"Is how we have been really how we want to be?"

Ailing economy a chance to teach kids something they'll have forever

I will definitely want to be reminded of this article when I am doing Christmas shopping for my own future children.

Our New First Lady

I'm not sure I have ever in my life been more excited for the next four years. Is it okay that I adore everything about the Obamas? Or am I just setting myself up to be disappointed?

I ♥ this article - hopefully every member of the news media will read it. Well done, Vanity Fair.

Welcome to the White House, Mrs. Obama!

Given all the other things Mrs. Obama stands for, do we really need to critique every dress, hairstyle, and daily make up job as if she were some teenage contestant on America’s Next Top Model? She is smart, hard-working, dignified, well-intentioned—and human.
. . .
Let’s let our new First Lady be a fully dimensional grown-up woman, with strengths and weaknesses and idiosyncrasies and unconventional quirks and adult sexuality and cranky moods and even—oh, the horror!—opinions that sometimes diverge from those of her husband. We accept all those things in the women we know in everyday life, but it’s still a radical idea to stop imposing absurdly hypocritical, quasi-Victorian standards on our First Lady.

Sarah Palin Makes Me Want to Vomit/I Adore Tina Fey

That's a bit harsh, I guess. Sarah Palin doesn't make me want to vomit. The idea of Sarah Palin as VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES makes me want to vomit. I mean, really. What is going on??

8 More Shocking Revelations About Sarah Palin

RNC Protests

There's a whole lot to read about the protests during the RNC and the unwarranted violence and force used by police - not to mention the many, many illegal arrests. Feel free to check any number of alternative media sites.
http://twincities.indymedia.org/
http://www.minnesotaindependent.com/

But I'm glad to see that even the mainstream media is acknowledging the injustice - the video below is from the Pioneer Press. I'm guessing it's only because so many of their journalists were arrested but that's okay, as long as it's acknowledged.

It all makes me a little sick, really. I understand there's a fine balance between security and honoring the first amendment (and basic human rights, for that matter) but I'd argue that we definitely missed it this past week. I'm disappointed in you, St. Paul.

Slow day, apparently

Usually I can only tolerate the traditional media outlets for news (thanks, Macalester). But it might be more than I can handle today.

Como's new baby orangutan will be named Jaya
The public cast votes and donated money with each vote to determine the primate's new name, which was announced during a ceremony Monday at the St. Paul Zoo.

Land O' Lakes' new product breaks butter tradition
Land O' Lakes today says it will start offering its 1-pound package of salted butter in eight "half sticks," breaking the tradition of the standard pack of four sticks.

I have never understood zoo news. I wonder if it's as big in other parts of the country as it is here. But now we have butter news? For heaven's sake.

There must be people who care, right? Otherwise we wouldn't see stories like this in the paper. But WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?

Hard-hitting News

Blake played this for me yesterday and I was laughing so hard all night, I couldn't fall asleep. Apparently it was on the KQ morning show. My question: how can you take yourself seriously, as a reporter, after a story like this?