Around a week ago, I referenced my local tabloid (NY Daily News), noting that there was a lot of news of interest. A bit less today, but still some good stuff among the usual tabloid stuff, entertainment news, sports, and comics.* Not that all the tabloid and special interest stories are necessary unworthy of attention, though I'm not really a fan of the "cop in murder suicide" sort of thing that is today's headline.
Belly Advertising? For instance, some woman down in South Carolina sold advertising space on her belly. This might not be as important to other SC news (judge tells government to charge Padilla or let him free), but hey, it's fun. Amber Rainey has received an additional $5,600 for film, photo, and Internet rights to the birth. [The Raineys received a free trip to the Super Bowl as well.] Will we soon see those baby birth shows on the Health Channel (or whatever) have notices that they are "sponsored by Gerber" now? After all, it's more fitting to the subject than Goldenpalace.com, which sounds like a gambling casino.
Alberto Gonzales decided to target filibusters in his first speech as attorney general. This is not surprising, just typically aggravating. Gonzales is no longer the president's special counsel qua political defender, but the nation's top law officer. Of course, as a member of the cabinet, he still is a political officer. Nonetheless, the new role should be a bit less partisan, concerned with law and order more so than politics.
It sends a bad message that the first speech was used "to push his boss' agenda on judges" on the issue of filibusters, though the "Senate has passed more than 200 of Bush's judge picks." A nod to James Gordon Meek, though his analysis of martyrs in Iraq did not mention that one reason for their actions is belief that foreign aggressors are killing fellow believers and invading their country.
[Meek did not provide as complete a discussion as other accounts of the speech, including his intention to "agressively" enforce obscenity laws, support a constitutional amendment giving crime victims rights to participate in prosecutions and sentencing, and of course, to renew the USA Patriot Act. As to the second, an amendment is unnecessary and/or problematic to the degree it perverts neutral arbitration of guilt and innocence. The other two are in varying degrees unconstitutional, unnecessary, and a waste of time.]
Snow? Big Deal! A final look back at the paper. A few letters were annoyed, as am I, at the overemoting supplied over our recent snowstorms. We had more snow this season in these parts than we have had for some years, but only one major storm. And, in NYC especially, that storm was not really a major event either -- it occurred during the weekend, and all was basically okay by the beginning of the work week.
The season still has not been particularly cold, which made the snow of limited breadth because it really did not stick around too long. And, heck, it's winter -- snow and cold are part of that season -- this is not South Carolina or anything! I actually saw some icicles today -- haven't seen them for some time. Cool, aren't they?
[Another letter wondered why there was no full time country music station in the city any more. I find this distressing too – there are enough fans of the genre to have at least one in the entire metropolitan area. Furthermore, country/western has some real crossover appeal of late, including independent and "country rock" strands. We are not just talking Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton here.]
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* NYC had three tabloids and the NYT. The NY Post is basically a conservative tabloid rag, looks cheap, but has good sports coverage. New York Newsday, which is more a Long Island paper after it cancelled its special NYC section, is the least tabloidish. And, then there is the NY Daily News, which has always been our family newspaper. For instance, my mom moved to the suburbs, but still retains her connection to the city by buying it everyday instead of the local paper. There are also various weeklies, etc., and the NY Sun, which is sort of a wannabee.