Andrew Kole:
"Letters to the editor (LTEs) have been an important feature of American newspapers since the beginning of their publication.
A great deal of the news reports and commentaries published by early-American newspapers were delivered in the form of letters.
By the mid-18th century, LTEs were a dominant carrier of political and social discourse. Many influential essays about the role of government in matters such as personal freedoms and economic development took the form of letters, and so by the turn of the 20th century LTEs had become permanent fixtures of the opinion pages.....
.......The latter is a fairly recent development in LTE management. Prior to the Cold War, anonymous LTEs were common; the right to write anonymously was central to the free-press/free-speech movement.
By the 1970s, editors had developed strong negative attitudes toward anonymous letters, and by the end of the 20th century, about 94 percent of newspapers automatically rejected anonymous LTEs.
Some newspapers in the 1980s and ’90s created special anonymous opinion forums that allowed people to either record short verbal opinions via telephone (which were then transcribed and published) or send letters that were either unsigned or when the author used a pseudonym.
Aspen’s very own Roger Marolt used a form of pseudonym in the greatest LTE hoax Aspen has ever seen, resulting in the well received excerpt of the Aspen Times’ book “Letter’s To The Editor.”.....
......Defenders argued that anonymous forums upheld the free-press tradition of vigorous, uninhibited debate similar to that found in earlier newspapers. But again, those defenders are often a bit obscure in respect to putting even their names to this defensive position......
....Last year the Aspen Times finally stopped publishing their online hate mail forum by anonymous persons when pressure from the public hit a new high, along with the vicious content of the comments......
......As a relatively consistent writer of LTEs for the last 13 years, I say congratulations LTE writers, and to our local papers who publish them.
Write on......." (Read more? Read without breaks? Click title)
"Unapologetic pursuit and tracking of patterns within the news others make since 2010."
Showing posts with label Aspen Daily News voted locals favorite. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aspen Daily News voted locals favorite. Show all posts
May 5, 2012
SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Daily News "Welcome to the club"
(See related 'Classic Madden' story and public commentary by clicking here)
Hey, how about that 'local' icon Jeremy Madden? The guy really gets the folks in the valley, doesn't he? Understands what makes them tick and always brings forward anticipated columns.
Up on the only locally owned and operated newspaper in the area, the Aspen Daily News.
Maurice Emmer:
"Jeremy Madden wrote an entertaining column about the “fee” for paper bags in grocery stores. With humor, he made many of the points that opponents of the new scheme made when City Council was considering its adoption.
Mr. Madden is correct, in my view, in calling the “fee” a tax, and a regressive one at that. I made this point to City Council when it was considering the scheme and pointed out that the Colorado Constitution prohibits new taxes without a vote of the citizens. I suggested City Council put the matter to a public vote to avoid the risk of a legal challenge under the state constitution.
While one member of City Council thanked me for pointing out my view and respectfully disagreed with me, another simply wrote to me claiming my views were those of “crackpots” and “tea baggers” (you guess who wrote that).
Welcome to the club, Mr. Madden...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
Hey, how about that 'local' icon Jeremy Madden? The guy really gets the folks in the valley, doesn't he? Understands what makes them tick and always brings forward anticipated columns.
Up on the only locally owned and operated newspaper in the area, the Aspen Daily News.
Maurice Emmer:
"Jeremy Madden wrote an entertaining column about the “fee” for paper bags in grocery stores. With humor, he made many of the points that opponents of the new scheme made when City Council was considering its adoption.
Mr. Madden is correct, in my view, in calling the “fee” a tax, and a regressive one at that. I made this point to City Council when it was considering the scheme and pointed out that the Colorado Constitution prohibits new taxes without a vote of the citizens. I suggested City Council put the matter to a public vote to avoid the risk of a legal challenge under the state constitution.
While one member of City Council thanked me for pointing out my view and respectfully disagreed with me, another simply wrote to me claiming my views were those of “crackpots” and “tea baggers” (you guess who wrote that).
