Craig's Corner

It’s that time of year again: New Year’s resolutions. If I still made them, the list would look awfully close to the list from any number of years before:  lose weight, have a more balanced work/personal life, etc. It’s unlikely that I’ll achieve those goals ... so like 60% of Americans, I don’t even bother. A study showed that 88% of people fail at their resolutions. I do love the practice that I heard about once – a couple writes down their resolutions, seals them in an envelope and on New Year’s Eve they each open the other’s to see how they did. Sounds like a fun way to do it. There’s nothing inherently wrong about making resolutions unless you’re a politician and it comes from Washington D.C.. President Obama resolved in his 2014 New Year’s message that it would be a “year of action.” Legislatively that was not the case, with the 2012-2014 Congress one of the "least productive" in history. In terms of his Executive Orders, however, he was true to his word. Th...

One of my favorite parts of going to the movies is watching the trailers. I’m even a little superstitious. If the trailers are all bad it usually indicates that the film that I’m about to watch is going to be bad too. Likewise if the trailers are all great, there’s a cinematic masterpiece that I’m about to watch. Often it’s a mixed bag. Towards the end of the summer and early fall is the best because all of the Oscar hopeful movies start showing up in the previews. This year, though, there was this one trailer that within 15 seconds I knew was going to be something I’d never watch – in the movie theatre, online or even on free network television. Much to my amazement that very film has turned Hollywood upside down and right side up again while the President weighed in on how to run a studio. The Korean text reads, "We will begin a war",  "Do not trust these ignorant Americans!" "The Interview" is now described by the media as a political s...

It’s mid December, and regardless of your religious affiliation – Christmas is upon us. The stores, the sales…the commercialism. There are some of us who approach the holiday through the liturgical season of Advent, but even with that the omnipresence of retail is hard to avoid. The Christmas Miracle story isn't just one narrative, but a nice morphing of the commercial aspect of the holiday and the spirit that its intended. The story has many variations – but the underlying message focuses on the importance of giving. Poverty, wealth, stinginess and extravagance are all examined through a variety of narratives both in books, stories and movies and TV shows. Imagine my surprise when last week the Government provided its own miracle – a moment of transparency if not humility. The recently released summary of the Senate Intelligence Report on Torture cost $40 million to put together. It took 5 years and the bulk of the 6,000 page report remains classified. What the 525 page un...

Boxing isn’t my thing. Too much blood and I never much saw the point of beating the crap out of somebody else. It’s a sport, but never seemed to be very sporting. Boxing Day has nothing to do with the sport. As fans of Downton Abbey know, it’s a holiday traditionally  celebrated the day following Christmas Day, when servants and tradespeople would receive gifts, known as a "Christmas box", from their bosses or employers. It’s usually a European celebration that is a vestige from a time where there were “Upstairs” and “Downstairs” classes. President Obama made it American this week when he signed an executive order giving every federal worker the day off this year. Friday December 26, 2014 is now a Federal holiday   – meaning that all Federal employees do not have to report to work and will be paid for it. Since Christmas falls on a Thursday this year, that gesture makes for a nice four-day weekend. And, really, who am I to be Scrooge about people getting a day off th...

I was robbed this week. I was stupid and left my iPhone in the car ("hidden" in the center console, but I left the charger connected) so it was obvious to a passerby that there was something there. Aside from the hassle of having the car window replaced and the sense of intrusion caused by my own mistake, I spent the bulk of the day without a smart phone. My first instinct when I got into the car and noticed all of the broken glass was: I must take a photo of this for the police, insurance (and potentially Facebook). Oops, can’t do that, no phone. Then I went to contact the police but couldn’t because, well, no phone. As the day went by all of the little things that I use the miniature computer for became apparent: figuring out where the nearest phone store was, how to get there, having music on the way, etc. Every element of how I navigate day-to-day activities now seems reliant on the Internet through the palm of my hand. President Obama last month endorsed Net Neut...