Category: Random Thoughts

The Daily Illini Needs to Apologize for Something Else

On By Frank the TankIn Politics, Random Thoughts1 Comment

I spent yesterday’s post giving credit to the Daily Illini for standing up for the ideals of the American press by printing the controversial Danish cartoons that have spurred violent protests and killings by radical Muslims in the Middle East.  Well, as my sister pointed out today, it turns out that the Daily Illini is now running scared by suspending the 2 editors that made the decision to run the cartoons.

The act itself by the newspaper the remove editor Acton Groton and opinions editor Chuck Prochaska is an abomination.  The fact that the Daily Illini then published an editorial calling Groton a “renegade editor” that engaged in a “blatant use of power” (I’ll link to this editorial once the paper posts it on tis website) has turned my high respect for the newspaper’s actions into absolute disgust.  Groton and Prochaska were thrown under the bus for doing something that every other major newspaper in the United States should have done if they actually wanted to protect the ideals of journalistic freedom.  The Daily Illini has turned what should have been one of its proudest moments into a point of shame.

No Need for an Apology from the Daily Illini

On By Frank the TankIn Politics, Random Thoughts2 Comments

There are few things I believe America stands for more than being the world’s greatest marketplace of ideas.  This is distinct from “freedom of speech” and the First Amendment, which deal with the government’s restrictions on speech.  Instead, the marketplace of ideas comes from encouraging the private citizens of this country express themselves and challenge others without being chilled by the forces of group thinking.

More than anyone else, the American press is supposed to carry the torch of this concept.  I assumed that when the riots by radical Muslims over cartoon depictions of Muhammad in a Danish newspaper escalated over the past week, every news organization in the United States would publish those cartoons so that we could understand exactly why this was happening (or at least put it into some type of context).

What subsequently happened was shocking.  The New York Times decided not to publish the cartoons.  The Associated Press, the Chicago Tribune, and the Washington Post didn’t do it, either.  The Boston Globe, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Miami Herald, the Dallas Morning News, and the Denver Post?  Nope.  The Los Angeles Times decided to print one example of a cartoon.  Other than that, no other major media organization published any of the cartoons that have sparked one of the most important news stories of the year.  Each news organization justified its decision upon some variation of how it did not want to show images that would be offensive to one’s religious beliefs.  Of course, all of these organizations were fine in the past with publishing the infamous “Piss Christ” photo or statements by terrorists advocating violence against Jews.  So, not offending the religious beliefs of readers is a convenient and shallow excuse to me.

What news organization had the intestinal fortitude to actually educate Amercians about what was happening across the world by publishing the cartoons?  Well, I’m proud to say that it was the student newspaper of my alma mater, the Daily Illini.  In the face of the group think of the mainstream American media, the Daily Illini published the cartoons in this past Thursday.

The backlash was predictable, with the Daily Illini accused of being insensitive.  Rather than the general public shaming the mainstream media for leaving a student newspaper out to dry, the Daily Illini has been forced to make an apology today where it emphasized that the decision to run the cartoons wasn’t made by the paper’s entire editorial board.

The last thing that the Daily Illini should do is apologize for its actions.  Instead, the paper ought be commended for showing that a handful of college students have the ability to carry forward the marketplace of ideas even when the powerful voices in this country decide not to speak up.  Are the images offensive or worth having people killed over?  I urge you to look at the cartoons and decide for yourself.  That’s the American way.

Land-o-Links – 2/13/2006

On By Frank the TankIn Land-o-Links, Random ThoughtsLeave a comment

Some random and overdue links for Monday:

1) The Grammys Just Don’t Get It – This comment is coming a little late, but I’ve got to get this off my chest.  Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune wrote this article over a week ago, which is now even more appropriate considering that my compadre from the South Side of Chicago Kanye West was robbed by the Grammys for second year in a row.  Look, I love U2 as much as anyone, but the Grammys already have separate lifetime achievement awards where they don’t need to turn the major annual awards such as Album of the Year and Record of the Year into nostalgic lovefests.  If you really listened to a decent range of last year’s music at all, you ought to be outraged that Kanye West’s “Late Registration” didn’t win Album of the Year.  The little respect I had for the Grammys before last Wednesday’s show is now completely wiped out.

