Your Abbreviated Editorial/Pundit Roundup: Oscar! edition
Carla Axtman
One of my more shallow pursuits is the annual four to five hour Oscar TV night. Beginning with the red carpet arrivals until the wee hour Best Picture finale, I find myself glued to the glitz and glamor of it all. I'm not especially vested in the outcome of the awards ceremony, however. It's all about the dressing-up for me.
Perhaps I'm just living vicariously through those gorgeous gowns and architecturally awesome hair. I was one of those little girls who pilfered my mother's church shoes from the closet and raided her jewelery box for baubles only to preen my getup in the mirror. In any case, my evening's agenda is all set.
In the meantime, here's a look at what the editorialists and punditry in Oregon are saying this week....
The Daily Astorian (Saturday): We opposed Enron's purchase of PGE because we were skeptical of their motives. That same skepticism is warranted with the LGN terminal at Bradwood Landing.
Jeff Golden, Ashland Daily Tidings (Saturday): We need to find ways to hang together politically in order to push our legislators to make good policy decisions, or we'll all hang separately. Even if there's stuff we disagree on, common ground is how we're going to get there.
Jayson Jacoby, Baker City Herald (Friday): Stimulus package=good (mostly). Rush wanting Obama to fail=bad (mostly). I can't really make a definitive statement about any of this without pissing off too many of the conservatives who read this so...um...yeah.
Curry Coastal Pilot (Saturday): The budget for local schools sucks a lot. The school board is about to take on the thankless task of long meetings in order to make excruciating decisions about what to cut. Wanna run?
Coos Bay World (Saturday): Yeah, we're sticking around.
Eugene Register-Guard (Saturday): The Lane County Commission needs to sack up. All this hand-wringing over opening up the purse strings for stuff that puts people to work is moronic.
Jayne Carroll,Hillsboro Argus (Tuesday): L'affair Adams means we should reform the recall statute in Oregon..cuz rightwing outrage injecting itself into Portland city politics is so effective that the stupid commies would finally see the light and vote for a conservative instead. Isn't that right Lars and Victoria?
Elizabeth Hovde, The Oregonian (Sunday): Paid family leave is just another wasteful government program to rob hard work Oregonians out of two cents an hour.
 |
More Recent Posts | |
Albert Kaufman |
|
Guest Column |
|
Kari Chisholm |
|
Kari Chisholm |
Final pre-census estimate: Oregon's getting a sixth congressional seat |
Albert Kaufman |
Polluted by Money - How corporate cash corrupted one of the greenest states in America |
Guest Column |
|
Albert Kaufman |
Our Democrat Representatives in Action - What's on your wish list? |
Kari Chisholm |
|
Guest Column |
|
Kari Chisholm |
|
connect with blueoregon
Feb 22, '09
Off-topic comment deleted. Please attempt to engage at least 3 digits worth of IQ points with your trolling. Thanks.--Carla
9:05 a.m.
Feb 22, '09
then there's Susan Nielsen in the Big O, ignoring well-established research and whining that the nanny state wants to stop her from calling her mom. on her cell phone. while driving. selfishness posing as a call to liberty. those of us who've had to dodge such drivers, or who've actually been hit by them, would differ. the possession of a convenience does not convey a right to use that convenience. responsibility has a higher standing.
Feb 22, '09
T.A., don't forget that in the same piece, Nielsen calls mandating that consumers be given the information necessary to make an informed decision more evidence of a "nanny state".
Let's see, making rules to make the public roads safer is a nanny state policy? Perhaps her next column will decry those laws preventing her from swigging on her w(h)ine bottle while driving.
I often agree with Nielsen, but I had a similar reaction as you to this one.
I'm actually ambivalent about banning cell phone use while driving--it's a bit of a sledgehammer approach, and there are times when it's appropriate to call while driving. For instance, if you see a reckless driver, you can report them, as well as follow them.
I haven't had that scenario happen, but I have called 9-1-1 while still driving in cases where it seemed important to get the information as soon as possible to those who are in a position to deal with it.
I wonder if the proposed law has an exception for emergency calls.
Feb 22, '09
Is it just me or are the last two links (Jayne Carroll and Elizabeth Hovde) both pointing to the same URL?
2:07 p.m.
Feb 22, '09
I'm right there with you on Oscar night, Carla. I am proudly representing the small male viewership. Go Gus!
2:22 p.m.
Feb 22, '09
Jeff, you pilfered your mother's church shoes & raided her jewelry, too? you must have been lovely.
no wonder i'm her favorite BO writer.... (-:
2:55 p.m.
Feb 22, '09
Jerry: Good catch. Bad cutting and pasting on my part. The Hovde link should now be correct.
3:07 p.m.
Feb 22, '09
Having been the victim of a driver who was talking on the phone when she rear-ended me in October 07, I understand what it means to be injured in this way. In fact I'm still undergoing treatment for complications from those injuries. However, I'm not for banning cell phones in the car.
Its already illegal to hit someone. It's already illegal to drive recklessly and erratically.
Feb 22, '09
If they ban talking on cell phones while driving, will the state remove Amber Alerts on freeway signs?
Feb 22, '09
"I can't really make a definitive statement about any of this without pissing off too many of the conservatives who read this so...um...yeah."
Don't worry, you won't. Did progressives line up wishing Bushie II success and best wishes in implementing conservative ideals into the Federal government? I don't recall any. The only difference between the Progressive's lack of support for Bush and Rush's lack of support for the socialist wing of the Dems is, well, nothing. Although, dissent against Bush was considered a pure form of patriotism and dissent against Obama is blasphemy and treason. Beautiful, one-way street that progressive movement.
