Posts Tagged ‘associated press’
Is there still a way to put country before party?
Watching the recent news about Senators Evan Bayh and Scott Brown, I can’t help but wonder whether there is something–anything–we can do to improve a system of governing that favors “short-term political advantage” above all else. To see Bayh and Brown, both doing what they perceive to be in the nation’s best interest for very different reasons, respectively abandoning politics and receiving hateful criticism tells me that things aren’t working as they should.
We still need the change that was a centerpiece of the 2008 election, and it should come in the form of a softening of ideology and a focus on practicality. It probably won’t.
Tags: associated press, evan bayh, partisanship, politics, scott brown, u.s. senate, washington post
Let McNair’s PSA footage save lives
If there’s a more compelling public service announcement about the dangers of suicide than Steve McNair’s never-aired version, I haven’t seen it. Taken by itself, the announcement is pretty average as far as such commercials go. In light of McNair’s murder at the hands of his girlfriend and her subsequent suicide, though, it’s haunting.
It was the right call to hold off in broadcasting the PSA in the immediate wake of the murder-suicide, but maybe it’s time to use that footage after all. Editing that footage respectfully to emphasize the importance of getting help for anyone who’s considering taking a life — theirs or anyone else’s — might mean that more people see “better days.”
Tags: associated press, depression, mental illness, murder-suicide, nashville, sahel kazemi, steve mcnair, suicide, tennessee, tennessee department of mental health and developmental disabilities, tennessee titans, the tennessean, virginia trotter betts, wsmv-tv
Staples weighs in on Office Depot’s store closings
Staples didn’t waste much time picking on Office Depot after its office supply store rival announced it was closing 112 stores yesterday. Fortunately for us, none of those stores are in Nashville, but Staples made sure its customers knew Office Depot is facing tough times by emailing its customers (see image above) this morning:
With the uneasy economy and recent headlines about suppliers like Office Depot, business owners face all sorts of questions: Will troubled retailers honor my rewards checks? Where will I go for office essentials? Will I get my products delivered accurately and on time?
Staples even quoted the Office Depot news release headline in the email. I suppose all is fair in love, war and business to a degree, but that sure is rubbing salt in the wound. I don’t have a strong preference for either brand (or OfficeMax, for that matter), but I have to give Staples equal marks here for rapid response and cruelty.
Tags: associated press, business, economy, marketing, office depot, recession, staples, the tennessean
