Stickybuffalo.com

I do not get mainstream anglophone news media’s sudden decision to report that “liberals/Democrats are unhappy with President Barack Obama” since the announcement of the recent tax-cuts-for-unemployment extension deal. Everywhere this latter development is mentioned, there is at least one story on the former; in some cases libdem discontent actually seems to be treated with more importance.

Can someone explain this to me, please? Liberal Democrats are nearly always unhappy. Where is the news? If it’s because discontent with Obama is causing a “rupture” between the president and “his base of support,” we’ve been dissatisfied with him for quite a while, also. Again, where is the news?

And why is it considered relevant to anything, since as political journalists and talking heads constantly remind us, liberals/Democrats are all a bunch of congenitally-ineffective pussies? If these stories are meant to imply that our ire may actually have consequences… how? If not, what’s the point? One big collective Nelson Mundt “HA ha?”

Frankly, I’m not even so much out to criticize here, for once, as I am terribly curious about the mechanics of how this works. If we assume that 75% of these stories are being written simply because it’s now an established story, and everyone feels obligated to cover it, how did it get started? How did this suddenly get enough attention in the first place to reach that magic tipping point?

Is it that, now, the important people are complaining volubly for the first time? Members of congress, Hill staffers, people with big checkbooks, people who actually count within Beltway journalists’ tiny horizon of awareness, is that it?

I’m just curious about how something goes from being beneath the notice of the national conversation one day to front-page news the next. Maybe some enterprising Wikileaker could help him or herself to a list of these Important People and share it with us for Christmas, complete with e-mail addresses, phone numbers, Twitter accounts, etc.? If you really want to stir up some shit, after all…

This morning’s news out of the UK

“Government should invest 10% of its transport budget on cycling and walking initiatives, according to a coalition of health, transport and leisure groups.

The 70 organisations are calling on all UK governments and local authorities to help fight obesity by “taking action on active travel”. The groups launched a campaign yesterday for more cycle routes, better enforced traffic laws and 20mph speed limits to be enforced in residential areas.”

got me thinking about a few bikes I saw yesterday, the xtracycle

and Surly’s Big Dummy frameset. One feature of the S.U.B. is reconfigurability. For example, an off-the-grid smoothie making tool called the “Fender Blender”

also available in floor model: