A Review of My "Year of Application"

In a practice that--thanks to our ever-increasing reliance on electronic devices--is becoming less frequent, humans switch out their calendars in the annual event of "ringing out the old and ringing in the new" around this time of year. It serves as an opportunity of reflection, introspection and resolve to guide us along our paths in the new year. While I have no wall hanging to change out, I do have this blog to browse through for that same purpose. According to my first post for the year that just ended, 2014 was supposed to be my "year of application" and to spread my journalistic "wings" and, except for the tailing off near the end, I think I can claim success.

In that submission, I talked optimistically about using the skills I acquired through my then-recent completion of my Certificate of Journalism from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in the lead-up to being laid off from a job that I held for a little over five years (that was alluded to as a "year of transition").  I initially established a schedule that I would follow for my posting of new content onto this site that was slowly cast aside based upon wavering levels of interest as well as opportunities taken (and ignored) throughout that 12-month period.

Here's a breakdown of my 52 posts last year:

Soap Box: Good Deal, Eh?

One of these things does not belong with the others (but it legally can)

In a recent sign of the strange economic times we now live in, Burger King, the world's second largest hamburger fast food restaurant chain, announced this past Monday its intent to buy the Canadian restaurant and coffee shop chain Tim Hortons for $11.4 billion. The new holding company will become the third largest fast food company with over 18,000 restaurants in 100-plus countries, lagging behind only McDonald's and Yum! Brands. Once approved, 3G Capital, the company's majority stock holder, will move its corporate operations from Miami, Florida to Oakville, Ontario. While big money mergers have become almost commonplace, one significant component of this deal has transcended the confines of Wall Street to spark discussions on Main Street as well as on various social media outlets.

Buddy, Can You Spare 500 Words?

Local writers wanted...a nice headline to see in your morning newspaper!

With all of the many items that have been recently occupying my time and mental capacity, there was one thing that instantly caught my attention but took me far too long to post about it here. I was reading the Dayton Daily News on my tablet a couple weeks ago and scrolled onto the "Ideas & Voices" page, the very same one that I recently commented about on this site. In the upper right-hand corner of the displayed page were three words that immediately attracted my eye--local writers wanted! Knowing how financially strapped the newspaper industry is for content these days, I saw this as a potential opportunity to perhaps make my mark--or at least cut my teeth--as an "opinionator".  I continued reading Connie Post's submission.

Are you interested in contributing to our Ideas & Voices page?

Soap Box: Turn Out the Lights, This Race is Over

An open letter to Ohio Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ed FitzGerald:

Ed FitzGerald (center) meets with supporters at a Dayton campaign rally this past January.

Dear Mr. FitzGerald Ed,

Let me try to put this as delicately as I can--what in the wide, wide world of sports were you thinking? How could a former FBI agent believe that in the current age of bulk data storage and instantaneous access to public records that those potentially embarrassing issues from your past would not become known? And you thought that this would simply be ignored in a political climate where style—and its associated “political games”—trumps substance? In the hands of a wily opposition research operation, rather innocuous events could be spun so far out of proportion so quickly that even the most firmly established, textbook-perfect political campaigns would be vulnerable to such shenanigans (and as we have seen since you announced your desire to be Ohio's next governor, yours does not fall into that category).

Soap Box: So It WAS Really About Oil

MSNBC's Rachel Maddow recently hosted a documentary identifying the primary reason why the United States went to war against Iraq

Those who cannot remember history are condemned to repeat it. -- George Santayana

In our 21st century information-saturated society, it has become much harder for people to keep track of the things happening in their personal lives or the world in general. A 2009 book about building excellent healthcare teams cites research that puts the average adult's maximum attention span at about 20 minutes and can be as short as eight seconds if continuous attention is required. The W.W. Grainger Company is currently airing a radio spot that highlights the marketing concept of effective frequency--the number of times a person needs to hear a message before purchasing but before they start to tune it out. That advertisement, as well as the online BusinessDictionary.com puts that number at three and that is, coincidentally, the number of times MSNBC host Rachel Maddow has tried to bring the true story of America's 2003 invasion of Iraq into the nation's collective consciousness after the recent airing of her cable documentary, Why We Did It.

