I'm blogging for my course on international reporting at vox.com (a terrible blog site, fraught with unnecessary complications and glitches, which I do not recommend to anyone and am being forced to use for class).
It's a different subject each week, which means even more variable quality than what you're used to. If you do find it necessary to subject yourself to more of my trash, click here.
In other news: If I like you at all, I probably miss you, as I'm too busy to interact with the human race. So, take care of yourself, and I'll see you after graduation.
Showing posts with label newsiness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label newsiness. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
More Like a Whirlwhip
Holy bovine, I've been crazy busy. I'm writing my thesis and finishing my last semester of classes. I'm also working as the site editor at ChicagoTalks and I'm still working three days a week at BuzzFlash!
Apropos of nothing, is anyone else ridiculously excited about the fact that Halloween is on a Friday this year? I've already started planning the party. Notice to all out-of-town friends: let me know if you're going to be in Chicago this Halloween. Because you should really be partying at my place.
I promise I'll start blogging more after my heart attack.
Apropos of nothing, is anyone else ridiculously excited about the fact that Halloween is on a Friday this year? I've already started planning the party. Notice to all out-of-town friends: let me know if you're going to be in Chicago this Halloween. Because you should really be partying at my place.
I promise I'll start blogging more after my heart attack.
Monday, July 14, 2008
It's all about meeeee!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
More House
Friday, June 13, 2008
Meg infiltrates House
This morning I had the opportunity to interview Rep. Dennis Kucinich on his insistence upon bringing articles of impeachment to bear against the president. Read the article here.
Kucinich came off as a polite, funny and impassioned man. Other than impeachment, I asked him if about endorsing Obama. He seemed to think his "kind of" endorsement in Iowa was enough.
He said he'd rather stay in the House than be a part of the new cabinet in 2009 (the thought around the office was that he might want to head up a possible Department of Peace, but apparently that's not in the cards?) He's gonna do all he can to get the Ohio Democrats out to vote this November, but he wants to have a chat with Obama about a couple policy issues.
Sen. Obama, sir? Have your people call his people. I know you guys don't want this impeachment albatross hanging around your campaign's proverbial neck, but we need Ohio.
Kucinich came off as a polite, funny and impassioned man. Other than impeachment, I asked him if about endorsing Obama. He seemed to think his "kind of" endorsement in Iowa was enough.
He said he'd rather stay in the House than be a part of the new cabinet in 2009 (the thought around the office was that he might want to head up a possible Department of Peace, but apparently that's not in the cards?) He's gonna do all he can to get the Ohio Democrats out to vote this November, but he wants to have a chat with Obama about a couple policy issues.
Sen. Obama, sir? Have your people call his people. I know you guys don't want this impeachment albatross hanging around your campaign's proverbial neck, but we need Ohio.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
More me
I'm almost done with my first week of work and I still love it. I even got to do an opinion piece today! Check it out.
Tomorrow morning I have an interview with a former 2008 presidential candidate. No, it's not her, but I'm nonetheless excited. Don't worry, I'll keep you in the loop with more shameless self-promotion...
Tomorrow morning I have an interview with a former 2008 presidential candidate. No, it's not her, but I'm nonetheless excited. Don't worry, I'll keep you in the loop with more shameless self-promotion...
Monday, June 9, 2008
News of the Meg
After weeks of fretting over obtaining a summer job, I landed a paid writing gig. I'm writing political news for buzzflash.org. I had my first day today, and I love it. The writing and editing staff is smart, funny and nurturing...and did I mention I'm getting paid to write?? My first article is posted. Bookmark the site; I should have new stuff up daily.
Endless thanks to all of you who believed in me when I didn't. You know who you are.
Endless thanks to all of you who believed in me when I didn't. You know who you are.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Countdown to cancellation
I've tried to cancel my Sun-Times subscription several times, but those darn call center people are so persuasive. So, in preparation for my phone conversation tomorrow, I thought I'd organize my thoughts (don't think this means I'm switching to the Chicago Tribune, either. The New York Times will have to do, at least for the summer).
