The Heroes of Nothingdom

Dr. Ed McSweegan

So, yesterday and today, I have spent most of my time doing nothing. Since Sarah has had to work pretty much full days, I have been here at her apartment with very little to do. I have no car, and even if I did, it is sooo cold here in Wheeling that I would probably not set even one foot outdoors. I've been watching lots of culinary television, both much of Food Network's lineup and Travel Channel's "No Reservations" and "Bizarre Foods."

While checking out CNN.com, my attention was caught by a story about a pioneer in similar circumstances to my own, the hero of all men who dream of making large amounts of money for doing little or no work, Charles Ponzi, namesake of the famous Ponzi Scheme. Interesting, for sure. But a link within that story led me to another interesting piece on four men, each of whom made large amounts of money by doing relatively little work. A CEO, an actor and a professional athlete each made the list. But the final entry is the one I would most aspire to be like. His name is Edward McSweegan, and he actually is quite accomplished. He holds a Ph.D. in microbiology and once oversaw the National Institute of Health's Lyme Disease program. In addition, he has penned several scientific works, and completed two science fiction novels. The kicker, though, is that he finished the final entries to that resume on the job, in his cushy office, while receiving a six-figure government salary. His tenure at NIH reads something like the plot of a Seinfeld episode, an amalgam of George Costanza's wildest ambitions and Kramer's bass-ackwards falling into luck. A true American hero.

Special message from Superman

Here's a video I didn't really have anything to do with. Well, I guess I was one of the collaborators on the script, and I stood there out of the shot while we filmed it Tuesday night. Anyway, hopefully it will encourage some of those people on the fence as to whether or not they want to freeze to death for a few hours Friday night to watch the Dukes fight their way toward the national championship game. Remember, the game is also on ESPN2.

T(V) Zone

The highlight of my typical workday has become my lunch hour. Usually, when noon rolls in, I close my office door, grab whatever delicacy I've brought, and tune into some TV program online. This routine has been made necessary by the move to our new office. You see, our old location was about three minutes away form my apartment, even with traffic, so it was very convenient for me to go home and catch a little TV while I ate. Our new office downtown has quadrupled or quintupled my average commute, so I've been forced to start partaking of my lunch at the office.

After about the first week of noon-hour TV withdrawal, I decided to investigate some online options. That's when I found the complete 4th season of LOST online at abc.com. That worked great for me, since I had finished off the third season DVDs a few weeks before, and had not seen any fourth season yet (the 4th season DVDs are out now). With the new 5th season premiering in January (ABC also has a sneak peek online), I voraciously consumed those 14 episodes at lunch and on weekends. Of course, after I finished that off, I was SOL on lunchtime entertainment. I scoured hulu for a new series to get hooked on.

But, one large problem with online TV is that networks typically only will release online the episodes of the current season of a series at any one time, usually about a week after it has aired on old-fashioned TV. In the case of LOST, in its off-air cycle, ABC posted the entire fourth season, I imagine to bolster interest in the upcoming season, and also to continue its fairly innovative 'viral'-type marketing approach to the show. Thus, for me, the only shows that have great appeal to watch online (apart from current episodes I just might have missed on original airing) are ones of which I've seen all the episodes leading up to what is currently online (as in my experience with LOST) or shows still in their first season. Of course, some people may enjoy re-watching episodes they've seen before (I do do this sometimes). Anyway, as you can imagine, my picky criteria made it fairly difficult for me to find a new dish to feed my entertainment appetite. I thought I had found the perfect combo in FOX's "Fringe"--it is in its first season, with all of the existent episodes online at fox.com (one of few new shows to have lasted long enough to do so). On top of that, it is another project of super-producer JJ Abrams, creator of LOST (among other shows).

However, my love affair with that show (a sortof combination of X-Files and some lousy cop show, like 'Bones' or something), lasted about 2 minutes, and was wholly without love. I clicked on the pilot episode, and immediately could tell it was no good. So there that went. This disappointment led me into a period of desperate and depressing searching for a new show. FOX did have a few newer episodes of "House, M.D." I'd missed, but that only lasted a day or two. Again, I was *lost.* I checked out the rest of ABC (sorry, I just couldn't bring myself to try 'Brothers and Sisters' or 'Pushing Daisies'). Then I looked at CBS' offerings. After being initially unimpressed with their displays for about a half-dozen incarnations of "CSI," "Two and a Half Men," "Survivor 10,000: Venusian Crater" or whatever, and "How I Met Your Mother," I stumbled upon link titled "TV Classics." 'Why not?' I thought. Then, I saw it. A hidden gem.

Now this find was remarkable for two reasons: a) the point of this log, to find a lunchtime replacement, and b) I can finally fill in (most of) the gaps in my T-Zone viewing history. The package online is missing a few episodes, but thus far I've watched a few episodes I'd previously gone without, including season 1's "Execution" today. It's a moderately stupid and predictable one, focusing around an 1880s Wild-West, ruthlessly killing cowboy, who's being strung up for his murders. At the last moment, he is mysteriously transported to the 1960's by a scientist. Needless to say, unavoidable conflict and a fair amount of hilariously bad acting follow, all leading up to a predictable ironic twist. Final tally: 2 stars--not the best, but certainly not the worst. At least it didn't make me lose my soup.

***UPDATE On another TV note, Virginia's pride, the JMU Dukes, will play Montana in the FCS (formerly Division I-AA) semifinals in a game to be shown on ESPN 2. The game is particularly interesting as it is a rematch of the 2004 FCS national championship game, which JMU claimed. Scheduled for 8 p.m. (ET), Friday, the game will be played at JMU (so I'm planning on going and, if I'm lucky enough to sit next to my boss's incredibly photogenic 12-year-old son again,) I may just get my mug on standard-plus cable. Good exposure for the school, too, I guess.

awesome, pt. 2

Not only does this offer insightful political satire, but the star-studded cast is really kind of incredible. from funnyordie.com

awesome

Normally, I would just let the people who regularly visit sites like failblog find this for themselves, but I found this clip noteworthy for two reasons: 1) When I see a soccer fail clip queued up in the player, I expect a standard kick in the junk or maybe a horrendous knee contortion. This took me off guard. 2) The maneuver which the offensive player is executing is actually awesome, as you can see after the initial hilarity.

And, yes, I watched this at work. And it brought tears of humor to my eyes.

