Write Lightning is a blog from writer Deb Thompson.
Everyone is welcome here.
(Some links or topics may not be completely kid-appropriate.)




Thu, Jan 11 2007

Just like that?

I don't belong to either of the two major political parties in the U.S., so this question is not bipartisan. How on earth did an anti-terror bill that was five years in the squabbling process pass so quickly all of a sudden? If bipartisan nit-picking really has gummed up the works that badly in our legislative branch then we are in need of another major party or something to at least upset this whole teeter-totter kind of playground complacency. Real legislative work for this country should be done between elections and not because of elections.

posted at: 10:52 | category: /Politics | link to this entry



Did she ask for it?

We've all heard the phrase "the news behind the news". The public is almost as swift to react to those kinds of stories as it is to frontline reports. Take a look at the comments beneath an ABC report on New York Times correspondent Carlotta Gall. The New York Times has taken its share of criticism, but it was disturbing to me that some people would see the attack on Ms. Gall as something she brought on herself and possibly even deserved.

It's true that everyone takes risks in their professions, but reporters often take risks that most of us would shun in favor of sitting in a long commute on U.S. freeways. Reporters are not soldiers and I doubt very much that they expect to be treated as soldiers. Most travel with very little protection and place themselves in harm's way in order to get a story. That's their choice, of course. What bothers me is the shift lately toward demonizing reporters in the midst of very complicated political issues that are straining diplomacy between even the closest of allies. Most of us have no real idea of the moves a reporter has to make in order to gather information that will expose the actions of very powerful, very angry, very frightened or very desperate people. We participate in journalists' work by proxy, reading a few words or looking at a few videos or still photographs. Sometimes we become a kind of Monday morning quarterback when we take in the news they gather and disseminate. We assume that what we see is all there was for the reporter. But news is more than a set of facts. If you don't believe me, think back to the last time you were at work at a company in the midst of an upper management scandal or other upheaval. How long did it take for facts, rumor and gossip to change alliances and erode trust between co-workers? How easy was it for you to find out what was really going on? Did you consider the possibility of having to do or say anything that you thought might compromised your own job or your own personal morals? And did you get much actual work done with the distractions going on at that time?

When we take in the news we have to remember that journalists are not just flies on the wall. They have to interact with law enforcement, politicians, informants, spin doctors, angry citizens, religious mobsters, paradoid insurgents, Mother Nature and the various people who just want to be seen on camera or have their names in print. They need to filter many voices at once and have eyes in the backs of their heads.

We each need to read and watch what is reported with a mind toward the true nature of a reporter. They aren't deities. And they chose their profession. But they don't deserve to be beaten on the job any more than a baker or computer programmer does. To think otherwise could be counterproductive to our own American ideal of freedom and could even contribute to the eventual death of the very important freedom of the press.

posted at: 07:41 | category: /Writing Life | link to this entry



Check your credit card activity

We seem to be having some issues with small unauthorized charges to one of our credit cards, so I'm going to tell the rest of you about it, in case it happens to you. Thankfully, we have very quick-witted people who check our card activity and they promptly notified us about four separate charges that were for one dollar each. The phone numbers of the companies charging our card were 800-316-8774, 877-636-6858 and 800-333-1915. There were two separate one-dollar charges from that last one. We have no record of any business transactions or agreements with any of these companies. With a bit of research I'm finding names such as SavingSmart, At Home Rewards, Bargain Network and some outfit called Vertrue, Incorporated, which has addresses in Norwalk, Connecticut and in Omaha, Nebraska, and which seems to be associated with programs such as Deal Pass and Passport 2 Fun, among other interesting situations. Adaptive Marketing LLC/Homeworks Plus seems to be a part of all this conglomeration, and the Better Business Bureau has given them a rating of F, which is about as bad a rating as a business can get.

My spouse attempted to call the companies, but their automated answering systems demand a membership number before allowing access. We don't have a membership number to punch in because we are not, nor have we ever been, members of any of these companies or programs. If these unscrupulous people attempt to collect any funds from us they will get a swift, negative response.

If you use credit cards, be sure to check the activity on your card often. We have no idea how these particular companies got our card number, but we'll be passing along the information to folks who investigate these things.

posted at: 05:32 | category: /Miscellaneous | link to this entry



Quote Of The Moment
I like thinking big. If you're going to be thinking anyway, think big.
--Donald Trump
Categories
Arts and Entertainment
Food
Health and Fitness
Miscellaneous
Playing
Politics
Religious and Spiritual
Science
Writing Life
Some of the Blogs I Like
Adrian's Science Fiction Starter
Angelahoy.com
angelweave
annecentral
Big Stupid Tommy
Blog Catalog
Christina Waters
Detectives Beyond Borders
Faith in Fiction
The Fire Ant Gazette
Jay Michael Rivera
Keystone Military News
Orange Crate Art
PI Buzz
Rabid Librarian's Ravings in the Wind
San Diego Soliloquies
TED Blog
Blog Resources and Blog Tools
The Ageless Project
Blogarama
BlogPulse
BlogShares
BlogSweet
Listed in LS Blogs
Kmax
The Blog Herald
Listed on Blogwise
Ping-o-Matic!
Some of my other web pages
Deb's Monthly Review
Stories
Deb's Writer Cam

Writer Links
Writers' Resources
Hatch's Plot Bank
Instant Muse Story Starter
The Memes List
General Store
Stetson Hats
Levi Strauss & Co.
Jaxonbilt Hat Co.
River Junction Trade Co.
Head 'N Home
Archives
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004
September 2004
August 2004
July 2004
June 2004
May 2004
April 2004
March 2004
February 2004
January 2004
December 2003
November 2003
October 2003
September 2003
August 2003
July 2003
Hang Hat Here
Write Lightning button       RSS         email Deb

Follow me on Twitter


Stealin' copy is as bad as horse-thievin'
and cattle rustlin'! Lightning may strike
such varmints when they least expect it!