What Zogby is saying this morning:
"UTICA, New York - Democrat Barack Obama has increased his lead to 11.4 points over Republican John McCain in the latest Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby daily tracking poll -- up from a 7.1 point advantage in yesterday's report. The final tally now stands at 54.1% for Obama compared to 42.7% for McCain.
"Pollster John Zogby: 'Obviously anything can happen on Election Day, but Americans want change and it seems very clear that the historic candidacy of Sen. Obama defines that change.'"
and
"UTICA, New York - Reuters/Zogby telephone surveys of eight battleground states show Democrat Barack Obama enters Election Day in a very favorable position to be elected President, having made inroads on formerly Republican turf, while GOP candidate John McCain plays defense. Here is the final wrap-up of battleground states in the race for the White House 2008.
"The surveys were conducted from Oct. 31 to Nov. 3, 2008. Sample sizes in each state ranged from 600-605, with a margin of error of +/-4.1%."
It was busy but there were no lines at my polling place in Springfield but I went before 8 a.m. if McCain proves the pollsters wrong, then it will be interesting to see if that industry survives as it will have lost considerable credibility.
I voted for Obama – no surprise there – even though he wasn't my candidate in the primaries. We can't afford a guy like McCain who has shown so little judgement as to select his vice presidential candidate without proper vetting.
Boy, I wonder who got fired over this?
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Because of my nagging adherence to ethics and loyalty, I won't post my story on the revelations surrounding the document that could pave the way to take the former Mason Square Library back through eminent domain until Monday when it is published in the 16 Acres edition of The Reminder.
What I do want to say here is on the bombshell nature of the deal struck between the Urban League and the Attorney General's office to allow the sale of the renovated library to the Urban League in 2003.
Seldom have I covered a government meeting when a document is produced that literally stops a conversation and starts a new one. That is what happened on Thursday when City Councilor Patrick Markey presented the documents from the Attorney General's office. There was an unreal movie quality about the moment.
It was clear that Mayor Domenic Sarno had come to the meeting to defend his decision to seek funding from the Library Foundation to purchase another building for the library and that plan was derailed when the document showed the path to reclaim the building through the courts was possible.
The city needs to move forward quickly and re-establish the library in the building for which it was intended. The people of the four neighborhoods who use that library have gone long enough without a proper branch.
© 2008 by Gordon Michael Dobbs
What I do want to say here is on the bombshell nature of the deal struck between the Urban League and the Attorney General's office to allow the sale of the renovated library to the Urban League in 2003.
Seldom have I covered a government meeting when a document is produced that literally stops a conversation and starts a new one. That is what happened on Thursday when City Councilor Patrick Markey presented the documents from the Attorney General's office. There was an unreal movie quality about the moment.
It was clear that Mayor Domenic Sarno had come to the meeting to defend his decision to seek funding from the Library Foundation to purchase another building for the library and that plan was derailed when the document showed the path to reclaim the building through the courts was possible.
The city needs to move forward quickly and re-establish the library in the building for which it was intended. The people of the four neighborhoods who use that library have gone long enough without a proper branch.
© 2008 by Gordon Michael Dobbs
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Oh my God... take a look
I have to laugh and cry. My calendar – which I keep a copy of in my office at the paper to remind me how NOT to do something – is a collectible in someone's eyes.
I also keep a fossil mastodon bone on my desk to remind me that the alternative to evolution is death.
The Year in Fear project was an education. I had come up with the idea of producing a horror calendar and involved
my close friend Steve Bissette. Our other close fiend Mark Martin was the art director at Tundra and worked with Steve to produce a beautiful showcase for his art.
Well, the office politics at Tundra helped put a few nails in the project's coffin. Someone needs to write a book on how the publishing experiment set up by a multi-millionaire cartoonist managed to subvert all of its stated goals for of supporting creators and their work.
More than the office politics – I wasn't very popular there as I was an outsider who actually had done his job – The Year in Fear died because of ignorance. I thought the marketing person had done the research to understand how to sell calendars. God, was I a moron!
The chucklehead at Tundra in charge of this detail – naturally a relative of The Man – didn't have a frickin' clue. So the job of getting sales was left up to me.
After a poor showing in the comics trade, I though I should approach Spenser's Gifts, one of the largest sellers of calendars in the country at the beginning of the '90s. I drove to their headquarters in Atlantic City and saw a buyer who patiently explained to me that I was too late for that year's calendar sales cycle, that the calendar was too large and that it didn't have a hole so it could be hung on a display hook.
Sigh.
So I then worked out a deal with Fangoria magazine to sell the calendar through that magazine and we moved a few. By this time Steve and I had rescued a quantity of calendars that Tundra was ready to trash.
When the Fangoria deal came to an end, Steve and I cut the plates up so they could be sold as mini-posters when the tow of us had a table at Chiller Con.
Neither of us made much money on the calendar, especially considering there were people who were getting kill fees for their projects in the thousands.
So here's my lesson for today:
Don't trust a publisher to know how to sell your project and research your project's market thoroughly before making commitments to style and content.
By the way, I think I still have some calendars in my basement. I'll sell them cheaper than $50! And Bissette and I will sign them.
© 2008 by Gordon Michael Dobbs
I have to laugh and cry. My calendar – which I keep a copy of in my office at the paper to remind me how NOT to do something – is a collectible in someone's eyes.
I also keep a fossil mastodon bone on my desk to remind me that the alternative to evolution is death.
The Year in Fear project was an education. I had come up with the idea of producing a horror calendar and involved
my close friend Steve Bissette. Our other close fiend Mark Martin was the art director at Tundra and worked with Steve to produce a beautiful showcase for his art.
Well, the office politics at Tundra helped put a few nails in the project's coffin. Someone needs to write a book on how the publishing experiment set up by a multi-millionaire cartoonist managed to subvert all of its stated goals for of supporting creators and their work.
More than the office politics – I wasn't very popular there as I was an outsider who actually had done his job – The Year in Fear died because of ignorance. I thought the marketing person had done the research to understand how to sell calendars. God, was I a moron!
The chucklehead at Tundra in charge of this detail – naturally a relative of The Man – didn't have a frickin' clue. So the job of getting sales was left up to me.
After a poor showing in the comics trade, I though I should approach Spenser's Gifts, one of the largest sellers of calendars in the country at the beginning of the '90s. I drove to their headquarters in Atlantic City and saw a buyer who patiently explained to me that I was too late for that year's calendar sales cycle, that the calendar was too large and that it didn't have a hole so it could be hung on a display hook.
Sigh.
So I then worked out a deal with Fangoria magazine to sell the calendar through that magazine and we moved a few. By this time Steve and I had rescued a quantity of calendars that Tundra was ready to trash.
When the Fangoria deal came to an end, Steve and I cut the plates up so they could be sold as mini-posters when the tow of us had a table at Chiller Con.
Neither of us made much money on the calendar, especially considering there were people who were getting kill fees for their projects in the thousands.
So here's my lesson for today:
Don't trust a publisher to know how to sell your project and research your project's market thoroughly before making commitments to style and content.
By the way, I think I still have some calendars in my basement. I'll sell them cheaper than $50! And Bissette and I will sign them.
© 2008 by Gordon Michael Dobbs
My friend Maureen Turner has written a very nice piece on my Springfield post card book in this week's edition of The Valley Advocate:
http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=8614
I really appreciate the coverage the book has received. Susan Kaplan of WFCR taped an interview, which has yet to run and basically every outlet that could have run a story has done that – not to count television which would never run such a story.
The Republican received a review copy from the company, but would only mention me in their paper if I dropped dead. And even then they might resist.
Although I'm on a friendly basis with a number of the reporters from the daily, the powers-that-be have never been very happy with me because I have been willing to criticize their publication. It was the unwritten rule of the press in the area that Valley media outlets don't acknowledge one another or criticize one another unless there is some sort of business arrangement between them.
Personally I think it's fine to give a wink and a nod to other media – which I've done – and not to hesitate to blast them if they deserve it.
In any event, thanks Mo for the story!
http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=8614
I really appreciate the coverage the book has received. Susan Kaplan of WFCR taped an interview, which has yet to run and basically every outlet that could have run a story has done that – not to count television which would never run such a story.
The Republican received a review copy from the company, but would only mention me in their paper if I dropped dead. And even then they might resist.
Although I'm on a friendly basis with a number of the reporters from the daily, the powers-that-be have never been very happy with me because I have been willing to criticize their publication. It was the unwritten rule of the press in the area that Valley media outlets don't acknowledge one another or criticize one another unless there is some sort of business arrangement between them.
Personally I think it's fine to give a wink and a nod to other media – which I've done – and not to hesitate to blast them if they deserve it.
In any event, thanks Mo for the story!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
From the folks at Zogby...interesting results!
Pleasantville, N.Y. - October 29, 2008 - Just days before Americans choose our next president, voting has concluded in the Weekly Reader Student Presidential Election Poll. And the nation's students resoundingly say that Barack Obama will be the country's next leader. In the 14th Weekly Reader election survey, with more than 125,000 votes cast from kindergarten through 12th grade, the result was Obama 54.7% and John McCain 42.9% (with "other" candidates receiving 2.5% of the student vote). The Obama victory in the classroom electoral vote was even more resounding: The Democrat won 33 states and the District of Columbia, garnering 420 electoral votes, while McCain took 17 states and 118 electoral votes.
For the past 52 years, the results of the Weekly Reader poll have been consistently on target, with the student vote correctly predicting the next president in 12 out of 13 elections. (The only time the kids were wrong was 1992, when they chose George H.W. Bush over Bill Clinton.) This year, as in 2000 and 2004, the student election was conducted in conjunction with noted polling organization Zogby International.
Below are more thought-provoking, and perhaps prescient, results from the Weekly Reader Student Presidential Election Poll:
While the election results may appear one-sided, they actually were extraordinarily close in many places. In three states, less than a tenth of a percentage point separated the winning ticket from the losing one. Iowa and Missouri were the states where Obama barely squeaked by, while in North Dakota, McCain won by the same slim margin.
Most, but not all, swing states went to Obama. The Democrat took Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. McCain won Minnesota and New Hampshire, each by a surprisingly wide 8 points, as well as North Carolina in a 4.6% victory over Obama.
McCain took Republican strongholds Alabama, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, and Wyoming. Obama romped in the deep blue states of California, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Washington, and the District of Columbia.
The Democratic candidate had a few startling triumphs-such as sweeping the vote in the Republican slate's two home states of Alaska and Arizona, registering a big win in Georgia, receiving 82% of the student vote in Nevada, gaining a 34-point win in Mississippi, and logging a 10% victory over McCain in George W. Bush's home state of Texas.
Obama was the victor in every grade-except grade 10, which chose McCain. The results were the tightest in the 11th grade, where Obama slid by with a 1.5% victory, followed by second grade, where Obama won by a margin of 1.8%. The widest spread appeared in the ninth grade, where Obama's gigantic 85.6% beat McCain's 12.4% - a whopping 73.2% margin!
"Historically, our poll has been an amazing indicator of the presidential race's outcome, so we're all waiting with great anticipation to see what happens on Election Day," said Neal Goff, President of Weekly Reader. "Throughout the past few months, we've delivered cutting-edge multimedia election materials directly to schools so that students could cast an informed vote. We're excited to have given kids this important forum to express their opinions about who should be the next president."
Pleasantville, N.Y. - October 29, 2008 - Just days before Americans choose our next president, voting has concluded in the Weekly Reader Student Presidential Election Poll. And the nation's students resoundingly say that Barack Obama will be the country's next leader. In the 14th Weekly Reader election survey, with more than 125,000 votes cast from kindergarten through 12th grade, the result was Obama 54.7% and John McCain 42.9% (with "other" candidates receiving 2.5% of the student vote). The Obama victory in the classroom electoral vote was even more resounding: The Democrat won 33 states and the District of Columbia, garnering 420 electoral votes, while McCain took 17 states and 118 electoral votes.
For the past 52 years, the results of the Weekly Reader poll have been consistently on target, with the student vote correctly predicting the next president in 12 out of 13 elections. (The only time the kids were wrong was 1992, when they chose George H.W. Bush over Bill Clinton.) This year, as in 2000 and 2004, the student election was conducted in conjunction with noted polling organization Zogby International.
Below are more thought-provoking, and perhaps prescient, results from the Weekly Reader Student Presidential Election Poll:
While the election results may appear one-sided, they actually were extraordinarily close in many places. In three states, less than a tenth of a percentage point separated the winning ticket from the losing one. Iowa and Missouri were the states where Obama barely squeaked by, while in North Dakota, McCain won by the same slim margin.
Most, but not all, swing states went to Obama. The Democrat took Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. McCain won Minnesota and New Hampshire, each by a surprisingly wide 8 points, as well as North Carolina in a 4.6% victory over Obama.
