An Open Letter To Dave Danforth, Owner and “Publisher/Mascot,” Aspen Daily News
Dear Dave:
You and I have had our differences over the years—too many to count—in part because I have been sliced open with a dirty knife by the Aspen Daily News like so many others before me. But that does not mean I take any pleasure in the mess that your editor, Troy Hooper, finally finds himself in.
Continue Reading 5 comments March 12th, 2010
Source: Aspen Institute
Informing Communities: Sustaining Democracy in the Digital Age, the report of the Knight Commission on the Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy, is the result of a year-long study to assess the information needs of communities across the United States. The report sets a vision for healthy, informed democratic communities and offers 15 policy measures to help citizens meet their local information needs. This report has received considerable press coverage as well as attention at the Federal Communications Commission.
Continue Reading Add comment February 23rd, 2010
I once met a bigshot from Google who had decided, as bigshots so often do, that the rules of decorum no longer applied to his kind. In this case that meant Mr. Big decided that he no longer need to bother with capital letters in his emails.
Why? For the obvious reason: creating a capital letter requires an extra step, the ultimately unhip pressing of the shift key.
It struck me at the time as a seismic shift. If the bigshot at Google was no longer capitalizing “google,” could the end of civilization be that far behind? Like everyone else I have watched as texting on cell phones became its own language: wtf, where r u ? is not a bad starting point for this discussion, but to see the means of communications changing was not to know what it all meant.
Continue Reading Add comment February 4th, 2010
As a talk show host, I am immensely gratified by the political career path yapping portends. I could become a talking points talking head like Mike Pence, the Congressman from Indiana who cut his bleep filling radio frequencies in his home state. I could wallow in the footsteps of J.D. Hayworth, the conservative former Congressman now ready to spank John McCain because the former Republican Presidential nominee is not nearly conservative enough. Or, if folks get scared enough about whatever, I could fold up my tent like Lou Dobbs of CNN and migrate toward the Presidential race in 2012, mumbling all the way about the way things are s’posed to be.
Were I conservative, I would have much to run on, but the beauty of my campaign is I would never have to revert to the facts. Were I to run I would take my lead from Karl Rove: the architect himself chided those sadly limited to “fact-based” stratagems. Facts are stubborn thing, for sure, but only if you care about them. Once you leggo things that actually happened, you can run happily as a conservative until the internet gives way to the outernet—about the time being “weak on climate change” becomes a right-wing talking point in 2050.
As a talk show host, I am immensely gratified by the political career path yapping portends. I could become a talking points talking head like Mike Pence, the Congressman from Indiana who cut his bleep filling radio frequencies in his home state. I could wallow in the footsteps of J.D. Hayworth, the conservative former Congressman now ready to spank John McCain because the former Republican Presidential nominee is not nearly conservative enough. Or, if folks get scared enough about whatever, I could fold up my tent like Lou Dobbs of CNN and migrate toward the Presidential race in 2012, mumbling all the way about the way things are s’posed to be.
Were I conservative, I would have much to run on, but the beauty of my campaign is I would never have to revert to the facts. Were I to run I would take my lead from Karl Rove: the architect himself chided those sadly limited to “fact-based” stratagems. Facts are stubborn thing, for sure, but only if you care about them. Once you leggo things that actually happened, you can run happily as a conservative until the internet gives way to the outernet—about the time being “weak on climate change” becomes a right-wing talking point in 2050.
Continue Reading 2 comments February 2nd, 2010
The mutually orgasmic chortle of the cognoscenti missed the point about the announcement of the Apple iPad by a citified mile because a preponderance of yappers were obsessed with where said tablet fell in the pluperfect Apple pantheon of digital inamorata.
Was it cellphone or laptop? Would it set the Kindle aflame? Would it render all that had come before pale paleocentric imitations of what was meant to be?
Or is it just a beloved billing mechanism that newspapers, magazines, and movie-makers have been looking for since Indiana Jones found the Holy Grail?
In the rush to slobber over one’s self, the real point of the iPad was either missed or dismissed in a whiff of epic proportions.
Continue Reading Add comment January 31st, 2010
In the summer of 2007 I reported from the Aspen Institute upon the “Death Of Newspapers Greatly Exaggerated” as put forth by William Dean Singleton, the chief bottle-washer at MediaNews Group, owner of the Denver Post, the San Jose Mercury, and multiple other newspapers across the country.