Top ten reasons I'm canceling my Sun-Times subscription:
10. Pointless pictures of other people's pets.
9. Commuter newspaper for some reason obsessed with cars (pothole patrol, Autotimes, continual gas price coverage).
8. Richard Roeper pretending he's better than Michael Sneed. Really they're separated by Roeper's use of complete sentences. Stick to the movies, bucko.
7. Mary Mitchell disguising her prejudices by exposing other peoples' prejudices.
6. Talk Back: the section for readers who are too crazy/illiterate to handle writing a letter or email.
5. Robert Novak's mere presence.
4. Paper only makes it to my door 57% of the time, though I pay for daily delivery. Funny, the delivery problems started occurring after the Sun-Times farmed out the service to Tribune Co. Coincidence?
3. Michael Sneed's overuse of "to wit," "translation," and "Obama drama."
2. The new "How I'm Saving Money" segment: a pandering distraction from a deeply troubled economy which goes largely uncovered.
1. Drew Peterson and R. Kelly's rotating front-page coverage.
...to The Watchdogs, Mark Brown and Abdon Pallasch: check you online, homies.
Top ten reasons I'm canceling my Sun-Times subscription:
10. Pointless pictures of other people's pets.
9. Commuter newspaper for some reason obsessed with cars (pothole patrol, Autotimes, continual gas price coverage).
8. Richard Roeper pretending he's better than Michael Sneed. Really they're separated by Roeper's use of complete sentences. Stick to the movies, bucko.
7. Mary Mitchell disguising her prejudices by exposing other peoples' prejudices.
6. Talk Back: the section for readers who are too crazy/illiterate to handle writing a letter or email.
5. Robert Novak's mere presence.
4. Paper only makes it to my door 57% of the time, though I pay for daily delivery. Funny, the delivery problems started occurring after the Sun-Times farmed out the service to Tribune Co. Coincidence?
3. Michael Sneed's overuse of "to wit," "translation," and "Obama drama."
2. The new "How I'm Saving Money" segment: a pandering distraction from a deeply troubled economy which goes largely uncovered.
1. Drew Peterson and R. Kelly's rotating front-page coverage.
...to The Watchdogs, Mark Brown and Abdon Pallasch: check you online, homies.
Friday, March 21, 2008
How about a war on inanity?
This is old news for Chicagoans, but I've been bitching about it so constantly that one friend finally said, "just blog about it so we don't have to have this conversation again."
Maybe I miss Wednesdays at city hall. But this new indication of legislative applesauce gave me an eye-rolling strain.
Alds. Bob Fioretti and Ed Smith (aldermen I usually agree with)recently championed banning the sale of little ziploc baggies in Chicago in an attempt to curb illegal drug sales.
Lt. Kevin Navarro, commanding officer of the Chicago Police Department's Narcotics and Gang Unit, addressed the Health Committee that moved the measure forward earlier this month. He said the baggies are important because buyers can use the baggie names as code so that they don't have to say the drug's actual name.
Sorry, Navarro, but when is the last time you heard a user request "twenty dollars worth of methamphetamine?"
And I'm sure dealers would absolutely balk at putting a dime in a regular-sized baggie:
"Hey! That's for sandwiches, man."
I'm also positive there's no way dealers would stop in Evanston on their way back from Canada or Evergreen Park on their way from Mexico to pick up some "marketing supplies."
Maybe I miss Wednesdays at city hall. But this new indication of legislative applesauce gave me an eye-rolling strain.
Alds. Bob Fioretti and Ed Smith (aldermen I usually agree with)recently championed banning the sale of little ziploc baggies in Chicago in an attempt to curb illegal drug sales.
Lt. Kevin Navarro, commanding officer of the Chicago Police Department's Narcotics and Gang Unit, addressed the Health Committee that moved the measure forward earlier this month. He said the baggies are important because buyers can use the baggie names as code so that they don't have to say the drug's actual name.
Sorry, Navarro, but when is the last time you heard a user request "twenty dollars worth of methamphetamine?"
And I'm sure dealers would absolutely balk at putting a dime in a regular-sized baggie:
"Hey! That's for sandwiches, man."
I'm also positive there's no way dealers would stop in Evanston on their way back from Canada or Evergreen Park on their way from Mexico to pick up some "marketing supplies."