McCain took Republican strongholds Alabama, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, and Wyoming. Obama romped in the deep blue states of California, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Washington, and the District of Columbia.
The Democratic candidate had a few startling triumphs-such as sweeping the vote in the Republican slate's two home states of Alaska and Arizona, registering a big win in Georgia, receiving 82% of the student vote in Nevada, gaining a 34-point win in Mississippi, and logging a 10% victory over McCain in George W. Bush's home state of Texas.
Obama was the victor in every grade-except grade 10, which chose McCain. The results were the tightest in the 11th grade, where Obama slid by with a 1.5% victory, followed by second grade, where Obama won by a margin of 1.8%. The widest spread appeared in the ninth grade, where Obama's gigantic 85.6% beat McCain's 12.4% - a whopping 73.2% margin!
"Historically, our poll has been an amazing indicator of the presidential race's outcome, so we're all waiting with great anticipation to see what happens on Election Day," said Neal Goff, President of Weekly Reader. "Throughout the past few months, we've delivered cutting-edge multimedia election materials directly to schools so that students could cast an informed vote. We're excited to have given kids this important forum to express their opinions about who should be the next president."
Friday, October 24, 2008
They just had a press conference today for this event on Wednesday, which isn't much time to promote it. My wife and I attended the one in the summer and it was a great experience.
SPRINGFIELD – As promised after the success of the first Dine Around conducted this summer, the Springfield Business Improvement District (BID) will sponsor a second restaurant tour on Oct. 29.
The first Dine Around attracted around 400 diners who sampled the goods of nine downtown restaurants with 45-minute stops at each establishment. Organizers hope the same kind of turnout will take place this week. The cost is $35 person and tickets can be bought by either logging onto the BID’s Web site (www.springfielddowntown.com) or by calling 787-1816. Registration will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the starting location.
The participating restaurants include the 350 Grill, Virtuosos, Currents, Café Lebanon, Montenia’s, McCaffrey’s Public House, the Student Prince, Sitar and Shakagos. At each stop, participants will be served a free glass of wine or beer and samples from the menu.
For example, at the Student Prince, the offerings will be fried camembert cheese, knockwurst, cheese spaetzle and chicken paprika. At the Sitar, there will be vegetable samosa, vegetable pakora, chicken pakora and shahi sabz biryani.
Malkit Singh, the owner of the Sitar, said at a press conference on Friday the last Dine Around was “ a really good time.” He noted it drew “new faces” to his restaurant and that participants not only got to try different cuisines, but also were able to meet new people.
Mayor Domenic Sarno said there had been similar events in the past that utilized a bus. The advantage of this event is that people walk from restaurant to restaurant and see what downtown is like.
“If you haven’t been to downtown Springfield, come on down,” Sarno said. “It’s clean and safe.”
SPRINGFIELD – As promised after the success of the first Dine Around conducted this summer, the Springfield Business Improvement District (BID) will sponsor a second restaurant tour on Oct. 29.
The first Dine Around attracted around 400 diners who sampled the goods of nine downtown restaurants with 45-minute stops at each establishment. Organizers hope the same kind of turnout will take place this week. The cost is $35 person and tickets can be bought by either logging onto the BID’s Web site (www.springfielddowntown.com) or by calling 787-1816. Registration will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the starting location.
The participating restaurants include the 350 Grill, Virtuosos, Currents, Café Lebanon, Montenia’s, McCaffrey’s Public House, the Student Prince, Sitar and Shakagos. At each stop, participants will be served a free glass of wine or beer and samples from the menu.
For example, at the Student Prince, the offerings will be fried camembert cheese, knockwurst, cheese spaetzle and chicken paprika. At the Sitar, there will be vegetable samosa, vegetable pakora, chicken pakora and shahi sabz biryani.
Malkit Singh, the owner of the Sitar, said at a press conference on Friday the last Dine Around was “ a really good time.” He noted it drew “new faces” to his restaurant and that participants not only got to try different cuisines, but also were able to meet new people.
Mayor Domenic Sarno said there had been similar events in the past that utilized a bus. The advantage of this event is that people walk from restaurant to restaurant and see what downtown is like.
“If you haven’t been to downtown Springfield, come on down,” Sarno said. “It’s clean and safe.”
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Hey political junkies....this just in:
While some people run the Boston Marathon.
Ralph Nader will be running the Massachusetts Marathon.
And we’re hoping to put Ralph in the record books for most campaign stops in one day.
As a result, Ralph Nader and the Nader/Gonzalez road crew are in for the sprint of their lives.
Twenty-one campaign stops.
In twenty-one towns and cities across Massachusetts.
In one day – Saturday, October 25.
We’re hoping for a big Nader voter turnout in Massachusetts – where Ralph got his third largest vote total (6.4 percent) in 2000.
But pulling off the logistics on this one will be a minor Massachusetts miracle.
We’re sending a dozen Nader’s Raiders into Massachusetts.
We’re planning on having an advance team, a Ralph team, a van for the press, travelling musicians, and a clean up van bringing up the rear.
We need your donations to pay for rental cars, vans, gasoline, flyers, and multiple GPS units.
We’ll be holding combinations of press conferences, rallies and campaign events in: Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, Lexington, Concord, Waltham, Watertown, Newton,Worcester, Auburn, Springfield, Chicopee, Holyoke, North Hampton, West Springfield, Westfield, Stockbridge and Sheffield.
We’re heading into the Massachusetts Marathon with our heads held high.
To bring the word from one end of the Commonwealth to the other – Ralph Nader stands with the American people.
And against Wall Street crime and Washington corruption.
* Stop One 8:10-8:30: Vila Donuts 93 Main Rd, Westfield, ma
* Stop Two: 9:00-9:15 AM: Public Library 449 Front Street, Chicopee.
* Stop Three: 10:45-11:05: Federal Reserve- 600 Atlantic Ave, Boston.
* Stop Four 11:15-11:45: The Middle East 472 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge. Lunch Fundraiser: $50 Minimum Contribution
* Stop Five: 11:55-12:20: Tufts University, Student Center, Bottom Floor, Somerville.
* Stop Six: 12:25-12:45: Danish Pastry Shop 330 Boston Ave, Medford.
* Stop Seven 1:00-1:20: Energy Awareness Fair Meet and Greet. 251 Waltham St., Lexington.
* Stop Eight: 1:35-2:00: Old North Bridge 174 Liberty St. Concord.
* Stop Nine: 2:25-2:45: Waltham Location TBA.
* Stop Ten: 3:00-3:20: Water Town Public Library 123 Main Street Watertown.
* Stop Eleven: 3:35-4:00: Lasell College Newton 1844 Commonwealth Avenue room TBA, Newton.
* Stop Twelve 4:20-4:40: Ben’s Deli: 5 Turnpike Rd Southborough.
* Stop Thirteen 5:10 to 5:30: Clark University 950 Main St., Worcester.
* Stop Fourteen 5:40-6:00: The Coffee Mug 286 SouthBridge St. Auburn.
* Stop Fifteen 6:55-7:15 West Springfield Location TBA.
* Stop Sixteen 7:30-8:00: Nadines Cafe Lebanon 1390 Main St Springfield.
* Stop Seventeen 8:05-8:25: Holyoke, MA Location TBA.
* Stop Eighteen 8:45-9:15 Smith College, Northampton Location TBA.
* Stop Nineteen 10:10-10:30: The Lions Den 30 Main St. Stockbridge.
* Stop Twenty: 10:50-11:10 Sheffield, MA, Location TBA
I'll be at the Chicopee stop hopefully asking him some questions.
While some people run the Boston Marathon.
Ralph Nader will be running the Massachusetts Marathon.
And we’re hoping to put Ralph in the record books for most campaign stops in one day.
As a result, Ralph Nader and the Nader/Gonzalez road crew are in for the sprint of their lives.
Twenty-one campaign stops.
In twenty-one towns and cities across Massachusetts.
In one day – Saturday, October 25.
We’re hoping for a big Nader voter turnout in Massachusetts – where Ralph got his third largest vote total (6.4 percent) in 2000.
But pulling off the logistics on this one will be a minor Massachusetts miracle.
We’re sending a dozen Nader’s Raiders into Massachusetts.
We’re planning on having an advance team, a Ralph team, a van for the press, travelling musicians, and a clean up van bringing up the rear.
We need your donations to pay for rental cars, vans, gasoline, flyers, and multiple GPS units.
We’ll be holding combinations of press conferences, rallies and campaign events in: Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, Lexington, Concord, Waltham, Watertown, Newton,Worcester, Auburn, Springfield, Chicopee, Holyoke, North Hampton, West Springfield, Westfield, Stockbridge and Sheffield.
We’re heading into the Massachusetts Marathon with our heads held high.
To bring the word from one end of the Commonwealth to the other – Ralph Nader stands with the American people.
And against Wall Street crime and Washington corruption.
* Stop One 8:10-8:30: Vila Donuts 93 Main Rd, Westfield, ma
* Stop Two: 9:00-9:15 AM: Public Library 449 Front Street, Chicopee.
* Stop Three: 10:45-11:05: Federal Reserve- 600 Atlantic Ave, Boston.
* Stop Four 11:15-11:45: The Middle East 472 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge. Lunch Fundraiser: $50 Minimum Contribution
* Stop Five: 11:55-12:20: Tufts University, Student Center, Bottom Floor, Somerville.
* Stop Six: 12:25-12:45: Danish Pastry Shop 330 Boston Ave, Medford.
* Stop Seven 1:00-1:20: Energy Awareness Fair Meet and Greet. 251 Waltham St., Lexington.
* Stop Eight: 1:35-2:00: Old North Bridge 174 Liberty St. Concord.
* Stop Nine: 2:25-2:45: Waltham Location TBA.
* Stop Ten: 3:00-3:20: Water Town Public Library 123 Main Street Watertown.
* Stop Eleven: 3:35-4:00: Lasell College Newton 1844 Commonwealth Avenue room TBA, Newton.
* Stop Twelve 4:20-4:40: Ben’s Deli: 5 Turnpike Rd Southborough.
* Stop Thirteen 5:10 to 5:30: Clark University 950 Main St., Worcester.
* Stop Fourteen 5:40-6:00: The Coffee Mug 286 SouthBridge St. Auburn.
* Stop Fifteen 6:55-7:15 West Springfield Location TBA.
* Stop Sixteen 7:30-8:00: Nadines Cafe Lebanon 1390 Main St Springfield.
* Stop Seventeen 8:05-8:25: Holyoke, MA Location TBA.
* Stop Eighteen 8:45-9:15 Smith College, Northampton Location TBA.
* Stop Nineteen 10:10-10:30: The Lions Den 30 Main St. Stockbridge.
* Stop Twenty: 10:50-11:10 Sheffield, MA, Location TBA
I'll be at the Chicopee stop hopefully asking him some questions.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
My pop culture weekend part three
I've been on the sets of three films – two features and a short – and each time I've watched the process of making films with great interest.
Most film guys my age dabbled in Super 8 production while a beardless youth. I helped make one group film and produced several shorts. The group film was the effort of a bunch of friends and our film teacher. While it was fun, I never felt comfortable acting or trying to make a film with actors.
Actors required a casting process and costumes and trying to schedule everyone the right way – sigh. It was a lot of work.
Instead I took up stop motion film using clay figures and I loved it. Granted you had to be careful with those lights – clay melts! – but I was very happy with the relative solitude of the animation process and the control.
My most ambitious animated film was a comment on the arms race with hands representing opposing sides using progressively bigger hamburgers to intimidate each other. At the climax, the hamburgers eat each other.
Anyway, the process of making movies has always intrigued me and I was happy when local producer and director Bob Stock invited me through my pal Marty Langford to hang out while he grabbed the few shots left to finish the live action part of his horror film Angel's Blade 2.
So I headed to Granby and watched Stock's very efficient crew shot star Corbin Bernsen in a number of short but necessary scenes.
Bernsen is a pro and through his suggestions showed he was still involved in the movie which he had worked on the previous year.
Bernsen waits for his cue.
I admired that Bernsen quickly got into character and didn't phone in a performance.
Stock and Bernsen
The crew sets up a shot using a rental truck.
Bernsen graciously took time for a photo with me. Thanks!
Stock now has to add all of his special effects and CGI work.
© 2008 by Gordon Michael Dobbs
I've been on the sets of three films – two features and a short – and each time I've watched the process of making films with great interest.
Most film guys my age dabbled in Super 8 production while a beardless youth. I helped make one group film and produced several shorts. The group film was the effort of a bunch of friends and our film teacher. While it was fun, I never felt comfortable acting or trying to make a film with actors.
Actors required a casting process and costumes and trying to schedule everyone the right way – sigh. It was a lot of work.
Instead I took up stop motion film using clay figures and I loved it. Granted you had to be careful with those lights – clay melts! – but I was very happy with the relative solitude of the animation process and the control.
My most ambitious animated film was a comment on the arms race with hands representing opposing sides using progressively bigger hamburgers to intimidate each other. At the climax, the hamburgers eat each other.
Anyway, the process of making movies has always intrigued me and I was happy when local producer and director Bob Stock invited me through my pal Marty Langford to hang out while he grabbed the few shots left to finish the live action part of his horror film Angel's Blade 2.
So I headed to Granby and watched Stock's very efficient crew shot star Corbin Bernsen in a number of short but necessary scenes.
Bernsen is a pro and through his suggestions showed he was still involved in the movie which he had worked on the previous year.
Bernsen waits for his cue.
I admired that Bernsen quickly got into character and didn't phone in a performance.
Stock and Bernsen
The crew sets up a shot using a rental truck.
Bernsen graciously took time for a photo with me. Thanks!
Stock now has to add all of his special effects and CGI work.
© 2008 by Gordon Michael Dobbs
Monday, October 20, 2008
Pop Culture weekend part 2
I was trying to recall just what spurred my interest in horror films and I cant recall what the trigger was. I know I was in junior high school and I was increasingly more interested in movies in general.
My mom was certainly a movie fan, but she didn't care for horror flicks and kept me aware from them with such success that when I did stumble upon something scary I was terrified.
In fact my petrified reaction to seeing the giant brain in "Journey to the Seventh Planet" when I was in the third grade – seen today I'm doubly ashamed at my reaction to such a piece of cheese – led my losing my "going to to movie by myself privileges for years.
Anyhow however it happened, it happened in a big way and I was hooked on seeing guys such as Karloff, Lugosi, Jr. Cushing, Price and Lee.
Going to horror film shows has been a regular part of my fan experience for years, although I've stayed away from the biggest of them all in recent years, Chiller Theater, only because it is so big and so crowded.
I have many fond memories of attending Chiller as a dealer. Among them are Dave Prowse – Darth Vader himself– coming over to our table to shoot the breeze. He was a very nice guy. Another is watching my pal Steve Bissette squirm when Hammer actress Ingrid Pitt came onto him. Still another was a great dinner with Brazilian horror icon Coffin Joe who sports fingernails that are five and six inches long. I couldn't watch him eat as I didn't want to stare at how he was manipulating his knife and fork.
Well, the Other Mark and I attended a junior version of Chiller – Rock and Shock on Oct. 11 and I filed this report for my newspapers:
It’s that time of year again when people’s thoughts turn just a little dark – Halloween. And by the looks of things at this year’s Rock and Shock convention in Worcester – a three day event celebrating horror movies, heavy metal rock and roll and other pop culture phenomena that recently took place – despite an economic downturn people are still willing to spend money on a
rocks glass full of eyeballs that’s actually a candle.
Well I did. I had to bring my wife home a present.
Rock and Shock is a smaller version of the largest horror and pop culture show on the East Coast, Chiller Theatre in New Jersey. That extravaganza (http://www.chillertheatre.com/) will be presented Oct. 24 through 26 at the Hilton Parsippany in Parsippany, NJ. While I enjoy the Big E atmosphere of Chiller – the event is huge – Rock and Shock manages to satisfy my horror convention jones without a three-plus hour drive.
And luckily many of the companies showing off their wares at Rock and Shock have them available on the Internet, so even if you missed the show, you can still find those odd times you think you need for the holiday
season.
Many of the exhibitors are native to New England, which adds a regional
feel to the proceedings.
GASP magazine is one of those Massachusetts-grown creations as the publication is based in Gardner. The magazine, which is available online at http://www.gaspmagazine.net caters to “independent horror” in literature,
film, and art.
One of its staffers, Aaron LaBonte explained the magazine supports “the little guy.” Editor Candace LaBonte added the quarterly magazine is “an outlet for people who don’t know how to publish their work.”
The magazine can be purchased as a download, conventional print form or on a CD-Rom through its Web site. It doesn’t have any newsstand distribution at this time.
And it is for adults as I quickly assessed with a quick thumb-through.
Currently the magazine is preparing its fifth issue.
The horror products of Horror Décor (http://www.horrordecor.net), whose booth was next door to GASP, weren’t quite as visceral as the magazine, and should appeal to the horror fan looking for something a tad subtler.
Owner Matthew Molloy has been in business for two years manufacturing the previously mentioned eyeball candle – a big seller he reported at only $5. This year he featured a blood splattered shower curtain ($24.50) and a bathmat ($7.50) with two bloody footprints as well as a series of throw pillows ($12), one of which honored “Shaun of the Dead.”
Need a clock of the living room? Molloy was selling a bloody saw blade clock in two different sizes ($35 and $30).
“No script, no agenda, all bull****” is the slogan for Outside the Cinema (http://www.outsidethecinema.blogspot.com), a free podcast dedicated to horror films. Boston-based co-host Ryan St. Pierre said not only does he and his on-air partner Bill Fulkerson enjoy performing the Internet broadcasts, but also they are actually making a little money through advertising.
Definitely rated R for language, the podcast I listened to was like being in a room with two slightly hyper-active fanboys who are both knowledgeable and funny – in a hyper-active fanboy way.
“The Ghouligans,” a fun cable access show from Long Island, represented independent television productions. Producer Michael Koscik said the show has been in production since 2005 and lampoons classic movie monsters.
He quickly added, though “we treat them with respect.”
The DVD on sale for $15 is also available at the show’s Web site, http://www.theghouligans.com/, with other merchandise.
I liked the show. It’s a well-produced hybrid between “The Monkees,” and the old “Beach Party” movies with classic sit-coms. Colorful and geared toward at least most of the family, “The Ghouligans” is goofy monster fun.
The other aspect of Rock and Shock – and the up-coming Chiller Theatre – are actors with pop culture credentials looking to meet fans and more importantly sell their autographs at $20 or $25 a shot. A new wrinkle this
year was many of the celebs charged an additional $10 if you wanted to take a photo with them with your camera.
Yikes. I had wanted to take some shots but didn’t want to take an illegal photo and be wrestled to the ground by Rock and Shock security.
The folks drawing the longest lines at Rock and Shock were former wrestler and star of “they Live,” Rowdy Roddy Piper and Jason Mewes, “Jay” of “Jay and Silent Bob” from the Kevin Smith movies. For some reason various victims and monsters from the “Halloween,” “Friday the 13th” and “Hellraiser” series just didn’t attract fans more.
Well, I thought as I picked up my two collections of previews for grindhouse movies that played on 42nd Street theaters, there’s no accounting for taste.
© 2008 by Gordon Michael Dobbs
I was trying to recall just what spurred my interest in horror films and I cant recall what the trigger was. I know I was in junior high school and I was increasingly more interested in movies in general.
My mom was certainly a movie fan, but she didn't care for horror flicks and kept me aware from them with such success that when I did stumble upon something scary I was terrified.
In fact my petrified reaction to seeing the giant brain in "Journey to the Seventh Planet" when I was in the third grade – seen today I'm doubly ashamed at my reaction to such a piece of cheese – led my losing my "going to to movie by myself privileges for years.
Anyhow however it happened, it happened in a big way and I was hooked on seeing guys such as Karloff, Lugosi, Jr. Cushing, Price and Lee.
Going to horror film shows has been a regular part of my fan experience for years, although I've stayed away from the biggest of them all in recent years, Chiller Theater, only because it is so big and so crowded.
I have many fond memories of attending Chiller as a dealer. Among them are Dave Prowse – Darth Vader himself– coming over to our table to shoot the breeze. He was a very nice guy. Another is watching my pal Steve Bissette squirm when Hammer actress Ingrid Pitt came onto him. Still another was a great dinner with Brazilian horror icon Coffin Joe who sports fingernails that are five and six inches long. I couldn't watch him eat as I didn't want to stare at how he was manipulating his knife and fork.
Well, the Other Mark and I attended a junior version of Chiller – Rock and Shock on Oct. 11 and I filed this report for my newspapers:
It’s that time of year again when people’s thoughts turn just a little dark – Halloween. And by the looks of things at this year’s Rock and Shock convention in Worcester – a three day event celebrating horror movies, heavy metal rock and roll and other pop culture phenomena that recently took place – despite an economic downturn people are still willing to spend money on a
rocks glass full of eyeballs that’s actually a candle.
Well I did. I had to bring my wife home a present.
Rock and Shock is a smaller version of the largest horror and pop culture show on the East Coast, Chiller Theatre in New Jersey. That extravaganza (http://www.chillertheatre.com/) will be presented Oct. 24 through 26 at the Hilton Parsippany in Parsippany, NJ. While I enjoy the Big E atmosphere of Chiller – the event is huge – Rock and Shock manages to satisfy my horror convention jones without a three-plus hour drive.
And luckily many of the companies showing off their wares at Rock and Shock have them available on the Internet, so even if you missed the show, you can still find those odd times you think you need for the holiday
season.
Many of the exhibitors are native to New England, which adds a regional
feel to the proceedings.
GASP magazine is one of those Massachusetts-grown creations as the publication is based in Gardner. The magazine, which is available online at http://www.gaspmagazine.net caters to “independent horror” in literature,
film, and art.
One of its staffers, Aaron LaBonte explained the magazine supports “the little guy.” Editor Candace LaBonte added the quarterly magazine is “an outlet for people who don’t know how to publish their work.”
The magazine can be purchased as a download, conventional print form or on a CD-Rom through its Web site. It doesn’t have any newsstand distribution at this time.
And it is for adults as I quickly assessed with a quick thumb-through.
Currently the magazine is preparing its fifth issue.
The horror products of Horror Décor (http://www.horrordecor.net), whose booth was next door to GASP, weren’t quite as visceral as the magazine, and should appeal to the horror fan looking for something a tad subtler.
Owner Matthew Molloy has been in business for two years manufacturing the previously mentioned eyeball candle – a big seller he reported at only $5. This year he featured a blood splattered shower curtain ($24.50) and a bathmat ($7.50) with two bloody footprints as well as a series of throw pillows ($12), one of which honored “Shaun of the Dead.”
Need a clock of the living room? Molloy was selling a bloody saw blade clock in two different sizes ($35 and $30).
“No script, no agenda, all bull****” is the slogan for Outside the Cinema (http://www.outsidethecinema.blogspot.com), a free podcast dedicated to horror films. Boston-based co-host Ryan St. Pierre said not only does he and his on-air partner Bill Fulkerson enjoy performing the Internet broadcasts, but also they are actually making a little money through advertising.
Definitely rated R for language, the podcast I listened to was like being in a room with two slightly hyper-active fanboys who are both knowledgeable and funny – in a hyper-active fanboy way.
“The Ghouligans,” a fun cable access show from Long Island, represented independent television productions. Producer Michael Koscik said the show has been in production since 2005 and lampoons classic movie monsters.
He quickly added, though “we treat them with respect.”
The DVD on sale for $15 is also available at the show’s Web site, http://www.theghouligans.com/, with other merchandise.
I liked the show. It’s a well-produced hybrid between “The Monkees,” and the old “Beach Party” movies with classic sit-coms. Colorful and geared toward at least most of the family, “The Ghouligans” is goofy monster fun.
The other aspect of Rock and Shock – and the up-coming Chiller Theatre – are actors with pop culture credentials looking to meet fans and more importantly sell their autographs at $20 or $25 a shot. A new wrinkle this
year was many of the celebs charged an additional $10 if you wanted to take a photo with them with your camera.
Yikes. I had wanted to take some shots but didn’t want to take an illegal photo and be wrestled to the ground by Rock and Shock security.
The folks drawing the longest lines at Rock and Shock were former wrestler and star of “they Live,” Rowdy Roddy Piper and Jason Mewes, “Jay” of “Jay and Silent Bob” from the Kevin Smith movies. For some reason various victims and monsters from the “Halloween,” “Friday the 13th” and “Hellraiser” series just didn’t attract fans more.
Well, I thought as I picked up my two collections of previews for grindhouse movies that played on 42nd Street theaters, there’s no accounting for taste.
© 2008 by Gordon Michael Dobbs
Monday, October 13, 2008
Benny Juxx had Mr. TA in a bad way at the Castle of Knights on Oct. 17. Mr. TA is Terry Allen, a professional wrestler who runs the Big Time Wrestling promotion and who is a talented illustrator and graphic designer in his other life.
Pop Culture Weekend part one
I realize that many people who know me are completely dumbfounded about some of the things that interest me, one of those being professional wrestling. I've watched it since I was a kid and I've always appreciated the athletic ability of the wrestlers as well as the theatrics and the undiluted ballyhoo of it.
We understand that outcomes can be predetermined and that some of the moves are more sound effect than physical fury. But the medival morality play nature of much of wrestling coupled with the cynical real world out that evil can triumph and that cheaters win are powerful narrative ingredients.
