What You Missed About The Peacock Changing Its Feathers

There may be those who criticize us today for not exclusively focusing on Egypt and the turmoil occurring over there.

Our long-term readers are well aware that we have our eyes and ears on what's going on over there, and we continue to monitor any news coming out of that part of the world. Every media organization worth its salt is paying attention to the full depth of events there, and we're no exception. You'll find a full list of related stories in our news links section today that will give you a good look at what's happening in Egypt.

One of the more important things that has already occurred in that ancient nation on the Nile has a strange connection to an event that just finished happening in the U.S. over the weekend.

In case you missed our linked stories on Friday, the Egyptian government shut down internet access for most of its people at the end of last week. It was a display of government control over the internet that no other country in the world has exhibited - not even China, Iran, or North Korea. The Egyptian government of Hosni Mubarak used what's been termed an "internet kill switch" thanks in large part to its connection with a small number of media corporations, including some that control both Egyptian content AND delivery.

That's just like the new owners in the United States of NBC Universal, Comcast.

The idea that a small number of corporations - and even more accurately, a small number of executives in those corporations - could choke off access to some First Amendment rights for all Americans is a scary thing indeed, for both those on the right and left alike. Like some ever-hungry, multi-armed leviathan, large media consolidation in the United States has been swallowing up and silencing local voices in newspapers, radio, and television for nearly 15 years.

Until Comcast took over radio and TV giant NBC, and movie giant Universal, Americans have always been able to say that they could change the channel if they didn't like the fare that was delivered to them.

With this new breed of media conglomerate, if Comcast decides to only allow positive stories through its delivery pipes, technically, they can do that. If their chief executive decides he hates a specific college or pro sports team, they'll be able to create "accidental" technical difficulties any time they like. In the case of Comcast, if NBC is broadcasting a game, no matter who your internet or cable provider is, they may be able to hold you down and force you to pay them exorbitant rates if you want to view the programming to which they own the rights.

That there are also concerns being raised that some in the Congress and the White House are both looking to add an "internet kill switch" for the United States simply adds to our overall concern about our First Amendment protections.

While you're watching the chaos continue in Egypt today, remember that it was the government there that shut down access to the internet for its citizens.

As of today, in America, we could very well be on the edge of seeing a situation whereby a corporation (Comcast) has that same level of control over what what you see and hear - or don't see and hear. The idea that you could be receiving propaganda instead of unbiased, factual news is a frightening prospect. It is a lot more frightening and real than the crackbrained notion that the government might restrict the right of "sportsmen" to own weapons like the AK47 or the Uzi or Glock pistols with large-capacity magazines.

Friday Funday: Surprises.

It's been a week filled with interesting surprises for us at The Daily Felltoon.

It began at the end of last week, with the shocking end to Keith Olbermann's show on MSNBC. Before Friday night was over, we already knew what much of the media would be still talking about on Monday.

Friday gave way to a weekend filled with house hunting for one of us, a trip to Oklahoma and back for another. The rest of us were happy to have a couple of days to relax.

That didn't last for long. Monday began with preparations for Tuesday's State Of The Union speech, and for at least one of us, covering a political march in Washington, DC. As opposed to previous year's gatherings, the march didn't even make the front page of the Washington Post, in print or online. What surprised no one was that our editor Deb saw a new level of success for her personal blog, and a new sponsor, too. [Ok, she was surprised; the rest of us, not so much.]

Tuesday was the State of the Union Address, which we all paid attention to - but it also included a surprise interview for one of us before the address with Deputy White House Press Secretary Bill Burton. Then, Tuesday evening, our web guru was doing prep work for Wednesday, and noticed an issue with WhiteHouse.gov. He immediately contacted the White House - and they listened to him, and fixed the site right away.

Wednesday was going great - until one of our editors had a nail go through her tire. And then our DC staff got dumped on by eight inches of heavy, wet, snow. It also included a bout of gratitude that the falling tree in front of the home of one of our editors missed the cars and power lines. Unfortunately, another tree got some nearby power lines - so our editor made the most of her electrical outage, and spent some quality time at home with a nice fire in the fireplace.

Thursday saw all of us back to the grind - and our electricity-deprived editor was pleasantly surprised by the power coming back on, enabling her to rejoin the twenty-first century.

As you can see from just a week in our lives, the unpredictable twists and turns have been both good and bad, common and unusual.

We keep hearing people surprised at the positive news they're hearing about more jobs coming back to the U.S. economy, or the success America has already had in the first two years of the current administration. Then they shift to being shocked and amazed at some of the laws being proposed in their state legislatures, or events happening around the world.

There really shouldn't be a reason to be so stunned by the latest breaking news.

After all, we're not like kids looking through the window of a toy store, fixated on one item, at the exclusion of all else.

Life keeps happening, and surprises happen all around us.
We hope you survive the less pleasant ones - and enjoy those of a happier persuasion.

For example, having a couple of days off work.

The State Of Our Union? Under Reconstruction.

For all the hype the media usually devotes to the State of The Union - and there is always hype, on all sides - the facts as we see them this morning are pretty much as we said they would be yesterday.

While the seating arrangements at times made the responses seem like an odd version of the stands at a high school football game, overall that was just as we forecast; little more than a weak gesture.

The President's speech, however, wasn't weak. It was a square-jawed look at what America needs to do - and we hope Americans were truly listening.

We applaud President Obama's acknowledgment and insistence that Americans did indeed pick two parties to govern, and that both parties need to govern together, in a shared way. The idea that we move forward together - or not at all - is one we've been promoting for years now.

He also acknowledged some hard truths that a great deal of Americans on both the left and right have been denying for some time. China HAS surpassed America in some important ways. America HAS slipped in some ways, and is in danger of falling further behind. Technology HAS changed the world of work, and our ability to provide jobs.

Long and short, the major topics the President hit on last night all had a similar theme: that we need to stop bitching, and invest in ourselves. In our businesses, in our schools, and in our infrastructure.

Yes, he made it clear that spending cuts - or rather, spending freezes - need to be put into place temporarily. And he also made it clear that health care insurance reform is NOT going to be repealed.

He also made it blindingly, crystal clear, that Americans - especially the wealthiest two percent of Americans - need to pay more in taxes.

