CNMI paper implies First Amendment Retaliation

The Marianas Variety suggests, without making a specific accusation, that political retribution is behind the CNMI Department of Public Health pulling its advertising.

That would be troubling, if true -- and illegal. For example, in a quick search for First Amendment Retaliation by governments I found cases from Mississippi and Puerto Rico.

If possible, the newspaper's relations with Gov. Benigno R. Fitial and his administration have become more strained since his re-election, capped by their reporting the governor's controversial massage by a woman who was in federal custody.

I'm hesitant to say more, because the piece is more editorial opening salvo than news story. Tomorrow is another day.

However (heh), I did rummage through some back issues that were squirreled away and DPH doesn't seem to be the only government agency that is migrating away from the Variety and staying with the Saipan Tribune.

Evidently, the Variety learned this Friday, which makes the bare-bones reporting more understandable. Additionally, the paper claims that "Variety reporters covering the executive branch are also not getting replies to their requests for information and comments."

I had wondered why they were getting 'scooped' on stories that are essentially press release journalism.

Advertising ague

There's a Google ad at the bottom of this page, you may have noticed. It would be more trouble than it's worth for me to actually deal with the pittance I could get as a commission, but I leave it there.

Think of it as a canary in my coal mine. Google's algorithms try to parse what's posted here for key words, guess who is reading it, then come up with advertising that will make your mouse finger twitch. Good luck with that: I don't know my next subject until I find it. It is somewhat useful to be reminded that I'm becoming obsessive about a subject, and hey, I don't want to feel like I'm getting free bandwidth from Google.

Non sequitor

Immigration seems to be on my mind these days; at least an immigration ad keeps popping up offering legal advice. Free legal advice. Sam Goldwyn is supposed to have said "A verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on." I haven't been able to trace the similar saw 'Free legal advice is worth what you paid for it', but I tend to agree. Listen, by all means, but don't sell your farm without more information.

Since this is written in the CNMI, you might jump to the conclusion that I'm talking about Howard Willens in the Governor's Office and Deanne Siemer at the Department of Labor. I'm not. Well, I am, but not specifically. I really don't want to jump into that turgid, turbid and torrid river of prose.

More advice is coming as this is written. A plethora of people are discussing DOL's Umbrella Permits at American Memorial Park. I'm confused about them, with a wait-and-see reaction similar to Saipan Writer.

Beautiful ugly pictures

All of that was just a meander in my stream of thought anyway, brought on by advertisements for Chinese chemical companies when I was tracking down these Chinese photographs. Those ads, and others from chemical companies, were very poor product placement by Google. (It always seems to be about China with that company, doesn't it?)

Lu Guang's powerful, disturbing photos brought to mind the cliche "a picture is worth a thousand words" (It's often called a Chinese proverb, but modern usage seems to be derived from an advertising slogan.) I read about parts per million of pollutants and pore over articles about their horrendous pollution, but you can almost smell and taste the chemical stew he portrays.

The subject isn't academic for people in the Mariana Islands. When we get our 'volcanic haze' warnings, it seems like it's usually a burp from Anatahan piggybacking on a noxious air current emigrating from Asia.

It's all about us

Follow the link to the photos (Please!) and you'll get a bonus: self-centered politicopaths, mostly from the U.S., arguing about socialism, communism and capitalism. Silly me, I thought pollution was caused by uncontrolled development, not ideology. They're crying 'poor me' instead of 'those poor people'.

That's another form of pollution.

Bad timing

Sylvester Stallone is set to push Synergy Vodka's "Russian Ice" brand starting September 1.

I can't believe they decided to go ahead with this advertising campaign while Russian troops are still parked in Georgia-- and that "There is a bit of Russian in all of us" slogan has got to go. According to Reuters:

"The advertising campaign concept was based on the fact that the actor has Russian roots," Synergy said in a statement, referring to Stallone's great-grandmother, Rosa Rabinovich, from the Ukrainian town of Odessa.

Umm, the Ukraine is not part of Russia. In fact their President flew into Georgia to express solidarity. They're worried they might be next on the Bear's menu.

The contract's reportedly for a year. Maybe after that Stallone will drag Rambo out of retirement so he can defend Georgia on film.

Editorial cartoons

A picture's worth a thousand words department. Cartoonists tweaking us about Georgia:

Ed Stein

Pat Oliphant

Bill Schorr

No Absoluts

Did you catch this one? It's been all over the internet for a few days. It even ran in the Saipan Tribune.

An Absolut Vodka ad, in Mexico, showed North America as it was in 1848. "In an Absolut world..." The Red State set went bonkers, claiming a liberal conspiracy backing the reconquista at La Raza. Nuts were ponging off of my eyes and ears like hailstones on a tin roof. Fox News of course, a bit subdued and chagrined because Michelle Malkin got there first.

There were calls for boycotts. San Francisco's Skyy Vodka* donned a U.S. flag cape and sycophantically flew into battle.

Absolut caved, of course.

What's the big deal?

In a few minutes I could come up with a hundred places where people think they're on the wrong side of a boundary. Maybe in an Absolut World Saipan, Tinian, Rota and Guam would be the Chamoru Nation. This is advertising, folks. Nobody is trying to rewrite history-- and it doesn't do any good to get defensive when your sordid past is mentioned.

Some Mexicans don't even want the territory. One man said he wanted to go to Los Angeles to earn dollars, not pesos.

Their government hasn't been terrific over the years. It's dominated by those of European descent. Does it even matter to most indios which oligarchy is in charge? Who asked them? Most probably don't want to go back to the good old days anyway, those Aztecs were pretty nasty conquerors.

Malkin alert

Absolut's not done, of course. They've moved on to the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual,transgender) community. You might have to explain this ad to your kids. Or not.

Shot or a mix O'Reilly?


* I'm pretty neutral about Absolut; don't even think about it much. The ads are cute, sometimes, and it's better than Skyy's dishwater.