I see little difference between the power of the soap opera to suck people into a fictional world and the best professional wrestling. I'm sure my mom and other soapie fans would disagree, but both theatrical forms share common archetypes and story structures.
I must admit there is a certain "outlaw" nature to liking pro wrestling. It's like admitting enjoying the flavor of pork rinds or cheese in a squirt can. You know on one level you shouldn't like it, but you do!
My nephew Douglas is developing into quite a fan in that he totally gets into the spirit of the live match. He roots for one villian – Mr. TA – and is willing to shout insults to the wrestlers. His best lines included "Did you learn that in dance school?" Hey, the kid is nine. His skills are just developing!
Mick Foley, the former WWE superstar, was the main draw to the event and thanks to my friend Tom Burke, I got to meet Mick when he wasn't either busy signing autographs or in the ring. He seemed, as he did in the interview I did for my newspaper (which follows), a very decent, down to earth guy:
Mick Foley is apologetic that his son, who is loudly enjoying Disney.com, might interrupt this telephone interview.
Some might think it's ironic that one of the toughest men in professional wrestling is a dedicated father of three, but Foley is pretty much retired from competing and is happy spending more time at home than on the road.
"My family is one of my main focuses," he said.
The man who wrestled under the names of Cactus Jack, Dude Love and Mankind and won numerous championship belts will be a guest referee at the Big Time Wrestling show on Oct. 10 at the Castle of Knights. Foley will also be available for autographs and photos prior to the matches.
Foley said he is currently doing only one or two wrestling shows a year and his most recent was an appearance at Madison Square Garden.
"It's [a casual schedule of appearances] a goal to work toward," he said.
"I've never done the math involved, but I think I've done more of them [matches] in buildings like the Knights of Columbus than in Madison Square Garden," Foley said.
He doesn't really miss wrestling full time. "I feel absolutely good about what I've accomplished," he said.
A wrestling fan as a teen he wrestled on his high school team with classmate comic Kevin James he entered the field in 1986.
He backed away from competition in 2000 and has appeared as a commentator and personality in the ring more than as a wrestler. He and his long-time employers, World Wrestling Entertainment, parted ways last month and Foley said he was looking forward to his new association with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling on the Spike television channel.
He said he is "sleeping easier at night" staying out of the ring.
Besides outrageous characters, Foley was known for his do-anything attitude in the ring, which made for memorable moments for fans and a lot of injuries for him. He said that he has sore joints and pain in his back and neck, but that he actually feels better today than he did 10 years ago.
"I was never under the illusion this [career] wouldn't come with a price tag," he explained.
In a form of entertainment that demands both athletic ability as well as portraying a character, Foley's personas were known for their outrageousness. Cactus Jack was capable of dishing out considerable violence; Dude Love was a throwback hippie; and Mankind wore a Hannibal Lector style mask and had an ally a sock puppet known as "Mr. Socko."
Foley said that Mankind, perhaps his most popular incarnation, came about in 1999 when most of the other wrestlers were portraying characters that were either "cool good guys or cool bad guys." Foley wanted to do someone different and Mankind who lived in a boiler room and talked to a rat was different. Eventually mankind became more comical.
"I was lucky," Foley said about the creation of his characters. "Other guys were restrained. I was given free reign for a number of years and allowed to make alterations."
Foley said he never considered himself a "leading man" wrestler, but rather a "character actor."
Foley has written three memoirs, three children's books and two novels. Some of his books have been on the New York Times Bestseller List. He said he started his writing career in 1999 when he read what the ghostwriter assigned to his first book, "Have a Nice Day; A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks," had written and he thought he could do better.
He said he enjoys writing and that readers like his conversational style.
One might wonder why a man who has built up a huge fan base and has skill portraying characters wouldn't take those assets to the movie screen such as his one-time tag team partner Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Foley explained while he likes acting, he didn't want to come off the road to take more time away from his family.
Today he said he is able to make his own work schedule, spend time with his family and do volunteer work.
Here is Mick with Tom backstage at Big Time Wrestling.
© 2008 by Gordon Michael Dobbs
Thursday, October 09, 2008
The folks at Western New England College sent me this today and I thought it was interesting:
Massachusetts voters overwhelmingly oppose eliminating the state income tax, according to the latest survey from the Western New England College Polling Institute.
The telephone poll of 408 registered voters, conducted September 29 through October 6, found that 62 percent of voters oppose Question 1, a ballot initiative that calls for doing away with the state’s income tax. Twenty-six percent favor the idea, while 12 percent said they are undecided or declined to offer an opinion.
The survey also found:
Voters favor decriminalizing possession of an ounce or less of marijuana, with 62 percent voicing support, 32 percent opposed, and five percent saying they are undecided or declining to offer an opinion.
Voters support banning dog racing in Massachusetts 53 percent to 30 percent, but a sizable number – 17 percent – said they are undecided or declined to offer an opinion.
Voters will decide the questions on November 4. Previous attempts to eliminate the income tax and ban dog racing have failed. The income tax proposal received support from 45 percent of voters in 2002, while the dog racing ban lost narrowly in 2000.
The nature of ballot questions can make the outcome of initiatives hard to predict, said Tim Vercellotti, associate professor of political science and co-director of the Western New England College Polling Institute. “Some voters who express a preference on ballot questions in pre-election surveys don’t always make it that far down the ballot when casting their vote,” Vercellotti said. He noted that 11 percent of voters who cast a ballot in the 2002 gubernatorial race did not vote on the state income tax question in that election.
Question wording also can influence voters’ responses on issues. The Western New England College Polling Institute asked:
“Voters in November also will decide whether Massachusetts should eliminate the state income tax. Supporters of this idea say it will save the average taxpayer $3,600 per year. Opponents of this idea say eliminating the income tax would force state and local government to make deep cuts in services.
Do you support or oppose eliminating the state income tax?”
“After hearing both sides of the issue in the question, voters were less likely to support the idea,” Vercellotti noted. “While eliminating the income tax may have initial appeal when it comes to voters’ pocketbooks, hearing about the potential consequences in terms of services seems to reduce that appeal.”
Opinions about the proposal varied by party identification and education. Democrats opposed the idea 74 percent to 14 percent, while Republicans favored it 42 percent to 36 percent. Independent voters also were opposed by a margin of 70 percent to 22 percent. Voters who have a high school education or less were evenly divided, with 41 percent in favor and 45 percent opposed. Survey respondents who had at least some college opposed the idea 59 percent to 25 percent, while college graduates were opposed 70 percent to 19 percent.
Support for decriminalizing possession of an ounce or less of marijuana also varied across key demographic factors – in this case party identification and age. Democrats and independent voters supported the idea 62 percent to 32 percent. The margin was narrower among Republican voters, who backed the idea 54 percent to 44 percent. The proposal, which will be Question 2 on the November ballot, also drew sizable support from voters under age 65. Voters age 65 and older were evenly split, with 45 percent in favor and 45 percent opposed.
The proposed ban on dog racing in Massachusetts – listed as Question 3 on the ballot – divided voters by party and gender. Democrats supported the ban 62 percent to 27 percent, while 49 percent of Republican and independent voters were in favor and about one-third of each group was opposed. Women were more likely than men to support the ban. Fifty-nine percent of women were in favor, with 22 percent opposed. Male voters were almost evenly split, with 44 percent in favor and 40 percent opposed.
The survey also found a relatively large level of uncertainty about the idea, with 17 percent of voters saying they were undecided or declining to offer an opinion. “A large chunk of the electorate has not yet formed views on this issue,” Vercellotti said. “That suggests there could be some volatility in opinion in this area, with the potential for some swings before Election Day.”
The Western New England College Polling Institute surveyed 449 adults drawn from across Massachusetts using random-digit-dialing between September 29 and October 6. The sample yielded 408 adults who said they were registered to vote in Massachusetts. Unless otherwise noted, figures are based on the statewide sample of registered voters. The data were weighted to reflect the adult population of Massachusetts by gender, race and age. Complete results of the poll are available online at www.wnec.edu/news
Massachusetts voters overwhelmingly oppose eliminating the state income tax, according to the latest survey from the Western New England College Polling Institute.
The telephone poll of 408 registered voters, conducted September 29 through October 6, found that 62 percent of voters oppose Question 1, a ballot initiative that calls for doing away with the state’s income tax. Twenty-six percent favor the idea, while 12 percent said they are undecided or declined to offer an opinion.
The survey also found:
Voters favor decriminalizing possession of an ounce or less of marijuana, with 62 percent voicing support, 32 percent opposed, and five percent saying they are undecided or declining to offer an opinion.
Voters support banning dog racing in Massachusetts 53 percent to 30 percent, but a sizable number – 17 percent – said they are undecided or declined to offer an opinion.
Voters will decide the questions on November 4. Previous attempts to eliminate the income tax and ban dog racing have failed. The income tax proposal received support from 45 percent of voters in 2002, while the dog racing ban lost narrowly in 2000.
The nature of ballot questions can make the outcome of initiatives hard to predict, said Tim Vercellotti, associate professor of political science and co-director of the Western New England College Polling Institute. “Some voters who express a preference on ballot questions in pre-election surveys don’t always make it that far down the ballot when casting their vote,” Vercellotti said. He noted that 11 percent of voters who cast a ballot in the 2002 gubernatorial race did not vote on the state income tax question in that election.
Question wording also can influence voters’ responses on issues. The Western New England College Polling Institute asked:
“Voters in November also will decide whether Massachusetts should eliminate the state income tax. Supporters of this idea say it will save the average taxpayer $3,600 per year. Opponents of this idea say eliminating the income tax would force state and local government to make deep cuts in services.
Do you support or oppose eliminating the state income tax?”
“After hearing both sides of the issue in the question, voters were less likely to support the idea,” Vercellotti noted. “While eliminating the income tax may have initial appeal when it comes to voters’ pocketbooks, hearing about the potential consequences in terms of services seems to reduce that appeal.”
Opinions about the proposal varied by party identification and education. Democrats opposed the idea 74 percent to 14 percent, while Republicans favored it 42 percent to 36 percent. Independent voters also were opposed by a margin of 70 percent to 22 percent. Voters who have a high school education or less were evenly divided, with 41 percent in favor and 45 percent opposed. Survey respondents who had at least some college opposed the idea 59 percent to 25 percent, while college graduates were opposed 70 percent to 19 percent.
Support for decriminalizing possession of an ounce or less of marijuana also varied across key demographic factors – in this case party identification and age. Democrats and independent voters supported the idea 62 percent to 32 percent. The margin was narrower among Republican voters, who backed the idea 54 percent to 44 percent. The proposal, which will be Question 2 on the November ballot, also drew sizable support from voters under age 65. Voters age 65 and older were evenly split, with 45 percent in favor and 45 percent opposed.
The proposed ban on dog racing in Massachusetts – listed as Question 3 on the ballot – divided voters by party and gender. Democrats supported the ban 62 percent to 27 percent, while 49 percent of Republican and independent voters were in favor and about one-third of each group was opposed. Women were more likely than men to support the ban. Fifty-nine percent of women were in favor, with 22 percent opposed. Male voters were almost evenly split, with 44 percent in favor and 40 percent opposed.
The survey also found a relatively large level of uncertainty about the idea, with 17 percent of voters saying they were undecided or declining to offer an opinion. “A large chunk of the electorate has not yet formed views on this issue,” Vercellotti said. “That suggests there could be some volatility in opinion in this area, with the potential for some swings before Election Day.”
The Western New England College Polling Institute surveyed 449 adults drawn from across Massachusetts using random-digit-dialing between September 29 and October 6. The sample yielded 408 adults who said they were registered to vote in Massachusetts. Unless otherwise noted, figures are based on the statewide sample of registered voters. The data were weighted to reflect the adult population of Massachusetts by gender, race and age. Complete results of the poll are available online at www.wnec.edu/news
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
I'm feeling very guilty now.
Our home is about halfway done in the siding job that will help seal and protect its century-plus timbers and plaster. We've replaced plumbing and upgraded electrical service. We've replaced the aging slate shingles with a modern roof. We've repointed our chimneys.
But these changes didn't change the fundamental look of the home. It always looked like a Greek revival farmhouse from 1864.
Now it doesn't. The only detail left is the doorway.
The simple truth is we couldn't afford the upgrading and painting of wooden clapboards. The siding, once it is done, will mean that my wife and I won't have to worry about this aspect of home ownership for the rest of the lives.
With any luck.
I've saved some of the wooden pieces that were removed and will install them as shelves in one room of the house.
Perhaps I shouldn't fret so much, since the house has undergone its initial construction and then two additions. I just feel I'm subtracting something, though.
I had a very satisfying turn-out for the book signing at the Holyoke Barnes & Noble on Saturday. It's reassuring to see people buy multiple copies of your book and one gentleman came back to get another copy as a gift since he liked it so much.