Thursday, February 21, 2008
The Gray Lady turns yellowish
Let me just first acknowledge that I subscribe to two newspapers. Not that those are the only ones that I read, but they are (supposed to be...) on my doorstep every morning. The Chicago Sun-Times, with its cultivated populism gives me the local gossip. I balance my beloved Chicago rag with the generally venerable New York Times. This week, however, I have been distinctly disappointed with its campaign coverage.
First, the NYT reported Obama's "plagiarism" of his pal Gov. Deval Patrick's speech.
In fact, the senator had disclosed the provenience of those remarks previously, but not every time he appropriated them. Gov. Patrick backed up Barack. Personally, I blame Obama's chief strategist David Axelrod, who worked on Patrick's campaign, too. Axelrod should know better, though, being a former newsman and long-time politico.
Then, Sen. Clinton, feeling like she looked a bit petty for attacking Obama, said it was the NYT, not her campaign who exposed the so-called plagiarism. Which is, in a word, a lie(thanks, Mr. Skoglund, for the link).
A lie I would've liked to have read in the NYT. And, let me just offer that I prefer someone who borrows rhetoric instead of just making shit up. At least when were talking about, oh I donno...the leader of the free world?
But it gets worse. Today's front page insinuated the John McCain had a sordid, extra-marital affair with Vicki Iseman, a lobbyist more than 30 years his junior.
First of all: ewwwww. Lobbyists are icky.
Second of all: you needed four reporters to write a muckraking story and you couldn't even get one untainted source to go on record about Iseman?
Third of all: at least four-fifths of the article was about his role in the Keating Five scandal. McCain did his political time for that already, and I'd hope anyone considering voting for him already knows about it. His participation in a decades-old scandal does not make him more likely to sleep with a skeletal blond living in Bud Paxson's pocket.
A NYT editor defended the article saying the information was "nailed down to the New York Times' satisfaction." Well, I'm glad someone's satisfied.
I, however, am not. And I will not be until the Gray Lady goes after her own with the same tenacity with which she is attacking the opposition. Hillary needs a minor miracle or serious political collusion to get the nomination at this point, NYT, and neither one should be coming from you.
First, the NYT reported Obama's "plagiarism" of his pal Gov. Deval Patrick's speech.
In fact, the senator had disclosed the provenience of those remarks previously, but not every time he appropriated them. Gov. Patrick backed up Barack. Personally, I blame Obama's chief strategist David Axelrod, who worked on Patrick's campaign, too. Axelrod should know better, though, being a former newsman and long-time politico.
Then, Sen. Clinton, feeling like she looked a bit petty for attacking Obama, said it was the NYT, not her campaign who exposed the so-called plagiarism. Which is, in a word, a lie(thanks, Mr. Skoglund, for the link).
A lie I would've liked to have read in the NYT. And, let me just offer that I prefer someone who borrows rhetoric instead of just making shit up. At least when were talking about, oh I donno...the leader of the free world?
But it gets worse. Today's front page insinuated the John McCain had a sordid, extra-marital affair with Vicki Iseman, a lobbyist more than 30 years his junior.
First of all: ewwwww. Lobbyists are icky.
Second of all: you needed four reporters to write a muckraking story and you couldn't even get one untainted source to go on record about Iseman?
Third of all: at least four-fifths of the article was about his role in the Keating Five scandal. McCain did his political time for that already, and I'd hope anyone considering voting for him already knows about it. His participation in a decades-old scandal does not make him more likely to sleep with a skeletal blond living in Bud Paxson's pocket.
A NYT editor defended the article saying the information was "nailed down to the New York Times' satisfaction." Well, I'm glad someone's satisfied.
I, however, am not. And I will not be until the Gray Lady goes after her own with the same tenacity with which she is attacking the opposition. Hillary needs a minor miracle or serious political collusion to get the nomination at this point, NYT, and neither one should be coming from you.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Newsflash: New Yorkers not actually that tough
AP reported two subway workers went looking for a lost kitten by scouring "the area making 'meow' sounds." Add New York municipal employees to the list of things that aren't what they used to be. At least librarians are still predominantly cat people.
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