaughn & Dennis Miller and saw Tim Allen.  No joke.

Stay classy, Denver.
Ryan