Gravelight
Monthly Archives: December 2012
Deconstructing the NRA response to Sandy Hook
Every good recipe for deception begins with an ounce of truth. Whoever is managing the current public relations crisis facing the National Rifle Association clearly understands this fundamental principle. In the days since the tragic shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, the NRA has offered a textbook execution of the crisis communication playbook, employing everything from ducking
Read moreWalking in a winter wonderland…
Merry Christmas from the staff at S&R. And Ronan MacScottie.
Read moreVessel: Happy Solstice
Taken at the Denver Botanic Gardens, annual holiday lights walk.
Read moreA poem about the end of the world
Wait – what? The world didn’t end? Son of a bitch. Didn’t see that coming. Okay. Rebooting. So, some time back I wrote a poem about the end of the world. All things considered, today seems like a good day to post it. Enjoy. To Be Continued (Ars Poetica) I expected more from the end of the world. But the sun
Read moreHappy Solstice from S&R
It’s the end of the world: how will you spend it?
As you probably already know, the world ends tomorrow. If you didn’t know this, you might want to Google “Mayan calendar” and start getting right with Jesus. Anyhow, the end of the world is a pretty big deal, and we’d like to know how you plan on spending it. Also, we want to know how you’d spend it if you
Read moreA teacher’s video resignation letter
I saw this on Facebook today and thought it might be something that others would want to consider. If all the teachers enduring these problems quit, how much trouble will we be in?
Read moreA brief word on “politicizing the tragedy” at Sandy Hook Elementary
We have heard, over the last 24 hours, all kinds of comment on the tragic shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. Predictably, much of the public response has taken the form of outrage over the broad availability of the weaponry used in these murders, to say nothing of other high-profile mass killings in places like Aurora, Colorado.
Read moreSandy Hook vs. Chengping: two school attacks in stark contrast
At Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, 27 people – 20 of them kindergarteners – are dead at the hands of a gunman armed with a Glock and a Sig Sauer. Meanwhile, a madman ran amok in a school in Henan province, China today, as well. A knife-wielding man injured 22 children and one adult outside a primary school
Read moreFive reasons why soccer will eventually surpass football in the US – #5: Americans love a winner
Part five in a series. As Americans continue to succeed in the global game, expect fans to jump on the bandwagon. Back to my original thesis, noted in part one: Americans love a winner, and the more success we achieve on the global stage, the more fans here are going to latch on. …soccer might well have a bright future
Read moreFive reasons why soccer will eventually surpass football in the US – #4: The children are the future
Soccer’s American base is young, passionate, and more globally minded than any generation in history. In part one we saw ESPN analyst Rich Luker explaining that in the 12-24 demographic, soccer is already bigger than any sport except American football. And yesterday, in part three, we saw that the bright young entrepreneurs driving MLS are tightly focused on the sport’s
Read moreFive reasons why soccer will eventually surpass football in the US – #3: Soccer is already blowing up in America
Part three in a series. Thanks to expanding TV deals, smart entrepreneurs in the MLS and a Millennial-fueled supporter culture, soccer is the fastest growing spectator sport in the country. There has been a good bit of talk over what pro soccer in the US will do now that Becks has departed the Galaxy. It is a little hard to fathom
Read moreFive reasons why soccer will eventually surpass football in the US – #2: The lawyers are coming
Part two in a series. Yes, the lawyers are coming, and football will be forced to change in ways that undercut its essential appeal. Did someone say “litigation”? From the ESPN story linked above: The concussion issue has become part of the NFL story of late, with more than 3,000 former players suing the league on allegations that officials withheld information
Read moreFive reasons why soccer will eventually surpass football in the US – #1: Parents love their children
Part one in a series. Several years ago I wrote a piece examining the reasons that soccer wasn’t bigger (as a spectator sport) in the US. In the end, I argued, it all boils down to one thing: Americans like to be the best at whatever we do, and the US is nowhere near the best at “proper football.” I suggested,
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lullaby pit 