A return to blogging (sort of)
(WARNING: This is going to sound a lot more like a LiveJournal entry than my usual posts, but you should read anyways).
It has been MONTHS since I’ve posted on AverageJoeLE. I will admit, like most of my projects, I had very high hopes for what this site could be. I envisioned it being a haven for distinctly “young conservatives” who were recent college grads, caught somewhere between students and professionals.
So what went wrong? The biggest part of it was the lack of content, obviously. Even with a number of writers on staff, people get busy, and you know the drill.
Second, I was creating a niche for a market that didn’t exist. Although we did have one big scoop (the Obama gear at the NBC Store) it wasn’t enough to pull us over the top without a steady stream of news.
Finally, I should have been more realistic and been able to recognize that I couldn’t run a full-fledged News and Opinion website while in my second year of law school. I bought the lie that second year was supposed to be easier. ONE HUNDRED PERCENT NOT TRUE. Toughest year of school at any level ever.
For the upcoming year, I hoped that maybe I could revive the idea, but the inherent problems still exist. On top of that, add on the fact that I am Editor in Chief for the Circuit Review at Seton Hall, will likely be volunteering for a campaign this summer and fall, need to earn some sort of income, traveling back and forth to DC to visit the lovely Ms. Yasenchak, searching for a permanent job, prepping for the bar exam, and O YEH, I’m getting married in a year.
Where does this leave AverageJoeLE? Well, for starters, it’s staying around for a little while longer, at least. It’s going to be slightly more “personal” but not in that creepy online diary way. It will be more like extended Facebook and Twitter posts, more like casual commentary on politics and news as the feeling strikes me. Some things will be more ranty, others will be more eloquent. Depends on my mood, really.
Although I’m not banning any old writers from the site (if you guys still have your passwords, feel free to contribute anytime!) I don’t expect them to write that much on here again. In fact, I’d be surprised if even half of them even read this post (but go ahead and surprise me in the comments, Tim Ryder et al.) I haven’t decided exactly what to do with the old content, but I’ll likely just leave it up for now.
Bottom Line: Please check back when you can to see what this Average Joe L-E, all on his own, thinks about the world. Hopefully, You’ll find it interesting.
Sincerely,
Joe
Egg, meet face
Unless you live in a shell away from popular culture (which I almost do), you’ve probably heard that Kanye West made a complete fool of himself last night at the Video Music Awards. When Taylor Swift was receiving her award, Kanye walked up after being spotted “swigging” alcohol earlier and gave a shout out to Beyonce, who had lost out to Swift.
The whole incident reminds me of a parody that South Park did of Kanye back in the spring, which apparently will be shown again tonight. Continue Reading »
Kanye West latest rant against Taylor Swift at VMAs is one in a long line of race-based outbursts
Kanye West has been known for some outrageous statements and tantrums over the years, and last night’s bizarre display was no different. West stormed the stage of the MTV Video Music Awards when country singer Taylor Swift was announced as the winner of the Best Female Video category. West pulled the microphone from the winner and left Swift to clutch her iconic “Moonman” award as she looked on in shock.
Obama to school children: Ask what you can do for your president
With the passing of Ted Kennedy last week, it is easy to recall the memories of “Camelot” and the lore of the Kennedy family. Much of that has to do with the rhetoric flourishes of Ted’s brother, John F. Kennedy.
The words, “Ask not what your country can do for you; Ask what you can do for your country,” although ingrained in the hearts and minds of most Americans, seem to have been misunderstood by Barack Obama to say, “Ask what you can do for your president.” Continue Reading »
Rules for Right Wingers
Dave Weigel points out the Right’s “new” fascination with Saul Alinsky on the Washington Independent today. It’s a good article, though I would make two minor clarifications.
First, it’s not that new. Over at the Leadership Institute, we’ve been talking about this book for years to everyone who will listen. College Republicans, libertarians, independent groups, and everyone in between have literally had copies of Rules for Radicals thrown at them (in the link I just found, I’m pretty sure I was the “provocative presentation” mentioned earlier). Continue Reading »
Racial Profiling or Racial Whining?
The media sensationalism caused by police responding to a 911 call over a break-in has caused the media to go into a turning-criminal- into-victims frenzy.
National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered” aired this piece by King Anyi Howell who whines that he is often pulled over and has his car searched by police because he is guilty of “driving while black”. However, buried in Mr. Howell’s tirade is an admission that he is often guilty of violating noise requirements, briefly admitting that after the cops leave he “[turns his] music back up”. Continue Reading »
Where the Right went wrong
Kevin DeAnna has a great piece on the “Alternative Right” on Taki’s Magazine that is in sync with what a lot of people on AverageJoeLE.com think about the conservative “movement.” It’s also great because he links to New Guard, a project Kevin and I worked on last summer that you should all check out. We’re hoping to have Kevin on board with some articles here from time to time as well.
This is going to have to suffice for an “About” page until I get updates and edits together. Again, my apologies for how slow it has been– law school finals take a lot out of you.
Obama’s crappy pitch a hit with shoddy reporters
Call it sour grapes, but President Barack Obama threw a crappy pitch last night at the 80th Major League Baseball All-Star Game. Not only did Obama fail to make it across home plate, but St. Louis’ beloved first baseman Albert Pujols had to reach out several feet to actually catch the president’s pitch. The Fox Sports’ cameras were situated in such a way that the ball’s progression could not be seen clearly. Only in a brief moment of footage at MLB.com is the camera angle fit to see how the ball missed the mark.
Continue Reading »
Ernest Hemingway was a Communist Supporter
According to the UK’s Guardian:
Last week, however, saw the publication of Spies: The Rise and Fall of the KGB in America (Yale University Press), which reveals the Nobel prize-winning novelist was for a while on the KGB’s list of its agents in America.
It always interests me when I hear the ferocity with which Hollywood entertainers, academics, and the media oppose the label of “communist.” Nevermind the fact that Hollywood was rampant with communists Continue Reading »
Black on White Crime Continues to Go Unreported
Leave it to Drudge to dig up the stories that the mainstream media won’t cover.
An Akron Ohio man was brutally attacked by dozens of young black men after a fireworks display on July 4th.
Out of nowhere, the six were attacked by dozens of teenage boys, who shouted ”This is our world” and ”This is a black world” as they confronted Marshall and his family.
In front of his family, the man received a severe beating Continue Reading »