"If we truly care about our deficit, we simply cannot afford a permanent extension of the tax cuts for the wealthiest 2% of Americans. Before we take money away from our schools, or scholarships away from our students, we should ask millionaires to give up their tax breaks. 

It’s not a matter of punishing their success. It’s about promoting America’s success."

To the President, and to many Americans, promoting America’s success also means taking care of both our military and diplomatic business overseas - as well as our trade and financial business here at home.

We all agree - there does finally appear to be a light in all of our futures that isn't the headlamp of an oncoming train. Some of us might even call it a light of hope.

But if we want to ride toward that light, and build the bridge to a better future for all Americans, we can't do it by yoking ourselves to the same old methods of tackling our problems.

The President may have overstated things when he said the state of our union is strong.

We, at the Daily Felltoon, think Americans are strong - but we believe the state of America's union is still under reconstruction.

That's far better than the state it was in just a short time ago.

It's what happens when we all work together.
It's what's known as "progress."

It's what happens when you live in a country that does "big things."

Broken, Blind Or Stupid?

For those people who haven't worked in a media newsroom, or as part of a publication team at any point in their lives - which is most people - there are inside tricks and games that go on behind the scenes at media outlets when things are slow.

While the effects of media consolidation have rendered some of those old games unplayable any more, some games are still around, for those rare times when a group of professionals are all in one place with no work to do.

Like when they're snowed in.

One of those old games used to be known as "Broken, Blind, or Stupid." One person would tell a TRUE story, preferably one that involved the protagonist doing something unusual. The teller of the tale was allowed to be vague about some things, but had to tell the whole truth. At the end of the story, the others around the storyteller would guess the key problem of the protagonist. Usually, the storyteller let everyone know who the character was after they guessed.

If the character had physical or mental ailments that caused or contributed to his/her problem, they were considered "broken." If they had physical or mental disabilities that kept them from being successful, they were considered "blind." Of course, the the third option was for when the protagonist was just an idiot.

The goal was often to tell stories of famous or semi-famous people that others in your business hadn't heard, and, of course, to then learn more about people you thought you knew everything about (The internet has put somewhat of a crimp in that game, too).

We were reminded of that old pastime yesterday, when members of our staff in the DC area were socked in with snow all night and again this morning, as we looked over recent stories in the news that we may have missed sharing with our readers.

Today, we thought we'd play the game with you.

In Nebraska recently, there's been a state senator who has been attempting to introduce and pass an anti-immigration bill that closely mirrors the hotly disputed law in Arizona. That Arizona legislation - even now - remains somewhat in limbo, regarding the ability of police and sheriff's personnel to enforce it  because of how badly it was written.

Now this same Nebraska state senator has generally been a legislative cowboy of sorts, cocky, young, and mouthy - as reflected in his legislative ideas - without much regard for those he angers. He claims his bill isn't about protectionism or racism, but is only about keeping the best interest of Nebraskans in mind. Of course immigrants' rights groups are angry with him. Even people in his own political party, as well as legal immigrants, have had a few choice things to say about this guy's actions - and most of those things are not good.

Last week, a fellow state senator from Omaha presented this presumptuous parliamentary pistol-whipper with an idea that - while she does not agree with him - would help him achieve what he claims to be his goal for the state.

This legislator knows - or should know - he isn't likely to get his bill passed into law. Even if it passes, it will certainly be caught in legal limbo for years. In general, he seems to be ignoring the efforts of everyone around to assist him to succeed in his quest  - for either political self-destruction or successful political prominence.

His actions now beg the question: Is he broken, blind, or stupid?

As things sit right now, we're leaning towards the latter - but we'll let each of you decide for yourselves.

Musical Chairs And The State Of Our Union

Tonight, President Obama will fulfill one of the constitutional obligations of his office, as nearly every President before him has, and as he has already done once before. [Yes, we know he gave an address in 2009, but that was not TECHNICALLY a "State of the Union" address.]

We could simply tell you what we'd like to hear the President say, or what we think he shouldn't. All kinds of other pundits and commentators have done the same thing already, so why join the ranks of the copycats? Some folks are even claiming that President Obama's State of the Union address tonight previews the 2012 Presidential race - although the facts say that no matter his talking points tonight, most Americans are already firmly dug in on their opinions of the state of the nation.

To us, that's one of the most telling facts of all about the current condition of our country - the unwillingness to change our minds, or more importantly work together with those who don't agree with us.

The problems that we find our collective selves in don't just affect the left or the right. Job insecurity isn't just for the poor, and unemployment has affected Americans at all economic levels. The continued breakdown of our infrastructure affects us all, as do the increasingly odd weather patterns we're all experiencing. The needs of our educational system affect not just those of us with kids, but every person who has to deal with another American who has gone through our current public schools, for better or for worse.

We are most certainly all in this boat together, as one nation - succeeding or failing without regard to party or partisanship.

With that in mind, we at The Daily Felltoon are usually among the first to applaud genuine bipartisanship. We deal with it all the time amongst ourselves - and we do pretty well.

Democrats clean off the cars of Republicans. Republicans share their dessert with Democrats.

In the hyper-partisan culture we have to endure these days, little things like those gestures sometimes seem beyond us. Thus, you might think that we support the show of bipartisanship that our Congresspersons and Senators will be showing tonight as they mix up their seating arrangements.

To a limited degree, we do.

But only to a degree.

This display tonight reeks to high heaven of just that - a show. Everywhere else, Republicans are already threatening to throw legislative temper tantrums if they aren't allowed to shove THEIR agendas down the throats of Democrats, like they believe the Democrats did to them. Democrats, of course, are responding in a like manner.

Bipartisanship doesn't mean, "You hit me first, so now I'm going to hit you back." Bipartisanship in our system of government means putting aside all the childish games to offer up to the nation solutions that work, regardless of which side of the aisle they came from.

When and if we see that kind of working arrangement in Washington - and elsewhere around the country - we'll applaud this little change in seating arrangements as more than just popcorn theatre.

The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow; Media, Ethics, and False Equivalency

While we're well aware that yesterday and today are considered by some to be the most depressing days of the year, the blues and the chill that some of you feel likely had nothing to do with the season.

In case you hadn't heard, Keith Olbermann, the most well-known left-leaning media figure on television, abruptly left his position at MSNBC last Friday night. While there were some in the right-wing media who were jumping up and down in unmasked glee, there were also a number of conservative commentators who have generally kept their mouths shut and their keyboards silent over this issue - for good reason.

