brucemaples dot com

A few notes before leaving to see my mom for a few days --

• Nice to relax at Panera on a Saturday, especially with the free wifi. I like the energy of the room, the hustle and bustle, while still being by myself to read and write. I just wish they would improve their trash approach. But, at least they use less plastic than most.


• How can you take the time to read Twitter, Facebook, and all the web sites you would like to read, and still contribute anything of your own that is worth reading? I'm trying to keep up with my Twitter feed, but it feels like a losing battle. Facebook is not as bad; I can usually scan the latest posts in a minute or two, and I simply refuse to pay attention to quizzes and such crap. All I want is to see what's up with my friends and acquaintances. But Twitter? Twitter is the new AP Wire, and I find tens of Tweets I want to read and follow up on. I think I'm going to need some sort of aggregator for Twitter.


• I'm working on a few "investigative" blog posts, but feel like I am grasping at whisps in the air -- I can't get enough substance to write about it, even though I think there's something there. One story is the involvement of the Cordish folks in gambling and horse racing, and the question of what that means for Kentucky, Louisville, and Churchill Downs. The other is surrogate donors to political campaigns, which was triggered by a story in the C-J about college students giving $1,000 donations in 2007. If you are one of the hundreds of people reading this (< g >) and you know anything about either of these, drop me a note.

And now the frustration --

Why do many of us spend so much time and energy on things that matter so little? I know I sound like a scold, and I don't want to ... but, for example, the other night everyone at the table knew who won American Idol -- and seemed to care about it a great deal -- but no one knew that Obama had made a major national security speech that day, or would have cared if they did know it. Never mind that he set direction on torture, and Guantanamo, and detention of terrorists and possibily of citizens -- it's American Idol, by God, nothing is more important than that! I know I'm making an unfair point; most of the people at the table would have been at least interested, if I had called their attention to it. But that's my point -- why should anyone have to call their attention to it? It's THEIR nation too!

Ah well ... 'twas ever thus, and ever thus 'twill be, I suppose. I'm sure I have my own blind spots and overwrought issues. And whining only gets you ignored. So, let us redouble our efforts to be both serious AND creative AND well-written AND provocative, and perhaps our sugar will draw more attention than our vinegar.

But we'll keep some vinegar around as an astringent, just in case.  :-)