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Jan

11

How many Interesting People do you know?

Filed Under Cleveland+, Media, Ohio, Writing | 10 Comments

It was not easy, but I found Cleveland Magazine’s list of Interesting People (scroll down to where it says “Features” on the left-hand side).

Dan Moulthrop is the only one I can really say “I know.”

I’ve met Phillip Morris and I know of Angelin Chang (my son’s former viola teacher played with Chang in the ensemble that supported Chang in her Grammy-winning work), Peter Lawson Jones (to whom I’ve been introduced but I don’t know him) and Barbara Snyder. And I recognize a few other names like most Clevelanders might (Dick Goddard, Jack Marschall).

That’s it though.

You?

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 11:22 pm January 11th, 2008 in Cleveland+, Media, Ohio, Writing | 10 Comments 

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Jan

11

Jerry Austin says Clinton was brilliant in New Hampshire, regardless of act or reality

Filed Under Campaigning, Elections, Politics, WH2008, Women | 1 Comment

From a call into this week’s WCPN Sound of Ideas political roundtable:

…you have to give Mrs. Clinton…you know – the crying bit – whether she did it as an actress which was brilliant or she did it in terms of reality – which was brilliant…she basically got the young women and women in general back as evidenced by how many women came out and voted and voted for her…

Austin, a well-known political consultant who is Of Counsel to Burges & Burges, later comments on how we are affected differently depending on who cries.

My opinion as to why it was a boost to Clinton? Because she needed to cry. The other politicians? It just wouldn’t mean the same thing. The character, the background, the persona of the person crying contributes to how we react.

Bonus: A caller asked about science and the candidates and…bada boom bada bing – Howard Wilksinson of the Cincinnati Enquirer specifically says that the candidates haven’t said much at all and Mark Naymik of the Plain Dealer also struggles to come up with much the candidates have said – not because he doesn’t know, but because, as the group behind Science Debate 2008 says, the candidates have failed to offer concerted, specific statements that address any number of science-related issues.

Second Bonus: First-timer Jason Johnson, a political science and communications professor at Hiram College, did a great job and what a great radio voice. I had the pleasure of meeting Jason last year and he is an incredibly impressive person (so much so, I couldn’t imagine why he thought I knew anything or anyone who could help him!). He has very vast experience covering and being involved in elections globally and is a great resource in NEOhio.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 11:09 pm January 11th, 2008 in Campaigning, Elections, Politics, WH2008, Women | 1 Comment 

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Jan

11

Media Matters helps you skewer Chris Matthews

Filed Under Campaigning, Elections, Media, Politics, Social Issues, WH2008, Women | Comments Off

Relentlessly I might add.

I can’t really pick just one item to link to on the Media Matters website, and it’s the most recent e-mail I received from the group that pushed me to write this post (it’s not on the site yet so it’s below the fold of this post). But this stuff is just incredible. Read more

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 10:30 pm January 11th, 2008 in Campaigning, Elections, Media, Politics, Social Issues, WH2008, Women | Comments Off 

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Jan

11

Support Science Debate 2008 & get the prez candidates talking

Filed Under Campaigning, Elections, Environment, Mental health, Politics, Tech, WH2008 | 4 Comments

The mainstream media is devoid of all but simplest soundbites from presidential candidates when it comes to science. Maybe a little something here on alternative energies, maybe a little something on the environment, maybe a little more on technology. But can you remember the last time you saw even one single brief article or item in an MSM publication, in print or online, that concerned itself entirely with how the candidates plan on addressing all the ways in which the government does and can (and maybe even shouldn’t) impact science? Me neither.

Thanks to today’s WCPN broadcast of Science Friday, I know now that there’s a robust effort to get the presidential candidates to dedicate real time and thought to all facets of science that concern everyday life and the future of Americans.

