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Well, I did promise Darren Tromblay I'd do something for him, ....on we go, eh?
I have to admit, I was rather waiting for the perfect issue. Something I could really go on about. See, I've always loved CityView...its quirky views, wordy writers and, of course, everyone's favorites...the RapSheet, Crimestoppers, the Des Moines Blotter...News of the Weird, etc. Oh, and I kinda like the option to try and think up something funny for the caption of a weekly picture. I did recently notice the absence of the usual fare of criminal faces to match up with their crimes. Also obviously missing was probably the most entertaining thing in CityView, The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly. I suppose that could have either had something to do with a suggestion by Mr. Darren Tromblay, CityView's newest editor...or maybe they managed to pick on the wrong criminal; one that had a slew of cash behind him looking to pounce on the first person to take his story public, to put his/her business out there for the world to see and laugh at...and CV just happened to be the lucky recipient of that vengeance opportunity. I guess we'll see, eh?
Every once in a while, there might even be something slightly interesting to read...story wise, and/or a good opinion or two. Granted, there's usually more than one, in most cases. I most certainly prefer it nine times out of ten concerning the DM Register, and 12 times out of ten, when it comes to Juice. Juice to me is a barely past pubescent rag that sports rock shows and pub appearances more than it does usable content, and, in this writer's opinion, barely holds a candle to CivyView. Now that my opine is starting to fall off for CV as well, I'm starting to scout around for newer options...hell, I even gave a thought towards starting my own underground rag to compete and put up at HyVee locations as well, just so they'd have another choice for the mix..
The perfect issue has by no means come along, like I previously stated, but this may be the closest I'm gonna get this year. We'll be, of course, covering the most recent issue this time, July 24-30, Year of our Lord 2014.
Let's start with the fact that a lot of what used to be radical and different is starting to look a lot like more popular offerings. What used to be more trendy and interesting is becoming a lot more blase. What used to be something is becoming more run-of-the-mill with every issue. This is pretty much the danger of anything underground, alternative or unique; as it becomes more the thing to look for in the stands, the more the consumer of such products gets catered to, and the less interesting it tends to be.
One of the things I pride myself on is that my blog, "Americas Deadly Sins" (http://themightyswordamericas26deadlysins.blogspot.com) is not advertised on, nor is traffic diverted or driven there. Every reader is real, and every follower gained from sweat and content; they came...they saw...they followed. I simply post it on Twitter as a tweet, share it on my google+ page, and post it on Facebook. No one is bothered to read it, no one is made to indulge in its obvious disparity, and no one is required to comment. It's only OUT THERE...whether you choose to go there, or read it, is entirely up to you.
I once approached CityView to become a possible contributor. Open Source? Came to me to contribute to them...though I haven't had much time of late to do so. I don't know if it's my writing style, my propensity to make it personal...or my occasional swear words...who would know. Maybe I use too many triple dots, who can say? Maybe my content is too controversial. Maybe I'm just too out there for most. All I know is, I'm evidently too much, or maybe they just aren't ready for someone who opens their mouth and says it like it is.
I would have toned it down. Heck, I even asked the editor for some help in improving my style...he said he'd be happy to at a little later time..ok, I understand, quite possibly you're under the gun...or whatever the case. He managed to ignore my requests entirely, after a time, and yah, I'm a bit miffed....which is probably why I decided to write about them.
So what happened to my ripping them a new orifice? Oh yeah...all righty then, let's get to it.
Help me Obi-Wan? Surely with a new editor and smart employees, one of which was more than likely hired because he thought of more than one caption for the weekly funny pictures they feature. So why the great picture...with a lame 34 yr. old caption? Movin' right along...
Snake Oil? (I didn't read it because it said that by the way...I just read it because I'm going in order trying to find things to rag about the rag...lol). The Jody Ernst thing...that shoulda been the snake oil here. I would have been less likely to read that story.
I cannot STAND the "Paid for by the taxpayers in..." portion of this paper. Who cares? We all know the city, county, state and federal governments rip us off on a daily basis, why do we need this rubbed in our faces weekly??
Oh, and I bet they were truly proud to have landed Duffy in their paper...but be careful Darren...there's an awful lot of people out there that believe in the "Send 'em packin" policy that spits in the face of a very unpopular President right now...running Duffy's latest offering makes Terry look bad, granted...and no one despises the Mustache as much as I do, believe it. I was sick of him the first time around within months of his taking office. But I believe, like most Americans, that the Mustache's policy here is well-founded. Good luck recovering from this cartoon.
Last but certainly not least, with the exception of Tech Talk, a much needed section of any publication these days, the reviews (not that great) of movies, books, etc. are pretty cliche, as are the obvious attempts to print bar pics in an effort to be more Juice-like. You're becoming way too yawn-inducing, for sure, and I think bringing you down a few pegs shouldn't take long, with the arrival of, perhaps, a more progressive paper; edited and produced by a more forward thinking in-charge type.
Sure, I still prefer them over most of the rest of the garbage in Des Moines, news or other, but I think it's time we had something that was just a bit more "alternative"...and means it. I wont be guaranteeing anything just yet as far as a timeline for production, but let it be known that a more interesting paper for Des Moines is on it's way.
