Month: November 2002

Remember that woman a few years ago who had uncontrollable seizures every time she heard the voice of Entertainment Tonight’s Mary Hart?
I’m the same way whenever I see Liddy Dole.

Breaking news: Rick Perry elected governor of Texas.
In related news: sun rises in east, milk left out too long spoils, dogs and cats “not the best of friends,” and a stitch in time saves nine.

Damn that Jack Shafer! He points out something I’ve been meaning to, that the Sunday Boston Globe’s new Ideas section is top-notch. (It’s done by the ex-editor of Lingua Franca.) It’s aimed at the “casual brainiac,” in Shafer’s words.
Meanwhile, I’ve jonesin’ for reliable exit-poll data! How can I relax without knowing who’s leading the New Hampshire Senate race? Calgon, take me away!

Go out and vote, people.

I think the days immediately before a major election are often when journalism is at its worst. In close races, it’s when political operatives are most trying to play reporters for fools with last-minute revelations. (I’m still a little bitter over one of those four years ago, when I was covering the ’98 Ohio governor’s race.) But it’s also the time when editors are most cautious — because they don’t want to unduly influence the outcome of an election — and end up burying newsworthy items inside the paper.
Sadly, it’s also the time when politicians’ minions do their dirtiest of dirty work, which we in the business often don’t catch until it’s too late. So bravo to Josh Marshall, who’s found a nasty attempt at voter intimidation in Maryland. (Here’s the document in question.)

Yesterday was the finest kind of day: a four rides on Titan day.
In addition, a corn dog day.
Note to self: one ride on the Texas Giant is enough. The second time, one’s brain becomes loosed from its casing. Such an event is unpleasant.

Months ago, I wrote about my favorite political candidate from my days working in Toledo, Ohio — Ed Emery, The Crazy Republican.
Well, Ed’s back running for office again. Notice the headline on that story: “Colorful Republican challenges Kaptur again.” “Colorful,” of course, being the term newspapers use when they can’t say what they mean, which is “stone-cold nutso.” Luckily, weblogs suffer from no similar restraints.
Things you’ll learn about Stone-Cold Nutso Ed from that article:
– “Emery, according to his resume, is a designer, urban developer, sociological worker, criminologist, publicist and property owner. ”
– “Most recently, he was convicted by a jury in August 2001 of one count of criminal damaging and two counts of criminal trespassing in Toledo Municipal Court. Emery was sentenced to 150 days in jail. During the trial, prosecutors showed video footage that reportedly shows Emery popping his neighbor’s car tire and throwing feces in her yard, according to the Toledo Blade.”
– “During a News Herald interview, he denounced [his opponent, incumbent Rep. Marcy] Kaptur as a ‘nuclear terrorist’ who ‘suffers from gender confusion.'”
– “He said President Bush is the greatest American orator since Martin Luther King Jr.”

Here’s my story from today’s front page, on the University of North Texas suddenly banning alcohol in its frat houses.
My original lead, which I later decided was too jokey: “There