With Labor Day behind us, the public pools are starting to be drained and the leaves are beginning to fall. Summer is unofficially over. So, there’s no better time to recap the season then right now. Here’s my list of “Stories of the Summer”. Did I miss any? What did you feel was the most important news? Drop me a line sometime.

-Jake (Aaron Rochester’s dog) escapes
-Jaxson Stark tragedy
-North High wins state baseball title
-Michael Jackson death and surrounding drama
-City Council vs. porch furniture
-Three year old Evelyn murdered in SSC
-Female ex-jailers sue Dakota County
-Longtime businessman Dwight Hauff dies
-Another successful Saturday in the Park
-Musketeers name new head coach
-Jon and Kate breakup (…just kidding)

Say…doesn’t this look like a great topic for a daily SCJ front page poll or Speak Out? Alert the nearest editor.

-DeRoin.

As clueless as I was? Well, read on:

Sioux City residents have been seeing bright yellow signs that say “Vote Molly Williams” for a few weeks now (especially on the Northside).
My first thoughts:

“There’s an election coming up?”
and more importantly
“What exactly is she running for? …Mayor, city council, homecoming royalty??”

So, uninformed voters, I’m here to shed some light on her campaign team’s gaff. I just learned she is running for Sioux City School Board. If you don’t know, now you know. And knowing is half the battle.

PeAcE,
DeRoin.

Hey guys, you aren’t clever or witty.

Most people who posted their sarcastic, anti-green sentiments yesterday (check the ‘hey guys’ link) are probably just bitter people who hate their jobs and need someone to take their frustrations out on since they aren’t big or fearless enough to do it in real life. So, we have….the internet. Hooray for anonymousness!

You people will complain about anything and blame the ‘liberal’ media or ’socialism’ or any buzzword you feel fits the bill. And your negativity only begets more negativity. Stop bringing us all down.

So, go ahead, comment on this… you SUCKAS.

PeAcE,
DeRoin.

Disclaimer: I don’t know and don’t particularly care how the Stock Market works. I have no idea what AIG actually even does as far as selling goods or services. I registered as a Democrat just so I could go to the caucus. I speak for the uninformed and highly apathetic general public of 8-5 suckers.

Free enterprise is sure costing us…

Bailing out ‘loser’ companies like AIG (American International Group) and General Motors totally goes against the grain of capitalism. The US government has always strung us along and lead us to believe that this nation is the land of the free. Well, Uncle Sam and his goons and cronies are always kickin’ down our doors taking what they want and dishing out what they feel is just. Hardly ‘Laissez-faire’ at all, huh?!? Unless we tie up the government’s interests with corporate bologna, lobbying, and other under the table dirty dealings, we have no say.

Sure, anti-monopoly laws (Microsoft, AT&T, Standard Oil) kinda made sense in a Robin Hood kind of way, but now taking our money and giving a handout to failed ventures like AIG is crossing the line of free enterprise. These companies have outlived their shelf life and deserve to die if capitalism still has any legs left in America. Remember Gateway Computers or that Denver newspaper?!? Yea, me neither…they went out of business and the government wasn’t supplying them funds to waste on giving ‘incentive’ bonuses to people that obviously did a bad job somewhere along the line.

Okay, okay…people are losing jobs and we don’t want that. But giving the empty suit, big wig, windbag the money? Keeping these companies afloat might help the Dow Jones for one day, but it won’t trickle down as long as there are private jets to buy. If the government wants to help out the average citizen who doesn’t have millions of dollars in assets and billions in liabilities in his or her ledger, why not spend the money on universal healthcare for the PEOPLE and quit bailing out doomed companies that deserve the wrath of capitalism??

But, until the government and these big companies get out of bed with each other, nothing will ever change for us- the people…except more of us searching the job classifieds.

Wall Street will forever trump Main Street…but you know what they say: “Cash Rules Everything Around Me.”
And you know who has the money…not us.

-DeRoin.

The results are in!

Way more important than the Grammys, the Emmys, Golden Globes, NAACP Image Awards, and Nickelodeon Teen Choice Awards combined…The Siouxland Weekender published their big winners today. Did you favorite person, place, or thing get a nod in the 2009 Siouxland’s Choice Awards?!? If not, are you steaming mad he/she/it/they was (or were) overlooked again?!?

Check out the full list HERE or grab a copy on newstands where ever you can find a Weekender right now!

I know one Sioux City favorite took home an award…The Gateway Drug pulled write-in category for ‘Best Looking Band’…but was there ever any doubt to that in the first place??

Well, congrats to the winners and better luck next year to everyone else. We can’t all be as popular as perennial winner Ron Demers…

PeAcE,
DeRoin.

With a still lingering cloud of doubt and distrust hanging over the greatest record in all of sports history- the all-time baseball home run record- we all sneered and scoffed when it was broken in 2007, ‘Well, that cheater Barry Bonds will be overtaken by Alex Rodriguez in no time anyway.’ 