Soap Box: Realpolitik and "Mom" Jeans

 We learned this week that some people actually base their opinions of world leader's governing skills based primarily upon their choices--or lack--of clothing.

Unless deliberately shunning newspapers, cable news or the internet since last weekend, you should already know that Russian president Vladimir Putin moved elements of his nation’s military forces to the Crimean peninsula of Ukraine, a neighboring country and former Soviet republic. This was reportedly in response to a request from Viktor Yanukovych, the Ukraine’s fugitive president—and Putin lackey—who  was ousted in a popular revolution in late February and took up sanctuary in Russia to escape vindictive retribution in his homeland by the people who took over for him.

Soap Box: MSNBC, We Need to Take a Break

Dear MSNBC,

I'm not quite sure just how to put this but...I think we need to take a break.  Over the years, you have been my primary source for news and opinion but I believe we may have recently violated some boundaries and that needs to be addressed.

If you look back at my blog posts and Twitter feed, you will see that I have referenced you, your programs and your personalities on a very frequent basis.  I have framed much of my own perspective concerning this country's political landscape based upon the guests you put on the air and the positions that the channels has espoused since the days that Keith Olbermann anchored your evening block of shows.  Although I followed him over to Current TV for his short-lived stint, I still considered you my "go to" channel on breaking news and political information (your former slogan "The Place for Politics" was a perfect fit for my level of consumption).

Soap Box: Bus Stops and MLK Day

A Dayton Regional Transit Authority bus stops along Pentagon Boulevard in Beavercreek, Ohio.

Monday was the 29th observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, our nation's most recently established federal holiday and an occasion to commemorate the accomplishments and enduring legacy of the late civil rights leader.  As the "newbie", it does not have the universal recognition of the "first tier" holidays like those near the end of the year (Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day) or the summer observances (Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day).  While supposedly equally important, the remainder of the ten official federal holidays (MLK Day, Washington's Birthday, Columbus Day and Veterans Day) linger in a "limbo" status in corporate and non-federal circles.  Companies that I have worked for in the past covered them with a "floating holiday" policy that allowed employees to decide which of these to take off  (or to substitute for another with more personal connections to them--i.e. a cultural or religious day).  That inconsistency was observed in my town with the military base and schools being closed but garbage/recycling collection continuing as normally scheduled.

Soap Box: A Minor Mistake Eclipsed Some Major Stories

[NOTE: football and car problems kept me away from the keyboard this past weekend...0 for 2 is not a good start.]

A small military office's inadvertently released email drew my attention away from last week's major media attractions.

In our current 24/7 non-stop, constantly churning information cycle, media proprietors are constantly on the lookout for significant activities to populate their already purchased time or inches or bandwidth in order to attract audiences and keep their financial backers off of theirs. It is a very good week if two high profile and multifaceted stories can generate enough attention to get them through the Monday through Friday period (and provide adequate fodder for the Sunday morning "talking head" shows).  Remarkably, last week had three "buzzworthy" items that dominated those cycles (when the 2014 North American Cold Wave is included) but it was a very small item from my news aggregator that has me ignoring them and dedicating this week's column to highlight its importance.

Soap Box: Same Old, Same "Auld Lang Syne" in DC

[NOTE: "Soap Box" is my initial attempt at creating a weekly opinion-based column. I will focus primarily on politics, national security, and the media but I can't rule out commenting on some of the "silly" things that seem to capture our national attention from time to time.  I am hoping that this can become a full-time gig for me--wish me luck!]


The start of a new calendar year normally initiates two reflective activities in our society--a review of the just-completed 12-month span and a preview of the upcoming 365-day period.  Due to the nature of our country's political systems and schedules, Congress will get the lion's share of attention as it slogs its way through the second half of a very disappointing two-year term.  While achieving high marks in terms of hyperbole, political theater and partisanship, it is failing in what the voters sent those members there to do--legislate!

2014 is shaping up to be a lot like 2013 was on Capitol Hill -- unproductive!