Next time I’m looking to pop an inflated ego I’ll need turn no further than to the New York Times. Or just make sure it’s the end of the month. And yes, I realize that it’s already May but it still feels like April to me, or something. Because then I’ll know it’s time for the monthly shine-light-upon-beautiful-successful-youths piece. Last month it was The Rising Stars of Gossip Blogs. This particular article hit too close to home. I read through the name of contempt, high-and-mighty bloggers posing for their NYT photo shoot, who were probably dying to reveal the shit-eating grins they kept bottled inside in favor of cool indifference. I suddenly froze on one of the names. The spelling, her face, dear god, my ex-boyfriend’s sister was staring straight at me from inside nytimes.com.
The same girl who’d politely asked 18-year-old me to not address her by name in her comments was now featured in the New York Times. And I was some dweeb lame enough to read an article about rising blog stars in the first place. Where did I go wrong? And what had she done that made her go so right? I’ll admit, it’s a fantastic blog my ex’s sister runs, but that’s not THE POINT. The point is, I need to not personally know the current bloggette star clogging up the NYT’s traffic. Mainly because it just freaks me out.
Today the blow came in New York Times Magazine form. A bigger beast in almost every way. The article, titled All the Obama 20-Somethings brought about inspiration more than jealousy. And when I talk about inspiration, I mean by Ashley Parker, the author of the piece. Her style refreshed me and her story-telling was too legit to quit. And sadly, when I tried to Google search for her twitter page, all I found were results for Ashley Parker Angel of O-town fame.
No thanks.
And the stories about the young White House assistants were absolutely endearing. They’re just like us, but all fancy! And they get to look at sacred American treasures and hoop it up with the White House staff (if they’ve got the cajones to play, that is). Parker hints that only men are welcome participants on the b-ball court. Boiz Club.
But still, to be writing about such incredible 20-Something in itself makes a person, in my eyes, an incredible 20-Something. Parker gets to describe Obama in her work. What do you do?
“It was as excited as I’d seen anyone since election night, since inauguration,” Favreau later told me. At one point, he saw Axelrod and Gibbs telling Obama some jokes. “He was laughing so hard,” Favreau said. “I’d never seen the president laugh that hard.” Adam Frankel — the history buff of the speechwriting staff — asked if perhaps he could see the Lincoln Bedroom. “Before I knew it, the president was like, ‘Who’s coming on the Lincoln Bedroom tour?’ ” Favreau recalled. Obama showed off the handwritten Gettysburg Address and said, “I’m just here by myself tonight, so you can come in, check everything out.” (Michelle and their two daughters were in New York for the weekend.)
The night ended at close to 1:30 a.m. “We finally realized we should probably let the president go to bed,” Favreau said. Obama thanked them all again and they trickled from the White House residence and into the cool early morning.
In case you missed this story like I did, the Internet has in fact been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. According to Mashable.com, “The nomination was made after a petition by the Italian version of Wired Magazine, which cited the Internet’s contributions to “dialogue, debate and consensus through communication.” Signatories include Iranian activist Shirin Ebadi, and organizers say the nomination will make for a legitimate entry.”
Two nights ago I stumbled upon a letter from Riccardo Luna of Wired Italy to Pete Cashmore of Mashable. He brought up some beautiful points about the internet’s new nature with the rise of social media. It’s like a living, breathing creature propelled by each individual user’s thoughts, hopes, comments and, let’s face it, rants. After reading Luna’s letter I started to feel completely differently about the Web. In my mind it has become like an ocean reef — it’s not in fact an inanimate object, or a Web site or an index of facts, it’s a new, super-human entity, created by us, which can immortalize us forever.
And as noted by Luna, Web access can now be considered a universal right. (After all, if Hillary says it, IT’S TRUE.) Our right to express ourselves on the Web makes its nature more human. Says Luna:
[The] Internet is not about computers, but living. It is the greatest social interface humanity has ever had. It is a weapon of mass construction. As we have put out in the official manifesto of the campaign, “digital culture is promoting a new kind of society through communication and education.” And communication and education are the roots of a peaceful world. One may not see it clearly now, but in the long run, new generations growing up in this increasingly digital world will bring ahead values of cooperation, sharing of knowledge, mutual respect.
The Internet has definitely been an equalizer among us, which I believe has brought a high degree of peace on our fair planet. But when considering whether the ‘net can really win this I question all the violent crimes and murders that have come about from creepy old men stalking young pretty girls through the same social interfaces that connect us all as one race. Can an entity really win the award when it also opens up a playground for pedophiles and killers?
I know, it’s quite difficult to watch. And she is eerily reminiscent of Britney Spears. In the baddest way possible.
What is there to say on a day like today when I was so freaking swamped at work and totally tied up all evening that I missed the most vomit-inducing news I’ve experienced in this lifetime? It’s baffling. The Washington Post tried to help me 12 hours ago. And I was too god damn busy to read my e-mail today? Really? I had access to the internet and my phone ALL DAY LONG and I missed this? I am baffled. Floored.
That there’s some photographic proof to you that I need more iPhone and twitter breaks. Boohoo cry weep.
I love being able to talk about teabaggers. Tee hee hee. Today was Tax Day. I guess that’s the best day to describe it? I honestly don’t think any description that I could whip up in less than 20 minutes would do justice. Today was crazy. Basically, people decided to protest the fact that they have to pay taxes. First of all, here’s the best response to the protests that I’ve seen today:
Moving, right? I enjoyed it. I tried to hop over to some of the Texas Tea Parties today, but I ended up being a little late to both of them. Curses! Still I was able to experience them (I feel) through the twitpics and news coverage of them that I saw throughout the day. Here were my favorite two twitpics:
This one’s from KT Musselman. @karltm #Austin #teaparty best sign? Got fascism?
This one’s from Elise Hu, @elisewho A wide shot of all the marchers headed set from the Capitol to dump tea into the lake.
The Statesman’s multimedia coverage of the event was pretty awesome. And I just have to say, I would have enjoyed the whole ordeal much more if there were more people dressed up in their proper 18th Century tea party attire, but whatever.
I’ll leave you with the words of Paul Krugman and the footage I was able to catch — but I must warn you it’s not too thrilling since I arrived late to the City Hall party AND the marching party. I guess Conservatives haven’t heard about being fashionably late.
But the charge of socialism is being thrown around only because “liberal” doesn’t seem to carry the punch it used to. And if you go back just a few years, you find top Republican figures making equally bizarre claims about what liberals were up to. Remember when Karl Rove declared that liberals wanted to offer “therapy and understanding” to the 9/11 terrorists?
Since 2003, at least 4,251 flag-draped coffins have arrived from Iraq. Since 2001, at least 584 have come home from Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan. [AP]
Today Defense Secretary Robert Gates is expected to announce that news photographers will be able to capture these tragic homecomings. Soldiers who come home in the ultimate defeat will no longer be hidden from the public eye. However, the photographs may only be taken if the family of the deceased comply.
Critics of the Pentagon’s old policy said the government was trying to hide the human cost for our wars abroad; is that really the case?
[AP]
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