UPDATE x2

I hope you all got a chance to see the MRDs march in the Macy's Parade. Their appearance was short, but good. The nearly 500-strong band was the largest in the show, and proved to be a great PR asset to us after this minor annoyance.

Also, you can X the previous X-Mas list I posted here for convenience. My bro, Jeff, has devised an even simpler system, one that works for me as well.

Repost from jmu.edu!

JMU's Marching Royal Dukes Perform in Macy's Thanksgiving Parade

From: Public Affairs

The Marching Royal Dukes perform a football halftime show

Nov. 21, 2008

HARRISONBURG – The largest marching band in the history of James Madison University will represent the school in the 82nd Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade® Nov. 27 in New York City. The 474-member Marching Royal Dukes marching band is one of 10 bands performing in the Thanksgiving tradition.

The JMU band will perform "Sing, Sing, Sing" in Herald Square and other selections along the parade route. NBC will broadcast the parade beginning at 9 a.m.

The band is slated to perform between 11 a.m. and noon.

“With JMU’s centennial, what better way to celebrate on a national scope than to feature the band program on TV,” said Scott Rikkers, assistant director of bands and director of the Marching Royal Dukes. “We’re looking forward to it. It’s good for the school, it’s good for the state, it’s good for the kids.” JMU, established in 1908, is the only university in America named for James Madison, the fourth president of the United States and the Father of the U.S. Constitution.

This year’s performance will mark the marching band’s second appearance in the holiday classic. In 2001, the Marching Royal Dukes represented JMU in the 75th anniversary Macy’s parade.

The Marching Royal Dukes date to 1972 when JMU established a football program. Membership in the Marching Royal Dukes is open to all JMU students, regardless of their academic majors. About three-quarters of the band members are not music majors.

“We’ve been revitalizing the program over the past couple of years and I think there’s definitely renewed excitement about the program,” Rikkers said. “I also think, of course, the Macy’s trip is a big draw.”

Contributing to the record-size band are 320 returning band members. “I’m glad to have that because they’re the strength of our program – they are the tradition,” Rikkers said.

All 474 band members will depart the JMU campus at approximately 8 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 26, en route to New York City.

Shortly after viewing the Marching Royal Dukes in their New York appearance, local music lovers will have an opportunity to see the band live and up close in the Harrisonburg Holiday Parade Dec. 5. The band will march in the 6 p.m. downtown parade and will present a free public concert afterward on Court Square.

# # #

Christmas List!

Ok, so I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet, but I have been getting asked left and right what I'm hoping for this Christmas. So then I got the brilliant idea of putting a X-Mas list on this blog, so all interested parties can see it at the same time. As of yet, it is not complete, nor is it really that specific. What I'll throw out there right now are some general ideas. I'll update as my greed increases the closer we get to the holiday. Here's what I'm thinking so far:

Books: The Great Gatsby and/or Tender Is The Night--Fitzgerald has been lauded by many as producing what could be most closely considered the Great American Novel. These may be a good inspirational starting point for me beginning to write my own; One of pop-sociologist Malcolm Gladwell's books--Blink, The Tipping Point or his newest offering, Outliers. I haven't read any of these, and I'm hesitant to indulge in yuppie conventional wisdom, but his common sense views of societal phenomena appear to be in the same vein as mine; or, as always, more Vonnegut.

Music: Way to Blue--An introduction to Nick Drake, the English singer/songwriter whose ill-fated existence is, similarly to Gladwell's rise, now becoming the stuff of legend among hipsters. That's ok, the music is pretty good, very mellow, great for work--but don't listen to too much or you may wind up as depressed as he was; lastly, perhaps something by Stan Rogers(, Sarah Mac).

Useless consumer products: An electric razor/beard trimmer--I'm thinking about keeping a near-perpetual 5 O'Clock shadow, and a beard trimmer will be a must for that, but don't worry, Sarah K, having a convenient shaving instrument might inspire me to do the act even more ;). Wet-dry might be a nice feature, too.

The Office

So, we moved in to the new office right downtown on Court Square today. It went pretty smoothly, and since I had relatively little to move in, I was the first one all set. Here are some shots so you can see where I'll be working. Of course, I took these using the built in cam on my laptop, which is always difficult. I'll also be putting up a vibrant calendar and hopefully a bulletin board and some art, so the walls won't look so plain. They are a little drab as of right now, but that's ok. At least my office is well lit, even if I only have a support column and no window or closet. The photos:

It's a gravitas-off!

Now most people after the historic election we've all just witnessed would probably blog about the candidates, analyze who won and why, etc. But there's plenty of that already. Also I'm not an expert, and I don't really care about all that hootenany. What I thought would be more fun would be a gravitas-off! In this post, I'll pit my two favorite commentators of the election (not including anchors/reporters), David Gergen and George Will, and let you decide who's got more of that serious substantive je ne sais quois we seek out in our talking heads.



I find my own perspective during the election season interesting. I used to hold the view that opinion pages of newspapers and pundits on TV were worthless and, if anything, inhibitive to what media outlets are supposed to do. I ferociously opposed reading editorials and columns; I used to think, why would I want to read someone else's opinion? Just give me the facts, and I'll come up with my own.

But recently, I've found myself skimming or skipping entirely the news sections of papers and gravitating right to the opinion page (I mostly read the local DNR, the Washington Post as well as CNN.com, MSNBC.com, whatever looks interesting on Google News and, of course, the South County News). I even started occasionally reading some of Bernie Miklasz' sports columns. That's scary.

Now this could be that news reporting has gotten so nearly instantaneous that reading a full-length story in a paper or even online has become tedious, compared to quick online news blurbs or videos. (For an example of the type of presentation I think most news outlets will gravitate toward soon, check out my co-worker's news blog. Or it could be that I just find them more interesting at this point in history, or maybe something has happened in the core of who I am, like maturation. Nah, that can't be it.

I chose to watch, primarily, CNN for daily coverage and ABC's George Stephanopoulos on Sunday mornings. Upon reflection, I believe this is at least partly because the two analysts I liked to listen to most were CNN's Gergen and ABC's Will, who is a regular 'roundtable' member.

So anyway, check out the vids of each, and vote in the comments section on who you like more (though I'm sure Jeff will support a write-in candidate). If this is successful, maybe I'll do a similar post on anchors. But there's already been research on that.

