Fresh Salad

Where Will All the Flowers Grow?

Published on 2005-10-18 15:25:00

I feel that I should preface this post by warning you all that this isn't an informative or politically oriented piece. In fact, ashamedly, it may even qualify as nothing more than a personal rant, but I feel that so many of my counterparts on the Blogosphere as well as Communications Theorists and possibly even Sociologists may back me up on what I'm about to say.When will the news sites learn to begin synidcating their feeds?No, I'm not talking about CNN, MSNBC, or FOX News. As any of you w

Maybe Rummy's Not So Dumb?

Published on 2005-10-12 00:33:00

Ok, so I know I'm gonna get a lot of slack from my liberal friends for posting this, but I just read this and found it to be rather interesting. I don't want to open the whole Iraq can of worms, but I think this either suggests a.)Rumsfeld has repeatedly pejured himself, or b.)maybe Rummy isn't the one who fucked up the Iraq plans from the git-go.U.S. military forces can best be used when the military mision is clear and achievable and when there is a reasonable exit strategy . . . When the ma

What's In a Name?

Published on 2005-10-10 23:55:00

Ever since I started studying, and later participating, in journalism & other communications I've had this suspicious feeling that the advent of blogging would lead to a creative destruction in the communications arena. Don't worry, I'm not an evangel of the market like so many of my GOP counterparts, but those of us in this arena need to face a simple fact. There's no oversight or regulation in this profession, thus subjecting us to more pure market forces. Don't think of this market in term

I Love Bennett

Published on 2005-10-07 00:41:00

I'll spare everyone from my usual Bennett schpiel this time. Thought this was rather apt, though beyond that I'm not honestly sure what I think of it. Perhaps that's why it's so on, instead of off, since I seldom really know how I feel, think about security issues anymore . . .

Al Gore on the State of the Media

Published on 2005-10-06 17:38:00

The People's President, Al Gore, delivered a stirring and thoughtful speech to the "We Media" conference in New York on October 5, 2005. The conference is a gathering of media industry figures, and focuses on innovative methods of presenting information. Gore's speech was a stunning idictment of the current state of the media in the United States, and he pulled no punches when talking about the Bush Administration's manipulation of the media. This is a different Al Gore than we saw in 2000 -- I

Seeing Them as Horses

Published on 2005-10-05 22:46:00

I heard that Mark Green only has 2 people working on his campaign. I thought that was funny.Though it figures . . . perhaps people are finally taking my advice [though not likely from me] that politicians should be viewed as horses at a track. Don't bet on the old one that's lost several times before -- you bet on the stallion that has all the qualities to take it all to the next level.Watch and Green will pull another book out of his ass in 6 months just for a publicity orgasm and renewed mon

I Think Ted Rall Finally Gets It

Published on 2005-10-01 21:17:00

Democratic Call to Arms!

Published on 2005-09-25 06:39:00

Ok, so I know that this post is a little late in its coming; however, I'm fairly certain that it's gone largely unnoticed by both the Blogosphere and the MSM. Sen. Clinton has been charged with the awesome task of creating the agenda and platform for the Democratic Party. It is time, however, that both the DNC and the party's ruling group the DLC learn that the Party of the People must look to and learn from the people so that we can become the Party forthe People.I'm issuing a Call to Arms

Please Get Your Acts Together (I'm getting tired of Windows and OS )

Published on 2005-09-24 22:12:00

This is definitely a good sign and a step in the right direction. The State of Massachusetts recently decided to take a similar step in making all of its gov offices switch to Open Office formats sometime in the near future.I'd just like to say this to the Linux Community: the world is obviously ready to make steps towards a more open information society - and I'm not talking indie technophiles, even governments are doing it! But please, quit fracturing yourselves among so many distros that h

More Stale Politics

Published on 2005-09-24 22:06:00

This can't be good for our country.

So Trite, Still True

Published on 2005-09-24 20:47:00

I'm not a Kucinich fan, but some version of his Dept of Peace is needed within the DOD if we are to end this useless cycle.

A Greener, Cleaner Future

Published on 2005-09-24 20:36:00

This would be so fucking awesome if all the buildings in all major cities had this!

Free Press NOT a Luxury

Published on 2005-09-24 20:04:00

As a politics student, I'm often told by more realist aligned scholars, professors, and politicos that a free society is a luxury in terms of nation-building and political economies. There is more or less an Maslow-esque order to the progression of a nation-state, and that the freedoms of expression are last on the list.I'm beginning to wonder if this, like an increasing number of realist arguments, is bunk. The texting of Iranian youth during their most recent election, the encouraging steps

I'm Back!

