The Power of the Blog
Apparently someone at Town Hall, or perhaps several someones, may be counted among the lurkers on this blog (hi, Jimbo, are you there?). Your scribe had occasion to drive through Bruce Park over the weekend, and thus is able to report that someone has found the "off" switch for the ugly lampposts that he complained about the other day. The eyesores themselves are still there, but at least they're no longer illuminated 24/7.
Meanwhile, it appears that Phil "What Computer?" Russell has recently moved his offices from Lewis Street to a suite across the street from Town Hall. Somehow it seems appropriate that all the rogues and rapscallions in Town should concenter their activities in one area; makes it easier to keep an eye on them. Or will they just feed off each other and make things worse for the rest of us?
Phil's former space appears to have been taken over by the local broadcaster of hot air, radio station WGCH. Never up to the standards of a decent college campus station, WGCH seems to have stumbled further downhill since the move a couple of weeks ago. The news announcer, Tony Something-or-other, misprounounces some names, makes up others, and pollutes the airwaves with people whose very names cannot be mentioned in polite society. Yesterday, for example, we had to listen over and over again to the Phil "What Computer?" Russell story and "his client William Tate" at "the Church of Christ." Talk about bush league! Even though Tony S-o-o shamelessly plagiarizes from the Local Rag every day, he still can't get things straight. (Not that the Local Rag is a paragon of correct reportage, but at least they usually manage to spell their errors correctly.)
So where can one go for the news in this town? There used to be a rumor back in the days of First Selectman John "Curly" Margenot that the Yellowwich Time was published in the basement of Town Hall, but that, dear reader, was merely a canard. I checked out the basement myself, and saw no evidence of any newspaper activity. Then, as now, the YT continues to manage to screw up all on its own, without any help or guidance from outside sources.
The answer is that one pretty much has to learn the truth or falsity of any "news" on one's own. That is one reason your scribe publishes this blog; y'all remember II Esdras and George Washington's codicil, don't you? We all need to get our crumbs of truth out there, so that somehow the total picture will emerge over time. And we should be grateful that the Internet and the blogosphere make the job a lot easier than it was in Ben Franklin or Tom Paine's day. Where would we be without people like the AuthorBabe and her blog, Saramerica - "America the way it should be," as she puts it? So, gentle reader, blog on; or at least learn that you cannot believe everything you read in the Local Rag or hear via the local air pollution. Ask, probe, go to the source - these are the best ways to find out what's really going on in this town of ours.
Meanwhile, it appears that Phil "What Computer?" Russell has recently moved his offices from Lewis Street to a suite across the street from Town Hall. Somehow it seems appropriate that all the rogues and rapscallions in Town should concenter their activities in one area; makes it easier to keep an eye on them. Or will they just feed off each other and make things worse for the rest of us?
Phil's former space appears to have been taken over by the local broadcaster of hot air, radio station WGCH. Never up to the standards of a decent college campus station, WGCH seems to have stumbled further downhill since the move a couple of weeks ago. The news announcer, Tony Something-or-other, misprounounces some names, makes up others, and pollutes the airwaves with people whose very names cannot be mentioned in polite society. Yesterday, for example, we had to listen over and over again to the Phil "What Computer?" Russell story and "his client William Tate" at "the Church of Christ." Talk about bush league! Even though Tony S-o-o shamelessly plagiarizes from the Local Rag every day, he still can't get things straight. (Not that the Local Rag is a paragon of correct reportage, but at least they usually manage to spell their errors correctly.)
So where can one go for the news in this town? There used to be a rumor back in the days of First Selectman John "Curly" Margenot that the Yellowwich Time was published in the basement of Town Hall, but that, dear reader, was merely a canard. I checked out the basement myself, and saw no evidence of any newspaper activity. Then, as now, the YT continues to manage to screw up all on its own, without any help or guidance from outside sources.
The answer is that one pretty much has to learn the truth or falsity of any "news" on one's own. That is one reason your scribe publishes this blog; y'all remember II Esdras and George Washington's codicil, don't you? We all need to get our crumbs of truth out there, so that somehow the total picture will emerge over time. And we should be grateful that the Internet and the blogosphere make the job a lot easier than it was in Ben Franklin or Tom Paine's day. Where would we be without people like the AuthorBabe and her blog, Saramerica - "America the way it should be," as she puts it? So, gentle reader, blog on; or at least learn that you cannot believe everything you read in the Local Rag or hear via the local air pollution. Ask, probe, go to the source - these are the best ways to find out what's really going on in this town of ours.
posted by Bill Clark | 2/20/2007 01:23:00 PM
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