And this is why my ex-boss is awesome

I have enjoyed reading the columns of my former editor Dave "Scoop" Ambrose since I first started working for him while still in college. Don't get me wrong, he is a fine news reporter and layout editor as well, but it's been the opinion of me and a few others who know him well for quite some time that he could be far better off financially if he just found a gig as columnist somewhere and did freelance or consultative graphic design for other papers. His writing and design skills have mostly been honed through decades of experience in newspapers, and they are his best skills.

But I think he just loves running all aspects of a small-town paper far too much to abandon it (despite said financial difficulties, political annoyances and managerial swamping). His 'Scoop Sez' column this week displays not only his superior writing ability but also his 'unique' personality and willingness to report and/or write about things many in rural Central Illinois might consider too "edgy."

OBAMARAMA

So now, the story you've all been waiting for--my delve into the world of national politics. Let me begin by saying I worked 23 hours over Monday and Tuesday, and I am feeling a little under the weather, so if this is in any way disjointed or confusing, that's why, and I apologize. Where to begin?

I got a call at 10:30 p.m. Friday night (Oct. 24) from my boss telling me that Mr. Obama was coming. He told me to come in early on Monday, because we'd have lots of work ahead. Monday morning, we game planned the work each member of our office would be doing. It was then I was told that I'd be writing a story for our Web site which would be accompanied by a brief video. Wanting to stay above the political fray, the story was supposed to be geared toward about how the Obama rally and a separate event, a pre-planned presentation by former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) were helping to engage JMU students and community and opening a dialogue among our students, no matter their political affiliation. Our office was only allotted 5 press passes for the event, so I was very lucky to get one. I spent most of the day Monday getting a leg up on the story, conducting interviews with students and faculty, researching some local history, helping put together a fact sheet and coordinating with our video guy. My former colleagues back at COUNTRY will also be pleased to know that I spent some time stuffing swag bags for about 100 media members who would be attending. That included peeling price stickers off of JMU-branded mugs, which were terribly stubborn.

I then attended DeLay's speech, which was hosted by the JMU College Republicans. That was held from about 8-9:30. I had to be there around 7 to get some more student interviews. Thankfully, I was able to grab some rest and food between 5 and then. The speech was about how he believes the Constitution is largely informed by Christian values and how the U.S. is a Christian and blessed nation. Some of it was believable, but a lot was a little hard to swallow. I didn't really get his point, but for us in PR, it was good to have him there as a counteragent to Obama, and I did get some good soundbites from students there. Not exactly the nightcap I was looking for after what was already a long and stressful day.

Then, the big day. Let me begin by saying it didn't turn out exactly as we'd hoped, but it was still an undeniable success for JMU. We wound up on the front page of most Virginia papers and got tons of national and international exposure. Just do a Google News search for "Obama JMU." So here was the plan as it pertained to me: Go to work at around the normal time, do a little more legwork on the story and coordinating with the others in the office, including video and those who were stuck behind to answer phones, communicate with the outside world, etc. Then, around 10, the video guy and I were to head over to the arena where the rally was to be held, get our equipment set up and get the lay of the land before evacuating at 11 from a Secret Service sweep of the building. At that time, I'd planned on grabbing something to eat, getting some more interviews with students outside waiting for the event (many had begun lining up as early as 5 a.m. for the event set to open doors at 3:30 p.m.). Then, in the afternoon, head back in and get ready for the rally, handle some post-event media and get set to finish up our materials Wednesday morning. A long day in its own right.

Now, let's go to how things turned out. Morning went fine until about 10. At that time I was informed the video guy and I needed to haul the roughly 100 swag bags to the arena--not a huge deal. We did it, got there, and then I was looking for a spot to park most of my gear. That's when things soured, a bit. I was told that there wasn't any secure area set up yet for my stuff, and that I needed to leave the building, because they didn't want anybody just 'hanging around.' That was fine, as I was going to head out and get some interviews anyway, so I brought my gear (laptop, tape recorder, padfolio, notebook, general reporter's stuff, plus glasses, emergency Tylenol, etc.) outside and started chatting up some of the people outside (by this time there were already hundreds if not more than 1,000 lined up, even though according to the campaign, they would begin lining people up around 1:30). That was fine for a while, but the temperature was near-freezing with a biting wind. Having planned on being inside for most of the time, then taking a quick jaunt to a restaurant for lunch, I didn't think it necessary to bring my coat, just extra stuff to have to haul.

By 11, the crowd was flat-out large. There was no security or even roping/barriers set up to corral the growing crowd, much of which was assembling on a recreational soccer field behind the arena. Due to the lack of security, and since we were there and employees of the university, it fell to me (160 pounds on a good day), the video guy Brent (even more wiry than me) and my two middle-aged bosses to contain the crowd, growing both in number and agitation. I was helped by the fact that I was wearing my dark suit and tie and aviator sunglasses. On numerous occasions I was asked if I was with the Secret Service. I told them no, but they still seemed to listen to me whenever I told them to do something. Eventually, we got some orange road cones from the nearby rec center, and set those up to try and form some semblance of a line pattern. To make a long story short, we wound up having to do that for 4 hours. After three hours, we recruited some other (and equally poorly-suited for security work) employees from our office to lend us a hand. One was kind enough to bring me my coat, which I'd left in the office. Finally, exhausted, frozen and sore, my boss made the call that we'd done all that could possibly be expected of us and that we needed to head inside so we could do the jobs that we were actually supposed to be doing.

That's where the next mild problem occurred. The three other men from my office were able to get in the press entrance fine, just a few minutes before me. Somehow I got stuck back of them for a little while and was forced to stand in line with several other members of the media. Mind you, I had a rally-specific press pass issued to me from the advance team days before, but I did not appear on the list maintained by the volunteers running the entrance. I was told to stand aside with a group of about 20 other media people who had to wait and have their credentials 'verified.' Knowing that secret service was crawling all over, I did as I was told. For about 20 minutes. At that point, and with the encouragement of another disgruntled reporter in the same predicament as me, I "tailgated" on the back of a TV crew that was sent through to the floor. I flashed my pass and was let through without incident. In other words, I made a run for it past security--and I made it. Now some of you may be thinking why didn't I just call my boss and have him get me down there--the problem is my phone gets no service in the arena, so that was worthless.

