Comments on: Come on, Rockford. Be positive http://blogs.e-rockford.com/180degrees/2008/04/28/come-on-rockford-be-positive/ Want an inside look at a yearlong project by journalists at the newspaper and the Web site to help Rockford solve serious problems and turn around? We’re focusing on five areas that are key to our way of life in the Rock River Valley: Crime, education, the local economy, state and local government and our culture/sense of place. Would you like to help us in this campaign to bring about change? Give us your ideas and insights and help guide us to better solutions for Rockford. You can join the conversation here. Mon, 13 Oct 2008 22:34:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=wordpress-mu-1.2.4 By: Anna Voelker http://blogs.e-rockford.com/180degrees/2008/04/28/come-on-rockford-be-positive/#comment-29 Anna Voelker Wed, 07 May 2008 13:49:38 +0000 http://blogs.e-rockford.com/180degrees/2008/04/28/come-on-rockford-be-positive/#comment-29 Cathy, Fair analogy. We do have to deal with the worms. Hope you'll help. Anna Cathy,

Fair analogy. We do have to deal with the worms. Hope you’ll help.

Anna

]]> By: Cathy Johnson http://blogs.e-rockford.com/180degrees/2008/04/28/come-on-rockford-be-positive/#comment-28 Cathy Johnson Wed, 07 May 2008 13:43:58 +0000 http://blogs.e-rockford.com/180degrees/2008/04/28/come-on-rockford-be-positive/#comment-28 Okay, now that we're channeling Matt Groening (creator of The Simpsons), I'm reminded of a little three panel cartoon he did in his early years when he was using two rabbits - a boy and a girl - to deliver his pearls of wisom and humor. In the first panel there is a glass on a table with a water line about half-way up. In the second, the boy rabbit says "i'm a pessimist - I see the glass as half empty".. In the next panel the girl rabbit says "I'm an optimist -- I see the glass as half-full." The third panel shows a close-up of the glass and the girl rabbit says "Too bad there's a little worm in it", as a little squirmy thing becomes apparent in the bottom of the glass. I loved that cartoon, and to me it says so much: yes, it' may be better to be optimnistic and see the glass as half-full, but sometimes there is, in fact, a little worm in it. Got to deal with those little worms before you can enjoy the water. Okay, now that we’re channeling Matt Groening (creator of The Simpsons), I’m reminded of a little three panel cartoon he did in his early years when he was using two rabbits - a boy and a girl - to deliver his pearls of wisom and humor. In the first panel there is a glass on a table with a water line about half-way up. In the second, the boy rabbit says “i’m a pessimist - I see the glass as half empty”.. In the next panel the girl rabbit says “I’m an optimist — I see the glass as half-full.” The third panel shows a close-up of the glass and the girl rabbit says “Too bad there’s a little worm in it”, as a little squirmy thing becomes apparent in the bottom of the glass. I loved that cartoon, and to me it says so much: yes, it’ may be better to be optimnistic and see the glass as half-full, but sometimes there is, in fact, a little worm in it. Got to deal with those little worms before you can enjoy the water.

]]> By: thedudeabides http://blogs.e-rockford.com/180degrees/2008/04/28/come-on-rockford-be-positive/#comment-13 thedudeabides Wed, 30 Apr 2008 20:58:36 +0000 http://blogs.e-rockford.com/180degrees/2008/04/28/come-on-rockford-be-positive/#comment-13 Another prescient quote from the Monorail episode: Marge: I still thing we should have used the money to fix Main Street. Homer: Well, you should have written a song like that guy. Another prescient quote from the Monorail episode:

Marge: I still thing we should have used the money to fix Main Street.
Homer: Well, you should have written a song like that guy.

]]> By: Linda Grist Cunningham http://blogs.e-rockford.com/180degrees/2008/04/28/come-on-rockford-be-positive/#comment-11 Linda Grist Cunningham Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:15:07 +0000 http://blogs.e-rockford.com/180degrees/2008/04/28/come-on-rockford-be-positive/#comment-11 My approach to my work and family world has always been "glass half full." Tell me no, and it's just a delightful challenge for me to figure out how to do it anyway. But, I gotta say that all the positive attitude in the world isn't going to "fix" anything. Getting the work done, sleeves up, nose to the proverbial grindstone: That's what will keep us on the best path. We can't get the doing done if we hate ourselves, our town and our neighbors, and we sure can't do the doing if we are so depressed we are paralyzed. Gotta do the work; gotta have the heart. My approach to my work and family world has always been “glass half full.” Tell me no, and it’s just a delightful challenge for me to figure out how to do it anyway. But, I gotta say that all the positive attitude in the world isn’t going to “fix” anything. Getting the work done, sleeves up, nose to the proverbial grindstone: That’s what will keep us on the best path. We can’t get the doing done if we hate ourselves, our town and our neighbors, and we sure can’t do the doing if we are so depressed we are paralyzed. Gotta do the work; gotta have the heart.

]]> By: Will Pfeifer http://blogs.e-rockford.com/180degrees/2008/04/28/come-on-rockford-be-positive/#comment-9 Will Pfeifer Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:46:23 +0000 http://blogs.e-rockford.com/180degrees/2008/04/28/come-on-rockford-be-positive/#comment-9 Dude -- I wonder if they signed that pledge in Ogdenville, Brockway and North Haverbrook, too? Dude — I wonder if they signed that pledge in Ogdenville, Brockway and North Haverbrook, too?

]]> By: thedudeabides http://blogs.e-rockford.com/180degrees/2008/04/28/come-on-rockford-be-positive/#comment-7 thedudeabides Mon, 28 Apr 2008 23:38:39 +0000 http://blogs.e-rockford.com/180degrees/2008/04/28/come-on-rockford-be-positive/#comment-7 $50,000 sure was a lot of money to pay someone for a <a href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=29703286120" rel="nofollow"> very basic online pledge</a>, especially when after signing it, you're just kicked out to a Next Generation press release. Where's all the people who signed? I'm very positive about my hometown when I talk to people from out-of-state. That being said, I don't feel that a positive attitude is going to bring to Rockford the infrastructure, jobs, or businesses needed to attract young workers. The whole thing reminds me of the Simpsons episode about the Monorail, except in the Rockford version, everyone's chanting, "Positive... positive... positive...." $50,000 sure was a lot of money to pay someone for a very basic online pledge, especially when after signing it, you’re just kicked out to a Next Generation press release. Where’s all the people who signed?

I’m very positive about my hometown when I talk to people from out-of-state. That being said, I don’t feel that a positive attitude is going to bring to Rockford the infrastructure, jobs, or businesses needed to attract young workers.

The whole thing reminds me of the Simpsons episode about the Monorail, except in the Rockford version, everyone’s chanting, “Positive… positive… positive….”

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