Waiting for a to-go order to be prepared at Cafe Yumm (my wife and I love this fairly new Salem restaurant), I headed across the parking lot to caffeinate myself at French Press.
Where my 16 ounce non-fat vanilla latte had a marvelously artistic look to it.
I have no idea how baristas do this. Actually, I don't want to know. I like living with the mystery of "Wow!" Whether by chance or design, the guy who made my latte achieved a blossom within a heart within primordial ripples of the big bang.
Or something like that.
Needing some reading matter to go with my drink, from a stand by the front door I picked up two free Salem publications, one alternative and one mainstream.
I enjoy both -- Salem Weekly and the Salem Business Journal. My political and cultural views are much more in line with Salem Weekly, but I like to keep in touch with other viewpoints.
My feeling, as I walked back to Cafe Yumm with both in hand, was more the better.
We're fortunate to have journalistic choices in this town. I wish there were even more, including on the blogging front, where I do my thing.
I also have a regular column in Salem Weekly, Strange Up Salem; give it a Facebook like, if you haven't already. While you're at it, give Salem Weekly some Facebook like love also.
The more viewpoints that we have about what's going on, the better we're able to sort out what is true and false, desirable and undesirable. Not in any sort of Transcendent Objective Reality, which I don't believe exists.
In our own subjective, personal, limited human mind. By opening ourselves to as many divergent perspectives as possible, we increase the chance that we can understand the world in a way that works for us.
This is why I subscribe to both the Salem Statesman Journal and Portland Oregonian, along with having an online subscription to the New York Times. And why I read both Salem Weekly and the Salem Business Journal.
By the way, the Salem Weekly web site has a new look. I like it. Seems cleaner, fresher, and more modern to me. The publisher, A.P. Walther, has told me that eventually the confusing WillametteLive name/URL will be changed to something more Salem Weekly'ish.
I deeply appreciate what A.P. and his small dedicated band of Salem Weekly staffers do for our community.
Recently I sent A.P. a link to a story I saw in Portland's alternative paper, Willamette Week. It was about the "Best Rabble-Rousing Community Newspaperman," Allan Classen, who publishes a monthly publication in northwest Portland, The Northwest Examiner. The two, A.P. and Allan, seem to be quite a bit alike.
Salem needs rabble-rousers. Of the non-violent type, naturally. If they make us angry about stuff that needs changing and excited about future possibilities, great!
rab·ble–rous·er
noun \ˈra-bəl-ˌrau̇-zər\
: a person who makes a group of people angry, excited, or violent (such as by giving speeches) especially in order to achieve a political or social goal
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