The Daily Briefing

GET LOST, SoLongDeLong.COM

Dave WielengaMon. December 03
 

For a few days there I couldn’t get the theme song of the www.SoLongDeLong.com web site — a pitch-perfect cover of the Beach Boys with lyrics that lay out the transgressions of Third District Councilmember Gary DeLong — out of my head. It was kinda crazymaking, albeit in the best possible way.

The joke has worn off, however, and not only because I’ve heard it so many times.

Believe me, I’m capable of laughing at the same shit, over and over, for nearly forever. Some people find that crazymaking, too. But the www.SoLongDeLong.com website has ceased to be funny, anymore, because it is becoming less and less a piece of brilliant political satire and more and more a blindside cheapshot.

Rather than a call to recall DeLong for his consistently pro-development and anti-environmental positions since taking office in mid 2006, it’s just a catchy song–good for a laugh, but so far, nothing more. The people behind the web site haven’t revealed themselves, and in fact are going to pretty extreme lengths to protect their identities.

This suggests that these self-styled Internet guerillas may be nothing more than clever wussies, undermining the legitmate complaints that constituents — brave constituents, willing to go on the record — may have against DeLong. Plus, it gives the Press-Telegram a very solid basis to not only editorialize against the website, but to make a case for DeLong’s policies.

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  • Kotya
    Dave: You (and the PT) are letting curiosity get the best of you. Are you publicizing this site hoping someone else will crack the code? As a good investigative reporter, this must be getting frustrating but you (and the PT) are both starting to sound a little paranoid. Let it go already. The wussies aren't cheapening the legitimate complaints by constituents....you are by promoting this site.
  • Dave Wielenga
    The SoLongDeLong website, like any political position, is only as strong as the willingness of people to stand behind it. There are many people concerned about, among other things, the way Mr. DeLong undertook his most-forceful effort for change--the secret and exclusive meetings of the SEADIP committee. And they have spoken out. But if they are lumped together with people who don't have the guts to identify themself, it hurts their cause. I guess it's similar to the fact that I sign my full name to all of my stories and e-mail posts, and wussies don't ... Kotya.
  • Are you calling Spider-Man a wussie? Batman?
    You’re beginning to sound a little paranoid ala J. Jonah Jameson, Dave.
  • Dave Wielenga
    Not sure I get your point. Mine was simply that effecting change usually requires that activists identify themselves, their goals and their proposals for reaching those goals. Effective journalism -- and social criticism -- typically requires that the writers sign their real names, too. How that makes me Batman, you'll have to explain. Likewise with how that makes me paranoid. It would mean more to me if you did your explaining under your real name, but obviously you're free to keep blogging anonymously on ... and on ... and on.
  • i'm wondering if you consider batman to be a wuss--not calling you batman.
    i was lightheartedly calling you JJJ ("Why's does Spiderman wear a mask if he's not a criminal? What's he got to hide?")
    my jokes seem to fail spectacularly around here.
    i don't think i'm very funny.
  • Kotya
    If you really, really need to know, you have my name, as you require an email address to post. But I needn't post it on this one because this has nothing to do with what brave (and self-identified) people are doing on SEADIP, etc. My post deals with your overly generous advertisements for a website you don't find legitimate. Strange logic. The guerillas must be quite pleased, and in a strange turn of primate instinct, its us wusses who are scratching our heads.
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