BlogaBarbara's Person(s) of the Year and My Resolution on the DL
It didn't take much consideration on my part to name the brave firefighters of the Zaca Fire the BlogaBarbara Person(s) of the Year. I can't think of any issue which had us on edge so much in the last year as this fire and the incredible men and women that protected us from destruction. I also can't think of many of us who didn't think about what was essential to who we are that we would need to take if we were to evacuate. How many other people could we be more thankful to?
Who Are The Runner Ups?
Wendy McCaw: Eight Santa Barbara was pretty much right when he said that Wendy McCaw "is so 2006". At the same time, allowing Jerry Roberts to be smeared like so many political hit pieces on her newspaper under the "staff report" moniker makes her no better than a Willy Horton brandishing Karl Rove or sock puppet James Carville on Social Security.
The Gang Melee at Saks or perhaps more appropriately the "nameless, faceless, Latino youth archetype": Anyone and everyone involved with the "melee" should be considered as it made us think about what is going on in our city. From the victim to the Public Defender's incredible push to gain photographs from anyone who had a camera -- this story had an impact on our lives as Santa Barbarans. It was also, as Eight Santa Barbara pointed out, a major issue in the Council race.
Our Soldiers Who Serve: Don Jose is right to acknowledge our local boys that fight for freedom -- whether we like our President's definition of freedom or not. They put their lives on the line for us and for our country and we should be proud. Most importantly, they put their lives on the line for each other as Americans -- something we don't think enough about in this day and age.
"Selfish NIMBY Property Owner In Love With His (or Her) Speeding Car": This nomination make sense as we have all seen it. We were concerned in 2007 (if not 2005 and 2006) about the influence of new, LA-based home owners that bring a different way of life to Santa Barbara than what we are used to. For better or for worse, this is a reality we must begin to accept.
"I'd say we should give it to the boy who died riding his bike to school- Jake B.": The fact that people began to put his face on their car as a sticker amazed me and may be a by-product of the deep feeling and even empathy that speaks to the above nomination. Why are we so intent on getting where we need to go? Shouldn't we be organized enough to be able to take our time? This poor boy's death is a product of the cell phone generation that does not pay attention to the world around them. Again, for better or for worse...
"Jerry Beaver, for putting an end to the idiotic blue line": Maybe. Was this really such a big deal? It supposedly would have brought down property values at the same time as the mortgage crisis when we didn't know it was happening. Was the Blue Line really a patsy for the rather abnormal course of the economy?
Observer suggested "Anonymous good samaritans for hiding their light beneath the bushel baskets with countless charitable acts that serve to "pay it forward." Definitely qualified".
I agree with Observer but would suggest it as a resolution for the New Year. Whatever you and I can do -- maybe especially on the down low -- should be what we aspire for the next year. That is my resolution --- not so much on the DL.
Happy New Year to you all and thank you for taking BlogaBarbara into 2008.
Who Are The Runner Ups?
Wendy McCaw: Eight Santa Barbara was pretty much right when he said that Wendy McCaw "is so 2006". At the same time, allowing Jerry Roberts to be smeared like so many political hit pieces on her newspaper under the "staff report" moniker makes her no better than a Willy Horton brandishing Karl Rove or sock puppet James Carville on Social Security.
The Gang Melee at Saks or perhaps more appropriately the "nameless, faceless, Latino youth archetype": Anyone and everyone involved with the "melee" should be considered as it made us think about what is going on in our city. From the victim to the Public Defender's incredible push to gain photographs from anyone who had a camera -- this story had an impact on our lives as Santa Barbarans. It was also, as Eight Santa Barbara pointed out, a major issue in the Council race.
Our Soldiers Who Serve: Don Jose is right to acknowledge our local boys that fight for freedom -- whether we like our President's definition of freedom or not. They put their lives on the line for us and for our country and we should be proud. Most importantly, they put their lives on the line for each other as Americans -- something we don't think enough about in this day and age.
"Selfish NIMBY Property Owner In Love With His (or Her) Speeding Car": This nomination make sense as we have all seen it. We were concerned in 2007 (if not 2005 and 2006) about the influence of new, LA-based home owners that bring a different way of life to Santa Barbara than what we are used to. For better or for worse, this is a reality we must begin to accept.
"I'd say we should give it to the boy who died riding his bike to school- Jake B.": The fact that people began to put his face on their car as a sticker amazed me and may be a by-product of the deep feeling and even empathy that speaks to the above nomination. Why are we so intent on getting where we need to go? Shouldn't we be organized enough to be able to take our time? This poor boy's death is a product of the cell phone generation that does not pay attention to the world around them. Again, for better or for worse...
"Jerry Beaver, for putting an end to the idiotic blue line": Maybe. Was this really such a big deal? It supposedly would have brought down property values at the same time as the mortgage crisis when we didn't know it was happening. Was the Blue Line really a patsy for the rather abnormal course of the economy?
Observer suggested "Anonymous good samaritans for hiding their light beneath the bushel baskets with countless charitable acts that serve to "pay it forward." Definitely qualified".
I agree with Observer but would suggest it as a resolution for the New Year. Whatever you and I can do -- maybe especially on the down low -- should be what we aspire for the next year. That is my resolution --- not so much on the DL.
Happy New Year to you all and thank you for taking BlogaBarbara into 2008.
Labels: 2007, BlogaBarbara Person(s) of the Year
posted by Sara De la Guerra | 12/30/2007 10:28:00 PM
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3 Comments:
Good Job Sara on the person of the year. It certainly brought out a wide range of topics and people. Happy 2008!
Thank you Sara for all you do. Everyone have a happy New Year. Wishing for more humanity and less killers.
Happy New Year to Fired Reporters! They stand up for us all! Thank you!
the brave firefighters of the Zaca Fire... #1 FOR SURE
#2 Our Soldiers Who Serve. Most of all the dead and sick.
#3 Anonymous good samaritans for hiding their light beneath the bushel baskets with countless charitable acts that serve to "pay it forward."
Are my fav
Both our soldiers and our firefighters are well-paid and choose this profession. They are just doing their jobs. No one is serving on our behalf.
This is their fully informed choice of occupation. And this is not adequate criteria for heroism. Most avoid heavy contact anyway.
Can we get beyond this faux patriotism?
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