2) Kwan Withdraws from the Olympics – It feels like Michelle Kwan has been around forever, and in ice skating terms she has, but I always have to kick myself everytime I realize that she’s still only 25-years old.  I’m three years older than her and what do I have to show for all that time on Earth?  I guess I can take solace in the fact that I have as many Olympic gold medals as she does (alright, that was a cheap shot – I have to admit that it really is sad that she got hurt).

3) What Would Tyler Durden Do? (submitted by Golas) – If you’re into slapping the Hollywood elite back into place (I know I am), here’s an absolutely fantastic blog ripping on every celebrity imaginable Fight Club-style.

4) Cheney Shoots Fellow Hunter in Texas Accident – #1 lesson learned from this past weekend: don’t EVER, EVER, EVER go on a hunting trip with Dick Cheney and Bobby Knight.

And finally…

5) Rich’s Blog – My buddy Rich’s newly launched blog – be sure to check it out!

Land-o-Links – 2/8/2006

On By Frank the TankIn Land-o-Links, Random Thoughts1 Comment

Lost, American Idol, the Grammys, Indiana-Wisconsin/Syracuse-UConn rivalry week doubleheader, Bulls/Nuggets… what the hell am I going to watch on TV tonight with such a plethora of choices?  While I figure that out, here are today’s links:

1) The Che Cachet – The only good Che Guevara t-shirt out there is the one with his face and the line “I Have No Idea Who This Is” underneath.  That pretty much sums up the ignorance of 99.9% of the people who wear his likeness in regards to what this guy actually stood for.

2) From Cigars to a Pineapple – It looks like former Illinois Governor George Ryan received gifts from people ranging from George Steinbrenner to the president of South Korea while in office.

3) NHL Assistant is Cited as Head of a Gambling Ring – The most exciting thing to happen to hockey since the lockout ended.

4) Senator, We’re Ready for Your Cameo – Everyone notice John McCain’s appearance on “24” on Monday?

And finally…

5) A Little Slice of Boredom – My sister has broken down and started a blog.  She is a super artist currently in grad school in New Jersey (which exit?) and would single-handedly put Blockbuster and Netflix out of business if she opened up her DVD collection to the public.

Enjoy the links and have a great day!

Land-o-Links – 2/7/2006

On By Frank the TankIn Big Ten, College Basketball, Land-o-Links, Major League Baseball, Random Thoughts, SportsLeave a comment

The Illini dropped down to #9 in the coaches’ poll and #10 in the AP poll, which seems about right considering the loss.  Anyway, here are the links for the day:

1) Guillen Shoots From Hip in HBO Interview – It looks like Ozzie Guillen prepared for his White Sox job interview the same way I did for my on-campus interviews back in college.

2) Catholic Group Says of “Da Vinci Code” Film: It’s Just Fiction – The PR campaign by Opus Dei in advance of the release of the “Da Vinci Code.”

3) Jazz Slinger Hits Flat Note – The Chicago Tribune interviews former Illinois star Deron Williams about his slow start in the NBA this season (by the way, get ready for an Illini reunion with Williams and Luther Head in the Rookie – Sophomore Challenge during NBA All-Star Weekend).

And finally…

4) Congresswoman’s House “Toilet Papered” with VCR Tape – Senior level TP was my best class in high school.

Land-o-Links – 2/6/2006

On By Frank the TankIn Land-o-Links, Random Thoughts2 Comments

Super Bowl Monday links:

1) And for Perfect Attendance, Johnny Gets… a Car – I used to receive things like $1 general admission tickets to White Sox games at old Comiskey Park or a coupon for personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut if I got perfect attendance for the year.  Now, districts are giving kids iPods, cars, and cold hard cash to get kids to come to school.  I grew up in the wrong era.

2) Antonio Davis’ Strange Journey – After Antonio Davis was traded from the Knicks to the Raptors, Sam Smith is positive that he and his crazy wife are coming back to Chicago.

3) On Capitol Hill, Playing WikiPolitics – It was only a matter of time.

4) Roethlisberger to Shave Beard for Money – The difference between the average person on the street and a Super Bowl champion?  The Super Bowl champ gets paid to shave on David Letterman.