However, once I got down there, it was undeniably exciting. I interviewed some JMU students in the crowd and a few journalism students who were in the press pit as well. After pleasantries such as the national anthem and the pledge of allegiance, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine and former governor and current Senate candidate Mark Warner were introduced. They did well. Then, the man himself was introduced. Needless to say, the crowd went wild. It was electric. He opened with some pleasant and personalized joking about JMU, including the school's homecoming theme of "Duke Dog for President" (Duke Dog is JMU's mascot). But the rest of his speech was pretty much the same stump speech he's given at every one of his rallies. I probably could have recited it. NOTE: I had planned on posting the audio I recorded at the event here, but am having technical issues with it. If I can, I will update it later.)

I did not get to meet him (his people had him in and out quickly and with very little contact with our people), but I did see Richard Wolffe of Newsweek and MSNBC as well as CNN's Candy Crowley at a distance of about 2 feet, as well as several other recognizable local media figures. I'm sure there were many more I didn't see. My experience was markedly better than most of those who had hopes of getting in to see Obama, including my brother.

Believe me, JMU has been getting grilled on local blogs and our office has received many angry phone calls from people who didn't get in. Being rightfully upset but uninformed as they are, they have been blaming JMU for the deficiencies. And there were deficiencies. A few:
-Previously mentioned lack of crowd control devices/personnel
-Lack of any crowd count or cut-off point (I should mention that the venue holds about 7,000-8,000 people, and I would estimate the crowd outside to be more than double that)
-Lack of adequate restroom facilities and trash cans
-Blatant misrepresentation, by the Obama team, of requirements for entrance to the event. From the time the rally was originally scheduled, the campaign had said people wishing to attend should RSVP online. As it turns out, there was literally no use for those, other than for the campaign to get people's personal information
-Blatant lying about "tickets" for the event--This one needs some explaining. I'm not sure if they were campaign volunteers or people from a different group, but some group of people begun handing out forms to the thousands in line, asking them to fill in personal information and telling them it was their ticket in. Again, the tickets were meaningless other than to gather personal information for the group handing out the papers.

Now, both as a university PR person and as an honest person, I must state that JMU should not be held responsible for the deficiencies. Here are a list of facts about the roles of the different groups involved:
• Sen. Obama's rally was completely organized and managed by his campaign.
• The Obama campaign leased the Convocation Center and adjacent parking lots for the purposes of holding a rally.
• The Obama campaign refused to contract with JMU's Guest Services to manage the event instead saying they would use campaign volunteers.
• The Obama campaign did not provide personnel or volunteers to manage the crowds outside the venue. When it became clear things were getting out of hand, JMU employees attempted to minimize the confusion by attempting to form and maintain lines leading to the Convocation Center.
• JMU was in no way involved with the Obama campaign's event RSVP system nor do we condone the manner in which this was conducted.

So, there you go. If the story hasn't been posted to the JMU Web site yet, please check back tomorrow. I know for a fact the video is up on DukeDogTV, JMU's YouTube channel. Also check out some other stories in the JMU Newsroom if you want to see some other stories I've done so far.

Sorry for the huge story. Only fitting for a long couple of days.

Wow! What a week!

So, as most of you know by now, I got an unexpected call from my boss at 10:30 p.m. Friday night. (Yes, I was in bed that early. Don't judge me, I have a high-stress job.)

Anyway, the news was exciting: http://www.jmu.edu/jmuweb/general/news/general10230.shtml

That's right--just a week before perhaps what might prove to be the most significant election in modern American history, THE candidate of our dreams Barack Obama is gracing the campus of JMU, where I happen to be employed. Yesterday my boss told me the campaign told him to expect about 120 media outlets attending. Now, we as PR people probably won't be answering many questions, that will be reserved for Obama's staff. we'll probably be doing more logistical stuff like making sure the media have room, coordinating with security, etc. But I'm hoping for a chance to get a handshake and/or picture with the man, but I'm not holding my breath. As low man on the JMU media relations totem pole, I'll be lucky if I'm sent to get coffee for Candy Crowley, but you've gotta admit, it's still pretty sweet. A once in a lifetime opportunity.

In other JMU news, the #1 (FCS) ranked Dukes won an absolute thriller yesterday over #7 Villanova on an unbelievable Hail Mary. Greg and I happened to be at a local watering hole with the men from my office. Needless to say, it was a giant thrill to see the typically reserved middle aged men I work with go absolutely berserk along with the entire restaurant full of JMU students. I haven't been able to find the clip on espn.com yet, but I would hope it goes up soon. No respect for the FCS.

Lastly, if you didn't get the email yet, Sarah Mac posted a neat little video showing off the athletic exploits of Bailey the Dog. He plays hounding defense, fetches the ball whenever it's close, and is tough as bark. But he hasn't quite mastered the pooch shot yet. Ha. Here's the link to youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzgmRRBYWLw

UPDATE: In case you haven't been able to find it yet, here's a link to a YouTube video of said Hail Mary pass. Also for your viewing pleasure, here's a video of another awesome JMU play to seal victories, a 60+yard punt return that was ESPN's #1 play of the week.

Lebowski Fest

Here's a kind of fascinating thing...again, mostly for Jeffro. I caught a few minutes of Ace of Cakes on Food Network (not my favorite show, but no longer my least favorite, and they were making a cake for an event called Lebowski Fest. I was intrigued, and googled it. According to the fest's Web site, "Lebowski Fest is a bowling event celebrating all things relating to the Coen Brothers 1998 film, The Big Lebowski. It can be likened to a Star Trek convention in a very loose sense. The event takes place at a bowling alley and includes unlimited bowling, costume , trivia, farthest traveled, and bowling contests, prizes, and what-have-you."

They have a decent online store. I don't know why I find cult followings for things like movies so fascinating. Maybe if I ever decide to go to graduate school for sociology, I'll investigate it.

Ultra-conservatives on TV

Ok, so that's an intimidating headline, but this is not really that hard-hitting or incisive. Just two topics I found interesting, wholly separate, which both include ultra-conservative public figures and announced plans for them to appear on TV programs soon.

One, as you may have guessed, is Sarah Palin. She'll apparently be appearing on SNL. No word on whether her doppelganger Tina Fey will be joining her, but I would guess she will. The McCain campaign is probably hoping to score a few points by showing her as relatable, able to take a joke -- tough -- but I don't think it will do anything, especially at this point in the game. Honestly, I wouldn't do it if it were me calling the shots. Maybe 2 weeks ago, but now, it will just draw attention to her stupidity again. She may even have a gaffe and blow even the tiny chance they have of winning on Nov 4.

