First in a Series: Extraordinary Ordinary People

That's Keith, speaking his mind at a political rally.

I have been writing this blog since 2007. Since none of my friends or family members do the same, sometimes I read my old posts when I want a laugh or just feel like taking a stroll down memory lane. This morning I chanced upon one from March of 2011 about the mercurial nature of the news. The best thing about it came in the form of a comment from my husband's nephew, Keith Rouda, a giant of a man in many ways, not the least of which is his writing ability. Here's his description of the state of the media today, and we would all agree it has only gotten worse since then:

"We live a life of the 24-hour cable cycle: the fast paced, premium ad rates, breaking news flash, "HOLY SHIT THERE'S A CAR CHASE IN BFE HAPPENING RIGHT THE HELL NOW," controversy sells, Wolfe Blitzerized, hyper-fragmented, dis-intermediated and re-intermediated, mass-customized, news is a profit center now, post-apocalyptic (not really but it seems like it should be in this sentence), convergence happened, 140-character mobile alerted, pull your goddamn car over so I can fire you in time for the lede..."

Few people could say it better. A political animal with a profound understanding of what's going on in that arena, Keith has honed his skills over many years, working on campaigns at the grass-roots level and higher. I wish he would either write a blog or run for president.