And finally…

5) Coke Dealer Tries to Solicit Cop… and the Cop Wasn’t Undercover – As much as we try to make the world idiot-proof, the world keeps producing better idiots.

Land-o-Links – 2/2/2006

On By Frank the TankIn Land-o-Links, Random Thoughts2 Comments

Some quick links for the day:

1) Top 20 Highway Bottlenecks – Chicago has 5 of the top 20 highway interchange bottlenecks for trucks in the country.  Only Los Angeles has more on the list with 6.  Strangely enough, as I immediately noticed and the Chicagoist also pointed out, the Hillside Strangler on the Eisenhower just east of I-294 isn’t on there, which is absolutely shocking.  Even after it was supposedly reconstructed under the George Ryan administration (I haven’t seen any alleviation of traffic there whatsoever), it is the most poorly designed section of highway in Chicagoland.

2) Antonio Davis’ Wife in Another Dispute – I’m now officially petrified that Antonio Davis’ wife is going to go on a rampage in my neighborhood.

3) Lehman Brothers Staffer Called up by Steelers for the Super Bowl – I’d like to put John Paxson on notice that if the Bulls ever make the NBA Finals again, I’m available.

Land-o-Links – 1/30/2006

On By Frank the TankIn Land-o-Links, Random ThoughtsLeave a comment

Every once in awhile, a link is so incredible and awesome that it deserves a Land-o-Links all for itself.  Courtesy of Dan the Man, the following page deserves such an honor:

http://www.collegehumor.com/pictures/1653732/

Back with more on the Illini and Big Ten basketball soon.

Mick and Keith in the House that Jordan Built

On By Frank the TankIn Music, Pop Culture, Random ThoughtsLeave a comment

A few quick thoughts on my first-ever Rolling Stones concert at the United Center last night:

1) Mick Jagger has an insane amount of energy for any rock star at any age, much less someone who’s 62 years old.  I’ve seen a good number of bands and I’d be hardpressed to think of anyone who ran around stage and put as much into a performance as Mick.  This is all from a guy who once said he’d rather be dead than still be playing “Satisfaction” at age 45.

2) The Chicago indoor smoking ban does not apply to Keith Richards.

3) While most of the show was accompanied by a dazzling light and video display on a huge stage, my favorite part was when a portion of the stage actually moved out to the center of the arena for several songs.  All of the background displays were then turned off at that time so it was just purely the band playing on a tiny stage surrounded by fans on all sides.  It was a great effect since it almost felt like I was watching them in a small club for those songs rather than a large sports stadium.

4) Whatever you may think of the Stones’ songs, they are certainly spectacular entertainers.  Even my wife, who isn’t a big Rolling Stones fan, thought the show was awesome.  All in all, it was an incredible experience.

Meanwhile, there’s a lot of sports to talk about – I’ll be back soon.

Land-o-Links – 1/25/2006

On By Frank the TankIn Land-o-Links, Random Thoughts1 Comment

I just got some tickets to tonight’s Rolling Stones concert at the United Center, which should be awesome, but that also means that I’ll be missing tonight’s Illinois game against Minnesota.  As a result, I’ll have to retract my statement from last week that I wouldn’t be missing any more Illini games this season (the only 2 games I’ve missed so far happen to be the only 2 games they’ve lost).  I think we’ll be fine against the Gophers, though: we’re at home and Minnesota has yet to win a Big Ten contest.  Anyway, here are the links for the day:

1) Trick My Truck (submitted by Matt) – Hmmm… West Coast Customs just ended its relationship with “Pimp My Ride” on MTV and now this show pops up on CMT?  Oliver Stone’s head is turning.

2) Epstein Back as Red Sox GM – Theo seems to be a graduate of the Roger Clemens school of leaving the game.

3) WB and UPN Merge – Score one for Frank the Tank in my personal war against the WB.

And in honor of the Rolling Stones…

4) On Tour, Rolling Stones Pack Perks, Quirks – It seems that the Rolling Stones have some unusual riders in their tour contracts, particularly the need to feed their cricket holliganism.  The best, though, is the list of contract riders for other musicians – needless to say, Busta Rhymes has his own needs.