Second, Glenn Beck will be leaving CNNHN in 2009 for...you guessed it--Fox Noise. When he appeared on the scene a few years ago, he actually expressed some independent views. He was tough on both sides of the aisle, a true American 'Maverick.' Though he was a little annoying even back then, I did enjoy watching a little bit. Then he went through a period of crazy pseudo-nationalism, worrying that the U.S. was literally going to merge with Canada and Mexico to form a huge socialist state because of some connecting superhighway or some crazy conspiracy theory like that. But now he's become just another Hannity/O'Reilly conservative hack. I'm glad he's going.

Some random thoughts

The more I hear and read about Oliver Stone's "W", the more excited I am to see it. I still don't think I am going to go see it as soon as it comes out. In fact, I probably won't even see it in theaters, but possibly. What is interesting to me, though, is that the role of George H. Bush is portrayed by one Mr. James Cromwell (See post #2). He's at it again. I also read an interesting story about how the various actors/actresses cast as the recognizable W administration members play their parts with various degrees of idiosyncrasy. Apparently, Cromwell doesn't even attempt a Bush-like drawl, while others dig down to the deepest details of their characters. I would be afraid that could make the film seem disjointed, but I guess it works. Also note that Josh Brolin notes the influence of Richard Jenkins, an alum of my alma mater IWU.

Secondly, speaking of George H. Bush, I caught a quick glimpse of a 1988 Presidential debate between him and Michael Dukakis. Aside from a much younger Andrea Mitchell's ridiculous giant hair and godawful pink dress, what stood out to me was how much Dukakis looked and sounded like Sen. Chris Dodd. In their faces, hair, accent/delivery and even the way their lips move, Dukakis and Dodd seemed eerily similar. I guess Dukakis' bid fared better than Dodd's, but of course, it didn't work out very well for either.

Finally, in news that probably matters most to Jeffro, I was surprised to hear that Jeff Goldblum has been cast to replace Chris Noth as a detective on Law and Order: CI. Now I'm not too up on the various Law and Order series, but Goldblum seems like an interesting choice. First, he's not traditionally a tough guy, but more likely an intelligent and eccentric character. I guess that could work in the way Vincent D'Onofrio does. I think D'Onofrio has a little more tough cred, though. Personally, I might be more likely to watch the show now, because I enjoy Goldblum's off-beat, staccato delivery and strange charm. But I'm not sure about most viewers. Certainly seems like a 180 from Noth...

Get your robot insurance before it's too late

Ok, so we all remember that hilarious SNL short featuring Sam Watterson as a TV pitchman endorsing robot inurance for senior citizens. If you haven't seen it, Sam does a remarkably straight-faced monologue about the mounting dangers of an invasion by robots who terrorize senior citizens to get their medications, which the robots rely on for fuel. Only once or twice does it appear that a wry smile begins to crack at the sides of his mouth. Awesome. Here's a link if you haven't seen it: http://video.aol.com/partner/hulu/saturday-night-live-old-glory/01giJ84SpEunMjQ9e14dRYwOs4NnZNlI

Anyway, I'm not writing just to bring up that hilarious old skit. In the JMU student paper, The Breeze, today, there is actually a decently funny column. The kid who writes it typically isn't great, he's just a junior and hasn't developed a smooth and round comedic voice and style yet, but he gets close with this one. It's in the same vein as the SNL skit, and I thought it was worth plug: http://breezejmu.org/2008/10/13/the-end-is-near/

Bob

I know this will be of interest to some of you...namely Jeffro.
It appears Bob Dylan has a new album coming out, and you can listen to it free for at least a week on NPR's Web site. Here's a link to an MSNBC story with details.

Oh, imagine that, MSNBC and NPR sharing stories...lefty pinko commies

Look who I found

He was hanging out at the Goodwill here in Harrisonburg. He's the long-lost brother of Ribbons! So I took him home to stay at my place. Funny who you run into when you're not expecting it.

LOST

I borrowed season 1 of ABC's LOST from Greg and Sarah Mac a few days ago. I polished off the 24th and final 1st season episode today. This says 2 things:
1) I've had nothing better to do with my days than sit around and watch four-year-old tv
2) The show is VERY addictive

Now, that is not to say the show does not have its flaws (both continuity and literary). And I'll share a few of my thoughts on those topics in a Jeff/Fukakai-reminiscent style. But the reality is, I very much enjoy the show and am eagerly awaiting the arrival of season 2 (and 3-4) to watch. I'm sure I'll be able to catch up before the 5th season premiere, TBD in early 2009. So don't expect a complete lambasting...