The sidebar on the Science Debate 2008 website lists several areas for discussion:

The Environment

  • » Climate Change
  • » Conservation and Species Loss
  • » The Future of The Oceans
  • » Fresh Water: Drought, Pollution, Ownership
  • » Population Growth and Its Effect on Environment
  • » Renewable Energy Research

Health and Medicine

 

  • » Global Diseases and Pandemics
  • » Stem Cell Research
  • » Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria
  • » Drug Patents, Generic Drugs
  • » The Genome
  • » Bioethics

Science and Technology Policy

  • » Scientific Innovation and Economic Growth
  • » Improving Science Education
  • » Space Exploration
  • » Preserving Scientific Integrity in Government
  • » Energy Policy

There are thousands of supporters of the debate proposal, but here are a few notable ones from just the notable list:

 

Calvin DeWitt, President, Academy of Evangelical Scientists and Ethicists; Chair, Advisory Council, Evangelical Campaign to Combat Global Warming and Climate Change; Professor, Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at UW-Madison

Phoebe Leboy, President, Association For Women In Science

Bill Nye, Bill Nye The Science Guy; Vice President, The Planetary Society; Frank H. T. Rhodes Professor, Cornell University; Union of Concerned Scientists National Advisory Board

Barbara Snyder, President, Case Western Reserve University

I’ve just signed on, even though I won’t make it to the notable list. You can do the same here. Here’s a list of blogs that have reported on the effort. I can’t see any downside. You?

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 9:52 pm January 11th, 2008 in Campaigning, Elections, Environment, Mental health, Politics, Tech, WH2008 | 4 Comments 

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Jan

11

Pakistans deports author of NYT Mag article “Next-Gen Taliban”

Filed Under Foreign Affairs, Media, Politics, Religion, Writing | Comments Off

I read the article written by Nicholas Schmidle and published in last Sunday’s New York Times Magazine.  But this is just nuts:

Some believe that Schmidle’s article antogonized Pakistani government officials because he conducted interviews in Quetta where the Taliban are operating in full public. These sources suggest that Pakistan government authorities want to limit exposure to the fact that they have done nothing to shut down the Taliban in Quetta and/or are turning a blind eye to the Taliban’s operations theres.

I’d say, how can our country prop them up, support them, give them our military and our millions and our munitions, except that I feel the same way about many other relations maintained by the Bush Administration.

Hattip to Amy Gahran who Twittered it.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 8:27 pm January 11th, 2008 in Foreign Affairs, Media, Politics, Religion, Writing | Comments Off 

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Jan

11

Looping, or just loopy? In defense of political experience, at the risk of political entrenchment

Filed Under Campaigning, Elections, Government, Politics, WH2008 | 5 Comments

Yesterday, I went to lunch with a near 30-year veteran of a major metropolitan newspaper who retired a little over a year ago. She’s a Barack Obama supporter and I’m a Democratic fence-sitter. Since my top three candidates are gone, baby, gone, I now will choose between the top three finishers in Iowa and New Hampshire.

But how – how will I choose? What criteria do I find to be most relevant? Which criteria are the most relevant?

My lunch date said that she prefers Obama to Clinton or John Edwards because she believes that this country needs someone who will listen and integrate multiple perspectives into a single solution, whatever issue is under the microscope.

I played devil’s advocate by bringing up the experience question – what’s he got to show, versus someone like Hillary Clinton or John Edwards? (I’m dispensing with the arguments that Clinton’s time has all been on the watch as a wife and Edwards as a trial lawyer; I don’t believe the former characterization to be accurate or fair and if being a trial lawyer doesn’t involve finding solutions, albeit through our justice system, I don’t know what profession does).

And her response, not surprisingly, was that Clinton’s experience is overshadowed by her entrenchment as a result of that experience.

That’s when I told her about looping. Read more

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 5:17 pm January 11th, 2008 in Campaigning, Elections, Government, Politics, WH2008 | 5 Comments 

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Jan

11

Sir Edmund Hillary, RIP

Filed Under Culture, RIP | 2 Comments

The second book I started during my vacation was Three Cups of Tea. It was hard to get into but now I’m about two-thirds done. It’s the non-fiction story of how Greg Mortenson fails to reach the K2 summit, but that failure results in achievements unlike most of us will ever accomplish.

There are some pictures in the middle and one of them is with the protagonist, his main benefactor, Jean Hoerni, and Sir Edmund Hillary. I know I asked myself, “Is he still a-live?” because I really had no clue.

Well, he’s not, sadly. But what an incredible life.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 9:00 am January 11th, 2008 in Culture, RIP | 2 Comments 

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