The sudden and mostly unexpected departure of Olbermann isn't a petty issue over internal corporate policies, as was Mr. Olbermann's temporary suspension last autumn. This time, it was not a straw, but the impending corporate yoke that broke the commentator's back.

Last week, the FCC and the Justice Department lowered the final regulatory hurdles to allow giant cable and internet provider Comcast to complete its purchase of NBC/Universal, one of the largest television and movie corporations in America. As multiple sources have confirmed, it was made clear, on more than one occasion by Comcast corporate executives, that when Comcast took ownership of NBCU, they would (and will) meddle in the content of programming on NBC, MSNBC, or pretty much any program or any channel they choose.

In short, Comcast corporate executives seem to see no problem with corporate censorship - not so that their corporation remains in compliance with laws regarding broadcasting and free speech, but so that corporate executives can censor, limit, and eliminate the opinions of those employees who disagree with the opinions of management.

Simply put, Mr. Olbermann refused to bow to such offensive censorship rules - so he left before Comcast legally took the MSNBC reins this week, as a knowledgable colleague confirmed Sunday morning on a different network.

If the topic of censorship in the media seems to ring a bell with you, it wouldn't surprise us.

After the attempted assassination in Arizona a few weeks ago, many people in right-wing media attempted to claim - falsely - that calls for civility, even from those on their own political side, were simply attempts to silence their First Amendment rights. We highly doubt many of these same organizations or individuals will be calling for the reinstatement of Mr. Olbermann's First Amendment rights any time soon.

Censorship - whether it comes from the government, as those on the right fear, or from corporations who have a stranglehold on the media, as those on the left fear - has the same effect on our society, regardless of the origins of such constraints.

Just as gun owners do not have a right to do anything they wish with firearms wherever they choose, corporations have no right to limit the free speech of their employees in the manner that drove Mr. Olbermann out.

Mr. Olbermann's departure should also make it blindingly clear to those who've claimed there is some kind of equivalency between the extremely right-wing Fox News Channel and Mr. Olbermann's now-former employer MSNBC that no such parallel exists in America.

Our concern over Comcast owning NBCU was not just that of corporate censorship, or of net neutrality issues, but also of a severe chilling of the members of the media from being able to do their jobs, whatever their political proclivities might be.

While it may be different for you, the chill in the air we began feeling this weekend most assuredly had little to do with the season.

Friday Funday: Ready For Spring?

So far this winter, the entire Daily Felltoon staff thought things hadn't been overly bad.

Sure, we'd seen a bit of snow, both in the Midwest and on the East Coast. But it wasn't like what we'd seen last year, so we were OK with it being just a bit colder. Some of us and our families got new snow gear and we were ready, if not itching, to try it out.

We'd been eating healthy - even through the holiday season - keeping active, and taking our vitamins. None of us had been truly, deeply ill yet, and we were hoping maybe we could make it all the way through January without being visited by the "Ick Fairy."

Now, though, we are SO ready for spring.

Everyone has had at least a cold by now, if not something worse. We've discovered that one of our doctors seems to think "The Creeping Crud" is more of an official diagnosis, and less of a name for a modern rock band.

We are now completely past the desire to spend the whole day lying in bed. We've grown tired of the taste of NyQuil, even if it isn't in the notorious "green death" flavor. And we're almost to the point where we don't care if there's enough snow to use that new pink snowsuit.

It's not that we don't appreciate what winter has to offer.

Family members coming to our place for a winter weekend visit is nice - even if getting parking tickets in the snow is not.

It's just that we've begun to feel that inevitable feeling, that comes over many people who dwell in temperate climate zones about this time of year.

We're sick of being sick. We're sick of shoveling snow. We miss not being able to see much sunlight after five in the afternoon. We could really stand to go a whole 'nother year without having to scrape ice off of our car windows. And if we forget our gloves, or hats, or scarves, or other winter paraphernalia one more time, we may have to get the adult version of the kiddie safety strings - for everything!

We miss the warm breeze of a spring day, the blue skies, and soft scents of all kinds of plants blooming in the sun. We long for there to be more than 15 minutes of daylight after 5 PM. And frankly, we've been successfully watching our figures this winter, so it would be nice not to have to hide ourselves under four extra layers of clothes.

Yes, we're aware… spring is coming sooner than we realize, and summer after that as well. Before long, we'll be complaining right along with most people that the temperatures are too hot, as we long for the crisp breezes of autumn.

So we'll enjoy winter this weekend, while it's still with us.

Probably by watching the snow fall from inside, while we drink some hot tea, and hunker down, wrapped in a fluffy blanket.

Not The Right Kind Of "Kick The Can"

We're not exactly sure of what kind of childhood you may have had, but growing up for some of us involved games with other kids in the neighborhood, like "Nine Lives" or "Kick the Can."

If you never had the experience of a round of "Kick the Can," it's a game where the person who is "it" tries to catch all the players who are hiding, and put them into "jail." The person who is "it" is also trying to protect the one thing that can set all those players free - someone sneaking up and kicking over the can, located at homebase.

Unfortunately, in the legislative version of "Kick the Can," it isn't the lawmakers and governors at the state level who are "it" and have to scramble to protect their budgetary cans.

It's the cities and counties.

We've been warning now, for some time, that when the Obama Stimulus money ran out at the end of 2010, that there would be a rude wakeup call for all Americans. Not surprisingly, politicians in nearly every state, at nearly every level, attempted to skew, twist and obfuscate the truth about their city, state, and federal budgetary numbers during the political races last year so that those problems appeared to be someone else's responsibilities.

While that may have been a childish trick, most voters went along with it, and turned politics into a sport, as they too often do. The calendar has turned over, though, and last year's political games have now begun to give way to the political realities of 2011 - like how to pay for the states' fiscal responsibilities.

While California's Jerry Brown has been getting some of the biggest headlines lately, being painted as a Governor trying to steal from his cities to pay for his state's budget problems, he's far from the only example out there.

In Nebraska, the Legislature refuses to deal with the issue by instead putting forth "Emergency only" tax bills, that make the claim that taxes will only go up if the state can't balance its books any other way. Meanwhile, cuts to necessary state services are certain to happen, which will force cities and counties to pick up the tab via higher property and sales taxes.