My thoughts, both positive and negative, randomly as they come to me:
-For being a series based on one of the most familiar concepts in pop culture (shipwrecked/crashed transport of person/people on a stranded island), the show is quite innovative and fresh. Creator/producer JJ Abrams uses several non-traditional techniques to set this show apart from what is typically seen on tv these days.
1. Cast--something on the order of 14 or so main characters appear in the first season. That's certainly more than most shows. And, for the most part, the ensemble's members are at least passable actors, if not good/very good. The standout to me is Terry O'Quinn (John Locke). Not only do I like him because I've seen him in real life (his brother, Tom Quinn, teaches theatre at my alma mater IWU), but he does a very nice job in slowly revealing the mystery of his character. Matthew Fox (Dr. Jack Shepherd) is ok. I read that originally, Shepherd was to appear only in the pilot, but ABC execs liked Fox so much, they insisted he remain in the show. And he is now the central protagonist. I also like Naveen Andrews (Sayid ?) and Josh Holloway (Sawyer). Evangeline Lilly (Kate) is cute and charismatic, both on show and in real life. The lower caliber actors are Harold Perrineau (Michael Dawson), Ian Somerholder (Boone) and Maggie Grace (Shannon). It's clear the latter two are on the show simply to be eye candy, though their storyline is also fresh for TV. I'm a little wishy washy on Dominic Monaghan (of LOTR fame). I'm not sure if it is him or just his character, Charlie, which has grown tiresome over the course of the season. I'm also fairly impressed with Daniel Dae Kim's ability to translate to the screen in a human way while speaking only Korean (often subtitled). And child actor Malcolm David Kelley is surprisingly passable as 12?-year old Walt. Jorge Garcia is pretty funny as the fat guy (Hugo/Hurley), and his storyline is pretty intriguing, but neither is extremely special.
2. Sci-fi/Supernatural element--It's not surprising that Abrams, who also was involved in some aspect with other borderline sci-fi pieces Alias, MI3, Armageddon, Cloverfield and the to-be released 2009 Star Trek movie, would want to incorporate a supernatural element. There are several actually. And for the most part, each is compelling. Of course, beside the requisite Christian themology and the technique of leaving the mysterious possible inhabitants of the island as "others" (even naming them that), the general encounter with the supernatural usually boils down to fate. That's ok.
3. Narrative structure--The structure of each episode is almost always basically the same: a cold opening, followed with the main story of the episode, which typically features one character's conflict on the island interspersed with a mirroring storyline from his/her previous, pre-flight life, plus peripheral action that moves the overall series arc. The show does not shy away from metaphor or foreshadowing. I appreciate a show that attempts a little deeper narrative arc than simple situational resolution in each episode, though there is no doubt at times the metaphor is obvious or even trite. It is TV after all, not Shakespeare (thankfully). And I've never found it unbearably so. For the most part, the stories are fresh, applicable in today's world, and mesh well with the overall arc. However, the basically unchanging format does get a bit wearing, but again, it is not unbearable. Again, the storyline I find most intriguing is Locke's. Rife with both metaphor and foreshadowing, as well as a nice mix between human drama and the supernatural.
4. Perhaps the most grating part of the series is that most of the interpersonal conflict could be avoided simply by people not being conversationally inept and most of the action drama avoided by simply making sure other people, including an 8-months pregnant girl, do not wander off alone into the jungle. Simple tasks, yet nearly each episode's main arc is driven by either one or both of those elements. The interpersonal conflict is made bearable by allowing yourself to interpret, as the writers wish, the lack of communication as a side effect of an individual's hubris or desire not to divulge much about their (mostly sordid) past. That's another point. It is totally unlikely that so many people with such incredible life conflicts would be gathered on one plane. But I guess that's fate.

A shout out to my Veeps

So, now that McCain has made up his (senile) mind for a VP, I can evaluate both Dem and Reep Veep picks.
First, Biden:
Positives
-Definitely brings gravitas. His white hair and white shirt/straight tie image carry a palpable air of distinguish-ment. But said white shirt also appears to be the right fit for a guy willing to roll up the sleeves for a hard job.
-Nice smile. In my 22-year-old, heterosexual perspective, Joe appears to be a nice looking man. I mean, his wife is very good looking, so he must be somewhat attractive in an old-man way.
-Foreign Policy/Washington experience. We all know his resume in the Senate, and he definitely shores up both of those, but both in such ways as to not bolt him into the “Washington insider” shade of darkness. His message the whole campaign has been Change, and his record appears to follow that as well. His handling of the Georgia situation (possi-/prob-ably done in conjunction w/ Obama’s camp) projects well with Obama’s message.
Negatives
-Despite said Senate record, no executive experience can still be brought up, though personally I think that is a fairly overblown “qualification”
-Mouth. Hailed as both a positive and negative by most, it appears that it may be more of a liability to me. Neither possible prez has shown that he has a problem with going negative against his opponent, so the role of the “attack dog” VP may not be as important. Just one slip on policy or general message can be blown up into a giant problem. And we all know he’s capable of that. The first speech was a good start though.
-Isn’t Bill Richardson. I mean, seriously, the guy’s resume makes him more qualified for the oval office than either of the candidates for the top job, let alone for the #2 job. What makes a good prez in any era? Experience in both legislative and executive branches, a knowledge of both world and domestic affairs. Well the former Congressman, governor, ambassador and cabinet secretary can check all those off. And specifically for this year, the hot topics are economy, energy, war in the Middle East, healthcare and education. Well, as governor, he’s overseen a stable economy, passed laws to help insure the health of more children, and get more money into schools. Check, check, check. As for an energy crisis, who better to help than the guy who was energy secretary back in the days when $1.20 gas was considered high!? True, the task now means more spearheading new technology than with fossil fuels, but those aren’t going away soon whoever gets the job. And remember when that other Clinton was in the White House and the Middle East was relatively peaceful under treaties originating from U.S. diplomacy. Well, just look up who was a major negotiator in the U.S. envoy. I know the guy comes off as a bumbler, but seriously, how is this guy not THE candidate?

Palin:
Positives
-Gender. Though she is about a polar opposite to H. Clinton on almost every issue, a part of me can still see some women, even avowed democrats (and male feminists I suppose), not be able to pass up the chance to put a woman in the White House when they get into the booth. And commentators from both sides of the aisle have pointed out her beauty pageant good looks (I don’t see it). Won’t get the 25% of Hillary supporters Fox Noise has promised, but will get some.
-Crazy Conservative. Could help shore up the conservative vote and get the churchees to the polls. Her stances against gay marriage and abortion (the two carrots always dangled by the Reeps) have been 100% against all the way. Her family, complete with a Down’s syndrome child and a 17-year-old mother-to-be are a poster family for anti-abortion. So much so, I think, that any flap over the unwed-mother daughter thing is negated. She apparently even owns and AK-47? Wow.
-Mouth. She apparently is taking the role of attack dog, espousing the conservative viewpoint on the ticket. However, I find her accent irritating and her demeanor creepy.
Negatives
-All of the above. Lefty MSNBCers Rachel Maddow and Keith Olbermann were ecstatic to hear the pick of Palin. A “Dan Quayle” pick they called it. And it’s a reasonable comparison, in that they were both relatively unknown. However, her ultra-right stances and obvious unique political qualities make her even more of a target.
-Lack of experience. McCain has expressed his opinion that Obama’s 4 years in the Senate do not qualify him for the White House. But Palin’s half-term as governor of a turmoil-ridden, sparsely-populated state is good enough? It seems the Reeps have lost what might have been their most potent argument.

Galapagos

A few weeks ago, mostly on the Amtrak to and from Chicago, when I was visiting the lovely and talented Sarah E. Keister, I read Kurt Vonnegut's 1985 novel Galapagos. I guess this post will be a pseudo-review of that book.

