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Daily Blah FAQ
Who are you?
I'm the newly-appointed Future editor at Business 2.0 and the former San Francisco correspondent for Time Magazine.
Wow, so does this mean everything you write reflects Time Inc's opinion? Or do you perhaps have some sort of standard disclaimer to the effect that it doesn't?
Naturally, the opinions contained in this blog are not those of my employers. In fact, some opinions may be the polar opposite of my employers. Some may be the same, for all I know. Hey, it's not like I ask my employers their opinions about everything in the news, okay? Let's just say that if this were a Venn diagram with one circle marked "my opinions" and the other one marked "my employers' opinions", there would doubtless be some overlap. But neither I nor my employers are able to pinpoint exactly where that overlap is.
What is this Daily Blah thing?
An experiment for a column I wrote about blogging back in December 2001. All these years later, I haven't been able to kick the habit.
If it's called Daily Blah, how come you don't ... hey, wait, you're writing every day!
See? Told you I'd try harder.
Mister, you talk funny. Are you one of them furrners?
Why yes I am, as it happens. I was born, raised and educated in Great Britain. I've been living in the U.S. since 1996 and identify as British.
I say, old chap, you forgot the "u" in "colour."
No I didn't. I may identify as British, but I am also an American journalist writing for an American audience about mostly American issues. These two different sides of me are a constant source of tension. Nevertheless, Daily Blah will adhere to American English grammar and spelling.
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Daily Blah for... Monday, February 18, 2002
Don't mention the Garden State
Some days, when the rules and rituals of my adoptive American home seem largely self-evident to me, I feel like a modern Tocqueville. And then there are days when I read stories like this and shake my head in disbelief. Why the hell would a guy in Galveston have such a huge problem with the state of New Jersey that he would shoot his girlfriend for daring to speak its name? Is it general-purpose Mason-Dixon hatred for the Yankees, or some peculiar long-running rivalry between Jersey and Texas? Could someone explain that to this confused immigrant, please?
(2/11/02 - Galveston) - We all have words that make us cringe. But one
man's aversion to certain words nearly killed a woman. A Galveston man is
on trial for nearly killing his former girlfriend because of the words she
was about to say. The man says the words make him crazy.
There are apparently four words that make this defendant very, very angry,
including state names such as "Wisconsin" and "New Jersey." In fact "New
Jersey" is apparently what set this case in motion.
He stands accused of aggravated assault. On March 9, 1999, prosecutors say
Thomas Mitchell had a confrontation with his then-girlfriend of four years
at his Texas City apartment.
Mo Ibrahim/Prosecutor: "In his opinion, he looked in her eyes and he
thought she was going to say the word 'New Jersey.' Then he went in his
bedroom, got his gun, loaded it. She knocked on the door and he answered it
and shot her three times."
The victim, Barbara Jenkins, survived and will likely testify against
Mitchell when testimony begins on Tuesday.
While Mitchell's attorney declined comment, she may have a tough case to
defend. Prosecutors say more than a half dozen people witnessed the
shooting. A handgun was discovered in Mitchell's car. And he reportedly
gave incriminating statements to police.
Prosecutors say there are other words that Mitchell does not like, words
like "Snickers" and "Mars Bar." Defense attorneys may question Mitchell's
sanity at the time of the shooting, but court-appointed psychiatrists have
examined him with similar results.
Mo Ibrahim/Prosecutor: "Two independent psychiatrists have examined him and
both deemed him to be sane and competent."
But no one can say why the words "Snickers," "Mars Bar," "Wisconsin," or
"New Jersey" may set Mitchell off. Defense attorneys will likely call their
own psychiatrist to explain what prosecutors say is indisputable evidence
that Mitchell pulled the trigger.
Mitchell does have a long history of mental illness, and the defense is
hoping that some of the witness statements he gave police after the
shooting will be suppressed. They are also asking that probation at least
be an option for sentencing if in fact Mitchell is convicted. Prosecutors
say they did not seek a conviction on attempted murder charges, since
attempted murder and aggravated assault are both
second-degree felonies, punishable by two to twenty years. All they have to
prove under the charge of aggravated assault is that he used or exhibited a
deadly weapon in the course of the assault.
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