Welcome to the club, Mr. Madden...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
April 28, 2012
SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Daily News "Question of early man at Ziegler vexes scientists"
Just think. All the decades of lusting after the performance of (cumulative) billions of dollars of "tourism marketing" in the Aspen area....a 'little guy' excavator digging a hole up in Snowmass...a bunch of wooly mammoths, sloths and other assorted wildlife...and some rocks..that have just been laying around for a long, long time....just may have yielded an international advertising campaign that will trump every flake of snow to ever fall on the "Power of Four" again and every sordid, decadent vice we have to offer.
Who knew?
Chad Abraham:
".....The possible presence of Paleo-Indians arose when Drs. Kirk Johnson and Ian Miller, co-leaders of the dig, and others noticed small boulders where they shouldn’t have been. Several soccer ball-sized stones were found in what was once the middle of the ancient lake. The rocks were next to, above and below a partial mammoth skeleton, Johnson said Wednesday.
The rocks were out of place geologically as no similar stones were found nearby, he said. Paleontologists have established that early man used such stones to hide meat caches in ice-bound spots away from predators and to prevent the protein from spoiling.
So it appeared as if early man may have used Ziegler as a frozen meat locker, except for one problem: Man wasn’t supposed to have been here by then. Most researchers put North America’s earliest settlement by early man at around 14,000 years ago. Ziegler’s ice age finds are estimated to be between 40,000 and 150,000 years old....." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
Who knew?
Chad Abraham:
".....The possible presence of Paleo-Indians arose when Drs. Kirk Johnson and Ian Miller, co-leaders of the dig, and others noticed small boulders where they shouldn’t have been. Several soccer ball-sized stones were found in what was once the middle of the ancient lake. The rocks were next to, above and below a partial mammoth skeleton, Johnson said Wednesday.
The rocks were out of place geologically as no similar stones were found nearby, he said. Paleontologists have established that early man used such stones to hide meat caches in ice-bound spots away from predators and to prevent the protein from spoiling.
So it appeared as if early man may have used Ziegler as a frozen meat locker, except for one problem: Man wasn’t supposed to have been here by then. Most researchers put North America’s earliest settlement by early man at around 14,000 years ago. Ziegler’s ice age finds are estimated to be between 40,000 and 150,000 years old....." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
April 1, 2012
SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Daily News "Phil Sullivan joins Nation of Islam during jail stint"
'by Alex Highly, Aspen Daily News Staff Writer':
"Following in the footsteps of crusaders like Malcolm X and badasses like Mike Tyson, Aspen’s rogue cabbie Phil Sullivan has converted to the Nation of Islam while imprisoned yet again in the Pitkin County Jail.
Sullivan, 76, having served his third 15-day term for giving people free rides in his cab that aren’t actually free, said he was tired of the oppression of his people.
Minister Louis Farrakhan visited Sullivan in jail, and praised him as a “freedom fighter who has birthed new meaning for the word ‘free.’” Farrakhan reported the beleaguered taxi driver is in good spirits despite The Man continuing to try to keep him down.
“La ilah illa Allah, Muhammad rasoolu Allah,” Sullivan said in a jailhouse interview over a shrimp cocktail and just before inmate massage time at Aspen’s soul-destroying gulag..."
(Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"Following in the footsteps of crusaders like Malcolm X and badasses like Mike Tyson, Aspen’s rogue cabbie Phil Sullivan has converted to the Nation of Islam while imprisoned yet again in the Pitkin County Jail.
Sullivan, 76, having served his third 15-day term for giving people free rides in his cab that aren’t actually free, said he was tired of the oppression of his people.
Minister Louis Farrakhan visited Sullivan in jail, and praised him as a “freedom fighter who has birthed new meaning for the word ‘free.’” Farrakhan reported the beleaguered taxi driver is in good spirits despite The Man continuing to try to keep him down.
“La ilah illa Allah, Muhammad rasoolu Allah,” Sullivan said in a jailhouse interview over a shrimp cocktail and just before inmate massage time at Aspen’s soul-destroying gulag..."
(Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Daily News "Aspen dropped by U.S. Chamber of Commerce"
"The U.S. Chamber of Commerce broke ties with Aspen this week, citing the ski town’s excessive knee-jerk liberalism and sanctimonious lecturing about climate change hoo-hah.
“Our affiliation with these crunchy beatniks is not in line with our values as a lobbying arm for multi-national corporations who need to rape and pillage Earth in the name of capitalism,” said U.S. Chamber President Tom Donahue.
To determine what it should do about Aspen, the U.S. Chamber polled the 16 anonymous donors who give it $500 zillion annually for the purpose of lobbying against climate science....."
(Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
“Our affiliation with these crunchy beatniks is not in line with our values as a lobbying arm for multi-national corporations who need to rape and pillage Earth in the name of capitalism,” said U.S. Chamber President Tom Donahue.
To determine what it should do about Aspen, the U.S. Chamber polled the 16 anonymous donors who give it $500 zillion annually for the purpose of lobbying against climate science....."
(Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
February 26, 2012
SandBox Comments: Aspen Daily News/Dave Danforth "Less than zero "
Dave Danforth:
"...Small claims courtrooms are full of cases in which one party went in demanding money, only to find the defendant countersuing and eventually winning. Judges see through the vanity of plaintiffs. The winner is not always the one who fires the first shot.
They go in counting on winning. Not only do they come up empty, but they finish in the minus money.
In Aspen years ago, an ad agency sued a small company for an unpaid bill. The small company’s partners felt that they agency had overcharged it. They’d let bygones be bygones, but when the case was filed, decided to fight back. They countersued.
The judge decided the ad agency had breached its pricing and hadn’t put its desired charges in writing. Its owner, the would-be winner, was told to pay up instead.
Call it pushing your luck. It infects politics. Candidates miscalculate the effect of the rough and tumble. Opposition research is a field all its own, and nearly everyone is vulnerable. The mess often splashes out of bounds, causing collateral damage.
If you’re Herman Cain, one-time presidential material, how many women had to serially come out of the woodwork talking about your groping past to persuade you to give it up? What morsels will emerge about the remaining candidates before the race is over? The gamble that a piece of their past won’t be dislodged with time, particularly in an unforgiving digital era when bits of the past don’t yellow with age.
No candidate, asked to write up his or her own life, would do as nearly an unforgiving job as members of the public, press, and opposition research teams. Nearly every candidate has sworn that photographers were out for blood, capturing an unexpected moment of a growl or grimace. It gets worse on television, where cameras catch a napping moment and later repackage it for prime time.
Juries are notoriously unpredictable, but that doesn’t stop high-stakes gambles. Jurors feel a spell while the case is on, but afterwards, there is little anyone can do about them. Free speech follows. In one Aspen criminal trial, jurors decided that prosecutors had completely botched the case. A not guilty verdict would not do justice. So they appointed a spokesperson and declared that the district attorney (not the incumbent) had got the case entirely backwards. The defendant was the victim and the “victim” was the perp, the panel declared. They even apologized.
There’s only one thing worse than a judge who believes a case to have been a waste time. Juries come in two sizes: six-packs and twelves...." (Read more? Click title)
Note: Comment ability blocked on this post.
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"...Small claims courtrooms are full of cases in which one party went in demanding money, only to find the defendant countersuing and eventually winning. Judges see through the vanity of plaintiffs. The winner is not always the one who fires the first shot.
They go in counting on winning. Not only do they come up empty, but they finish in the minus money.
In Aspen years ago, an ad agency sued a small company for an unpaid bill. The small company’s partners felt that they agency had overcharged it. They’d let bygones be bygones, but when the case was filed, decided to fight back. They countersued.
The judge decided the ad agency had breached its pricing and hadn’t put its desired charges in writing. Its owner, the would-be winner, was told to pay up instead.
Call it pushing your luck. It infects politics. Candidates miscalculate the effect of the rough and tumble. Opposition research is a field all its own, and nearly everyone is vulnerable. The mess often splashes out of bounds, causing collateral damage.