It was pretty good, but also pretty bad. It was pretty good, because it was what Vonnegut is good at: funny, sardonic, inventive, and adeptly balanced between the extremes of darkness and light. The tale begins by explaining that 1986 was a million years ago, and that humans still exist, but have much smaller brains than they used to, which the narrator says is an evolutionary improvement. The second chapter is mostly an ecstatic description of a pathetic and magnetic character, the former male prostitute/murderer turned millionaire widow-schemer James Wait (known to others currently as Willard Flemming, an alias), and his plan to board the Ecuadorian ship 'Bahia de Darwin' (Bay of Darwin) on the "Nature Cruise of the Century" through the Galapagos Islands. After the chapter, I was expecting (and would have been content) to follow the narrative of Wait's time there because it was well-written. However, in the next several chapters, the tale spun by the omniscient narrator, Leon Trotsky Trout, the son of Vonnegut's own literary alter-ego, Kilgore Trout, gets much more complex than that. (LTT also happens to be a ghost. He was a Vietnam vet who gained political asylum in Sweden where he then worked as a shipbuilder. One of his jobs was the Bahia. He was decapitated while helping to build the ship. He tells the story as a million-year old ghost (due to his refusal to go to his somewhat despised father in the tunnel of whirring blue that is Vonnegut's portrayal of the tunnel to the unknown afterlife) in the present year 1,001,984 A.D.). The plot occurs, mostly, around 1986.

Here is a very condensed form of said plot. The world is in economic shambles. There are only a handful of countries whose currencies are still viable at all. Ecuador is not among them. An Ecuadorian hotel is hosting the guests of the "Nature Cruise of the Century." They include, due to the cancellation of celebrities like Jackie O. and Walter Cronkite because of the recent economic and political instability), Mr. Wait, Mrs. Mary Hepburn (a recently widowed and post-menopausal biology teacher from Ilium, NY), Mr. Andrew Macintosh a rude and boisterous American millionaire and his blind daughter Selena and her guide dog, and Macintosh's guests, the Hiroguchis. Mr. Hiroguchi is the Japanese inventor of the Mandarax, a device which translates among more than 1,000 languages, can diagnose more than 1,000 common diseases by asking medical queries in a 20-questions type sequence, as well as providing famous quotes relating to inputted search terms and lessons on Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging (also the profession of Hiroguchi's wife), among many other important and trivial tasks. At the helm of the ship is Captain Adolf Von Kleist, a bumbling socialite who graduated at the bottom of his military school class. His brother, Siegfried, runs the hotel. The brothers Von Kleist are both single and without child, as they are afraid they could be genetic carriers of Huntington's Chorea, which their father died of.

Eventually, after much chaos resulting from a Peruvian invasion of Ecuador (one of many ridiculous and ramshackle events as the world essentially crumbles), the ship departs, stripped of all its food and valuables, amid missile attacks, with Wait/Flemming (who is dying of a heart attack and hastily married to Hepburn), Hepburn, Selena, her dog, Hiroguchi's wife, the drunken Captain, and a group of a few young Kanka-bonos. (Macintosh, Adolf, and Hiroguchi are dead at this point; Kanka-bonos are Aboriginal-like African tribespeople. The girls found their way to Ecuador through the work of a benevolent Priest and fighter pilot (not important)). Eventually, the ship crashes on the fictional Galapogan isle of Santa Rosalia, where the remaining characters live out the rest of their lives. They are probably the last inhabitants of earth, as a result of worldwide famine and war as well as a mysterious disease that renders all women infertile (except of course, the women on the secluded isle; interestingly, the phenomenon of having all their females' eggs eaten by rats is the true reason for Galapagos tortoises' relegation to their eponymous isles). You could probably guess, as happens, that Hepburn uses the Captain's sperm to impregnate some of the females on the island and thus repopulates earth eventually.

It is not a great story, though it does have interesting points and techniques. The whole tale is told in a Slaughterhouse-5-type of disjointed narrative, and 3/4 of the 2-section story is devoted to the events leading up to the survivors' escape to the isle. Little time is devoted to their actual existence on Santa Rosalia. Each character gets a past-looking telling of their backstory, and there are interesting side events narrated along the way (such as the history of the Kanka-bonos). Vonnegut does manage to keep the nearly impossible plot technically taut (though through the use of convenient techniques at times). In fact, he gave himself an A+ for his technical efforts on the book during a later interview. His flair for alternative views of the afterlife and an inventive twist on the end-of-the-world story; his use of characters continuous of his other works (K. Trout); his ability to satisfactorily sew up otherwise problematic story jams in a few wry lines or less; the intricate interworkings of scientific narrative, humorous anecdotes, round characterization, and overall zealous creativity make the book a worthwhile read.

However, the technique (seen in his other works) of a repeated chorus by the intrusive narrator (here as the narrator's consistently blaming the downfall of humanity on humans' "big brains") is far less effective than the similar but much more poetic "So it goes" line of SLH-5, to the point of near annoyance. Also, the repeated insertion of historic quotes, from Mandarax, at both appropriate and inappropriate situations, is overused.

The high points of the book for me, in terms of poeticism and sheer interest value, are the character of the pure-hearted hotel employee Jesus Ortiz (ya I know); the motif of the mating dance of the blue-footed booby; the effective (though not perfect) incorporation of Anne Frank's famous "I still believe people are really good at heart" quote; the random genetic adaptation of Hirguchi's wife's first daughter to have a coat of fur, Vonnegut's practice of placing an asterisk* after the names of characters who are to be killed off shortly, and the haunting image of LT Trout's explaining at the end of the book that he's written the entire novel in air with his finger, for lack of paper or an audience with big enough brains to notice. Also when he explains that the simpleton fish-like humans of the "present" still laugh whenever someone farts.

Overall, the work is flawed but worth the relatively short read for its artistic achievements, grand technical undertaking, quirks, and inventiveness. It will make you think during reading it, but probably not too long afterward.

D. Wire

So last night at work, similar to what I'm doing right now, I was wasting time on the interweb--time which most certainly would have been better spent finishing up my quasi-academic and fully ridiculous "literary criticism" of Emily Dickinson's fourth fascicle for my senior sem class.

Anyway, as you may know, I've been making my way through the West Wing DVD's (which G&S Mac so graciously sent me). I'm a few episodes into the third season, but that's not really important. What is further unimportant, but more immediate to my thoughts for this post is that I decided to google "D. Wire Newman" to A) see how much of the name I would have to type before the google search window suggested the full search term (it never offered it as a suggestion; apparently D. Wire is one of our less popular former fictional presidents) and B) see what other WW nerds had posted on the Web about him.