Now before the 2009 season even begins: surprise—A-Rod isn’t our clean-cut hero either! With evidence now coming to the light of many once-beloved superstars (including Rodriguez) taking steroids and over performance enhancers, who CAN we put our trust in and look up to? If Alex Rodriguez can claim stupidity and innocence in succumbing to using banned substances, what slugger or hurler is next? The era of baseball being America’s Past time is over. No more blue-collar Hank Aaron or Greg Maddux-like role models. The league now must cater to the thrill a minute, immediate consumption, over-diagnosed with A.D.D. public who only want to see 500 foot home runs and 105 mile an hour fastballs. If Major League Baseball doesn’t further its hardline stance on steroids, we’re bound for a future of cyborg clean-up hitters and robot pitchers. The human body can’t handle much more. (For proof, take a look at all the steroid-abusing professional wrestlers dying off in their forties.)

Then where will the trail stop? If the superstars can play off their willful choice to cheat to get ahead, why wouldn’t minor leaguers, collegiates, and even high school athletes? In fact, they have been at alarming rates. Sure, states are cracking down and PSA campaigns are discouraging steroid use– attempting to kill the problem off before it begins in tomorrow’s potential professional athletes, but who would we rather listen to: a star athlete or someone in a suit that sure can’t win an MVP award? Ask Nancy Reagan how her ‘Just Say No’ campaign worked out, and you’re bound to see the youth will continue to emulate those on top at that very second to attain the dashing fortune and fame… eventhough we now are obviously seeing the stars crash back to earth. We’ve read the reports and know what steroids and these substances will do over time, but the reward right NOW outweighs the later risk… I guess. We want the glory without the guts and the pressure to succeed further sways people to steroids.

So, is this to say that anyone who excels in sports now is under suspicion of steroids? Maybe.

Nobody is prefect, but athletes (plus actors and singers) are pumping themselves with synthetics trying to become perfect. Why not just accept our mortal limitations and play the game with a level playing field? Yeah, good luck…

((as it appeared in Sunday February 15th’s print edition))

Note: This editorial appeared in the Journal last month, but it seems relevant again with the inauguration tomorrow. So enjoy (again).
 

Posted: Sunday, December 14, 2008
Perfection is a funny thing. We always expect it from others, but are usually willing to settle for less in our own work. My generation seems to constantly set the bar too high in wanting the world from others, but rarely show the same passionate gusto in our own hustling – because that would involve putting in extra time and effort. Basically, we want the quick fix. How about a realistic goal.

This past November, the youth vote came out in full force like never before, and we overwhelmingly chose Barack Obama to be our president. He represented us like no politician in the past. We took the first step to success by leaving apathy behind and taking action. Our golden boy had the Midas touch; at least that’s what we hoped, so we voted. Voting and talking large is easy. Following through and accomplishing is hard. Not saying he won’t, since I was loudly on the “Yes We Can” campaign, too, but what if Obama falls short somewhere? Will we see his presidency as a failure?

Look on the bright side, George W. Bush is on his way out. We’ve become used to failing with him at the helm. But is this country beyond saving now? And if Obama isn’t the superman that can dig us out of this huge hole, are we doomed to cast him aside too and fall back into apathy?

Unlimited (and sometimes naive) optimism doesn’t include unwavering devotion, as we are quick to judge and demand perfection no matter the circumstances. If someone doesn’t deliver immediately, they’re toast. Support goes out the window, and we collectively move on to look for the next golden goose.

So, are we bound to keep circling around square one looking for the easiest way to finish the race? We always want to fight the power, but would rather remain armorless onlookers that change alliances with every misstep of a battle plan. Why not stay loyal? Or lend a helping hand? This is our wakeup call. We need to get in the trenches alongside leaders and peers and help out where they fall short. If we are satisfied with nothing less, it’s time to get dirty for the cause, striving for better. But hold on a second, I’m not talking violence like the situation in Greece. I’m thinking more along the lines of bumrushing the media to unify and mobilize like minds. Time’s up to be reactive; let’s all be proactive and set achievable goals- not out-of-reach ideals.

To paraphrase Dr. King: We may not all get there, but we as a people will make it to the promised land. So before we fate Obama for failure, let’s give the man, and ourselves, some time. If the bar is set too high, give a foothold and assist in lifting up our people.

Should cell phones be illegal on the  road?

That’s the question being asked across the state this week as lawmakers gather in Des Moines for the meeting of the Legislature’s 83rd Assembly.

A member of the Iowa House has introduced legislation to ban the use of hand-held, wireless devices by drivers. Previous attempts to ban cell phone use, some aimed only at teenagers, have failed. That has been in part due to the number of lawmakers who use their drive time to make phone calls.

Many Journal readers sounded off this week when we asked their opinion.

So what do you think – should cell phone use in cars be made illegal? How about just the use of handheld phones, with hands-free units still legal? Do you talk on the phone in the car? Do you think it is safe?
What do you think? To contribute to this conversation, add a comment below or just write your own post.