My old friend and best man at our wedding, Joe, surprised me big time as he was in town for a wedding. An Springfield native, he now lives in Arizona. It's apparently true you can take the boy out of Springfield, but you can't take Springfield out of the boy. Joe, by the way, always had the best taste in shirts.
Please goover to my Fleischer site as I've decided to start adding some images from my collection to it.
Our home is about halfway done in the siding job that will help seal and protect its century-plus timbers and plaster. We've replaced plumbing and upgraded electrical service. We've replaced the aging slate shingles with a modern roof. We've repointed our chimneys.
But these changes didn't change the fundamental look of the home. It always looked like a Greek revival farmhouse from 1864.
Now it doesn't. The only detail left is the doorway.
The simple truth is we couldn't afford the upgrading and painting of wooden clapboards. The siding, once it is done, will mean that my wife and I won't have to worry about this aspect of home ownership for the rest of the lives.
With any luck.
I've saved some of the wooden pieces that were removed and will install them as shelves in one room of the house.
Perhaps I shouldn't fret so much, since the house has undergone its initial construction and then two additions. I just feel I'm subtracting something, though.
I had a very satisfying turn-out for the book signing at the Holyoke Barnes & Noble on Saturday. It's reassuring to see people buy multiple copies of your book and one gentleman came back to get another copy as a gift since he liked it so much.
My old friend and best man at our wedding, Joe, surprised me big time as he was in town for a wedding. An Springfield native, he now lives in Arizona. It's apparently true you can take the boy out of Springfield, but you can't take Springfield out of the boy. Joe, by the way, always had the best taste in shirts.
Please goover to my Fleischer site as I've decided to start adding some images from my collection to it.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Springfield's Third train station – a real beauty – was used for less than 30 years before it was replaced by the current station.
The newest plan for Union Station was released yesterday and it is the most sensible one that has been suggested so far.
There is no shopping mall, IMAX theater or hotel complex. Instead the plan is to consolidate train, bus and taxi service in one location with a parking garage, office space and some "traveler-support retail." All of the grand vision items have been replaced with ones that are within the the realm of possibility.
The $65 million project, if all of its ducks line up, could be completed b y 2011.
The baggage building would be demolished for the parking garage and bus bay. Buses would enter Frank B. Murray Street by Main, go into the enclosed bus bay area, and then exit via Dwight Street. The parking garage would be above the bus bays.
The tunnel linking the station to Lyman Street would be re-opened.
PVTA officials are still waiting for a final "we're in" from Peter Pan Buslines.
This would be a great step forward for the region and downtown Springield, especially if the state invests in the commuter line proposed between Springfield and New Haven. Although in this very uncertain economic times, one can't be assured that the Legislature would see fit to invest that kind of money in Western Massachusetts transportation infrastructure.
I was allowed inside the station – although I was quickly escorted out by one worker – and a number of the vintage benches are still there in the waiting room, covered in plastic. The clock in the main lobby is still there, although, needing repair.
© 2008 by Gordon Michael Dobbs
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Happy Birthday Valley Advocate!
Here's the story that landed me into hot water with one local cartoonist. Sorry but that version of "King Kong" still sucks.
I’ve been wanting to say “Happy Birthday” to the Valley Advocate for about a week now. The area’s alternative weekly is celebrating 35 years in print.
The Advocate was the first publication that paid me to write and I will be eternally grateful for the opportunity.
In 1975 I was a junior at UMass and was carrying a double major of English/Journalism. I was considering writing for the campus paper the near legendary “Daily Collegian,” but one meeting in their offices was all it took to sway me form that course.
I have always hated snobs. I’ve always hated bullies. I’ve always hated the fraternity atmosphere that permeates so much of college life. That’s what I found at the “Collegian,” and I said, “Screw it.”
So I wandered into the offices of the Advocate, which in 1975 were located in a house near Amherst Cinemas. The editor who greeted me was Charles “Chuck” Smith, a man with a background in acting and performing. We talked about assignments and I think – I couldn’t find my clip file easily – my first gig was interviewing NBC newsman Edwin Newman who was appearing at the Big E promoting his book on the English language.
Newman was low key and affable, which was fine as I was nervous – about the only other celeb I had interviewed at this time was Buster Crabbe – and I produced a story that met with Chuck’s approval.
Writing for the Advocate didn’t pay a whole lot and I clearly remembering trying to cash a $12 check for a story only to be told the Advocate didn’t have that amount in its account.
Ah, the salad days.
I wrote a review of the 1976 remake of “king Kong” that earned me my first negative letter to the editor from an UMass colleague who later turned out to be a multi-millionaire cartoonist.
From 1975 through the late 1980s, I wrote a number of freelance pieces for the Advocate, all mostly performing arts stories. When I was on WREB radio as the evening drive talk show host I would convert a number of the interviews into stories for the paper, thus making a little coin to augment my $5 an hour salary.
My interviews with George Romero, Larry Cohen and Lillian Gish, among others, were seen there.
My editor then was Bill Swislow, a nice guy who seemed to share my pop culture sensibilities. His successor was a person with whom I shared nothing and she made it very clear she wasn’t interested in my work, so that ended the association.
In the past few years, I’ve been given a halo by the Advocate staff in their “Horns & Halo” annual review, which is a designation, because of my history, that means a fair amount to me.
Although some people discount the Advocate as not having the impact it once had, the fact is The Advocate has done some great work in trying to shed some light on Springfield’s political morass over the past 20 years. If it were not for the Advocate, I doubt people would have been aware of the nature of the Albano Administration.
And thanks to Tom Vannah, Stephanie Kraft and Maureen Turner, the publication is still doing great work.
© 2008 by Gordon Michael Dobbs
Here's the story that landed me into hot water with one local cartoonist. Sorry but that version of "King Kong" still sucks.
I’ve been wanting to say “Happy Birthday” to the Valley Advocate for about a week now. The area’s alternative weekly is celebrating 35 years in print.
The Advocate was the first publication that paid me to write and I will be eternally grateful for the opportunity.
In 1975 I was a junior at UMass and was carrying a double major of English/Journalism. I was considering writing for the campus paper the near legendary “Daily Collegian,” but one meeting in their offices was all it took to sway me form that course.
I have always hated snobs. I’ve always hated bullies. I’ve always hated the fraternity atmosphere that permeates so much of college life. That’s what I found at the “Collegian,” and I said, “Screw it.”
So I wandered into the offices of the Advocate, which in 1975 were located in a house near Amherst Cinemas. The editor who greeted me was Charles “Chuck” Smith, a man with a background in acting and performing. We talked about assignments and I think – I couldn’t find my clip file easily – my first gig was interviewing NBC newsman Edwin Newman who was appearing at the Big E promoting his book on the English language.
Newman was low key and affable, which was fine as I was nervous – about the only other celeb I had interviewed at this time was Buster Crabbe – and I produced a story that met with Chuck’s approval.
Writing for the Advocate didn’t pay a whole lot and I clearly remembering trying to cash a $12 check for a story only to be told the Advocate didn’t have that amount in its account.
Ah, the salad days.
I wrote a review of the 1976 remake of “king Kong” that earned me my first negative letter to the editor from an UMass colleague who later turned out to be a multi-millionaire cartoonist.
From 1975 through the late 1980s, I wrote a number of freelance pieces for the Advocate, all mostly performing arts stories. When I was on WREB radio as the evening drive talk show host I would convert a number of the interviews into stories for the paper, thus making a little coin to augment my $5 an hour salary.
My interviews with George Romero, Larry Cohen and Lillian Gish, among others, were seen there.
My editor then was Bill Swislow, a nice guy who seemed to share my pop culture sensibilities. His successor was a person with whom I shared nothing and she made it very clear she wasn’t interested in my work, so that ended the association.
In the past few years, I’ve been given a halo by the Advocate staff in their “Horns & Halo” annual review, which is a designation, because of my history, that means a fair amount to me.
Although some people discount the Advocate as not having the impact it once had, the fact is The Advocate has done some great work in trying to shed some light on Springfield’s political morass over the past 20 years. If it were not for the Advocate, I doubt people would have been aware of the nature of the Albano Administration.
And thanks to Tom Vannah, Stephanie Kraft and Maureen Turner, the publication is still doing great work.
© 2008 by Gordon Michael Dobbs
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Dobbs enters the video age
My boss wants my department to produce videos for the newspaper's Web site and so at the risk of people telling me I have a face for print and radio, here it is:
Now reporters in newsrooms across the country are facing the challenge of being handed a camera and being told to produce videos for the paper's Web site. The problem is for print people to figure out the why of the video. technical stuff can be worked out through training and practice, but I feel the videos need to be either independent of print stories or complement print stories.
And that process – determining the how and why of the video – is as labor intensive as the actual production.
It took me two hours of fussing with iMovie to produce this six-minute video. I have to make up that time as it was a loss of writing time.
My boss wants my department to produce videos for the newspaper's Web site and so at the risk of people telling me I have a face for print and radio, here it is:
Now reporters in newsrooms across the country are facing the challenge of being handed a camera and being told to produce videos for the paper's Web site. The problem is for print people to figure out the why of the video. technical stuff can be worked out through training and practice, but I feel the videos need to be either independent of print stories or complement print stories.
And that process – determining the how and why of the video – is as labor intensive as the actual production.
It took me two hours of fussing with iMovie to produce this six-minute video. I have to make up that time as it was a loss of writing time.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
So what color are you and is this accurate? From the folks at Zogby
After two presidential election cycles during which the American electorate was split right down the middle like two bitter, warring factions, polling over time by Zogby International has shown that the middle of the political spectrum has made a comeback.
And with the resurgence of the political center comes a pitched battle between the presidential campaigns of Barack Obama and John McCain to win them over, with both investing tens of millions of dollars. So who are these people who are the targets of such lavish political spending?
These "Purples" - some independent, some moderate - are distinctly different than the "Reds" or "Blues" who are tuned into what is going on in the political world and who mostly have made up their minds about the race.
Purples require a unique approach, as shown in a new, extensive national interactive survey by Zogby and the USC Annenberg School's Norman Lear Center.
Here is a look at how those much-coveted Purple voters can be reached by political campaigns and what they want to hear (For profiles of Reds, Blues and Purples, look at the end of this release):
Connecting With the Purple People:
* All politics is still local. Purples trust and rely on their local
newspapers for news. Fifty-eight percent prefer their hometown paper, five
times more than any national or major city daily. So in addition to making a
local stop, push local surrogates to deliver your message.
* Stick with 30-second spots. TV was tops when Purples were asked what they
like to do in their free time.
* NBC is still king. Purples most trust old pro Tom Brokaw, followed by
Nightly News anchor Brian Williams.
* Don't preach to the choir if you are McCain. Few Purples tune in to Fox
News.
* Top TV shows to buy ad time on: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, 60
Minutes, CSI, Sunday Night Football, House, Two and a Half Men, Law & Order
and Criminal Minds.
* Avoid reality shows. More than a 25% never watch them, and American Idol
is the only one to reach double figures (11%.)
* Letterman and Leno give you the best bang for the buck on late night, but
25% of Purples are already asleep by then.
* The news/talk radio format is a good buy, as 41% of Purples listen in.
* Rock and roll will never die. Classic rock and oldies stations will reach
30% of Purples. Pop stations are up there at 28%.
* Over half of Purples either don't listen to national political talk radio
or don't have a favorite talking head. Of those who do, 18% listen to Paul
Harvey and 13% to Rush Limbaugh.
* All sports, all the time. You can reach more than 10% of Purples with just
about any sports on TV. Of course football is number one (54%), followed by
baseball and basketball.
* Google them because 69% of Purples say that is their favorite site. Yahoo
is at 51% and MSN at 39%.
* Get viral. YouTube is a favorite for 27% of Purples.
* They're surfing for news - 72% say that is the information they look for
online. Purples are also more likely to go online to find out about TV
shows, movies, games, music, fashion, shopping, books and sports. But don't
waste your time with blogs - Purples don't really care about them.
* Celebrities won't help, as 87% of Purples say that their endorsements are
a turn off or have no impact.
* The Oprah exception. Twenty-nine percent say Ms.Winfrey is well-informed
about the candidate she endorsed (Obama), and George Clooney clocked in at a
respectable 26%.
* Be happy because they are. Eighty-three percent of Purples say they are
very or somewhat happy about their personal life.
What to Say to Purples:
* Forget about wedge issues. Purples are worried about the economy.
Forty-nine percent cite it as most important, compared to 3% who chose
morality and values.
* The Iraq War isn't working. Seventy percent of Purples say it has not been
worth the loss of American lives and 53% don't agree that it can be won.
* Go green. Four of five Purples say more resources are needed to protect
the environment rather than saying government has gone too far.
* Promise that you will throw the bums out of Washington. Seventy percent of
Purples blame leaders of the political parties for the worsened state of
politics. Eighty percent say this country's on the wrong track.