Without the Obama Stimulus money the states have used to cushion their budgets the last two years, state aid to schools is also projected to plummet in 2011, and likely for several years to come. Unless citizens want to face schools full of kids with no teachers, cities and counties will have to pick up the tab for that, too.

Of course, we're certain all this buck-passing won't stop the state politicians from slapping each other on the back at the end of this year's legislative sessions, congratulating each other on how they were able to balance their budgets again (even though balancing the state's budget is written into the state constitution in most cases - so it's not like the lawmakers or Governors had any choice).

Being fiscally responsible is important to all of us on the Daily Felltoon staff, and we generally consider balanced budgets a good thing.

However, when every state has so many infrastructure projects that need repair or replacement; when there are still massive numbers of people out of work; when private business either can't - or won't - spend, hire, and invest locally; a balanced state budget isn't that much to be proud of.

When a balanced budget is merely a number on a piece of paper, while the actual responsibility of governing continues to be kicked down to the cities and counties, we see little reason for celebration.

This is real governing, folks. This isn't a game for kids - or those too incompetent for real responsibility.

Blindingly Foolish

There are many in the media and in positions of political power who had hoped it would be a while - a long while - before they were faced with another one of those issues that Americans have been avoiding for some time.

In this case that issue is gun violence in America.

As we drew, and read, and translated, and directed, and wrote, and took care of our lives on Tuesday afternoon, two more kids - KIDS! - got seriously injured in another incident of senseless gun violence at a school in California.

We're fairly certain this one won't get the kind of media attention so many others have. "No one died, so it's not that big of a deal," said one member of the national media, behind the scenes, to one of our staffers. We'll leave that person nameless, because their jaded attitude isn't really the point of our commentary today.

Let's be honest with each other for once in our lives about the nature of guns in American culture.

We simply have too damn many of them - and too many in the hands of people who don't respect them, can't use them properly, or simply shouldn't have them due to age or disease, or mental condition. No five-year-old NEEDS a rifle, let alone a handgun. Neither does an 85-year-old, with or without Alzheimer's disease.

Yet in America, right now, right this very minute, there are at least 90 guns for every 100 people. Rich, poor, old, young, insane, sane, every color, shape, size, and ability - there are 90 guns for every 100 people. If you're reading this in a room with less than five people, there are enough guns on average in America that each of you should have two - except for the idiot with the fully automatic machine gun who would only need one. But, of course, he probably owns several already.

It's not that we think the Second Amendment - the vaunted legal statute that far too many Republicans have taken way beyond its original meaning, in part due to their fear of the NRA's power to make or break elections - should be scrapped. We see no problem with responsible Americans who have been properly trained in gun safety, and who have a proper respect for the power of firearms, owning a gun or two.

That being said, there is no reason whatsoever for Americans to have the destructively cavalier attitude towards guns that we do.

It is not just in our use of language that we have been careless in our use of gun metaphors. It's in nearly everything we do, from our books, music, movies, and cartoons, to the very way we approach the idea of managing weapons properly.

In the face of the attempted assassination of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords earlier this month, there have been multiple gun control measures proposed, most of which will never see more than a few words in digital or hard copy newspapers. We doubt that any House and Senate members of EITHER party have the intestinal fortitude to do anything more than dump ineffective platitudes at the feet of those who will be injured or killed in the next heinous gun-related violent event.

At least on this issue, for those of us who still claim some hold on rational thought, there are no party identifications at all.

Our lawmakers are all either cowards incapable of protecting their citizens, or blind fools unable to see that their refusal to act boldly and effectively endangers us all.

Please, please, please remember their actions, and/or lack of such, during the next election cycle.
Or if the next elections seem too far away, just wait for the next gun-related tragedy to remember the cowardice of all those politicians who chose to do nothing at all.

And Now, Back To Your Regularly Scheduled Stupidity…

If you've been paying attention to politics and the media lately, you know that a there was an unusual amount of attention devoted to civility and responsibility last week by nearly every media source, including us.

What you may have missed - if, for instance, you were hosting guests over the weekend, or you were busy hanging around with family - was that the temporary truce between the chronically stupid and the rest of us has apparently already ended.

It began with a town hall-meeting edition of Christiane Amanpour's "This Week" for ABC News, recorded last week.

One of the victims of the shooting tragedy in Tucson was not just allowed, but asked to attend the taping of "This Week" - along with the leader of the Arizona Tea Party. Contrary to the denial some folks we know still suffer from, the Arizona Tea Party has been one of the more militant branches of that vague political movement. In case some of you had forgotten, the Arizona Tea Party includes folks who came to a speech by the current President of the United States carrying assault rifles.

The nearly inevitable reaction of explosive anger by a victim of the Tucson shootings, when the Tea Party leader spouted off some of his rhetoric, should have surprised no one. As veteran media observers, we're willing to bet the "This Week" producer who asked the victim to attend was, in fact, hoping for just that kind of "bonus" media coverage for their show.

The shooting victim was immediately hospitalized for mental evaluation, and has since apologized to the Tea Party leader for that outburst. To his credit, the Tea Party leader doesn't want the victim jailed but rather wants the victim to get the mental health care he needs. Unfortunately, the Tea Party leader still insists his organization is in NO way responsible for inciting ANY kind of violence via incendiary rhetoric.

Sadly, the slide back into the regular levels of stupidity has also already reached Washington, DC.

Republican Eric Cantor and other members of the GOP chastised the Democratic House for not putting forth a budget just a few months ago. Now they have already demonstrated their inability to lead - even though they're now in the majority - by refusing to put forth their own budget .

Yes, instead of proudly taking up the mantle of "Majority" party in the House, the GOP House "leaders" are already claiming they don't really have any power and insisting that the President must put forth a budget BEFORE they do. That way, the Republicans can simply stand on the sidelines and lob rhetorical water balloons at the budgetary decisions of the President.

Many of those same Republicans are also putting forth a great deal of bluster, claiming they're going to repeal health care insurance reform. It doesn't seem to matter to them that the majority of the American public actually wants the law to be MORE expansive, not repealed.

Regardless of how much sound and fury Republicans attempt to whip up on this issue - or any other - the facts still don't change. The GOP House has to pass a budget, they'll have to pass the debt ceiling, and if they want to get anything at all passed into law over the next two years, they'll have to work TOGETHER with a Democratic Senate and a Democratic President, who has the power of the Veto.

