NBC's decision to let a white guy (Fred Armisen) play Barack Obama in Saturday Night Live skits seems to be rubbing people the wrong way.
Okay, so which is worse: a white guy who accurately mimics the senator's expressions and gestures or a black guy who doesn't look anything like him?
Photo by JMF.As expected, the U.S. Mint rejected D.C.'s idea for its commemorative quarter ("No taxation without representation").
The Mint said: "We have determined that the proposed inscription is clearly controversial and, therefore, inappropriate as an element of design for United States coinage."
Not to put too fine a point on this, but the expression worked fine for our countrymen when we were fighting the British.
Last year, I questioned whether it was necessary for men to have their own line of nail polish.
It turns out the issue is more widespread than I realized. Forbes magazine reports that the booming male makeup industry has grown by 42 percent since 2001.
Popular male-targeted products include:
US Airways and United have announced this month that they will allow only one free checked bag — passengers with more luggage will pay $25 for their second bag.
That's fine. I don't have two bags to check.
But some people do (8 percent, according to US Airways), and this will encourage them to schlep them on the plane as carry-ons.
If anything, we should be providing incentives for more people to check bags, since the fewer carry-ons people have, the faster the boarding process and the more room in the overhead bins for my bags.
The U.S. Mint is designing a quarter to honor D.C., just as it has done for the 50 states.
Yesterday, the District submitted three ideas for its quarter, each with an inscription: either "Taxation Without Representation" or "No Taxation Without Representation."
One inscription states reality, the other is a slogan used to as a rallying cry against that reality.
It sounds like the Mint may not approve either phrase (saying they are too "controversial"), but I hope they don't go with "Taxation Without Representation," which reminds me of the D.C. police cars that carry the slogan: "Youth violence."
I can't get enough of Barack Obama Is Your New Bicycle.
I'm sharing it this way because the site doesn't have an RSS feed so I can't put it in my Editor's Salon.
On her blog, Mary Ann Akers writes that the Vicki Iseman's condo in Alexandria, Va., has been mobbed with reporters trying to get a glimpse of her. Thus far, she hasn't emerged from her four-bedroom townhouse (if she was there at all to begin with).
A comment in that blog post says: Ms. Iseman desperately needs to show herself, at least briefly, to the paparazzi so they can get a fresh shot of her and stop showing her in the evening dress with the visible panty lines and navel bump. Being connected by innuendo to a U.S. senator is not a problem, but visible panty lines must be mortifying for her.
Funny. I guess the Mr. Keys technique would be a bad idea for her, then.
I've been thinking a lot about the New York Times story about John McCain. You know, the one that alleges the senator had a conflict-of-interest with corporate lobbyists. And maybe even a romantic relationship.
The story is a great example of both why we need newspapers and why their business model is struggling.
First, why we need them: Investigative journalism, including the pursuit of stories about legislative favoritism, is vital in a democracy. And newspapers specifically are the ones to do it. Our nation's top national newspapers have newsroom staffs with close to 1,000 reporters. By comparison, the nation's top TV news desks have about 30 or 40 reporters.
Next, why are their business model is struggling: These days, effective newsmedia don't yell out the headlines from a mountaintop — they engage the audience. It's not good enough anymore to just write a story and walk away from it. The New York Times should have set up online chat session with the reporters. And they should have printed a sidebar explaining: how they learned about the allegations, when they started investigating them, why they waited until Feb. 20 to post the story. They especially owe this explanation to readers given that its case is based on statements from two unnamed disgruntled former McCain associates.1
After reading the McCain story Wednesday night, I immediately said to Marnie: The New York Times had better be right. Otherwise, they're going down like CBS News.
Edit: The newspaper has indeed implemented a "Talk To The Newsroom" feature about this story. It doesn't provide much insight, but it's a good step.
1Like most readers, I despise anonymous quotes. I recognize that sometimes it is the only way a source will give information, but I think readers deserve as much of an explanation as possible of why the name is undisclosed. As you know, I also dislike the newspapers tradition of publishing unsigned editorials.
Yesterday, Mike Wilbon said on PTI that Indiana University is likely to suspend its head basketball coach and name Dan Dakich as interim coach. Wilbon added, "By the way, you gotta be pretty old to remember Dakich."
I remember Dakich!
Uh-oh.
Business Week reports that Los Angeles is considering the idea of "food zoning," which would involve banning fast-food eateries in high-obesity neighborhoods.
Wait a minute. How does the city know which neighborhoods have a lot of fatties? That's not part of the government census!
Normally, when a U.S. spy satellite containing hazardous materials is zooming toward Earth, I remain calm. After all, about 70 percent of the planet is water so it is likely to fall in the ocean somewhere.
But then I spent a few days on a boat floating around the ocean and didn't feel so safe anymore. But it turns out that the U.S. military had my back the whole time.
QUITO, Ecuador — There's something funny to me about watching a promo on CNN International with a British voice-over for an upcoming episode of "The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzah."
BALTRA ISLAND, ECUADOR -- Upon hearing that I was headed for the Galapagos Islands, Jodi warned me not to trample any wildlife. "Watch where you step," was her final advice.
Then I arrived and learned that the U.S. has a military base here on Baltra, originally established to defend the Panama Canal during World War II. I have a feeling they have stepped on a few things along the way.
Still, I have been very careful where I step.
OTAVALO, Ecuador -- Back home, I routinely travel between states in one single day. Maryland, Virginia, the District.
But today, traveling in a taxi somewhere along the highway, I crossed from the Southern Hemisphere to the Northern Hemisphere. (And then back to the Southern Hemisphere a few hours later.)
QUITO, Ecuador -- Many neighborhoods here don`t have stop signs, so drivers just honk as they are nearing an intersection. The result is a lot of honking. No accidents yet.
QUITO, Ecuador -- It turns out there was an eruption this morning at Tungurahua Volcano. Tungurahua (which is Quichua for "throat of fire") is about 95 miles away from my safe haven in front of this computer.
QUITO, Ecuador -- We asked a few locals about a good place to hear Andean music.
They couldn´t think of a single place that would have local music on a weeknight.
Sigh. I guess during the week all Ecuadoran musicians are camped out outside my office building in McPherson Square.
When homes are put on the market, they often hold "open houses" and invite prospective buyers to drop by and take a look.
Nearly all of these events are held at the same time: Sundays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
This traditional time-slot was obviously not created by an NFL fan.
During the football season, it is impossible to go house hunting at open houses and also watch the first slate of NFL games each week.
(Marnie & I managed to house hunt in September without attending a single open house.)
Well, the football season is over now. No more conflicts, football fans!
Old Man Josh, a Maryland resident, informs me that the University of Maryland's field hockey team plays its home games at a venue called Artificial Turf Facility.
Clearly the school is having a difficult time getting a donor.
Perhaps if I write them a $20 check, they'll rename it "dl004d, in athletic facility form."