* Corporate America is not their friend. A whopping 90% say corporations
don't generally act in society's best interests. Also, 57% say government
regulation of business is important.
* Praise the working mother. Eighty-seven percent of Purples said men and
women should share household duties equally.
* Privatize education at your peril. Eighty percent of Purples say that
investing in public schools is better than supporting private education.
* Don't demonize immigrants. Two-thirds of Purples say they are here for
work, not a handout.
* Walk a tightrope on trade. Purples are closely split on whether workers
need trade protections.
* Be tech savvy. Three quarters of Purples say new technology and the social
and economic changes it brings are a good thing.
* Civil liberties and equality take a back seat to security and freedom. We
found that 57% of Purples say security is more important than liberties, and
74% say freedom is to be more valued than equality.
* However, don't believe that Purples want us to shoot first and ask
questions later. When asked to choose between using force or improving
anti-American sentiment to combat terror, 85% of Purples choose the latter.
* Compassion is popular. It is our duty to help the less fortunate, say 81%
of Purples.
* Be very careful talking about religion's role. Purples are evenly split as
to whether religion should have a greater role, or be left out of public
life.
* Don't talk about guns. Purples are again evenly split on whether it is
appropriate to regulate gun ownership.
* Cutting taxes is always a good thing for everybody. So say 66% of Purples.
* Are they listening? Over half of Purples say they're paying more attention
to politics than four years ago.
The survey, which examined the political beliefs and entertainment
preferences of 3,167 likely voters, provides us with a fascinating view of
this slice of the American electorate. Using statistical clustering
analysis, Zogby and the Lear Center created a political typology based on
how respondents evaluated 42 statements about political values. The typology
revealed three significant clusters of respondents: "Reds" made up 41% of
the national sample, and "Blues" comprised 34%. The "Purples," a full 24%
of those surveyed, did not align with the political beliefs and values of
Reds, who could be considered "conservative," or Blues, who could be labeled
"liberal." The same respondents were asked about their preferred
leisure-time activities and their favorite radio and TV shows, Web sites,
movies, games and sports. This Zogby/Lear Center survey is the second in a
series.
Profiling Reds, Blues & Purples
Here are brief summaries of the three political typology groups, including
their demographics and their entertainment, leisure and lifestyle
preferences:
Reds
Reds are the largest ideological group in the U.S. They tend to live close
to other family members and they're much more satisfied with their
spiritual, family and personal lifethan the rest of the nation. They love
going to sports events, watching football on TV and playing Madden. They
also enjoy golf and auto racing more than other people. They use the Web to
find news and sports coverage, but they're less likely to go to social
networking sites. Reds tend to get their news from cable TV and radio, and
they much prefer Leno to any other late-night programming. Compared to the
rest of the country, they are less open to foreign entertainment and any
entertainment that reflects values other than their own. Monopoly is their
favorite game. They blame the news media for the worsened state of politics
in this country, but only a minority believes that celebrity involvement in
politics has a negative effect. They are more likely than other Americans to
think that Chuck Norris, Ted Nugent, Tom Selleck and Pat Boone are
well-informed celebrities on the campaign trail. Like other voters, most
Reds say that they learn about politics from fictional movies and TV, and a
majority says they have taken action based on issues depicted in scripted TV
and movies. Their favorite fictional TV shows are House and CSI; their
favorite summer movies were Indiana Jones and The Dark Knight. In their
spare time, they like to read and spend time with family and friends. They
drink more soda than cocktails, and they prefer seafood and salads to
burgers and beer.
Reds are the oldest group and the wealthiest, although a majority never
graduated from college. They are the most likely to be married and to live
in rural areas - most live in the South and the Center/Great Lakes region.
Almost one in three say they are "very conservative," and most describe
themselves as "born again." Seventy-two percent identify as Republican, 23%
as Independent and 5% as Democrat. Reds are the least racially diverse
group, and it's the only group where men outnumber women.
Blues
Blues are the second largest ideological group in the country. Almost all of
them think the U.S. is on the wrong track, and they are far more likely than
the rest of the country to be unsatisfied with their personal, family,
business and social life. They are more tolerant of the media than other
Americans, but they are more likely to get their news from comedy shows than
from any of the network TV newscasts. More than any other group, they get
their news online, and they use Wikipedia. In fact, their favorite
leisure-time activity is surfing the Web, where they like reading blogs and
socializing (they prefer Facebook to MySpace). They tend to get their TV
news from NBC and MSNBC, and they are fans of Keith Olbermann. Blues love
playing Trivial Pursuit, and their favorite video games are Wii Sports,
Zelda, Guitar Hero and Super Mario Kart. They like The Dark Knight and Iron
Man, and their favorite TV show is 60 Minutes. Many Blues dislike reality
programming - more than Reds and Purples. For late-night, they prefer The
Daily Show. Blues enjoy going to music concerts and to the theater, and they
often enjoy entertainment from other countries. Like the rest of the
country, most Blues don't think that celebrity endorsements have an effect
on them. Few Blues believe that celebrities are well-informed about the
candidates they endorse, except for Oprah. Blues are more likely to enjoy
sushi and vegetarian meals; they are also the biggest drinkers of wine and
beer.
Blues are the youngest group and the most educated. They are more likely to
live in urban areas and they are the most racially and religiously diverse.
Seventy-nine percent identify as Democrats (even more than Reds identify as
Republican), but they are as likely to describe themselves as "moderate" as
they would call themselves either "liberal" or "progressive." Eighteen
percent identify as Independent, and 3% as Republican. A majority of Blues
is female, and compared to other groups, Blues are more likely to be single
or in a civil union. Most live in the Center/Great Lakes region, followed by
the South, the West and the East.
Purples
Purples are the smallest ideological group, and in many ways they fall
between the Red and Blue camps. Like Blues, they think the country is on the
wrong track, and they are less satisfied with their personal, business and
social life than Reds. Most Purples say they are paying more attention to
politics now than four years ago, and a large majority says they learn about
political issues from fictional TV shows and film. Like Blues, most get
their news from the Web, but they are more likely than any other group to
use the Web to find information about celebrity gossip, TV shows, movies,
games, music, fashion, shopping, books, relationships and sports. Purples
are more likely than Reds or Blues to say that playing games and listening
to music are the most enjoyable things to do online. Unlike Blues, Purples
prefer MySpace to Facebook (it's a tie for Reds). Tom Brokaw is popular
among Purples, and they believe he's the most influential news personality.
Purples say watching TV is their favorite leisure-time activity, and their
top three shows are Law & Order: SVU, 60 Minutes and CSI. Purples like
reality programming more than any other group, and American Idol is their
favorite. They prefer Letterman and Leno over all the other late-night
programs. Like Reds, they say they are not big fans of foreign entertainment
products, but they give high marks to the Wii, Super Mario Kart and Dance
Dance Revolution. Scrabble is their favorite game. Purples are the biggest
cocktail drinkers, and they like a good surf n' turf.
Most Purples haven't graduated from college, and half identify as "born
again." They are the most likely to be divorced, widowed or separated, and a
large majority of Purples is female. Most live in a large city or in the
suburbs, and a higher proportion live in the East, compared to Reds and
Blues. Most Purples are middle-aged and middle-class, but they are far more
likely than other groups to make less than $35K. A majority voted for Kerry
in 2004. Forty-five percent of purples identify themselves as Democrats; 24%
as Republicans; 31% as Independents.
Data was collected from August 19-21, 2008. A sampling of Zogby
International's online panel, which is representative of the adult
population of the US, was invited to participate. Slight weights were added
for region, party, age, race, religion and gender to more accurately reflect
the population. The respondents were asked to evaluate 42 political
statements which Zogby and the Lear Center developed in 2007 as a tool to
more accurately describe a person's political profile. A statistical
analysis of the data revealed three very different ideological groups, which
were labeled "Red," "Blue," and "Purple." The same respondents were asked
about their preferred leisure-time activities and their favorite radio and
TV shows, Web sites, movies, games and sports. This survey is the second in
a series.
After two presidential election cycles during which the American electorate was split right down the middle like two bitter, warring factions, polling over time by Zogby International has shown that the middle of the political spectrum has made a comeback.
And with the resurgence of the political center comes a pitched battle between the presidential campaigns of Barack Obama and John McCain to win them over, with both investing tens of millions of dollars. So who are these people who are the targets of such lavish political spending?
These "Purples" - some independent, some moderate - are distinctly different than the "Reds" or "Blues" who are tuned into what is going on in the political world and who mostly have made up their minds about the race.
Purples require a unique approach, as shown in a new, extensive national interactive survey by Zogby and the USC Annenberg School's Norman Lear Center.
Here is a look at how those much-coveted Purple voters can be reached by political campaigns and what they want to hear (For profiles of Reds, Blues and Purples, look at the end of this release):
Connecting With the Purple People:
* All politics is still local. Purples trust and rely on their local
newspapers for news. Fifty-eight percent prefer their hometown paper, five
times more than any national or major city daily. So in addition to making a
local stop, push local surrogates to deliver your message.
* Stick with 30-second spots. TV was tops when Purples were asked what they
like to do in their free time.
* NBC is still king. Purples most trust old pro Tom Brokaw, followed by
Nightly News anchor Brian Williams.
* Don't preach to the choir if you are McCain. Few Purples tune in to Fox
News.
* Top TV shows to buy ad time on: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, 60
Minutes, CSI, Sunday Night Football, House, Two and a Half Men, Law & Order
and Criminal Minds.
* Avoid reality shows. More than a 25% never watch them, and American Idol
is the only one to reach double figures (11%.)
* Letterman and Leno give you the best bang for the buck on late night, but
25% of Purples are already asleep by then.
* The news/talk radio format is a good buy, as 41% of Purples listen in.
* Rock and roll will never die. Classic rock and oldies stations will reach
30% of Purples. Pop stations are up there at 28%.
* Over half of Purples either don't listen to national political talk radio
or don't have a favorite talking head. Of those who do, 18% listen to Paul
Harvey and 13% to Rush Limbaugh.
* All sports, all the time. You can reach more than 10% of Purples with just
about any sports on TV. Of course football is number one (54%), followed by
baseball and basketball.
* Google them because 69% of Purples say that is their favorite site. Yahoo
is at 51% and MSN at 39%.
* Get viral. YouTube is a favorite for 27% of Purples.
* They're surfing for news - 72% say that is the information they look for
online. Purples are also more likely to go online to find out about TV
shows, movies, games, music, fashion, shopping, books and sports. But don't
waste your time with blogs - Purples don't really care about them.
* Celebrities won't help, as 87% of Purples say that their endorsements are
a turn off or have no impact.
* The Oprah exception. Twenty-nine percent say Ms.Winfrey is well-informed
about the candidate she endorsed (Obama), and George Clooney clocked in at a
respectable 26%.
* Be happy because they are. Eighty-three percent of Purples say they are
very or somewhat happy about their personal life.
What to Say to Purples:
* Forget about wedge issues. Purples are worried about the economy.
Forty-nine percent cite it as most important, compared to 3% who chose
morality and values.
* The Iraq War isn't working. Seventy percent of Purples say it has not been
worth the loss of American lives and 53% don't agree that it can be won.
* Go green. Four of five Purples say more resources are needed to protect
the environment rather than saying government has gone too far.
* Promise that you will throw the bums out of Washington. Seventy percent of
Purples blame leaders of the political parties for the worsened state of
politics. Eighty percent say this country's on the wrong track.
* Corporate America is not their friend. A whopping 90% say corporations
don't generally act in society's best interests. Also, 57% say government
regulation of business is important.
* Praise the working mother. Eighty-seven percent of Purples said men and
women should share household duties equally.
* Privatize education at your peril. Eighty percent of Purples say that
investing in public schools is better than supporting private education.
* Don't demonize immigrants. Two-thirds of Purples say they are here for
work, not a handout.
* Walk a tightrope on trade. Purples are closely split on whether workers
need trade protections.
* Be tech savvy. Three quarters of Purples say new technology and the social
and economic changes it brings are a good thing.
* Civil liberties and equality take a back seat to security and freedom. We
found that 57% of Purples say security is more important than liberties, and
74% say freedom is to be more valued than equality.
* However, don't believe that Purples want us to shoot first and ask
questions later. When asked to choose between using force or improving
anti-American sentiment to combat terror, 85% of Purples choose the latter.
* Compassion is popular. It is our duty to help the less fortunate, say 81%
of Purples.
* Be very careful talking about religion's role. Purples are evenly split as
to whether religion should have a greater role, or be left out of public
life.
* Don't talk about guns. Purples are again evenly split on whether it is
appropriate to regulate gun ownership.
* Cutting taxes is always a good thing for everybody. So say 66% of Purples.
* Are they listening? Over half of Purples say they're paying more attention
to politics than four years ago.