In the spirit of last week, we're not going to beat you over the head with more facts that further prove our point. We'll simply remind those in Washington (and elsewhere) who are already attempting to go back to their old divisive ways, to not be surprised when their false fury and needless stupidity meets the cold, hard reality that the only way forward is together.

Hard, Solid Thinking Needed

Whether you were aware of it or not, today, Monday is a holiday across the United States, a day to celebrate the wisdom and accomplishments of the civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr.

Dr. King accomplished much during his much too brief lifetime, not the least of which included pressuring Congress and the President to pass the 1964 Civil Rights Act and 1965 Voting Rights Act. He believed strongly in the concepts of non-violent resistance, and contrary to the recent display of ignorance by certain Pentagon officials, Dr. King would not likely have supported the current wars Americans find themselves in at this time.

In fact, he'd probably find the current state of our partisan, hateful rhetoric even more disappointing than the political climate of the civil rights era.

While it's disputed, even by King's own family, exactly why he was killed, what isn't in question is his long-standing record as a mediator, of being able to find common ground between people of highly disparate positions. His success as a intermediary was tied directly to his willingness to ask to the tough questions, and tackle the "hard, solid thinking" that he saw few others willing to tackle.

We see that same weakness in our lawmakers now. Unfortunately, we have far fewer persons of stature around, like Dr. King, to hold those who make our laws accountable for their actions.

For example, after a near assassination of a U.S. Congresswoman, a large number of our Federal representatives are willing to admit - off the record - that they'd be willing to reinstate the common sense restrictions of the assault weapons ban. Yet, because of their fear of the NRA and its power to affect elections, we see only a tiny handful of legislators willing to actually put forth legislation on that idea.

Things are no better at the state level.

As we mentioned briefly on Friday, Nebraska's Governor Heineman calls his next two-year budget proposal 'bold, innovative and strategic'. We see very little that is innovative or strategic about chopping Nebraska's state services into bits with a budgetary meat cleaver, while digging into the state's piggy bank in order to cover his budgetary backside.

Likewise, in Virginia and Maryland, the Governors of those states plan to either make small cuts or borrow money in order to achieve their own political goals - which, by itself may be fine. The problem is that while their own political goals may be accomplished, neither Governor's actions are likely to significantly handle the needs of their citizens.

We understand that today is a day where Americans are supposed to reflect on the accomplishments of Dr. King, and the growth of our own country towards a more color-blind society - and we agree with that concept wholeheartedly.

However, we also hope that Americans don't ignore the many other lessons Martin Luther King Jr tried to teach us - especially about tackling the difficult issues in life.

"Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think."

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Friday Funday: A New Definition of 'Home.'

There are more than a few serious subjects weighing heavily on our minds today, including the news that the GOP House is still planning on their pyrrhic vote attacking health care insurance reform next week; the Governor of Nebraska's next budget has everything for everybody except common sense, and the Governors of Virginia and Maryland have swapped brains; and we're still frustrated because Apple isn't releasing the iPhone on Sprint yet.

(OK, that last topic is basically our web guru's personal issue, but we'll let him roll with it today.)

Something that's been on all of our minds this week is the concept of home.

Home isn't just the place where four walls come together around and where you lay your head at night. It's a place where your friends are, where your family is, where you feel comfortable, safe, and secure.

In our modern, highly-connected world, home isn't just a physical location. Think about it - how often do you see your friends these days? Maybe you see them in person once a month or every couple weeks - but you don't see them every day, as you likely once did. We're willing to bet you do as we do, and talk with your friends by phone, e-mail, Facebook or Twitter on a daily basis.

Most of us are so connected these days - or can be, at a moment's notice - that we talk with some of our friends more now than when we lived in the same general part of town.

We each carry our own versions of home around with us these days, connected both locally, and over long distances, to those we care about most. Technology has made that possible, just as it has the those huge TVs that are as thin as our thesaurus.

That ability to mix the virtual and digital, with the visceral and tangible, to create a concept of "home" where those we care about, no matter where they are, feel like they're just next door, has been a blessing we've counted many times, lately.

When the weather gets bad - or just bitterly cold, like it has been in Nebraska lately - that vision of home has allowed us to not even leave the house, and still make all of our deadlines and appointments just fine.

There's an old axiom that home is what you make it. We highly doubt that those who coined that phrase ever thought it would have something to do with Skype and phone calls, email and texting.

Even if that wasn't the original meaning of the phrase, we think that those who originally came up with that idea would look favorably upon our modern, highly-connected view of hearth and home.

For one thing, it means that each of us can keep those we care about with us, wherever we go.

For another?

When it's this cold, our new definition of 'home' means we don't have to get out of our robes and slippers to brave the elements.

And we're just fine with that, too. So... where's Spring?

America: A Family Affair

We hope that you saw and heard the President's speech at the memorial service in Tucson last night.

Like most people, we each took our own meanings from the speech as a whole, and its separate parts. Together, though, we think there was a message that too many Americans seem to be missing, one that we've already hit on this week.

The President reminded us that we are all Americans, who all want many of the same things. Whether we are old or young, rich or poor, whatever our backgrounds, faith, or family history, we all want to find happiness, meaning, and peace in life. We are all part of that extended family that is America.

Like a family, there will be times we don't like each other, that we want to strike out at each other in anger. But - as the President noted last night, and as we said earlier in the week - we are better than that. We can be better, and we SHOULD be better.

"Being better" does not mean that we simply allow those who are wrong, or choose to do wrong, to get away with doing and saying what they should not. Hypocrites, the hubristic, the reckless, the greedy; all of these and more are people who choose to do wrong, and speak incorrectly, who choose to benefit themselves at the expense of others, in ways that are often cruel and needless... their behavior should not be ignored.

Like family, we are bound to one another as Americans - even those of us who make bad choices. Striking out at our family members in anger to attempt to get them to change their behavior is in itself, a poor choice. Hitting back is also unacceptable. As the President also said Wednesday night, "How we treat one another is entirely up to us."

So what do we do, when we fundamentally disagree about topics and challenges that are important to us as a nation? When we disagree, at our core, about the choices our fellow Americans are making - in how they speak, how they act, and how they choose to interact with us and others?

The President had the answer last night: "Only a more civil and honest discourse can help us face up to the challenges of our nation."