If you’re Herman Cain, one-time presidential material, how many women had to serially come out of the woodwork talking about your groping past to persuade you to give it up? What morsels will emerge about the remaining candidates before the race is over? The gamble that a piece of their past won’t be dislodged with time, particularly in an unforgiving digital era when bits of the past don’t yellow with age.
No candidate, asked to write up his or her own life, would do as nearly an unforgiving job as members of the public, press, and opposition research teams. Nearly every candidate has sworn that photographers were out for blood, capturing an unexpected moment of a growl or grimace. It gets worse on television, where cameras catch a napping moment and later repackage it for prime time.
Juries are notoriously unpredictable, but that doesn’t stop high-stakes gambles. Jurors feel a spell while the case is on, but afterwards, there is little anyone can do about them. Free speech follows. In one Aspen criminal trial, jurors decided that prosecutors had completely botched the case. A not guilty verdict would not do justice. So they appointed a spokesperson and declared that the district attorney (not the incumbent) had got the case entirely backwards. The defendant was the victim and the “victim” was the perp, the panel declared. They even apologized.
There’s only one thing worse than a judge who believes a case to have been a waste time. Juries come in two sizes: six-packs and twelves...." (Read more? Click title)
Note: Comment ability blocked on this post.
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
February 24, 2012
SandBox Comments: Aspen Daily News/Letter to the Editor "The magic of 'hello'"
Cole Langford:
"A friend recently remarked to me that I seemed to know a lot of people. He and I often walked together to grab lunch or head to the gym on our college campus. He observed that in the course of many strolls I often waved to someone or threw a quick hello in the direction of a passerby.
After his remark I quickly answered, “It’s the magic of saying hello.” He considered my theory, but his facial expression told me he didn’t grasp my meaning. The topic quickly faded and we moved on to other casual topics of conversation.
For the rest of the day my words lingered on my conscious. “It’s the magic of saying hello.” My words continued to provoke my reflection. Finally it occurred to me that I had unintentionally discovered a powerful aphorism. “It’s the magic of saying hello.” Wow.
Too many people, especially my generation, are buried in their technology. Everyone is hidden behind large sunglasses, deafened by ear-buds, and distracted by their iPhones. Facebook is a usual culprit. What about the faces on the bus? What about the faces passing on the sidewalk? Have we replaced those real faces with an electronic counterpart? It seems we have. I am not the overbearing social person. In fact, I may be on the upper end of introverted. Yet I know the power of “hello,” and I use it all the time...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"A friend recently remarked to me that I seemed to know a lot of people. He and I often walked together to grab lunch or head to the gym on our college campus. He observed that in the course of many strolls I often waved to someone or threw a quick hello in the direction of a passerby.
After his remark I quickly answered, “It’s the magic of saying hello.” He considered my theory, but his facial expression told me he didn’t grasp my meaning. The topic quickly faded and we moved on to other casual topics of conversation.
For the rest of the day my words lingered on my conscious. “It’s the magic of saying hello.” My words continued to provoke my reflection. Finally it occurred to me that I had unintentionally discovered a powerful aphorism. “It’s the magic of saying hello.” Wow.
Too many people, especially my generation, are buried in their technology. Everyone is hidden behind large sunglasses, deafened by ear-buds, and distracted by their iPhones. Facebook is a usual culprit. What about the faces on the bus? What about the faces passing on the sidewalk? Have we replaced those real faces with an electronic counterpart? It seems we have. I am not the overbearing social person. In fact, I may be on the upper end of introverted. Yet I know the power of “hello,” and I use it all the time...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
January 31, 2012
SandBox Comments: Aspen Daily News "Flying Tomato a cash cannonball"
How many actual reads per day do you think SandBox gets on all local and regional tourism, government and law enforcement news?
Where do you think those reads come from?
How many times per day, after someone in a significant position of power within those three news arenas reads SandBox for the day; do others pound away at that post and take a look for themselves as word spreads?