The survey, which examined the political beliefs and entertainment
preferences of 3,167 likely voters, provides us with a fascinating view of
this slice of the American electorate. Using statistical clustering
analysis, Zogby and the Lear Center created a political typology based on
how respondents evaluated 42 statements about political values. The typology
revealed three significant clusters of respondents: "Reds" made up 41% of
the national sample, and "Blues" comprised 34%. The "Purples," a full 24%
of those surveyed, did not align with the political beliefs and values of
Reds, who could be considered "conservative," or Blues, who could be labeled
"liberal." The same respondents were asked about their preferred
leisure-time activities and their favorite radio and TV shows, Web sites,
movies, games and sports. This Zogby/Lear Center survey is the second in a
series.
Profiling Reds, Blues & Purples
Here are brief summaries of the three political typology groups, including
their demographics and their entertainment, leisure and lifestyle
preferences:
Reds
Reds are the largest ideological group in the U.S. They tend to live close
to other family members and they're much more satisfied with their
spiritual, family and personal lifethan the rest of the nation. They love
going to sports events, watching football on TV and playing Madden. They
also enjoy golf and auto racing more than other people. They use the Web to
find news and sports coverage, but they're less likely to go to social
networking sites. Reds tend to get their news from cable TV and radio, and
they much prefer Leno to any other late-night programming. Compared to the
rest of the country, they are less open to foreign entertainment and any
entertainment that reflects values other than their own. Monopoly is their
favorite game. They blame the news media for the worsened state of politics
in this country, but only a minority believes that celebrity involvement in
politics has a negative effect. They are more likely than other Americans to
think that Chuck Norris, Ted Nugent, Tom Selleck and Pat Boone are
well-informed celebrities on the campaign trail. Like other voters, most
Reds say that they learn about politics from fictional movies and TV, and a
majority says they have taken action based on issues depicted in scripted TV
and movies. Their favorite fictional TV shows are House and CSI; their
favorite summer movies were Indiana Jones and The Dark Knight. In their
spare time, they like to read and spend time with family and friends. They
drink more soda than cocktails, and they prefer seafood and salads to
burgers and beer.
Reds are the oldest group and the wealthiest, although a majority never
graduated from college. They are the most likely to be married and to live
in rural areas - most live in the South and the Center/Great Lakes region.
Almost one in three say they are "very conservative," and most describe
themselves as "born again." Seventy-two percent identify as Republican, 23%
as Independent and 5% as Democrat. Reds are the least racially diverse
group, and it's the only group where men outnumber women.
Blues
Blues are the second largest ideological group in the country. Almost all of
them think the U.S. is on the wrong track, and they are far more likely than
the rest of the country to be unsatisfied with their personal, family,
business and social life. They are more tolerant of the media than other
Americans, but they are more likely to get their news from comedy shows than
from any of the network TV newscasts. More than any other group, they get
their news online, and they use Wikipedia. In fact, their favorite
leisure-time activity is surfing the Web, where they like reading blogs and
socializing (they prefer Facebook to MySpace). They tend to get their TV
news from NBC and MSNBC, and they are fans of Keith Olbermann. Blues love
playing Trivial Pursuit, and their favorite video games are Wii Sports,
Zelda, Guitar Hero and Super Mario Kart. They like The Dark Knight and Iron
Man, and their favorite TV show is 60 Minutes. Many Blues dislike reality
programming - more than Reds and Purples. For late-night, they prefer The
Daily Show. Blues enjoy going to music concerts and to the theater, and they
often enjoy entertainment from other countries. Like the rest of the
country, most Blues don't think that celebrity endorsements have an effect
on them. Few Blues believe that celebrities are well-informed about the
candidates they endorse, except for Oprah. Blues are more likely to enjoy
sushi and vegetarian meals; they are also the biggest drinkers of wine and
beer.
Blues are the youngest group and the most educated. They are more likely to
live in urban areas and they are the most racially and religiously diverse.
Seventy-nine percent identify as Democrats (even more than Reds identify as
Republican), but they are as likely to describe themselves as "moderate" as
they would call themselves either "liberal" or "progressive." Eighteen
percent identify as Independent, and 3% as Republican. A majority of Blues
is female, and compared to other groups, Blues are more likely to be single
or in a civil union. Most live in the Center/Great Lakes region, followed by
the South, the West and the East.
Purples
Purples are the smallest ideological group, and in many ways they fall
between the Red and Blue camps. Like Blues, they think the country is on the
wrong track, and they are less satisfied with their personal, business and
social life than Reds. Most Purples say they are paying more attention to
politics now than four years ago, and a large majority says they learn about
political issues from fictional TV shows and film. Like Blues, most get
their news from the Web, but they are more likely than any other group to
use the Web to find information about celebrity gossip, TV shows, movies,
games, music, fashion, shopping, books, relationships and sports. Purples
are more likely than Reds or Blues to say that playing games and listening
to music are the most enjoyable things to do online. Unlike Blues, Purples
prefer MySpace to Facebook (it's a tie for Reds). Tom Brokaw is popular
among Purples, and they believe he's the most influential news personality.
Purples say watching TV is their favorite leisure-time activity, and their
top three shows are Law & Order: SVU, 60 Minutes and CSI. Purples like
reality programming more than any other group, and American Idol is their
favorite. They prefer Letterman and Leno over all the other late-night
programs. Like Reds, they say they are not big fans of foreign entertainment
products, but they give high marks to the Wii, Super Mario Kart and Dance
Dance Revolution. Scrabble is their favorite game. Purples are the biggest
cocktail drinkers, and they like a good surf n' turf.
Most Purples haven't graduated from college, and half identify as "born
again." They are the most likely to be divorced, widowed or separated, and a
large majority of Purples is female. Most live in a large city or in the
suburbs, and a higher proportion live in the East, compared to Reds and
Blues. Most Purples are middle-aged and middle-class, but they are far more
likely than other groups to make less than $35K. A majority voted for Kerry
in 2004. Forty-five percent of purples identify themselves as Democrats; 24%
as Republicans; 31% as Independents.
Data was collected from August 19-21, 2008. A sampling of Zogby
International's online panel, which is representative of the adult
population of the US, was invited to participate. Slight weights were added
for region, party, age, race, religion and gender to more accurately reflect
the population. The respondents were asked to evaluate 42 political
statements which Zogby and the Lear Center developed in 2007 as a tool to
more accurately describe a person's political profile. A statistical
analysis of the data revealed three very different ideological groups, which
were labeled "Red," "Blue," and "Purple." The same respondents were asked
about their preferred leisure-time activities and their favorite radio and
TV shows, Web sites, movies, games and sports. This survey is the second in
a series.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Shameless self-promotion time again, kids!
First, my Fleischer at the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction tomorrow night will have all new clips and shorts than the one I presented at the Main Street Museum this summer. The show starts at 7 p.m. and is free. I'll have copies of my animation book, "Escape! How Animation Went Mainstream in the 1990s" for sale. For directions, etc. go here.
Then I'll be signing copies of my newest book, "Springfield A Postcard History" at the Holyoke Barnes & Noble on Oct. 4 at 10 a.m. Please come by and say hello, and help me pay for the fuel we'll use this winter!
I will also be part of my friend Mino's monthly wine dinner at his spectacular Buon Appetito restaurant in Westfield on Oct. 13. Diners will not only get a lavish meal but also a copy of the Springfield book, which I will be happy to inscribe. Call 568-0002 for more information and reservations. I'll post the menu when I get it!
I can not tell you just how great Mino's cuisine is – simply the best Italian you've ever tasted. His wine dinners fill up quickly.
First, my Fleischer at the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction tomorrow night will have all new clips and shorts than the one I presented at the Main Street Museum this summer. The show starts at 7 p.m. and is free. I'll have copies of my animation book, "Escape! How Animation Went Mainstream in the 1990s" for sale. For directions, etc. go here.
Then I'll be signing copies of my newest book, "Springfield A Postcard History" at the Holyoke Barnes & Noble on Oct. 4 at 10 a.m. Please come by and say hello, and help me pay for the fuel we'll use this winter!
I will also be part of my friend Mino's monthly wine dinner at his spectacular Buon Appetito restaurant in Westfield on Oct. 13. Diners will not only get a lavish meal but also a copy of the Springfield book, which I will be happy to inscribe. Call 568-0002 for more information and reservations. I'll post the menu when I get it!
I can not tell you just how great Mino's cuisine is – simply the best Italian you've ever tasted. His wine dinners fill up quickly.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Since my buddy Mark "not the Race Car Driver" and I have been testing the bounds of our friendship through a heated political discussion on this blog and his, I thought I would attempt to explain a little of my own politics by reprinting what I wrote this week in my column:
My paternal grandmother was from Alabama and was a rock solid Democrat. When asked once if she would vote for Jesus Christ if he was running as a Republican, she replied, "He wouldn't be a Republican."
In fact, my brother and I were under an oath not to reveal to Grandma that my father ran and won a seat on the Granby School Committee as a Republican. He had no party affiliation and had merely accepted the invitation of the Republican Town Committee to go for the position. The old man was deadly serious with us on not spilling the beans, as he didn't want to face his mother's wrath.
I bring this little bit of my family history up as illustration of my belief that faith and politics go hand in hand. Just like we believe in the mysteries of religion, many of us place the same devotion in candidates for public office.
And I don't believe we look for a candidate to challenge or enhance our beliefs, but rather someone who mirrors our established opinions.
How many people vote on following criteria:
Whether or not a candidate is a friend of labor?
Whether or not a candidate is pro-life or pro-choice?
Whether or not a candidate is considered a fundamentalist Christian?
Whether or not a candidate a candidate is for "big" government?
Whether or not a candidate is for or against gun control?
Whether or not a candidate supports minority rights or the rights of women?
Whether or not a candidate is for stopping illegal immigration?
Whether or not a candidate would work toward same-sex marriage?
Whether or not a candidate has a stand on the war on drugs?
Now once a candidate admits a position on any of these particular issues, some voters either stop or start their support. Too many folks are one or two issue people. So do these one or two issue voters have the inclination to consider opposing arguments to their own views?
My guess is "No." I have several friends who call themselves conservative and if I do get into a discussion with them some won't even discuss politics with me it's almost a certainty that any challenge to their belief structure is met with a level of hostility.
The same goes for people who I see that call themselves "progressive." They are often times so adamant in attacking the status quo they lose sight of the goal to help convince people the liberal side of politics does indeed offer solutions.
How do you stand on the checklist I cited? Here's my score:
Whether or not a candidate is a friend of labor? I support the right to organize.
Whether or not a candidate is pro-life or pro-choice? I support a woman's right to chose.
Whether or not a candidate is considered a fundamentalist Christian? Religion is a private issue, protected by the Constitution and should not be part of government.
Whether or not a candidate a candidate is for "big" government? I'm for effective government meeting the needs of the nation.
Whether or not a candidate is for or against gun control? I support the right to bear arms.
Whether or not a candidate supports minority rights or the rights of women? Everyone should be treated equally under the law.
Whether or not a candidate is for stopping illegal immigration? Illegal immigration needs to be stopped by making sure workers are here legally.
Whether or not a candidate would work toward same-sex marriage? The government shouldn't interfere in the romantic lives of consenting adults.
Whether or not a candidate has a stand on the war on drugs? Have we actually addressed the reasons behind the demand for illegal drugs?
Now, do my answers make me a liberal or a conservative or a Libertarian? For whom should I should I vote?
Here is my list by which I judge candidates:
What are you going to do to stem the flow of manufacturing jobs from this country?
What are you going to do to create a new economy with entry-level jobs?
What are you going to do to end the War on Terror?
What are you going to do about global warming?
What are you going to do about NAFTA?
What are you going to do about creating an equitable tax structure for all Americans?
How are you going to reverse the national deficit?
These are difficult questions that can't really be addressed adequately with a 30-second attack ad.
Perhaps I'm asking for too much.
So dear readers how would you answer those questions?
© 2008 by Gordon Michael Dobbs
My paternal grandmother was from Alabama and was a rock solid Democrat. When asked once if she would vote for Jesus Christ if he was running as a Republican, she replied, "He wouldn't be a Republican."
In fact, my brother and I were under an oath not to reveal to Grandma that my father ran and won a seat on the Granby School Committee as a Republican. He had no party affiliation and had merely accepted the invitation of the Republican Town Committee to go for the position. The old man was deadly serious with us on not spilling the beans, as he didn't want to face his mother's wrath.
I bring this little bit of my family history up as illustration of my belief that faith and politics go hand in hand. Just like we believe in the mysteries of religion, many of us place the same devotion in candidates for public office.
And I don't believe we look for a candidate to challenge or enhance our beliefs, but rather someone who mirrors our established opinions.
How many people vote on following criteria:
Whether or not a candidate is a friend of labor?