4:52 p.m.
Feb 22, '09
Don't worry, you won't. Did progressives line up wishing Bushie II success and best wishes in implementing conservative ideals into the Federal government?
A congruent comparison to Limbaugh would be progressive media figures using their format to wish that Bush would be a failure, Jonnie.
Can you name one that did this to Bush?
Feb 22, '09
Jonnie, Pres. Bush did some good things right after 9/11, and he should be proud of how he handled the transition.
However, no president is infallible.
Intelligent Republicans (like Gov. Crist) speak in specifics and hope the current president succeeds---WITHOUT promising to agree on everything that president does.
Limbaugh is a buffoon not realizing the tide is going out on his brand of bullying.
Republicans had a lot of good ideas before Rush was on the air. Some day Rush will retire (or his sponsors will force him to retire due to lack of audience). Rush hopes the president fails.
I do not remember anyone in Feb. 2001 saying "I didn't vote for Bush and I hope he fails".
If Obama does something I think is stupid, I will say so publicly. Already there are those on progressive talk radio complaining Obama is not acting strongly enough or is doing the wrong things.
Saying the president was less than perfect from 2001-late 2008 was viewed as treason by a certain segment of the GOP.
I don't care if Republicans refer to Obama as "that man in the White House" as Republicans did when FDR was president.
But I would suggest studying the work of Charles McNary (Oregonian who was Sen. Republican Leader in the FDR years). He approached politics differently than johnnie.
Maybe that success (some historians say McNary saved the GOP from extinction during the FDR years) is why so many things in Oregon are named after McNary. He was solution oriented, common sense, and not given to petty attacks.
6:15 p.m.
Feb 22, '09
i remember talking to people about how we could defeat Bush in 2004 if things went badly enough, and we would just shake our heads and say, is it worth it? we wanted him gone, and yet the price to pay... and generally not by us. 90% of those who wanted to defeat & remove Bush and his cabal wanted him to succeed in some way, not because we believed in him but because we knew his failures would have horrible consequences. better to avoid those & put up with the smirking chimp in office.
sadly, we got the worst of both ends: the smirking chimp and the awful consequences. not even close to what we hoped for. and yet that's exactly what Rush and his minions are hoping happens: bad things so that Obama fails and is one in 2012. the hyprocrisy is overwhelming.
Feb 23, '09
I think it's the most awaiting day and needs lots of attention right from dressings to hair styles.
Feb 23, '09
Carla,
By that same token, are you okay with drinking and driving being made legal? After all, if you can drink and drive safely, that shouldn't be illegal, right?
The question, I think, is whether driving and celling simultaneously is inherently dangerous.
How about if people who want to talk and drive at the same time have to pay extra on their car insurance, or else their insurance doesn't cover them if they're in an accident while talking?
9:55 a.m.
Feb 23, '09
Elizabeth Hovde, The Oregonian (Sunday): Paid family leave is just another wasteful government program to rob hard work Oregonians out of two cents an hour.
The fact that Hovde opposes such a moderate, common sense, family-friendly initiative shows that she's trying really hard to find something to crow about, Rush Limbaugh style.
This is one of those times when it would be easy for her to take the high road and say, "Finally, a common sense solution at a minimal cost" or something that shows that she can stop and think.
Feb 23, '09
Limbaugh is a buffoon not realizing the tide is going out on his brand of bullying.
While the former is obvious, I see absolutely no evidence of the latter. Rather it is becoming common on both sides. The recent Sam debate here featured a lot of quotes that sound like that bullying is bleeding through to any group that feels strongly about anything. The tide is going out on his policies, not his presentation. That's how media works. Remember Morton Downey Jr.? The presentation gets tried out with a whack message to validate the presentation. Then a nice, new message comes along, with the developed-for-the-market presentation. Sure Rush will go away, but are you ready for what will play Jerry Springer to his Morton Downey? Ready for it to become an industry, like WWF? Why do all those areas feature politicians and politco wannabees?
Feb 23, '09
You could have easily and famously gone the glamor route, girl, but you chose substance. Fascinating.
Posted by: WunderBlunder | Feb 22, 2009 8:09:53 AM
Off-topic comment deleted. Please attempt to engage at least 3 digits worth of IQ points with your trolling. Thanks.--Carla
Haven't you got the memo? It's official; the average American doesn't have three digits. Maybe that's why we only give people the finger instead of offering a hand. Think about it.
USA scores the lowest in national average IQ among the developed countries of the world, at a national average score of 98. The data is obtained from IQ and Global Equality by Dr. Richard Lynn (professor of Psychology, University of Ulster, Northern Ireland) and Dr. Tatu Vanhanen (University of Tampere, Finland) who have done extensive research on the subject spanning several years. The national average IQ score of Americans at 98 is below 22 countries (including Switzerland, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, North Korea and China). The low Intelligence Quotient (IQ) score of United States puts the Americans at a lower intelligence level on an average as compared to the other industralised nations.
Seriously, that's why the constant bleating on about the education budget. In their heart of hearts, people know the prison of intellectual ignorance and wish their children to have a better life. It has become the American dream. Unfortunately, they feel compelled to retain control over that decision, one they should realize their intellectual prison doesn't equip them to make. You can't be undereducated, over-protective, anti-intellectual, and hope to find money for education. And that's just schools administration personnel!
<hr/>