Dozens. We may be read by others in clandestine ways, a 'guilty obsession' if you will; but we are read. Especially the public comments.
Our local newspapers used to enjoy that notoriety until they began to censor and ban content.
Why is that statement above important on a post up of Steve Skinner's column today?
Because of the way he wrote what he has to say.
Brilliantly done, Skinner pounds a square peg into a round hole by using words. Forcing, simply by the honesty of his words, local governments and power brokers to pay attention with focus aimed at our valley wide tourism marketing and how we spend public funds.
In reality, not disinformation or preconceived perception; what/who is 'SandBox Nanny'?
Why, she's nothing more, in reality, than a pen name and third-party persona that posts and comments on a news aggregate blog. That is all 'she' is. 'SandBox Nanny' is spinning a story in a certain number of words or less. Is it her life story? In reality and the genre of spin and stories told, she is a pen name and third-party persona.
Who is Steve Skinner, in reality? Why, he is nothing more than a guy who happens to write an opinion column for the Aspen Daily News. Will his opinion change as life goes on? Maybe. If so, his column will change. Steve Skinner is spinning a story in a certain number of words or less. Outside of that, he is the same average, everyday person as you are.
Reality, is that both have something to say to the consumer of local news and both provide an outlet for the folks to join in the dialog. When they say what they have to say, most often their words are aimed at public figures and entities in positions of trust. In the case of 'SandBox Nanny' she's simply rounding up content and putting it into the kind of perspective that keeps the door open for individual thought.
From the very well done work of Skinner today, up on the Aspen Daily, it appears that those consumers are listening. Are they listening to both entities?
Probably so.
What do you think?
Would it 'less painful' for those tourism, government and law enforcement entities to hear same, similar or highly likely far more brutal honesty from the folks writing in to their own publications? Probably not. At least entities like SandBox, the Aspen Daily and so many other independent media probably hope not. After all, their very existence and success is based on Independence and voices raised in the power of free speech.
But if folks could go directly to the source of their angst, at least our local media would be dealing with reality instead of continuing to try to pass the buck of responsibility for all their ills off on to individuals like 'SandBox Nanny' and opinion columnists like Steve Skinner.
Support your only locally owned and operated print news. That steady focus known as the Aspen Daily News.
Steve Skinner:
"...This reminds me of how wonderful a tourist economy can be. People come in from all over. They are in a great mood, on vacation and ready to have as much fun as possible. They fill the hotels and restaurants, rent gear, hire taxis, fill the liquor stores and boutiques and then — perhaps best of all — they leave.
Over the past few decades, Aspen got off track by inviting people to buy property here, not just showing them a world class time. Instead of sending them home with memories, we sent them home with timeshares, deeds for land and a piece of the dream. “OWN ASPEN,” one real estate ad crowed.
Despite compromising over the years, Aspen still has some great tourist juice and other communities in the valley could learn a thing or two about what attracts people to come and spend money.
Tourists really like to have something to do. Maybe a concert, a festival, a fair, a bike race, a car show, a drinking competition, weed expo, whatever. Just being in proximity to these kinds of activities has created our “bedroom communities” and now many of them (us) are looking for ways to create jobs and stimulate the bedrooms. None of this will be necessary if SkiCo keeps bringing acts into town like the Flying Tomato.
A family of four from out of state was visiting for the X Games. They were staying in Rifle and spent time at Ski Sunlight, the Glenwood Hot Springs pool, Fatbelly Burgers in Carbondale and, of course, Buttermilk Mountain. They left the area on Monday with plenty of swag, a family vacation in the bag and a strong desire to return for more frolic, maybe in the summer...."
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
Where do you think those reads come from?
How many times per day, after someone in a significant position of power within those three news arenas reads SandBox for the day; do others pound away at that post and take a look for themselves as word spreads?
Dozens. We may be read by others in clandestine ways, a 'guilty obsession' if you will; but we are read. Especially the public comments.
Our local newspapers used to enjoy that notoriety until they began to censor and ban content.
