Archive for August, 2006

Aug 30

Note to the Town Talk: You’re Not a Blog (And You …

Note to the Town Talk: You’re Not a Blog (And You Shouldn’t Try To Be One)

I know, I know. I’ve given the Town Talk a hard time before. I’ve called them the Clown Talk. It was just a joke, guys. I promise.

But their latest foray into the blogosphere has me scratching my head. Not because I fear the competition. (Because they’re not really competing against anyone other than themselves. I don’t blog for money, and neither does WeSawThat or Cenla Antics). The reason I’m confused by this StoryChat option is that it denigrates real journalism into a sounding board for anonymous posters. And that is not be the function of a newspaper; it is the function of a blog.

Gannett, gentlemen, you can’t just takeover the blog culture by manufacturing your own. I know, you’re going to say, “Look kid, that’s not what we’re trying to do. We’re just adding a feature for our readers and subscribers.”

“But to those of us who like our news delivered to us straight, without the commentary (leave that to editorials), allowing anonymous bloggers to comment on a story like “Natchitoches Marine Killed In Iraq” directly under the headline, it just doesn’t sit well.”

“Well, we’re not calling ourselves a blog,” they’ll claim. “It’s a StoryChat function, and many other newspapers in similarly-sized markets have implemented the same technology with great success.”

“And how do you measure that success?” I’ll ask.

“Ad revenue,” they’ll say.

“Exactly. If you can just take over our local blogosphere, you can make our active bloggers make you money. It’s genius.”

As WeSawThat points out, this has been done in other Gannett-owned papers throughout Louisiana, and it seems to behave in a fairly predictable fashion. Every post appears as an anonymous one, unless the writer includes his or her name in the body of the text. Opinion letters and political stories get the most feedback, a rough facsimile of what we’re doing here.

To be honest, part of me thinks, “Either way, this could be fun. Like when they had Sound Off!” But Sound Off had its problems, remember?

I have no doubt that this feature will be used, but in order for this to happen, the paper must relinquish some of its journalistic authority in the process. Blogs work best as an independent reaction to the news, not as a part of the news itself (unless it’s an individual reporter’s blog).

Am I the only one skeptical of this? Here’s an example of how this will function: From the Gannett-owned Battle Creek Enquirer.

This is the disclaimer you must agree to if you want to participate in the Town Talk’s blog:

While the administrators and moderators of this forum will attempt to remove or edit any generally objectionable material as quickly as possible, it is impossible to review every message. Therefore you acknowledge that all posts made to these forums express the views and opinions of the author and not the administrators, moderators or webmaster (except for posts by these people) and hence will not be held liable.

You agree not to post any abusive, obscene, vulgar, slanderous, hateful, threatening, sexually-oriented or any other material that may violate any applicable laws. Doing so may lead to you being immediately and permanently banned (and your service provider being informed). The IP address of all posts is recorded to aid in enforcing these conditions. You agree that the webmaster, administrator and moderators of this forum have the right to remove, edit, move or close any topic at any time should they see fit. As a user you agree to any information you have entered above being stored in a database. While this information will not be disclosed to any third party without your consent the webmaster, administrator and moderators cannot be held responsible for any hacking attempt that may lead to the data being compromised.

This forum system uses cookies to store information on your local computer. These cookies do not contain any of the information you have entered above; they serve only to improve your viewing pleasure. The e-mail address is used only for confirming your registration details and password (and for sending new passwords should you forget your current one).

By clicking Register below you agree to be bound by these conditions.

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If you’re under the age of thirteen, we suggest the following: Go to www.hotmail.com, register for a new e-mail account, preferably something of local import like NedGee or MyronKaa, then return to this page, click on the “I Agree to these terms and am over or exactly 13 years of age” (13, incidentally, is the legal age you have to be in order to write stuff on the Internet), give them your fake e-mail address, and you’re in business!

Seriously, I don’t know a blog that comes with so much legal mumbo jumbo.

“That’s why it’s not a blog,” you’ll say.

“It’s StoryChat. I get it, I get it.”

Aug 30

1 Comment

CenLamar: Ten Under Thirty: Danny Tran

Danny Tran is a graduate of Alexandria Senior High School and Belmont University in Nashville, TN. He is an accomplished musician and actor, and his band, Everyday Atlas, is currently on tour throughout the American South.

Lamar: You moved to Nashville after graduating high school. There seems to be a number of people from Central Louisiana who are moving to Nashville to pursue music careers. What’s so special about the scene there? The stereotype about Nashville is that it’s all gospel and country music. That can’t be true; is it?

