Wild horses in Nevada

Twelve Horses, local branders of brands (it's a marketing thing), gets serious about Reno's Wild Horse situation and the threats to the herd with creation of this video - check out the Lacy J. Dalton, Willie Nelson and ... wait for it ... Snoop Dogg endorsements. Good stuff ...

Paid to go backcountry on Tallac!

The view from Mt. Tallac looking toward Heavenly Valley. Photo/Jim Scripps

In my new capacity at the RSCVA, I got to go on a backcountry ski/board trip for the purpose of writing a blog post! Which sort of makes me a professional blogger. Crazy world. Our group included local favorite Wolfy from Team Bacon Strip, and a three-man editorial team from Backcountry Magazine. We climbed Mt. Tallac on Lake Tahoe's South Shore. Check it out here.

Note to irregular readers

Irregular readers of this space may not know that it's been awhile since I've posted, but then again, they are irregular readers. For regulars, my excuses include: •) I've been busy doing stuff like installing sinks and toilets, and "freshening" my kitchen counters by removing them with a Rotohammer, •) I'm uninspired by the excess of political blah, blah, blah in the blahgosphere poking at our collective will to live, seemingly designed to dash all hope for the future of the country/world (I wonder what these people would have blogged about during Nixon!), •) Reno news has been depressing with the Dennison murder, shootings, and a sour housing economy, and •) there isn't much happening at the new Cabela's, and when I mention Cabela's, people who search for Cabela's get my blog in their results — and I love the "Cabela's bump" in analytics. These are mostly people who fish, hunt, camp, hike and decorate their houses like 1950s Texas whiskey joints. (Correct me if that is too broad a generalization.)

That said, I'll try to post more often because I hate to disappoint the thousands of readers who visit this space daily only to be left empty-handed. (To be more accurate, the number of daily visitors falls somewhere in the range between zero and thousands.)

So a short thought on politics and journalism, as we enter the final push to an Obama-McCain White House race or, God help us, a Hillary-McCain White House race (btw, I call her "Hillary" because that is what all her signs say, and there was another president called Clinton, so it helps avoid confusion.)
I read two interesting yet competing philosophies on journalists and their voting habits. Mike Allen, writing for the Politico believes journalists who cover politics should not vote — that staying out of the polling booth helps the reporter remain "agnostic" about the races and the parties. Jeff Jarvis believes otherwise. His assertion: that journalists covering politics should reveal their opinions and voting habits — it gives readers a more developed sense not only of the news, but from what vantage point the news is being delivered.
During my years as editor at two small-town newspapers I rubbed shoulders with a lot of politicians and aspiring politicians. I liked some, didn't like others. And in all those years I didn't vote. For me, Allen's philosophy worked better. I made a conscious choice to approach my job apolitically. And while I developed opinions about the character of the people I covered, I didn't care whether they were conservative or liberal, or they were for or against X tax, school funding measure or redevelopment bond. From this position I made a lot of choices about how the newspapers covered politics, and I made the ultimate decisions about who the newspapers would endorse.
Jarvis might be too attached to the idea that all journalists have underlying opinions directing their approach and that some are just better at working around those opinions. The best coverage, I think, is developed by reporters who are more interested in the gamesmanship of politics — the tactics, the personalities, the strategies, the cause and effect of policy — and not the punditry. If you're a journalist, and you feel emotionally attached to a political belief system and the people you cover, maybe you should move to a different beat, or better yet the opinion desk. (or do like I did and get a marketing job!)

Wonked out

• The Nevada Caucus was an interesting whirlwind, and I was one of those who poo-pooed it is bandwagon jumping, but it turns out Nevada may really have an effect on who becomes our president. On the red side, we confirmed Mitt Romney and kept him in contention with McCain, and on the blue we boosted Hillary ... or Obama ... I guess we'll find out when the whole delegate nonsense gets worked out. Overall though, I say it is nice to have this one in the rear-view mirror. My RSS feeder won't be full of conspiracy theories and I won't have to listen to how disorganized Republicans were or how Hillary was trying to disenfranchise culinary union voters (which is kind of true, but it's fair politics, I say ... remind anyone of a previous Clinton political machine?).
• Speaking of politics, it's great Cory Farley found a home at Reno News and Review, although I was a little disappointed about the contradiction in the tone of his first column when compared to the Republican hate he unleashed on his blog. Personally, I like to think I live in a world where most Republicans and Democrats are good people with good intentions (represented by a lot of bad, self-serving politicians). Alas, Kumbaya is not good political reading.
• How do you choose when the choices are Mitt Romney and Hillary Clinton? You get Michael Bloomberg to run! He's built an empire, run a city and he has rejected both mainstream parties. That's a candidate we can get behind.
• I was a little disappointed when Richardson dropped out. In my mind he brought the most political experience, and the all-important executive experience. But why hasn't Edwards gotten any traction? Perhaps because labor didn't rally behind him, perhaps people have Edwards fatigue after 2004 ... But maybe its because his story isn't as compelling as "Obama/Clinton." He makes a good point here.
• ... and speaking of coverage, I thought the RGJ did a fine job with the caucus, which probably helped boost attendance, but their coverage of armoires — yes, armoires — has been even more impressive. As the owner of two "traditional" armoires, I was shocked to learn they are being killed off in the name of trendy appliances.