For those of you for whom the WW is not a piece of American culture from which you immediately recognize scarce references, D. Wire Newman is a former one-term Democratic president, in fact the last Democrat to hold the White House in the WW World before Bartlet, sometime between 1972 and 1991, according to wikipedia. He is portrayed by James Cromwell, the actor perhaps better known for his roles as Mr. Skolnick in 1984's Revenge of the Nerds , 1987's Revenge of the Nerds, Part II, 1993's Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next Generation, and the 1994 classic Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in Love; as Jaglom Shrek and later Prime Minister Nayrok in 3 early 1990s episodes of Star Trek:TNG; Hanok in one 1995 episode of Star Trek: DS9; Dr. Zefram Cochrane in the 1996 feature Star Trek: First Contact; Farmer Arthur Hoggett in 1998's Babe: A Pig in the City; and more recently as Dr. Alfred Lanning in 2004's I, Robot; George Sibley in HBO's Six Feet Under; and Phillip Bauer (Jack Bauer's estranged father) in Fox's 24. Of course, his best roles to prepare for his as D. Wire were probably those of President Robert 'Bob' Fowler in 2002's Sum of All Fears; a starring role as Senator Baines in the short-lived TV series Citizen Baines; and, of course, his role as Senator Judson Ross in one of my all-time favorite VHS videos, 1998's Species II . He apparently has made a pretty decent career out of playing character roles of men in authoritative positions, as a quick skim of his career on IMDB reveals he has played, besides the aforementioned president and senators, multiple deputies, detectives, sergeants and lieutenants; reverends and priests; a major general, a prime minister, an ambassador-at-large, multiple judges, two wardens, a lt. general, a bishop, a cardinal, and Lyndon Baines Johnson, among many others. Sorry for that lengthy bio, consult IMDB for a full listing.

Getting nearer to the real point of this post, I note that D. Wire Newman appears in only one episode ("The Stormy President, episode 98, season 5), which features the funeral of former President Owen Lassiter (portrayed by no one--the dead body is never shown, and only his hands are shown in flashback scenes), a hated Republican who went somewhat crazy in his later years, perhaps modeled after Ronald Reagan. D. Wire is among 3 "Presidents" to attend the funeral (besides the late Lassiter). Those are D.Wire, Bartlet, and Glen Allen Walken, portrayed by John Goodman, the former conservative Speaker of the House who became acting president for 2 days when Bartlet declared himself temporarily unfit to run the country after the kidnapping of his daughter, Zoe,while the Vice Presidency was vacant due to John Hoynes's recent resignation after his sex scandal.

Reading the wikipedia page about the episode (not the WW wiki page) prompted me to wiki "Presidential Succession." This led me to a page detailing the order of succession, the history of the law that sets it up, Constitutional concerns about it, and other tasty tidbits. You should check it out. Most interesting, though, was the link it provided to a list of works of fiction regarding United States presidential succession. I found two most intriguing to me out of the list of 25 or so books and movies. The first was the 1972 film The Man, based on the 1964 Irving Wallace novel of the same name. Wikipedia's synopsis for the book is as follows: The Vice President had died of a heart attack, and the office is vacant (the 25th Amendment would not take effect until 1967). The President and the Speaker of the House both die accidentally in Europe, and the President pro tempore of the Senate, an African-American, becomes President. The conservative members of both parties soon find pretexts to impeach him. The plot sounds just so-so. The film apparently departs from this plot to what might be an even more uninteresting an unoriginal one, but the wiki entry states the screenplay was co-written by Rod Serling, which intrigues me. This reassures me that even if the film is horrible (as promised by the synopsis), it will be entertainingly and laughably so.

The most intriguing plot to me is, as you may have suspected, the seemingly most ridiculous as well. Here is the entry verbatim: Deep Six by Clive Cussler (1984): After the presidential yacht, the Eagle, goes missing with the President, Vice President Vincent Margolin, Speaker of the House Alan Moran and President of the Senate pro tempore Marcus Larimar on board, Secretary of State (and now Acting President) Douglas Oates orders a cover-up, with actors playing the President and Vice President while Oates executed executive powers. The President is brainwashed by Soviet forces, and returns to office. However, after his incredibly irrational decision making (including using the armed forces to disperse Congressional meetings to prevent his impeachment) the members of his cabinet orchestrate a kidnapping. The President is successfully impeached, when it becomes apparent that Moran has escaped from the Soviets and Larimer is dead. To ensure that he takes over the Presidency, Moran makes a deal with the Korean shipping company holding the Vice President to have him killed, in exchange for favours. Since the President has been impeached and the Vice President is nowhere to be found, Moran is to be sworn in as President (not merely Acting President.) However, a desperate rescue attempt to save Margolin succeeds, and Moran is denied the Presidency halfway through his swearing-in.

I was somewhat surprised to see that Cussler, whom I have never read but have heard of a lot, would devise such a seemingly ridiculous plot. Perhaps it's one of those that seems ridiculous when you read the synopsis on wikipedia but is way awesome if you read the book. Perhaps. But what surprised and disheartened me more was that no film, apparently, has been adapted from its story. This disappoints me, as I would surely rather watch the plot unfold in 2 or fewer hours instead of reading it in a matter of perhaps several days, weeks, or months. Come on, Hollywood. I mean, for cripe's sake, you made Corky Romano!

So, if this post has intrigued anyone, you should check out all of the HREF'd links in it, or if you've read Deep Six or any of Cussler's works and could provide some insight to its or his other works' ridiculosity, I would be interested in hearing it.

And a piece of barely-related trivia to end: Who is the best-selling novelist in the world (according to wikipedia)?

Answer: Stephen King
**Bonus points for naming his alma mater (without looking it up)

Answer:

The University of Maine

Cultural References!

Let's play a game...how many cultural references can you identify in the setup features (name, etc.) of my new blog? There should be about 3. Anyway, I made this new blog not only as an excuse to toss out the aforementioned cultural references, but also to reshape my identity in the blogosphere from being solely sports-based (as well as to have one under my current gmail account, because I seem to have forgotten my last one...).

If I recover my old account info, I may continue to update that (not that I have done so in the last year or so). And I'll probably only update this sporadically, but I checked up on everybody else's blogs tonight, and it made me remember that blogging really is, to quote a popular but middling movie, the cheese to my macaroni.