So much for new year’s resolutions

If you take a look at the blogroll, a couple entries back, you’ll see that I vowed to blog more often, and with higher quality.

Oh, well.

Anyway, I have a friend who edits a Catholic newspaper in New Jersey who tells me not to worry so much about quantity, since there’s so much junk out there, and to focus on quality. I’m not sure I’m up to that task either, but I’ll try.

Readers tell me they’re interested in how a story comes together and how I pick topics. Well, I try to watch a wide variety of television news. I watch things  I like, such as the Daily Show, CNN, and PBS. Then I watch things I’m not so crazy about, like The O’Riley Factor and Hanity and Colmes (did I spell that right?). I was having lunch today with the Rev. Bryan Collier at Cafe 212, and I said, “I have to keep in touch with what the other side is saying.” I meant that in the most conciliatory manner possible. I think O’Riley does a great job of keeping his finger on the important issues. Hanity—eh—he’s just too caustic for me.

I also listen to American Family Radio and visit their website. They have a great news apparatus over there and really stay abreast of things.

I scan the AP wire everyday and usually take a look at the New York Times and the Washington Post (I used to live in D.C.).

Sometimes, stories just find me. (I wish they’d do that more often). People call in or send emails. I can’t get to all of them, and it always troubles me when I have to tell someone “Thanks, but no thanks.” I try to do it diplomatically and I always appreciate the input.

So, stories usually come together over the course of a couple of weeks. When I first got here I had a tendency to lock onto one thing and put on blinders until that was done then move on. Friends, let me tell you, that’s not how it’s done in the newspaper biz. These folks I work with keep about five stories going at any one time, in all states of completion.

I’m getting a little better. Folks I’ve talked with this week will see their stuff in the paper a couple of Saturdays down the road. I do an interview here, an interview there, and piece it together a little at a time. For example, a couple of weeks ago when I was in Oxford doing the quilting story I caught up with the pastor and interviewed him for the “Christianity, Emerging” article which will run in three installments, starting Saturday.

For such a neophyte, I’ve got a lot on my plate right now. I’ve had to turn down a couple of good stories that I just couldn’t get to. I’ve got this three-part series (probably the most ambitious thing I’ve done here), plus a Neighbors story coming up, plus an entry for Black History Month, plus Mardi Gra and Lent right around the corner.

Oh, and did I mention that the bishop is coming to town Saturday? I didn’t find this out until earlier this week. Saturday I’ll have the honor of sitting down with Bishop Joseph Latino of the Catholic Diocese of Jackson.

That interview will run when the “Emerging” piece is finished.

I’m out and about this weekend, snapping pictures, doing interviews. Oh, also, there was a good story link on the DJ homepage today about Mississippi being the “most religious” state in the union. I want to do something with that next week.

Thanks to all. Peace and God bless,

Galen

Evolution disclaimer

MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2009
By: Representative Chism
HOUSE BILL NO. 25
AN ACT TO REQUIRE THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO INCLUDE 1 CERTAIN LANGUAGE EXPLAINING THAT EVOLUTION IS A THEORY IN THE 2 INSIDE FRONT COVER OF CERTAIN PUBLIC SCHOOL TEXTBOOKS; AND FOR 3 RELATED PURPOSES. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 5 SECTION 1. The State Board of Education shall require every 6 textbook that includes the teaching of evolution in its contents 7 to include the following language on the inside front cover of the 8 textbook: 9 “The word ‘theory’ has many meanings, including: 10 systematically organized knowledge; abstract reasoning; a 11 speculative idea or plan; or a systematic statement of principles. 12 Scientific theories are based on both observations of the natural 13 world and assumptions about the natural world. They are always 14 subject to change in view of new and confirmed observations. 15 This textbook discusses evolution, a controversial theory 16 some scientists present as a scientific explanation for the origin 17 of living things. No one was present when life first appeared on 18 earth. Therefore, any statement about life’s origins should be 19 considered a theory. 20
Evolution refers to the unproven belief that random, 21 undirected forces produced living things. There are many topics 22 with unanswered questions about the origin of life which are not 23 mentioned in your textbook, including: the sudden appearance of 24 the major groups of animals in the fossil record (known as the 25 Cambrian Explosion); the lack of new major groups of other living 26 things appearing in the fossil record; the lack of transitional 27
H. B. No. 25 *HR07/R105*
09/HR07/R105
PAGE 2 (RKM\HS)
ST: Education; require disclaimer in textbooks
regarding the teaching of certain theories.
forms of major groups of plants and animals in the fossil record; 28 and the complete and complex set of instructions for building a 29 living body possessed by all living things. 30 Study hard and keep an open mind.” 31 SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 32 and after July 1, 2009. 33