We believe - all of us - what the President has said many times and repeated last night: that the forces that divide us are not as strong as those that unite us. We unanimously agreed with him when he said, "I want our democracy to be as good as Christina imagined it. I want America to be as good as she imagined it. All of us - we should do everything we can to make sure this country lives up to our children’s expectations."

Americans have faced many unique challenges over the last few years that we have never faced before. We have a feeling the next decade or two - or three or four - will present us with even more challenges of a similarly difficult nature.

Now is not the time to attack and bury our countrymen in rhetoric and hate - or attempt to one-up each other with poorly chosen words. When we've done wrong, we need to suck it up, and admit it - and then stop that behavior. When we've been right, we need to move on and leave gloating and smugness behind.

As President Obama noted last night, in times like these, "We can not turn on each other."

No matter how looney we may seem to one another, the truth is we are all part of the one and only American family.

Snow Kidding: Experience vs. Intelligence

We'll agree that our commentaries the last two days have been a bit heavy, as we think befit the situation our country has been facing. But there's another major issue most of you, our readers, have been facing - regardless of where you live in America.

Snow.

Our staff at the Daily Felltoon has considerable experience facing midwest winters - some of us were even born and raised in Nebraska. Still, the Northern Plains isn't the only region of the country facing a snow-filled welcome month in 2011. From coast to coast, from North to South, and nearly everywhere in between, old man winter and young Jack Frost seem to be tag-teaming most of the country in snow and ice.

When winter slams areas of the country that are comparatively unprepared for it, Nebraskans and other midwesterners often laugh at the minor struggles of their fellow Americans. We admit, we've also been guilty in pointing at other areas of the country, and questioning their weather intelligence levels.

What we've discovered in all of our traveling this past year is that maybe we shouldn't be laughing.

For example, take something that Nebraskans and other midwesterners take for granted: Snow brigades.

Most of you know exactly what we're talking about; small groups of individuals, who have agreements to clear snow away from businesses or small residential or rural areas. When large amounts of snow fall, most people who belong to a snow brigade call their regular employers, and let the employer know that they have snow brigade duty.

Almost like National Guard duty, most employers simply agree, and let their employees go for a day. No argument, no charging them with a 'sick day' - and no loss of their job, either. Sure, most employers don't count it as a paid day off for those employees who call in to clear snow - but most people on snow brigades get paid for their efforts anyway, so there's no real loss for either employer or employee.

In most parts of the country outside of the midwest, when you say 'snow brigade', you may as well be speaking to others in alien tongues.

That's not a knock on those who aren't used to midwestern winters. It's just a gentle reminder that not all parts of the country are set up to handle the same kind of winter weather issues that Nebraskans and other midwesterners are used to.

For others to be as prepared for winter as midwesterners, would be like Nebraskans stockpiling hammers and plywood to board up their windows before a tropical storm.

That doesn't mean midwesterners shouldn't be able to do a little finger pointing and chuckling at their fellow Americans. Just don't believe it's a lack of weather smarts that leads others to shut down whole regions when they get levels of snow that Plains inhabitants simply scoff at.

Those non-midwesterners just don't get that much snow, usually. Then again, these are unusual times.

Missing The Point: Enough Means Enough

We're covering the same topic for the second day in a row for a very important reason.

In case you missed our commentary on Monday, we urge you to re-read it with the true meaning of "temperance" in mind. In short, what our commentary said, and unfortunately, what we heard across the airwaves and read in many places over the last 24 hours had very little to do with each other.

Quite literally, "temperance" means "self-restraint" - something far too many in the media have not shown enough of for far too long. Temperance was quite literally our point yesterday. While we were not the only ones making that point on Monday and even over the weekend, we fear that we may have been some of the only people hearing that message.

That became clear as we watched the finger-pointing continuing at an ever feverish pace - even by some we know very well - on Monday and Tuesday. Most extremist right-wing media figures displayed the kind of defensive posture regarding their partial responsibility that only those who know they are guilty display. Too many left-wing media figures to list leapt at the chance to prove their point about the vitriol coming from the right - and missed some very important points themselves.

Whether or not we were correct is not the point. As one of our staff members often says, "Do you want to be right, or do you want to get your message through?"

We'd prefer to be both - but today, we'll settle for for the latter. And the latter point is one that dovetails with what we said yesterday.

America is the most well-armed country in the world. We have more guns per person than other nation. We also have some of the most lax gun ownership laws for a country of our stature, far beyond any of our other first-world colleagues.

Likewise, while America is FINALLY beginning to address our woefully inadequate health insurance coverage, we are still disturbingly far from seriously dealing with it on a level that guarantees results.

Yes, America has made some attempts to address both problems recently. In an action that shocked and surprised the gun rights lobby, President George W. Bush signed a bill in early 2008 that was the first weapons bill brought forth by the majority Democratic Congress in 2007. That bill was supported by both the NRA and the Brady campaign, and strengthened the National Instant Criminal Background Check System by screening out those individuals who've been identified as having mental health problems.

Unfortunately, as the shooting victims in Arizona found out last Saturday, some states still refuse to provide that information to the background-check system.

That effort clearly was not enough - and THAT is truly our point.

Whether it's too much vitriol in the media, or too many people needing mental help and not getting it, or too many people who don't respect the power of firearms, the point is ALL of us are not doing enough. Period. As has been said many times over the past few days by countless rational citizens: "We as Americans are BETTER than that".

When we say "Enough," we also mean ENOUGH excuses.
Enough, people. On all sides.

Enough.

As we are sure you've heard by now, this past Saturday morning, a crazed 22 year old gunman in Arizona shot and killed six people, and wounded thirteen others, including Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Sadly, and yet unsurprisingly, by Saturday afternoon, finger-pointing and blame-shifting from both ends of the political spectrum were being blasted throughout the media as the cause for this senseless act.

In light of the sad and unnecessary violent killings in Omaha last week at both a school and a local business, as well as one in Baltimore, and now in Tucson, we have had more than enough of hateful rhetoric.

What we are going to say here is similar to what has already been said by some of the best examples of media integrity this past weekend - but it bears saying again, repeatedly.

We ALL need to stop the kind of irresponsible, nasty talk that has permeated our politics, especially over the past 15 years. From far right to far left, it is time - long past time, in fact - for our politicians and especially our media commentators to stop using the metaphors of violence and war to describe those with whom we have simple ideological differences.