Now comes the news of the bankruptcy filing of Affiliated Media Inc., the MediaNews holding company, in a Chapter 11 shuffle that means, according to Singleton’s official statement, that “current shareholders will be losing the value of their holdings.” That’s right: if you owned stock, you just got wiped out faster than you can say “ShamWow.”
Continue Reading Add comment January 18th, 2010
| Aspen, Colo. (January 7th, 2010) – Imagine a year of your life submerged in outdoor activities, culture and fine dining in a place high in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Qittle is now providing people the chance to make this dream a reality. On January 1, 2010, Qittle’s “Live the Dream – A Year in Aspen/Snowmass” contest went live, and those eligible can now go to the website http://livethedreamaspensnowmass.com and register for their chance to win. |
| Mobile marketing company Qittle has partnered with various local and national clients for “Live the Dream” contest. One lucky winner will receive accommodation, grocery allowance, lift pass, equipment for winter and summer activities and tickets to local events among other prizes. He or she will work for Qittle hosting a weekly radio/TV show that will air locally and will also be responsible for his or her own blog, where they will share their experience in Aspen/Snowmass with the world. |
| The second part of the contest will begin June 1st 2010 where 100 random names will be selected from the entries to compete in a personal viral marketing campaign called ACTION (Announce yourself, Create a new lifestyle, Take chances, Inspire, be Outgoing, Network with friends and family to support your dream). Participants will be judged on their own campaign, and five finalists will be selected to come to Aspen/Snowmass for an interview. The overall winner will be announced on July 4th 2010. |
| “This is the ultimate prize: a year in one of the best places in the world, living in the heart of the Rockies, going to some of the coolest social events and hitting the slopes of Aspen/Snowmass. We are excited to be working with some awesome brands to provide this. Good luck and I hope to meet you in the final round in June.” said Casey McConnell, CEO of Qittle. |
| During the contest, there are also weekly prize giveaways from various “Live the Dream” sponsors on each of the "Swag Fridays". This Friday, January 8, is the first Swag Friday giveaway and is provided by LoveSac, the alternative furniture company. LoveSac offered up a CitySac (http://www.lovesac.com/citysac.asp) to give away this Friday. |
About Aspen/Snowmass Colorado The small towns of Aspen and Snowmass boast an eclectic mix of people. The rich and famous often find themselves mingling with some of the most talented ski bums, living paycheck to paycheck in order to live the mountain lifestyle. When the days are snowy, you can step outside to ride powder runs on one of Aspen/Snowmass’ four majestic mountains. During the summer months, “lifestyle” doesn’t slow down and many who came for the winters stay for the summers when biking, hiking, concerts, fishing and festivals take over. Many only dream of the chance to live even one year of their life in Aspen/Snowmass, Colorado. This is the year that Qittle help one lucky person live that dream. |
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to individuals 21 years of age or older as of January 1, 2010. Various residency and skill requirements apply. See Official Rules at http://livethedreamaspensnowmass.com/ for complete Promotion details. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. Sweepstakes Registration Period ends 5/31/10 and Contest Submission Period ends June 14, 2010. |
Add comment January 12th, 2010
Aspen, Colo. (January 7th, 2010) – Imagine a year of your life submerged in outdoor activities, culture and fine dining in a place high in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Qittle is now providing people the chance to make this dream a reality. On January 1, 2010, Qittle’s “Live the Dream – A Year in Aspen/Snowmass” contest went live, and those eligible can now go to the website http://livethedreamaspensnowmass.com and register for their chance to win.
Continue Reading Add comment January 12th, 2010
If you don’t wanted it printed, dude, don’t let it happen.
The editor of the Aspen Daily News was forced to eat an inordinate amount of crow this week when he completely botched a simple courtroom story and then had to ’fess up, albeit anonymously, to his sins of character assassination on the front page. In the bargain, he missed out on a much better story that was staring him in the face. More on that later.
Continue Reading 11 comments December 17th, 2009
Some weeks ago I decided on-air to boycott conservative talk in both its radio and television forms and I've never felt better about a political decision in my life. As a talker, that decision has cost me a couple listeners on "Con Games" but it's been worth it because I no longer have to contend with the white noise of conservatism.
The concept of white noise makes total sense to me in more ways than one. You have the obvious and initial notion that the rabid blather of conservatism, heard in its purest form in millions of homes across America, cannot be parsed into dissectable, understandable waveforms. There's very little insight and meaning to be had but there is non-stop noise galore: the bleating of those who see none of what ails the world as their fault.
Continue Reading 1 comment December 16th, 2009