Why is that statement above important on a post up of Steve Skinner's column today?
Because of the way he wrote what he has to say.
Brilliantly done, Skinner pounds a square peg into a round hole by using words. Forcing, simply by the honesty of his words, local governments and power brokers to pay attention with focus aimed at our valley wide tourism marketing and how we spend public funds.
In reality, not disinformation or preconceived perception; what/who is 'SandBox Nanny'?
Why, she's nothing more, in reality, than a pen name and third-party persona that posts and comments on a news aggregate blog. That is all 'she' is. 'SandBox Nanny' is spinning a story in a certain number of words or less. Is it her life story? In reality and the genre of spin and stories told, she is a pen name and third-party persona.
Who is Steve Skinner, in reality? Why, he is nothing more than a guy who happens to write an opinion column for the Aspen Daily News. Will his opinion change as life goes on? Maybe. If so, his column will change. Steve Skinner is spinning a story in a certain number of words or less. Outside of that, he is the same average, everyday person as you are.
Reality, is that both have something to say to the consumer of local news and both provide an outlet for the folks to join in the dialog. When they say what they have to say, most often their words are aimed at public figures and entities in positions of trust. In the case of 'SandBox Nanny' she's simply rounding up content and putting it into the kind of perspective that keeps the door open for individual thought.
From the very well done work of Skinner today, up on the Aspen Daily, it appears that those consumers are listening. Are they listening to both entities?
Probably so.
What do you think?
Would it 'less painful' for those tourism, government and law enforcement entities to hear same, similar or highly likely far more brutal honesty from the folks writing in to their own publications? Probably not. At least entities like SandBox, the Aspen Daily and so many other independent media probably hope not. After all, their very existence and success is based on Independence and voices raised in the power of free speech.
But if folks could go directly to the source of their angst, at least our local media would be dealing with reality instead of continuing to try to pass the buck of responsibility for all their ills off on to individuals like 'SandBox Nanny' and opinion columnists like Steve Skinner.
Support your only locally owned and operated print news. That steady focus known as the Aspen Daily News.
Steve Skinner:
"...This reminds me of how wonderful a tourist economy can be. People come in from all over. They are in a great mood, on vacation and ready to have as much fun as possible. They fill the hotels and restaurants, rent gear, hire taxis, fill the liquor stores and boutiques and then — perhaps best of all — they leave.
Over the past few decades, Aspen got off track by inviting people to buy property here, not just showing them a world class time. Instead of sending them home with memories, we sent them home with timeshares, deeds for land and a piece of the dream. “OWN ASPEN,” one real estate ad crowed.
Despite compromising over the years, Aspen still has some great tourist juice and other communities in the valley could learn a thing or two about what attracts people to come and spend money.
Tourists really like to have something to do. Maybe a concert, a festival, a fair, a bike race, a car show, a drinking competition, weed expo, whatever. Just being in proximity to these kinds of activities has created our “bedroom communities” and now many of them (us) are looking for ways to create jobs and stimulate the bedrooms. None of this will be necessary if SkiCo keeps bringing acts into town like the Flying Tomato.
A family of four from out of state was visiting for the X Games. They were staying in Rifle and spent time at Ski Sunlight, the Glenwood Hot Springs pool, Fatbelly Burgers in Carbondale and, of course, Buttermilk Mountain. They left the area on Monday with plenty of swag, a family vacation in the bag and a strong desire to return for more frolic, maybe in the summer...."
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
December 5, 2011
SandBox Comments: Aspen Daily News "Former columnist not a river resident"
First, a thank you to Dave Danforth and the editorial staff for listening to the folks, after taking their pulse on a regular basis.
It's terrific to have new op-ed offerings and fresh views.
Oh, how the folks wish that (insert word here) retentive 'other' newspaper in Aspen would do same. But alas, never to be. (...do they even know that the people who read them are alive and do have a pulse??)
