Pundits, polls and prognasticators have been telling us for a year that the Tea Party is going to have sweeping effect in the November elections.
Since they lean Republican, the consensus is that Democrats will lose the House and control of the Senate.
Let me tell you two simple secrets I know about "news," having been in the industry for almost 20 years.
First, "news" has to be NEW - and the Tea Party has certainly been that.
Second, to really go anywhere, "news" has to have a good visual with it - and again, the tea baggers have provided plenty of great pictures.
But here's a true story: I once covered some young girl scouts making bird houses to place along a walking trail. It was a pretty lame story, but I got a teriffic picture of one youngster, biting her tongue as she concentrated for all she was worth on putting the last touches on her bird house - which was colorfully painted and really cute.
Cute kid - colorful birdhouse - great photo - lame story.
That same weekend, there was a huge group of homeowners meeting to see what they could do to fight off a large, projected property tax increase.
Lots of adults, sitting in a meeting - boring picture but very important story in the region.
Guess which story ended up on B-1, above the fold? The cute kid, of course, with the great visual.
The point is, by the time of the November elections, tea baggers rioting will no longer be "new" and the images will be predictable.
The "new" story will be how Democrats came out in droves to stave off a Republican challenge and how the Tea Party really fizzled in effecting election outcomes.
I betcha'!
Monday, June 21, 2010
Capitalists Recognize Climate Change
While politicians dither about whether there is - or isn't - climate change on the horizon, guess who's already acknowledged its future rammifications and is making changes to accomodate its eventuality?
Holy smokes - it's Business!
For example, the skiing industry, both in Europe and the United States, has seen changes that go back almost 10 years. The Aspen Skiing Co. has tracked milder Novembers and worries about warm periods in March, their big month of "Spring Break" skiing that finally puts them in the black for the year.
Insurance companies, too, those risk-conscious critters, are aware that weather "events" are becoming more frequent, violent and unpredictable. What a spot to be in when your very business is predicting risk for profit!
To read the whole fascinating article, go to http:www.motherjones.com
Holy smokes - it's Business!
For example, the skiing industry, both in Europe and the United States, has seen changes that go back almost 10 years. The Aspen Skiing Co. has tracked milder Novembers and worries about warm periods in March, their big month of "Spring Break" skiing that finally puts them in the black for the year.
Insurance companies, too, those risk-conscious critters, are aware that weather "events" are becoming more frequent, violent and unpredictable. What a spot to be in when your very business is predicting risk for profit!
To read the whole fascinating article, go to http:www.motherjones.com
Sunday, June 20, 2010
11 Brands That Will Disappear In 2011: 24/7 Wall Street
Some companies are in advance of the extinction curve: read more at
www.partis
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Simpson's Social Security Video Rant: Why It's Important
The word "entitleme
Here in New York, about to go under for billions in deficits, there's a website that lists all the government pensions - 1400 people here get over $100,000 in retirement benefits - to name two of them, Sen. Joe Bruno, and former State Controller Alan Hevisi, both of whom are convicted criminals.
It's interesting that my husband and I, who worked all our lives, get a miserly amount in "entitleme
Read the full article at HuffingtonPost.com
Here in New York, about to go under for billions in deficits, there's a website that lists all the government pensions - 1400 people here get over $100,000 in retirement benefits - to name two of them, Sen. Joe Bruno, and former State Controller Alan Hevisi, both of whom are convicted criminals.
It's interesting that my husband and I, who worked all our lives, get a miserly amount in "entitleme
Read the full article at HuffingtonPost.com
Left, Right & Center: The Gulf Oil Spill And The Role Of Government
Forced ourselves to watch the whole stupid charade of hearings - here are some questions nobody thought to ask: www.partis
Join the discussion - no login required!
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Join the discussion - no login required!
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Friday, June 18, 2010
What they DIDN'T Ask BP
Hubby and I watched most of the many grueling hours of testimony as BP CEO Tony Hayward faced down our so-called fierce guardians in the House of Representatives.
It was pretty much a farce, as each legislator got their three minutes in front of the camera, to impress the folks back home. Mostly, they went over and over the same territory, and mostly, Hayward stone-walled them.
Here's the questions I would have asked-which were not asked:
1. Considering the huge volume of explosive methane gas in this well - which made it explode in the first place - is it REALLY a good idea to drill two more "relief" wells into the same explosive stew? Is BP absolutely certain that these relief wells will do the trick - is there even a 1-percent chance that THEY might also explode, leaving us with three huge leaks?
2. Has the Mineral Management Service (MMS) in charge of inspecting these wells, sent squads of people to BP's other rigs, anywhere within 1,000 miles of American shores, to see what the heck might be going on there? Are we assured that BP is working safely on these other rigs? Hayward said there were "hundreds" in the Gulf region alone!
3. If this well was capable of producing 60,000 barrels (43 gallons in each barrel) of oil a day, why were they shutting it down by filling it with mud when it blew? Hadn't they just tapped into the motherload of profits? Did they know they had an uncontrollable "tiger by the tail?" And does that happen often?
We've all worked in companies where the "CEO" is the least informed, least competent person on the payroll - why waste time with Tony Hayward (now being replaced) - why not ask questions that might actually matter a month or so from now?
It was pretty much a farce, as each legislator got their three minutes in front of the camera, to impress the folks back home. Mostly, they went over and over the same territory, and mostly, Hayward stone-walled them.
Here's the questions I would have asked-which were not asked:
1. Considering the huge volume of explosive methane gas in this well - which made it explode in the first place - is it REALLY a good idea to drill two more "relief" wells into the same explosive stew? Is BP absolutely certain that these relief wells will do the trick - is there even a 1-percent chance that THEY might also explode, leaving us with three huge leaks?
2. Has the Mineral Management Service (MMS) in charge of inspecting these wells, sent squads of people to BP's other rigs, anywhere within 1,000 miles of American shores, to see what the heck might be going on there? Are we assured that BP is working safely on these other rigs? Hayward said there were "hundreds" in the Gulf region alone!
3. If this well was capable of producing 60,000 barrels (43 gallons in each barrel) of oil a day, why were they shutting it down by filling it with mud when it blew? Hadn't they just tapped into the motherload of profits? Did they know they had an uncontrollable "tiger by the tail?" And does that happen often?
We've all worked in companies where the "CEO" is the least informed, least competent person on the payroll - why waste time with Tony Hayward (now being replaced) - why not ask questions that might actually matter a month or so from now?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)