A world without real journalism

Would be a scary world indeed, but it seems we are headed in that direction. As newspapers all over the country die a slow, painful death, I worry about what will become of us and our society. Who will do the investigative work that needs to be done? Who will ask the questions that need to be asked? Who will keep the government honest, or at least more honest? Really, these are important questions and the current answers scare the crap out of me. Clearly it won't be TV journalists, as tv news is already just fluff, and I don't think bloggers can answer the call either. Our government is proposing massive new powers in the wake of the recession, and yet barely anyone is asking any questions...I'm decently liberal, but I don't think the government should take on such powers without any checks. Basically, we need real journalism to question power and to at least attempt to keep it in check.

The younger generation might laugh at me, thinking I'm old fashioned and outdated. They may say, the internet will provide our news, via blogs, twitter and facebook. I'm sorry Gen Y, but those things just don't cut it. Very few of them are properly researched or fact checked, and very few have the resources to actually follow and report stories. Though we might not know it yet, I fear that the death of newspapers will leave a gaping hole to fill, and our current sources just won't fill the void. I can't see bloggers out there interviewing President Obama or Governor Pawlenty...blogs get their news from the AP or other newspapers. Where will the news come from when those papers no longer exist? We will live in a world where we won't know what's rumor and what's truth, and that sounds like a scary world to me. A REALLY scary world.

Despite my fears, I'm not sure there is anything to be done. It seems that newspapers are destined to die, and nothing as legitimate exists right now. Don't get me wrong - I like to read blogs and Twitter, but I don't see how they can actually deliver real, researched news like the current newspaper industry does now. It just doesn't seem possible. I can only hope that newspapers will evolve into something different yet still as effective...an online version perhaps. If not, I fear what will become of us...a nation of uninformed souls, all relying on different sources of information, most spewing rumors, gossip, and plain old mistruths (think Michele Bachmann for instance). I don't know how democracy, what little we have left anyway, can survive such a development. Scary to think about...scary indeed.

One of the worst places to live?

The Pew Research Center recently released a poll ranking people's choices for the U.S. cities in which they would like to live. I believe the institute surveyed 2,000+ people or so. The results? Minneapolis-Saint Paul came in 26 out of 30. Only Kansas City, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Detroit ranked lower. OUCH! Cities like Houston, Las Vegas, Saint Louis, Dallas, Phoenix, and Pittsburgh beat us. Double OUCH (Houston especially - that place is just awful)! I believe Denver came in first, San Diego second and Seattle third.

I have mixed thoughts on this survey. It definitely stung, as I have a lot of hometown pride. However, as we are enduring the worst winter since 1984, I can see why people would not want to live here. It's brutally cold in the winter, disgustingly muggy in the summer, and super sloppy in the spring (when we get a spring). We do have fantastic autumns here, so that's at least something. I get it though - the climate sucks for most of the year. And as it turns out, people really valued climate, particularly warmth, in their choices (though how Seattle came in third then is beyond me - hello no sun for half the year!). Also, most people who move here say it's extraordinarily difficult to break into a group of friends; basically that Minnesota Nice only exists on a surface level. Again, I have to admit they are probably right - I've actually known people who have said that their lives are full and that they don't need any more friends. Obviously, that sort of attitude doesn't help newcomers feel welcome. Plus, the level of passive-aggressiveness that exists here is insane! So much so that some of B's coworkers don't get her when she's just herself - speaks her mind and is completely honest and direct. Hell, sometimes even I don't get that - I'm always searching for the underlying truth of her statements. Clearly, that passive-aggressive thing was hammered into me.

Despite all the bad things about the Twin Cities, I still love it here. And I think others would too, if they gave it a shot. We have fantastic parks, lakes, and trails. We have good schools (Minnesota consistently ranks in the top 5 in the nation), and we have activities for all - all four major sports leagues have teams here, we have a WNBA team and a professional soccer league team, we have fantastic arts (consistently ranking near the top for regional theater, with the Lion King debuting here. Also, the Frida Kahlo show opened its U.S. tour here), and a decent night life (obviously not like NYC). For a city of this size, I think all that stuff is pretty damn good! Also, within 2.5 hours, you can be hanging out in Duluth and exploring Lake Superior, or within 4-5 hours, you can be off exploring the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness Area. I'm not sure how you beat that.

Maybe there is a lesson for us Minnesotans to learn from this survey: if we want people to move here and endure our brutal climate, we must be kinder and more open to newcomers. No one wants to move anywhere they can't make friends (my sister Samantha is struggling to make friends in Seattle now, and it took Sarah a full year to break in to a group in Northampton - that's hard stuff)! It doesn't help that most Minnesotans grew up here, which means they have a lifetime of built in friends and acquaintances. This also means a lifetime of familial and friend obligations as well. This phenomenon results in busy, full schedules and a crazy social calendar at times. However, it probably wouldn't be that hard to open our doors and our hearts to new folks from time to time. And really, we would probably benefit more from it than the newcomers in the long run anyway. Insularity is NOT a good thing, as it stifles learning and personal growth amongst other things.

Perhaps I should make it a goal to try to meet some new folks this year, sort of a belated New Year's resolution if you can call it that. I think I like that idea. Perhaps we should all give it a shot! Now I just need to figure out how to go about doing that...stay tuned.

Home town pride...woot! - myspace blog post

I just glanced at the strib's headlines and noticed that Money magazine named my home town, Chaska, as one of the best places to live in America. Now, I do think Chaska was a great place to grow up (except for the complete lack of queerness, which was a bit tough to say the least), but one of the best places in America? Wow! I'm not sure I would go that far...anyway, if you want to read the strib article, check out:

http://www.startribune.com/462/story/1305002.html

Check out this link for a more descriptive story:
http://finance.yahoo.com/real-estate/article/103234/Best-Places-to-Live

Home town pride baby! Woot!