Published on 2005-09-23 23:21:00

I just thought I should let everyone know that for the past few months I sadly fell prey to what I once read as "blog depression." I got caught up with my summer job, and then with the starting of a new school year [for those of you who don't remember I'm a BA Candidate at NYU] that I just quit blogging. At times I missed it, esp. being able to freely express myself thru writing that somebody might find useful; but new habits emerged, and I just got in the habit of not writing.But now I'm back

So Funny, So True

Published on 2005-07-31 21:21:00

This reminded me so much of life in suburban America . . .

Help A Fresh Salad Politician Become Mayor of NYC

Published on 2005-07-11 16:02:00

Dear Friend: 64 Days until the primary. Yes, that's all. And 121 days until the general election.The campaign - like the weather - is entering the hot season.And we need your help. We raised more money in the last fund raising period than any candidate. If we are going to keep up the pace we need for you to do what you have already done so often for our campaign - make a contribution.Help us keep this grassroots campaign picking up speed; please make a secure on-line contribution of $

Why?

Published on 2005-07-08 14:28:00

I love Clay Bennett's work. No other political cartoonist can be so succinct, so poignant, and so insightfully honest all at once. Though I could ramble on and on about how pointless & bizarre I find terrorism, or how sad I do feel for Londoners. I thought a semi-whimsical anecdote might be better. My mother was a huge fan of the TV Show M*A*S*H, and I was raised on it. In one episode, the show's solemn sinner of a hero - Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce - for no good reason, just los

Freshen Up the Mix

Published on 2005-07-03 23:14:00

First, I would like to say Happy Birthday America!! Though my country may be going thru a bt of an odd spell, with Religious Conservatives controlling all branches of government, a political process growing overly stale from moneyed influence, and a foreign policy that makes us seem more like the high school bully than the benevolent quarterback; I still love my country very VERY much.To all my foreign friends, and non-US readers, I apologize for the following, but it's got to be said. Had it no

What We May Miss This Weekend

Published on 2005-07-02 11:40:00

In an effort to avoid the group think of the blog-o-sphere (and in an attempt to keep politics, policy, & current affairs fresh) I thought I would remind us of a few other noteworthy events that have happened this weekend, that we may otherwise miss in our Live8 Lust.In spite of an overwhelmingly Roman Catholic population in Spain and the new Pontiff's edicts concerning homosexuality and other aspects of modern, Western culture. Our Spainish neighbours across the pond have decided to work to en

Freedoms of Speech, Press Endangered

Published on 2005-06-30 21:58:00

We live in such primative times, and half measures are indeed the curse of it.What I am about to describe has made me so angry and bewildered, that I honestly don't know what to say about it. But I'll try . . .There seems to be a secret assault on our freedoms of expression being conducted on multiple fronts. This isn't to say that the government is evil, out to get us, and wants to implant some sort of vast authorian society; however, there does seem to be something going on. Perhaps the purest

New Freedom Tower

Published on 2005-06-30 10:15:00

Much BetterThough I wonder if it was the best that we could do . . .

Like a breath of fresh air

Published on 2005-06-29 02:36:00

C B C . C A N e w s - F u l l S t o r y : Same-sex legislation passed Last Updated Wed, 29 Jun 2005 00:02:31 EDT CBC News The Liberals' controversial same-sex marriage legislation has passed final reading in the House of Commons, sailing through with a vote of 158 for and 133 against. INDEPTH: Same-sex Rights Supported by most members of the Liberals, the Bloc Quebecois and the NDP, the legislation passed easily, making Canada only the

Half Measures

Published on 2005-06-28 22:48:00

So Sad, Yet So TrueLet's try to help rebulid the fence I thought that these words from our dear old friend, Dr. Lecter, poignantly state our country's current situation . . . You must be healed by now, on the outside at least.I hope you're not too ugly.What a collection of scars you have.Never forget who gave you the best of them,and be grateful.Our scars have the power to remind us that the past was real.We live in a primitive time, don't we?Neither Savage Nor WiseHalf measures are the curse o

G8 MUST Reinvigorate

Published on 2005-06-28 09:17:00

I'm all for helping out Africa, as well as any other impoverished nation in the world. I think that it is truly unethical for the wealth countries to have allowed such an international disparity in wealth & development perpetuate and propogate for so long. I also believe that Live8 truly does have a chance at forcing the policy makers of the Group of 8 to address this disparity and perhaps permanently irradicate it when it comes to Africa.But, as a serious student of politics [that's right, I

Rally for Free Press

Published on 2005-06-27 18:09:00

Ok, I know I just got on Bloggers for banding together too much & too often in the blogosphere, and sometimes creating a group-think mentality.But could we rally together to help out Judith Miller of the NY Times and Matthew Cooper of TIME Magazine?They could really use our help: it looks like nobody else is going to give it to them.After all, if amateur informants such as we are able to enjoy ample freedoms, liberties, and privileges associated with our disclosure & veritable publication of