Whether or not a candidate is pro-life or pro-choice?
Whether or not a candidate is considered a fundamentalist Christian?
Whether or not a candidate a candidate is for "big" government?
Whether or not a candidate is for or against gun control?
Whether or not a candidate supports minority rights or the rights of women?
Whether or not a candidate is for stopping illegal immigration?
Whether or not a candidate would work toward same-sex marriage?
Whether or not a candidate has a stand on the war on drugs?
Now once a candidate admits a position on any of these particular issues, some voters either stop or start their support. Too many folks are one or two issue people. So do these one or two issue voters have the inclination to consider opposing arguments to their own views?
My guess is "No." I have several friends who call themselves conservative and if I do get into a discussion with them some won't even discuss politics with me it's almost a certainty that any challenge to their belief structure is met with a level of hostility.
The same goes for people who I see that call themselves "progressive." They are often times so adamant in attacking the status quo they lose sight of the goal to help convince people the liberal side of politics does indeed offer solutions.
How do you stand on the checklist I cited? Here's my score:
Whether or not a candidate is a friend of labor? I support the right to organize.
Whether or not a candidate is pro-life or pro-choice? I support a woman's right to chose.
Whether or not a candidate is considered a fundamentalist Christian? Religion is a private issue, protected by the Constitution and should not be part of government.
Whether or not a candidate a candidate is for "big" government? I'm for effective government meeting the needs of the nation.
Whether or not a candidate is for or against gun control? I support the right to bear arms.
Whether or not a candidate supports minority rights or the rights of women? Everyone should be treated equally under the law.
Whether or not a candidate is for stopping illegal immigration? Illegal immigration needs to be stopped by making sure workers are here legally.
Whether or not a candidate would work toward same-sex marriage? The government shouldn't interfere in the romantic lives of consenting adults.
Whether or not a candidate has a stand on the war on drugs? Have we actually addressed the reasons behind the demand for illegal drugs?
Now, do my answers make me a liberal or a conservative or a Libertarian? For whom should I should I vote?
Here is my list by which I judge candidates:
What are you going to do to stem the flow of manufacturing jobs from this country?
What are you going to do to create a new economy with entry-level jobs?
What are you going to do to end the War on Terror?
What are you going to do about global warming?
What are you going to do about NAFTA?
What are you going to do about creating an equitable tax structure for all Americans?
How are you going to reverse the national deficit?
These are difficult questions that can't really be addressed adequately with a 30-second attack ad.
Perhaps I'm asking for too much.
So dear readers how would you answer those questions?
© 2008 by Gordon Michael Dobbs
Going back to Vermont. Come by and see the show!
The Center for Cartoon Studies presents an evening with animation historian and scholar G. Michael Dobbs on Tuesday, September 23, at7 PM. Dobbs will sign copies of his new book “Escape!”, followed bya lecture and exhibition of vintage animated cartoons from the 1920s-1940s at 7 PM at the Center for Cartoon Studies, 94 South Main Street, White River Jct., VT, with Q&A after.
Dobbs, who is currently writing a biography of pioneeranimator Max Fleischer, will discuss the Pre-Code FleischerBrothers animation ofthe 1930s (Betty Boop, Bimbo, Koko the Clown, Popeye,etc.) and its influence on the cutting edge work of the 1990s that helped re- define the medium for the 21st Century.
“Escape! How Animation Broke into the Mainstream in the 1990s” chronicles the rise of animation with updated articles from “Animato!” and “Animation Planet” magazines as well as new pieces.G. Michael Dobbs saw the industry change first-hand as editor of those two publications. Interviewing both the risingstars and the vets of the animation industry, Dobbs gave his readers a front row seat to an entertainment revolution.
Earlier on Tuesday afternoon, Dobbs will be lecturing CCS’s comics history class, “Survey of the Drawn Story.” CCS sponsored his appearance in the Valley earlier this summer on July3rd at Left Bank Books in Hanover, NH and the Main Street Museum in White River Jct. That event filled the Museum to capacity and delighted an audience aged 6 to 60 years of age. This week’s
event provides a new selection of animated cartoons and further insights into the history of the medium.
A writer and former radio talk show host, Dobbs has working Western Massachusetts’ mass media for over 30 years with stints at The Valley Advocate, Holyoke Transcript-Telegram and Westfield EveningNews. He's interviewed dozens of personalities as diverse as elected officials such as Michael Dukakis, Eliot Richardson and George MacGovern to best selling authors (Sidney Sheldon, Alan Dershowitz)to film legends (Vincent Price, Lillian Gish) to television personalities (Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas, Clayton Moore, Elvira).
Dobbs is also a nationally recognized animationauthority through his position as editor of Animato! and Animation
Planet, two magazines for animation fans. He taught as an adjunct faculty member for 13 years at Western New England College, instructing students inthe development of mass communications and the history
of film. His freelance writing has appeared national in Video Watchdog, USA Todayand Rod Serling Twilight Zone Magazine. He joined Reminder Publications as the editor of the Chicopee Herald and is now the managing editor of the company’s five publications, which reach about 120,000 readers in western Massachusetts.
His second book, a postcard history of Springfield, MA from Arcadia Publishing was published in August; he will also have copies for sale at CCS. Dobbs lives in Springfield, MA with his wife Mary, a disobedient Bichon and way too many cats.
The vintage animated cartoons are all unrated butsuitable for all ages; admission is free. CCS students willalso be selling their comics and minicomics before and after theevent. For more information, call 802-295-3319.
The Center for Cartoon Studies presents an evening with animation historian and scholar G. Michael Dobbs on Tuesday, September 23, at7 PM. Dobbs will sign copies of his new book “Escape!”, followed bya lecture and exhibition of vintage animated cartoons from the 1920s-1940s at 7 PM at the Center for Cartoon Studies, 94 South Main Street, White River Jct., VT, with Q&A after.
Dobbs, who is currently writing a biography of pioneeranimator Max Fleischer, will discuss the Pre-Code FleischerBrothers animation ofthe 1930s (Betty Boop, Bimbo, Koko the Clown, Popeye,etc.) and its influence on the cutting edge work of the 1990s that helped re- define the medium for the 21st Century.
“Escape! How Animation Broke into the Mainstream in the 1990s” chronicles the rise of animation with updated articles from “Animato!” and “Animation Planet” magazines as well as new pieces.G. Michael Dobbs saw the industry change first-hand as editor of those two publications. Interviewing both the risingstars and the vets of the animation industry, Dobbs gave his readers a front row seat to an entertainment revolution.
Earlier on Tuesday afternoon, Dobbs will be lecturing CCS’s comics history class, “Survey of the Drawn Story.” CCS sponsored his appearance in the Valley earlier this summer on July3rd at Left Bank Books in Hanover, NH and the Main Street Museum in White River Jct. That event filled the Museum to capacity and delighted an audience aged 6 to 60 years of age. This week’s
event provides a new selection of animated cartoons and further insights into the history of the medium.
A writer and former radio talk show host, Dobbs has working Western Massachusetts’ mass media for over 30 years with stints at The Valley Advocate, Holyoke Transcript-Telegram and Westfield EveningNews. He's interviewed dozens of personalities as diverse as elected officials such as Michael Dukakis, Eliot Richardson and George MacGovern to best selling authors (Sidney Sheldon, Alan Dershowitz)to film legends (Vincent Price, Lillian Gish) to television personalities (Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas, Clayton Moore, Elvira).
Dobbs is also a nationally recognized animationauthority through his position as editor of Animato! and Animation
Planet, two magazines for animation fans. He taught as an adjunct faculty member for 13 years at Western New England College, instructing students inthe development of mass communications and the history
of film. His freelance writing has appeared national in Video Watchdog, USA Todayand Rod Serling Twilight Zone Magazine. He joined Reminder Publications as the editor of the Chicopee Herald and is now the managing editor of the company’s five publications, which reach about 120,000 readers in western Massachusetts.
His second book, a postcard history of Springfield, MA from Arcadia Publishing was published in August; he will also have copies for sale at CCS. Dobbs lives in Springfield, MA with his wife Mary, a disobedient Bichon and way too many cats.
The vintage animated cartoons are all unrated butsuitable for all ages; admission is free. CCS students willalso be selling their comics and minicomics before and after theevent. For more information, call 802-295-3319.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Last week was very busy, so I apologize for not posting more. I'll make it up this week.
With the presidential election now in full swing, I can't help but be saddened by what I see as an obscuring of the issues by the most paper-thin rhetoric and manipulation.
McCain and/or his advisers were brilliant in selecting freshman Governor Sarah Palin because she manages to hit a lot of buttons that McCain apparently couldn't hit. What grimly fascinates me is as economic problems continue to affect more and more people and institutions in the country, the emphasis has not been on Pailin's experience, but rather that she is a "normal" person with "real American values" – what ever that is and whatever those are.
She hunts. She's a beauty pageant contestant. She's pro-life. She's a Christian of sorts. She doesn't know much about foreign policy stuff, although she is the commander of the Alaska National Guard and is next door to Russia – sort of.
All of the folks who embrace her seem to forget a couple of things:
The folks backing McCain are the same who backed Bush. McCain and Palin will not be agents of change as they are packaging themselves. They won't be allowed.
While Palin was the mayor of a small town of 7,000 people – which had its own Washington lobbyist – McCain was in the Senate where for the past eight years his maverick change agent role was confronted with the harsh reality of his voting record – he's a Bush neocon supporter.
Constitutional conservatives should be appalled that McCain will undoubtedly carry on the same fiscal polices as Bush – the national debt is getting deeper and deeper.
All of the Republicans who laugh off the issue of her local of experience would be gnashing their teeth and frothing if the Dems had picked a freshman governor such as our own Deval Patrick. The hypocrisy is overwhelming.
By the way could someone please show in the Bible a text where Jesus condones a preemptive attack and killing of woman and children? Please explain to me how the Iraqi War jives with Christian theology?
So this is what I hope to hear from both candidates:
What they are going to do about keeping American jobs here.
Getting rid of NAFTA, which has failed to help US workers.
If they are going to stop illegal immigration by closing down the illegal jobs those folks hold.
If they are dedicated to helping re-tool this country into a green economy.
How they are going to end the War on Terror.
Whether or not either will be returning to a Constitutional-based government.
I want specifics. I want facts. I don't give a flying crap about dogma, photo ops, lipstick on a pig, fake indignation, what someone is wearing, endorsements from people supporting the status quo, whether or not someone is wearing a flag lapel pin.
I'm pissed. This country is approaching a state of despair it hasn't seen since the Depression.
© 2008 by Gordon Michael Dobbs
With the presidential election now in full swing, I can't help but be saddened by what I see as an obscuring of the issues by the most paper-thin rhetoric and manipulation.
McCain and/or his advisers were brilliant in selecting freshman Governor Sarah Palin because she manages to hit a lot of buttons that McCain apparently couldn't hit. What grimly fascinates me is as economic problems continue to affect more and more people and institutions in the country, the emphasis has not been on Pailin's experience, but rather that she is a "normal" person with "real American values" – what ever that is and whatever those are.
She hunts. She's a beauty pageant contestant. She's pro-life. She's a Christian of sorts. She doesn't know much about foreign policy stuff, although she is the commander of the Alaska National Guard and is next door to Russia – sort of.
All of the folks who embrace her seem to forget a couple of things:
The folks backing McCain are the same who backed Bush. McCain and Palin will not be agents of change as they are packaging themselves. They won't be allowed.
While Palin was the mayor of a small town of 7,000 people – which had its own Washington lobbyist – McCain was in the Senate where for the past eight years his maverick change agent role was confronted with the harsh reality of his voting record – he's a Bush neocon supporter.
Constitutional conservatives should be appalled that McCain will undoubtedly carry on the same fiscal polices as Bush – the national debt is getting deeper and deeper.
All of the Republicans who laugh off the issue of her local of experience would be gnashing their teeth and frothing if the Dems had picked a freshman governor such as our own Deval Patrick. The hypocrisy is overwhelming.
By the way could someone please show in the Bible a text where Jesus condones a preemptive attack and killing of woman and children? Please explain to me how the Iraqi War jives with Christian theology?
So this is what I hope to hear from both candidates:
What they are going to do about keeping American jobs here.
Getting rid of NAFTA, which has failed to help US workers.
If they are going to stop illegal immigration by closing down the illegal jobs those folks hold.
If they are dedicated to helping re-tool this country into a green economy.
How they are going to end the War on Terror.
Whether or not either will be returning to a Constitutional-based government.
I want specifics. I want facts. I don't give a flying crap about dogma, photo ops, lipstick on a pig, fake indignation, what someone is wearing, endorsements from people supporting the status quo, whether or not someone is wearing a flag lapel pin.
I'm pissed. This country is approaching a state of despair it hasn't seen since the Depression.
© 2008 by Gordon Michael Dobbs
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