"At some point I just stopped feeling anything."
— FRANCISCO HERNANDEZ JR., 13, who disappeared for 11 days and says he rode the subway the entire time. (NYT Today’s Headlines Quote of the Day)
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Commentary on news articles, the newspaper industry, hip hop and baseball from a 20-something journalist. I'll probably throw in some other gems along the way, as well.
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"If you can’t get that feeling from looking at nature and animals and the world, there’s something wrong with you."
— My friend, Rich Lackey, on alcoholics.
10-Year-Old Who Refuses to Say 'Pledge of Allegiance' Until Gays Have Full Equality.
(VIA)
Great kid.Last week I mentioned Will Phillips, the 10-year-old Arkansan who has refused to say the Pledge of Allegiance until gays and lesbians have equal rights. CNN’s John Roberts asks Phillips why the issue is so important to him.
Says Phillips: “Because I have many — I’ve grown up with a lot of people and good friends with a lot of people that are gay and I really — I think they should have the rights all people should. And I’m not going to swear that they do.”
Roberts also asks Phillips what he said to the teacher after refusing to say the Pledge.
Said Phillips: “I eventually, very solemnly, with a little bit of malice in my voice, said, ‘Ma’am with all due respect, you can go jump off a bridge.’”
Phillips says that since taking a stand he has been repeatedly called a “gay-wad” by other students, which he calls a “discriminatory name for homosexuals.”
—What a brave kid! This makes me happy:))).
I saw this kid on CNN yesterday. Such an awesome story.
Congressman Flake Releases Statement Regarding His Vote Against Honoring the 2560th Birthday of Confucius
Washington, D.C., Oct 28 - Republican Congressman Jeff Flake, who represents Arizona’s Sixth District, today released the following statement regarding his vote against H.Res.784, a bill “honoring the 2560th anniversary of the birth of Confucius and recognizing his invaluable contributions to philosophy and social and political thought.”
“He who spends time passing trivial legislation may find himself out of time to read healthcare bill,” said Flake.
(via my former roommate Aaron’s tweet)
On this day ... (also from the NYT Today's Headlines e-mail)
On Nov. 17, 1973, President Nixon told an Associated Press managing editors meeting in Orlando, Fla., that “people have got to know whether or not their president is a crook. Well, I’m not a crook.”
"I get e-mail messages and read blog postings that think I’m a brilliant hero, and I also get blog postings and e-mail messages that think I’m a stupid traitor, and I’ve learned to let that roll off my back."
— Douglas W. Elmendorf, head of the Congressional Budget Office, which assesses how legislation would affect the federal budget. (from the NYT’s Today’s Headline e-mail, which is one of my favorite e-mails I get. If you don’t get it, subscribe now.)
"We still get most of our information from investigative journalists. If you can’t protect sources, there is a lot of public corruption and private malfeasance that will go undetected and unpublished."
— Sen. Arlen Specter, D-Pa., on a bill to provide greater protections to reporters.
Playoffs 2009!!
The playoffs are almost here!
The Angels play Thursday! Except the play Boston, which always scares me because Boston has done really well in the playoffs over the last few years.
Anaheim has a better winning percentage, but only by two games, so they’re pretty much even. Scary!
"Punctuation is like the little lost stepchild of literacy."
— Jeff Rubin in “Punctuation errors can cost jobs, money, esteem” in the Sept. 20 Tribune-Review.
Playing favorites in baseball
I’m starting to feel sorry for the Pirates.
Originally they were ranked No. 9 on my Baseball Teams Ranked by Coolness Factor list. But I think they’ve moved up to at least No. 3, shifting the Brewers, Padres, Rockies, Mariners, Tigers and Orioles down a spot. However, I don’t really care about their skill — or really lackthereof. And their fans are downright disappointingly apathetic. Their baseball park is OK, but sort of reminds me of the White Sox stadium: pretty, corporate and sterile. I blame the fans more for that though.
So the big reason I’m promoting the Pittsburgh team a full six seats up on my list is because I feel sad for them.
I saw a sign today that said: “Pittsburgh. City of Champions. Go Steelers.” It’s true: the Steelers won the Super Bowl this year and then just a few months later the Penguins won the Stanley Cup. But the Pirates haven’t won anything. And with no hope for postseason play, they won’t. I just feel bad that their own city has basically given up on them. Pittsburgh is known as the city of champions, but only if you discount the Pirates. Only if you count them out of the equation. It’s like the entire city has turned their back on their team.
It reminds me of the very beginning of the Harry Potter series, where Mr. Dudley tells company that the noises coming from Harry’s room should be ignored because Harry should be ignored. Pittsburgh has become Mr. Dudley, and the Pirates, poor Harry.
Now, I’m really not sure if feeling sorry for a team should earn them a higher spot on my ranking, but whatever, it’s my list.
(Note: Also, for the record, I don’t feel sorry for the Cubs. Well, I do, but that’s not why they’re my No. 2 team. They’re my No. 2 team because I think Wrigley Field is an amazing, magical place chalked full of tradition and loyalty.)
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