It is also LONG past time for us to stop making a false equivalency between those on the left and the right.

There was a time when large numbers of those in power and in positions of authority on the political left regularly used violence in their rhetoric. That time has long passed and was in full bloom before most of our staff were even born. Even so, it was inexcusable at the time, and it is just as inexcusable now.

Likewise, the recent trend of hyper-violent rhetoric on the political right has has not passed our notice. It has now gone far beyond what any sane individuals recognized as healthy. Crosshairs on maps targeting political opponents should NEVER be used as they were by a recent candidate for the Vice-President's office of the United States. Public exhortations by that same individual as "Don't Retreat, instead - RELOAD" are more than just offensive - they are incendiary. Outright threats of using "Second Amendment remedies" if votes don't end up the way conservative Congressional candidates desire are inexcusable. Commentaries labeling those who oppose the author as murderers when they are not, are not acceptable. Commentaries that take out of context Thomas Jefferson's comments on watering the tree of liberty are equally heinous and dangerous. Those in the media who use that kind of rhetoric to whip up their audience, as a cheap way to gain attention, are more heinous than most.

We are not, in any way, absolving anyone on the political left from their own hate-filled rhetoric. The truth, however, is that conservative media figures on radio and TV who are important and powerful enough to have the ability to move large numbers of people have not advocated violence against their fellow right-wingers.  No one of any serious stature on the left - in congressional speeches, in national tv or radio programs, or in national print media - has regularly and recently called for the kind and degree of violence that has become so commonplace to hear coming from those in positions of authority on the right.

That does not absolve anyone of any political affiliation, of the responsibility for our collective part in this culture of violence.

We are ALL to blame for the culture we have created, and it is long past time for us to do what it takes to rein it in.

We close today with a pledge, initially put forth over the weekend by the television commentator Keith Olbermann, who himself admitted his own part in creating this atmosphere.

We think EVERY American should take this pledge, as we do today, and especially everyone who works in politics or media:

"Violence and the threat of violence has no place in our democracy. We apologize for and repudiate any acts, words, or images, or anything in our our pasts which may have even inadvertently encouraged violence towards one another, over politics. Whatever else we may be, we are all, first and foremost, Americans."

It is time we all said together, as one people, "Enough."

Friday Funday: Reasons For Celebration...

It's the first Friday of 2011, and we're in a great mood to celebrate.

Every year, one of our editors throws a fantastic "Twelfth Night" party on or around the traditional "Twelfth Night" holiday (which technically was yesterday, but close enough), as kind of a post-January 1st welcome to the new year. That party is tomorrow night, and we're very glad to be celebrating that holiday with our friends and co-workers.

We have many reasons to celebrate. It's a new year, one of us has a new job (in addition to what we do here), one of us is thrilled about the new House of Representatives, and generally speaking, things appear to be getting better economically for many people in the country.

We're more than ready to admit - things are far from perfect. It's still cold outside, most Americans would love more or better work - or simply a decent-paying job - and we didn't win the Mega Millions lottery.

There are still reasons to celebrate.

One of them is that it's also our anniversary here at The Daily Felltoon. As of today's edition, we begin our third year of delivering Paul Fell's cartoons directly into the e-mailboxes of thousands of readers.

We each enjoy the opportunity to publish our work, whether it's in a newspaper, a magazine, a legal contract, or a blog. We also still love newspapers, whether they're in print or electronic form, as you can see daily in our links section, which is always heavily represented by newspaper sources.

We also love having the chance to make you think, smile, and laugh - and we're continually working on how we can expand what we do to new markets and new kinds of media.

For you, as much as it is for us, it's a new year with new possibilities.

We hope you don't forget that optimism in the throes of winter's icy embrace.

Stay warm, stay safe.

And happy new year.

Victimless Budget Cuts? We Don't Think So.

Originally, we were all set today to write our commentary on how states are making less than intelligent budget decisions - especially with respect to schools - and what many of them could and should do this year, with regards to their budgets.

Then, a seventeen year old kid in Omaha shot his principal and killed his assistant principal and himself, and we thought there was something much more important to discuss today.

Most modern Americans either know the science, or they've heard the stories in the media that tell us all about how sunlight can help our moods, and how in the wintertime, people can get more depressed. 

Most Americans also blow off taking care of their mental health.

"I'm fine," they say. "It's just a bad day." Or, "I'm just not feeling like myself today." This can go on for months. They let bills lapse. They pay their rent or mortgage late - or not at all. They don't call as much, or e-mail as much, and they tend to stay inside more.

Particularly for those of us in colder climates, we sometimes just chalk those actions up to the season. We write it off as being the "winter blues", and let it go when others pull away, or we find ourselves doing the same thing. Mental illness doesn't just appear in the wintertime or only in cold climates, though. It also usually doesn't happen overnight.

We didn't know the young man who ended up taking his life in Omaha on Wednesday, and we don't know either of his victims.

What we do know was that what you may have heard on the news about him may have been true: that he appeared to be a wonderful kid, and that no one could have foreseen that he would have acted in such a destructive and pointless manner.

Most people with mental illness look no different than anyone else. It's not like they turn green, or have a flashing sign appear over their head that says "Freak!". They're so-called "normal" people, just like you and me. They're ill and need help to get healthy, just as if they had the flu, or a staph infection, or a sports injury.

If there is any confluence of ideas between what we were originally going to write about today and the topic that our attention has now been drawn to, it's this:  continuing to cut the budgets of schools, at any level, or to attempt to put them through some insane managerial "cost-saving" change isn't the victimless crime so many bean counters profess it to be.

Maybe that young man's life could have been saved if his school had better - and more - counselors with professional mental health training. Maybe if his teachers and coaches had more manageable work loads, they'd have noticed his plight. Maybe if his parents, neighbors, and family weren't working multiple jobs just to survive, they'd have noticed also.

When the political talking heads say the consequences of budget cuts to institutions like schools are hard, but something we can all live with, we vehemently disagree with them on that.

Not everyone will be living with the consequences.

Biting Off More Than They Can Chew

It may have taken a few days, but people finally seem to be getting back into the swing of things; back to work, back to school, and back into everyday life. For those of us who keep our collective eyes on those in positions of power, we're almost not sure which way to look today, especially with all of the Senators and Congressfolk returning to Washington, DC.