Danny: To answer your second question, on the surface – yes, Nashville is all about country music. If you’re looking to become a country pop idol then this is the place to be because it’s the home base for all the major labels in that genre. Dig a little deeper and you’ll see there’s more to Nashville than tight jeans and cowboy boots. Lots of independent music is being nurtured here. Pink Spiders, Bang Bang Bang, and Kings of Leon are a few who are getting a lot of buzz these days. It also seems that musicians love this city. One of my bandmates works at a record store near downtown and has seen Jack White (of The White Stripes), Emmy Lou Harris, Ben Folds and Keith Urban on more than one occasion browsing the vinyl.

Another reason is the temperament of the people. I know a lot of people that have moved from larger cities to Nashville, and I think one of the big reasons is that the asshole / talent ratio is much lower than say LA. Don’t get me wrong, Nashville has it’s fair share of downsides. The saturation of music here makes it tougher for young bands to make a name for themselves. That, and the drivers really suck. But all in all I think moving here was a great decision on my part. I’ve really come to appreciate music in a much more developed way. The city has definitely inspired me to expand my tastes in music and to study it and learn how a majority of what we listen to today all stems from the same source. Seeing how music has shaped and formed from slave ships to the British invasion – from New Orleans to Memphis to Chicago – from Alexandria to Nashville.

Lamar: Tell us a little bit about your music, your band, and the kind of shows you play. Who do you think your audience is?

Danny: My knowledge and talent for music came originally, and still kind of does, from a very mathematical basis. Keys on the piano, strings on the guitar, and rhythms in general were always patterns I could “see”. I’d like to think that as my life experience has grown so has my understanding of the other side of music, which is the emotional humanity that it has the ability to express. My band, Everyday Atlas, is sort of an attempt to combine really catchy pop based music that you can dance to, with lyrics that encapsulate emotionally poignant moments in a clever or different way.

The name Everyday Atlas references more the classical character of Atlas rather than a book of maps. We are all Atlases in our way, holding up worlds that we didn’t necessarily choose. But unlike the muscle-bound demigod, we are just average, ordinary, everyday people. So in a way we like to hope that with our songs, we give people a little extra support for what they are carrying.

Our shows are more about the songs and the grooves than they are about the spectacle. We don’t run around on stage and strap ourselves to harnesses or stage dive. I don’t think people necessarily grasp what we’re really singing about on first listen, and I kind of like that. I get a lot of satisfaction when people come to me with that sound of realization. “Ohhh that’s what you’re talking about!”

I think our audience ranges from mid teens to mid thirties.

Lamar: Where would you like to be in ten years?

Danny: In ten years. I would like to be making music for a living. I’d like to be married and possibly have a child. I’d like to have gone back graduate school at some point.

Lamar: What did you earn your degree in? How did the Rapides Parish public school system prepare you for a place like Vanderbilt?

Danny: My degree was in Engineering Science with a focus in Electrical Engineering and Music. Unfortunately, I feel like the importance of AP and BC classes was not stressed enough. Many of my friends came into college with several credits. I wish I would have known then how useful it would be. I would have gladly put in the extra effort to take those classes.

Lamar: Do you stay in contact with any other Alexandria-born musicians?

Danny: I recently had the pleasure of working with Josey Swift who is attending Belmont University. We had the opportunity to record my band in RCA Studio B, which was amazing. In case anyone’s not familiar, RCA B is where Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, and many others did a lot of recording. We even got to use a piano that Elvis himself played on.

Lamar: When you were in high school, you did quite a bit of acting, right? Are you still interested in a career in acting?

Danny: I am interested in it, but the only way I think it will happen is if I make it as a musician and crossover. I’ve invested a lot into my relationship and my business and I’m not willing to throw it away and start from scratch as an actor.

Lamar: When you’re not playing in your band and partying like a rock star, what do you do with your time?

Danny: I’m self employed and I do a variety of technical consulting jobs. I do customized web design, web hosting, song production, and database maintenance. I really enjoy working for myself because I can set my own hours and have time to pursue my band’s career as well.

www.everydayatlas.com: Click Here

Touring:

October 27th, 2006 @ 9:00PM
The Prince Deli and Sports Bar
Knoxville, TN
Admission: $5

October 13th, 2006 @ 10:00PM
The Blue Fugue
Columbia, MO
Admission: $3-$5

September 7th, 2006 @ TBA
10 High Club
Atlanta, GA
Admission: TBA

August 26, 2006 @ 9:00 PM
Sin-E
New York, NY
Admission: $10

August 25, 2006 @ TBA
Grog & Tankard
Wisconsin Ave, NW — Washington D.C.
Admission: $6

Aug 20

30 Comments

Reposted: A Response to Scarlett Scarlett, I’ve …

Reposted: A Response to Scarlett

Scarlett,

I’ve been reading your political commentary since March, and you’ve always been a welcome and valuable contribution to the discussion. Thank you.

