Apparently the resident faculty here at Blogistan Polytechnic Institute have installed a television in the wine cellar library, where they spend the weekend drinking thinking on our motto of Magis vinum, magis verum ("More wine, more truth"). When they emerged this morning, they were singing "When the Saints Go Marching In." They must know the staff won't let them go to Mardi Gras - not after The Tijuana Incident - so we figure they must have been happy about last night's game.
Their singing probably felt good, but we're not sure it helped them find the hot tub faculty lounge for their weekly game where the underwear goes flying planning conference. Fortunately the BPI squirrel was able to guide them.
More below the fold....
First our customary thanks to last week's guest lecturers. Last Tuesday Professor of Neuroholdemology Caractacus glanced in the political rear view mirror with a Week In Review. (Some objects were closer than they appeared.) Last Wednesday, Professor of Topofclassclownistics JanF asked for Some Reality With That Tea; turns out the "populist uprising" known as the Tea Party is neither "populist" nor an "uprising," but other than that the phrase fits. If you missed either, the material will be on this semester's final exam, once we figure out how to color in those little ovals online with a #2 lead pencil.
This Tuesday, Professor Caractacus returns with his Things We Learned This Week series, focusing on whether Gifted Student programs have exceeded their utility. This Wednesday, Professor of Hamptolocopolism LI Mike returns to the BPI lectern to discuss his family's plans for Going Green. We assume this refers to his home's energy profile. As always, Chef will offer breakfast treats in the lobby and the Professor of Astrology Janitor will honor us with a rendition of "The Refrigerator Song" from the kitchen, just in case Professor LI Mike meant something else.
Note: We currently have guest lecturers scheduled through Wednesday, March 3rd, and addisnana has agreed to post the "Top of the Morning" featurette on Tuesdays. If you would like to guest host Morning Feature on March 10th or any Wednesday after, or to post TotM on this and/or following Wednesdays, please volunteer in the Tuna Can.
That leaves only the resident faculty, who were obviously pleased with last night's result in the Super Bowl. The staff were also pleased, as it was a well-played game that showcased two excellent teams, with no major injuries or horrid referees' calls to mar the outcome. But of course the Super Bowl is really all about the advertisements, and the unanimous view of the BPI staff was that this was the best:
In fact, it wasn't even close. This was the UConn women's basketball team of 2010 Super Bowl ads: clearly superior. It's an ad that feels good ... and helps cement Google's image as a user-friendly way to find information. Many of the other ads may have felt good to the advertising firms who made them, but I didn't think they helped their clients much. For the worst example, see A Siegel's wonderful diary from last night.
As progressive Democrats, we need to be about helping our "client" - for me that's Fred, our archetypal median voter - more than we're about what feels good.
For example, criticizing the content of Gov. Sarah Palin's speech to the Tea Party Convention this past weekend or her answers in the Q&A may help convince Fred that the Tea Party GOP do not have his best interests at heart. Criticizing her for taking notes on her palm during the Q&A may feel good, but it doesn't help convince Fred. It makes us look spiteful and ignorant.
President Obama and most other experienced speakers routinely take notes during Q&As. For whatever reason, Gov. Palin had no notepad there. Maybe her staff forgot to ask the event staff to put one there. Maybe the event staff forgot. Maybe the event staff put one there, but a previous speaker picked it up without thinking. So she made do and took notes on her palm. There are plenty of good reasons to criticize Governor Palin, but that isn't one of them.
Sometimes what feels good also helps, as with the Google ad. Sometimes what helps doesn't feel good, or what feels good doesn't help. We need to be about what helps Fred. If it also feels good, so much the better. But it's gotta help first.
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Happy Monday!