In case you hadn't heard, today is the kinda-sorta-maybe first day of the 112th Congress.

Today isn't really the first day of work in the U.S. Senate, because the majority Democratic leaders want to use Senate rules to give themselves more time to internally debate changing the filibuster rule. All things considered, if there was any point in time that Senators from any party should and could change the rules of how the filibuster is used - and too often these days, abused - now would be that time.

The proposals that have been put forth to modify the filibuster are relatively simple; they would make the filibuster actually work like it has on TV and in the movies for years. Meaning that the Senator that wanted to filibuster would actually have to stand there, talking, for hours on end. Further, there would HAVE to be a minimum number of Senators present (also known as a quorum) for a filibuster to be able to continue.

Unsurprisingly, Senate Democrats are having a hard time finding the courage to do the right thing - although we desperately hope that they do go through with it.

Republicans on Capitol Hill aren't faring much better in the "Things not to sink one's teeth into" category.

Not only has the Republican leadership in the House had its bluff called on the silly stunt of reading the Constitution before the legislative session begins, but they've now been cowed into allowing Democrats to join in the reading. What's more, Speaker-elect Boehner has proposed new rules in the House which would actually weaken his power, and force the Republican majority in the House to share more power with their Democratic counterparts. Regardless of whether we think both of those maneuvers are wise (and we think they are), these moves by Republican House leadership have the  ultra-conservatives and tea partiers shocked as though they stuck their tongues into an electrical outlet.

As members of the media, we acknowledge that many of our colleagues sometimes seem to find a sick pleasure in rooting for the fighting and acrimonious behavior in Washington to continue. It gives them plenty to write and publish and broadcast about, and gives them some kind of odd job security.

However, if the actions of both parties - so far - in 2011 continue like this, we have a feeling that it won't be the parties that will have shown they they bit off more than they could chew.

It will be the partisans who've been hoping for all-out political warfare that may not happen after all.

Lions And Tigers and Bears... But 'Yawn', Instead of 'Oh My!'

On Monday, right on cue, like the flying monkeys of "OZ" fame finding Dorothy, Congressional Republicans began their onslaught against the already-passed health care insurance reform law - just as had been predicted. It was also no surprise that several state legislatures, including Nebraska's, began their 2011 session work heading in the wrong direction, looking for budgetary fat to cut where there is little or none left.

Some state-level lawmakers continue their attempts to console their constituents by comparing their economic difficulties to other, less fortunate states, or other better statistics. While that may be a good ploy for a politician to use during an election year, 2011 isn't an election year for most elected officials.

There's a reason we focused so many commentaries and cartoons at the end of last year on this topic - that the hungry bear of revenue shortfall at both the state and Federal levels isn't one that's going away. Even a blind, three-legged, lobotomized pachyderm should have known the economic climate greeting this year's crop of legislators on day one was going to be anything but easy.

The idea that the roaring lion of budget concerns will remain sitting quietly like a stone statue outside the legislative chambers of our senators and representatives, is one that we frankly find a bit offensive.

We have stated many times that we are firmly in support of fiscal responsibility. No matter where we individually fall on the political spectrum, the idea that Americans should be wise with our collective fiscal resources is one that brings us all together.

Fiscal responsibility, however, doesn't simply mean making massive budget cuts until we end up like the tiger chasing its tail who ends up biting off his own behind.

It also means having the political courage and fortitude to know when to stand up and admit the truth, that revenue generation - and that includes tax increases on those who can afford to pay for them - must be a part of the overall solution.

We can pretend to ignore the problem all we want.
This is one bear that isn't going away until it gets its pound of flesh.

Flying Into The New Year: Hits & Misses from 2010 and Hopes for 2011

Happy new year, and welcome back to The Daily Felltoon, both staff and readers. Our staff thoroughly enjoyed our holiday break, and we hope that each of you had some time to relax, reflect, and look ahead to the following year. We hope you got some great gifts as did we, and we'd be remiss if we didn't congratulate our Webmaster on his new permanent, regular full-time job.

Of course, we hope that sitting and reflecting time didn't involve sitting in airport for 72 hours, waiting for bad weather to clear in some other city across the U.S. or Europe.

There was quite a bit accomplished during the last two weeks of 2010. The President and Democrats got extended unemployment benefits for millions of out of work Americans, and compromises for small businesses that will lead to new hiring this year. The Republicans got the Bush tax cuts for the rich extended, which seemed to be the only legislative accomplishment they were focused upon anyway. START was passed, DADT was repealed, and Congressional Democrats shamed Congressional Republicans into paying for health care for 9/11 responders (which was financed by eliminating large corporate tax breaks to companies who send jobs overseas).

As we all look ahead to this year, 2011, some very difficult topics seem to be inevitable as political battlegrounds this year. Some will even continue into 2012.

One of those topics we believe that is almost certain to blow up in the media is the proper role of government and taxes. Another is the absolutist positions of those on the far right, and to a growing degree, on the far left.

Absolutist positions on taxes - and on many other things - simply aren't going to be effective in politics at the local, state, or Federal levels this year. Truthfully, those kinds of attitudes never have been very effective, as we have pointed out over the last few years. Still, we're 100% certain that the propaganda promoted nearly ceaselessly by the far right and their corporate media outlets won't stop. The notion of "My taxes are too high, because they exist at all," simply won't work as a method to fix the issues we have with our governments at any level.

People procreate. People immigrate - legitimately. America has grown according to the Census, and the private sector still isn't living up to its responsibilities by creating enough jobs at home. For all of those reasons and more, the faulty idea that we can cut our collective way to prosperity will unfortunately be brought up time and again this year. In too many cases, those concepts of austerity financing will be proven wrong the hard way. Overall, sacrifices will probably be asked of all of us.

Yes, we think the economy will improve (no thanks to the tax cuts for the wealthy) as it has continued trending upward now for some time. And we think President Obama will BEGIN to bring some few troops home from Afghanistan, although we have a LONG way to go before our involvement in that corner of the world is done.

For this year, 2011, no matter what goes on in Washington or Nebraska or wherever you live, we hope that you and many others always keep in mind: we're still all in this together. It's also going to take all of us, pulling TOGETHER to get out of this economic mess.

It's a good start for a new year.
Let's get back to work.