Tuesday, January 08, 2008

Transmuting Carbon to Cool

Ever since the writers' strike, it's been difficult for me to come up with things to write and say. Must be subconscious solidarity with the Writers Guild which wants a fairer share of DVD residuals. Even my quips to the bank tellers at Schnuck's have lost their currency.

Nevertheless, my meeting with the Mayor went well. We always have a laugh or two, as I quiz him on 'what's up'. . . . Not much, it seems, except for hiring a new City Manager; hopefully one who's a little more creative than our current one; someone a little more Doc Severinsen than Tommy Newsom, if you know what I mean.

After City Hall, I visited the Chamber of Commerce office across the street to get the latest business news from the Executive Director (annual banquet is coming up -- same night as the Kid Rock concert in Evansville, unfortunately).

Carbondale is lucky to have two dynamic young leaders like Brad Cole and Meredith Rhoads. But what is the duo doing? For one thing they are collaborating on a project that will do more good for Carbondale than a barrel full of Stephen Colberts. They just don't know what it is yet.

Speaking of the writers strike, Stephen Colbert is getting the job done without writers. The critics say his return to the Colbert Report was a "knock out."

Coincidentally, the first page of "Colbert" in Google Images came up the photoshop I did of Stephen and Brad Cole meeting!

Perhaps that could be the big project Cole and Rhoads collaborate on: Renaming the City of Carbondale to something cooler . . . another "C" word, so the initials SIUC would still be valid. Such an effort would put C'dale on the map in a positive and fun way.

A survey, petition and contest would be in order, but not necessarily in that order.

Meredith can whip up a survey; while I drum up a petition; and Brad can contest the findings.

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