Second, here we are again on the topic of disinformation in the hands of tools that are powerful. Doesn't matter if those 'tools' are a person or a method of communication. In the case of Jack Johnson, heaven only knows what 'power' he holds.
Since readership really does have a pulse, does that readership think they could stand alone on some semblance of ethics and principle by not buying into any information unless it's final verified? For goodness sake, go get your daily fix of smut and gossip by picking up the National Enquirer. Leave your neighbors alone.
Lastly, let's weigh in on Connie Harvey's columns and give a balance to Jay Cowan's letter to the editor today.
This is a case of the Daily moving on. And another case of an intervention by the folks.
Slowly but surely the people keep stripping away the layers of disinformation that keep trying to cling to the old school of thought that 'anything goes'.
We have far too many eco-pen 'hitman' columnists in this valley, Connie. It would have been so very nice to get at least a little bit of balance out of your work. Best to you as you move on too.
(Read the letters? Click title and link. Comment to discuss)
It's terrific to have new op-ed offerings and fresh views.
Oh, how the folks wish that (insert word here) retentive 'other' newspaper in Aspen would do same. But alas, never to be. (...do they even know that the people who read them are alive and do have a pulse??)
Second, here we are again on the topic of disinformation in the hands of tools that are powerful. Doesn't matter if those 'tools' are a person or a method of communication. In the case of Jack Johnson, heaven only knows what 'power' he holds.
Since readership really does have a pulse, does that readership think they could stand alone on some semblance of ethics and principle by not buying into any information unless it's final verified? For goodness sake, go get your daily fix of smut and gossip by picking up the National Enquirer. Leave your neighbors alone.
Lastly, let's weigh in on Connie Harvey's columns and give a balance to Jay Cowan's letter to the editor today.
This is a case of the Daily moving on. And another case of an intervention by the folks.
Slowly but surely the people keep stripping away the layers of disinformation that keep trying to cling to the old school of thought that 'anything goes'.
We have far too many eco-pen 'hitman' columnists in this valley, Connie. It would have been so very nice to get at least a little bit of balance out of your work. Best to you as you move on too.
(Read the letters? Click title and link. Comment to discuss)
"Truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then it is violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident."
October 25, 2011
SandBox Comments: Aspen Daily News "DA asks for approval of reduced budget from Pitkin County"
"The percentage of contribution to the DA from each county is determined by state law, and is based on population rather than caseload. This has been an exasperating reality for the commissioners of Pitkin County, which represents 21 percent of the population of the district but just 11 percent of the prosecuted crimes.
In last year’s budget meeting with Beeson, Commissioner Michael Owsley called the arrangement “patently unfair.”
Garfield County carries 70 percent of district population, and 74 percent of felony cases and 80 percent of misdemeanor cases. Rio Blanco carried just 8 percent of the population but 12 percent of the DA’s caseload...."
(Andrew Travers)
(Learn more? Click title and comment to start discussion)
In last year’s budget meeting with Beeson, Commissioner Michael Owsley called the arrangement “patently unfair.”
Garfield County carries 70 percent of district population, and 74 percent of felony cases and 80 percent of misdemeanor cases. Rio Blanco carried just 8 percent of the population but 12 percent of the DA’s caseload...."
(Andrew Travers)
(Learn more? Click title and comment to start discussion)
September 17, 2011
SandBox Comments: Aspen Daily News "Oh the joy of community service, even for police"
"...ZG knew it all along. Despite the warm community feeling of the local Rotary Club’s Ducky Derby, and all the great causes it supports, there is no way you can dump all that plastic into the river and expect to get every duck back. And sure enough, during a recent “river walk” from Rio Grande Park to Cemetery Lane, ZG observed about a half-dozen of the ducks stuck in various places along the banks.
The goal of the derby is to sponsor the duck that crosses the finish line first and cash in on the $10,000 award, but ZG wonders what prize awaits him if he brings a duck back from an upcoming trip to Lake Powell..."