I think you’d admit this: Your mind was set before Delores had even announced. A quick glance at the Cenla Antics archives will confirm this.

Thus, it’s never been about figuring out what value the other candidates may possess. That said, I also respect and admire Delores. She does, in fact, have many good ideas, and she has shown a willingness to listen to people about their concerns.

But I think it’s our democratic obligation to educate ourselves about all of the candidates and then choose who is best. I’m not speaking for Jacques. Please keep in mind that I entered this discussion months ago, before I even knew Jacques. As many of you know, I have thoroughly researched all of the candidates, though I haven’t had the opportunity to meet with Joe Fuller or Alice Hammond personally. My decision to support Jacques was not based on any pre-existing loyalty. I’m speaking as a concerned citizen.

Thirty-five may be young, but it’s not that young. If Jacques wanted to, as our Constitution provides, he could run for President. This provision was added in recognition of the fact that 35 is an age of professional maturity. I’m not sure what comments Jacques made that you perceive to be immature, but everything I have ever heard from Jacques leads me to believe that he fully appreciates the demands of our community, the nature of our current growth, and the scope of mayoral authority. I believe his age is an asset, and judging from support he’s garnered in the past few weeks, many other people, both young and old, also feel the same way.

So it comes down to the issues. This should be an issues-based campaign.

I listened to all of the candidates at the forum, and you’re right, we’re still in the very beginning and everyone’s not as polished as they will be a month from now. But Jacques said a few things that stood out:

-Growth in Alexandria must be controlled and planned properly. I believe he called this “controlled progressivism,” the notion that we can expand without harming our sense of community.
-Transparency should be a requirement of government. Citizens should be fully aware of every single consulting contract, every single proposal out for bid, every single issue of importance.
-We must accept the fact that Alexandria has changed dramatically during the past twenty years, and to that end, it is critical that we elect a leader who responds proactively to this change.

It may be true that, unlike Dr. Sams, Jacques (as well as Delores) did not itemize a list of specific projects he hoped to accomplish, but this is because at this point, such statements would be (borrowing one of your words) “immature.” Instead, Jacques spoke about projects the City had already researched and analyzed, like the proposed loop, and he spoke about the need to accomplish goals in a swift manner, instead of waiting eternally. There’s a risk in promising specific projects:

What if the Bentley does, in fact, sell? What do we do with City Hall then? What happens to this vision of Downtown Alexandria?

How can anyone guarantee that a business will trade locations or that developers will swoon over the opportunity to renovate dilapidated properties? (Unless, of course, these agreements have already been forged before the election, and then again, we’re faced with the issue of transparency).

Our next mayor should not, at this point, unilaterally jump to conclusions without fully understanding the facts. Instead, he or she should be willing to learn, adapt, and evolve. He or she should lay out a comprehensive vision, a methodology, a way of thinking about our future and our growth.

Respectfully,

Lamar

Columbia News Service: Elected Officials 35 and Younger, courtesy spinoj07

COLUMBIA News Service

A study completed last year by Rutgers University, which will be published in an upcoming monograph, found 814 elected officials under the age of 35 around the nation, including six members of Congress and three state executive officials.

The study showed that compared with members of their generation who do not hold office, the young politicians are more likely to become involved in civic organizations, consume as much news as possible and come from more educated families. The study also defined the group as issue-oriented self-starters who were very active in college organizations.

The Rutgers report notes that many prominent national officeholders started out as young elected leaders, and that several U.S. presidents held this distinction once themselves. The nation has already had one member of Generation X take the helm of a state, former Massachusetts Gov. Jane Swift, who was 36 when she took office, while the mayors of San Francisco and New Paltz, N.Y., are both under 35.

Sean Kelly, a political science professor at Niagara University and a former congressional research fellow, said it makes sense for the younger electeds to move to the forefront of political issues. Societal conditions have also influenced the younger officials’ fiscal policy, he added.

“Fiscal conservatism is something that unites them as an age group,” Kelly said. “The first president they knew was Ronald Reagan, and they heard a drumbeat of lessening government while growing up.”

Rutgers will follow the study with networking events for young elected leaders from around the nation. Last May, the institute sponsored the first event, where 50 officials came together to discuss holding office and getting more young people involved.

The young leaders said their age has given them a different perspective in dealing with issues facing youth and how they approach them.

Many officials who have won high-level offices were 35 or younger when they FIRST held elective office:
U.S. Presidents during the 20th/21st centuries 12/19 (58%)
U.S. Senators serving in 2003 57/100 (57%)
U.S. Representatives serving in 2003 215/435 (49%)
Governors serving in 2003 25/50 (50%)

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