2 Cents

• In almost direct contradiction to my facetious post of last week, it turns out the "Storm of the Century" did lay havoc both on Fernley — where nearly 300 homes flooded from a broken irrigation levee — and on me when my basement received a share of storm water.
The levee break, though, wasn't the storm's fault, or at least it shouldn't be blamed on the storm. It was a faulty levee ... which brings up the question: If there is a faulty levee, who should pay for the damage? Extreme example: If I drove my car into your house, is it your fault because your house was in my way?
The basement: My fault for not fixing the gutter downspout ... I will pay. Sorry Mike Alger.
• My 2 cents: Darren Mack is entering a new echelon of douchebaggery, eclipsing only his previous douchebaggery. He repeatedly disparaged the wife he killed before pleading guilty, and now he is disparaging the man he shot. They should overturn his conviction just so they can give him a harsher sentence (especially now that he dropped his attorney Scott Freeman).
• Did New Hampshire voters buy the tears? Either that, or they don't care. Hillary is back in it. And I will never trust another political poll again. Web polls, yes; political polls, no.
• Speaking of Hillary's ascension, there has been much buzz in the last two days about the favorable coverage that Obama has received (I laughed when I saw him portrayed, almost Jesus like, on the cover of the Newsweek that arrived in my box today), but where is the debate over her (lack of) experience. Muth breaks it down, Hillar-ity ensues.
• When Nevada becomes the center of the political universe (said tongue-in-cheek), will Ron Paul win? If so, I predict that Nevada will forever be the state that chose Paul. I like him, but Ouch.
• Unrelated, but this may be the funniest thing ever...

Mass hysteria ...

... apparently gets the ratings. Do you ever get that feeling?

Feelin' great in '08

• New Year's Eve at LuLou's was a spiritual experience — food-wise. As hard as it is to pay that bill at the end, the eats are always incredible. Without exception. Silver Peak debauchery ensued shortly thereafter, highlighted by witness of the flailing-drunk-miniskirt-girl-floor-dance. Good times.
• Oregon Ducks redemption: The Sun Bowl made me proud to be a Duck again, with a 56-21 romping of Southern Florida in El Paso — all without Heisman-deserving Dennis Dixon.
• Is 2008 the year that Apple jumps the shark? I don't think so. My first computer was an Apple II, followed by a Powerbook 165, and various iMacs, eMacs and iBooks through the years. The OS is better than ever (unlike Vista), there are no shitty patches or virus problems, and I can look cool at coffee shops. Produce the best product, and people will buy it, even if it costs more. I've never owned a Windows machine, and probably never will.
• I spend a good amount of time thinking about how storytelling will evolve in digital media. If you aren't familiar with Jonathon Harris' experimentation in the digital realm, check out this site. Podcasting, YouTube videos, blogging, etc. all expand on the existing radio, TV, print paradigm, but people like Harris show us that media convergence is still in its infancy. What's in store for 2008?
• Headline: "Congress resolves to stick heads further up asses in 2008." This time with the steroids issue. There are so many problems more relevant than steroids in baseball, but lawmakers like a political winner, and steroids is it. What about poverty, taxes, Social Security, health care, that pesky war ...? These guys are bigger douchebags than John Mayer.(link courtesy Jerz-o)
• Getting green: I like to think of myself as a low-impact individual, but the whole light bulb-ban BS is a big turnoff. It presumes that limiting supply is the solution to our energy dilemma. But if anything sets us free it will be to increase demand for the alternative. My house is all compact fluorescent, not because Al Gore said to do it but because I see a 20% decrease in my power bill. In 2008 consumers will continue to go green without the help of the nanny state. Oh, and I don't need Cheryl Crow telling me how to wipe my ass either.
• Speaking of politics, we are in for it this year, but there may be a light at the end of the tunnel: Michael Bloomberg is inching closer to a White House run. As is tradition, while Iowa voters are getting ready to select the wrong candidates in the primaries, so the American people can choose the wrong president in the general election, Bloomberg is getting ready to stage a hostile takeover of the whole rotten process. Good for him. Hillary and Rudy, please just go away.

Happy New Year