(See what else ZG is up to? Click title)
The goal of the derby is to sponsor the duck that crosses the finish line first and cash in on the $10,000 award, but ZG wonders what prize awaits him if he brings a duck back from an upcoming trip to Lake Powell..."
(See what else ZG is up to? Click title)
SandBox Comments: Aspen Daily News "Saturday night ski pass fever"
My goodness, says, SandBox Nanny.
'kids' are all up early and her cup of tea is now cold.
Usually most of the day's posting is done by now. Yet today, she's barely made it through reading the PI and The Aspen Daily...
(sigh...rolls eyes...)
"..Can you imagine if our illegal workforce were all die-hard skiers? That would be an awesome spectacle, and a quandary of sorts. Think of the massive festive crowd at the gondola on a powder day filled with people selling burritos, listening to Mexican radio. The town would come to a complete stop. It’s already bad enough getting a fresh line after 10:30 a.m. It seems like the mountains get chewed up more quickly now on a powder day. And not to mention one beginner snowboarder can do the same damage as four expert skiers to a field of freshies...
...Do whatever it takes to get a ski pass. Make a deal with the devil. I have his number if you need it..."
(Lorenzo Semple)
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"Truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident."
'kids' are all up early and her cup of tea is now cold.
Usually most of the day's posting is done by now. Yet today, she's barely made it through reading the PI and The Aspen Daily...
(sigh...rolls eyes...)
"..Can you imagine if our illegal workforce were all die-hard skiers? That would be an awesome spectacle, and a quandary of sorts. Think of the massive festive crowd at the gondola on a powder day filled with people selling burritos, listening to Mexican radio. The town would come to a complete stop. It’s already bad enough getting a fresh line after 10:30 a.m. It seems like the mountains get chewed up more quickly now on a powder day. And not to mention one beginner snowboarder can do the same damage as four expert skiers to a field of freshies...
...Do whatever it takes to get a ski pass. Make a deal with the devil. I have his number if you need it..."
(Lorenzo Semple)
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"Truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident."
August 27, 2011
SandBox Comments: Aspen Daily News "ZG makes an impact by keeping it local"
"You can’t believe everything in print, ZG was reminded the other day when he came across a flyer urging people to buy local.
Dubbed the 350project.net, the flyer suggests that even if half of the U.S. population spent $50 a month with independently-owned businesses, their purchases would generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue.
For every $100 spent with locally-owned businesses, $68 is returned to the local economy, the flyer suggests. If people spent that in a national chain, only $43 stays in the community.
There’s no doubt in ZG’s mind that that’s true but he finds it curious how a couple of the businesses’ logos on the back of the flyer wound up there since they aren’t as “local” as they appear.
The Aspen Times and Glenwood Post Independent are owned by national newspaper chain Swift Communications, based in Reno, Nev. While the chain employs dozens of mightily talented people in the valley, there are many more who work outside of here who produce the ads, print the paper and keep the profits.
Just a reminder that it’s a $25 difference when choosing between a nationally-owned chain and the “little guy....” (Aspen Daily)
Here's the thing.
There are some very good writers up on The Aspen Times. And a couple of good columnists down on The Glenwood Springs Post Independent.
But, the real problem with Swift owned publications in The Roaring Fork Valley is they have proven time and time again, that they're not aiming to be a local newspaper.
The Times does a far better job of integrating into the area than the PI does.
Both still have the same cookie-cutter style stories that are passed around not just between them but around the loop of all Swift publications in Colorado.
There is also a determined vein of tabloid style gonzo journalism. You can't believe..what you read in print.
As long as there are two newspapers in Aspen, they'll both be read. But only one will be subscribed to and that is The Aspen Daily News.
As long as it's free in Glenwood Springs, folks will read the PI. Bring us competition that's a better publication and loyalty will move right on over.
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August 16, 2011
SandBox Comments: Aspen Daily News "That wascawwy Wepubwican: Gene v. the GOP on D.C. voting rights"
What fun! Danforth brings in a sort-of (?) left leaning opine columnist to run alongside Richard Cohen.
That wascal.
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That wascal.
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