Five reasons Cyber Monday should replace Black Friday

by Cody Kitaura

Someone should tell all those people who on Friday wrapped themselves in fleece and shivered outside Best Buy about this thing called the Internet. It’s pretty fantastic, really. Not only does it make waiting in line outside a brick-and-mortar store before opening a thing of the past, it can even compete with the wild deals offered as part of Black Friday.

Today is Cyber Monday, the Internet’s answer to the wild sales offered as part of Black Friday. There are deep discounts, free shipping and plenty of big, bright ads. It was coined in 2005 when the National Retail Federation noticed a spike in traffic the Monday after Black Friday. Now its influence is growing; with any luck, it might some day even replace Black Friday. Here are a few ways we'd all benefit from such a switch.

1. Give power to the people

One of the main reasons Black Friday is so frantic is obvious. By scheduling the best sales to only last for a few hours, retailers trick shoppers into a frantic race to buy before someone else does. They tightly control the supply of discounted items, and whip shoppers into a frenzied mob obsessed with saving a few bucks.

It’s much harder to create a rabid mob of shoppers when they can’t see each other, so shoppers on Cyber Monday are much more likely to stay level-headed when hunting for deals. Without the added pressure that another shopping might beat you to the HDTV section, it’s much easier to stay calm and do some research before buying.

But online retailers are fighting to find a way to drum up some Cyber Monday chaos – eBay is running a series of “holiday doorbusters,” secret "Buy it Now" items like a Nintendo Wii or a new Corvette listed occasionally on the site for only $1. This is a clever attempt to carry over some of the frantic emotion from Black Friday, but someone should tell eBay two things:

1. A website has no door.

2. The $1 items are apparently being snatched up seconds after they are listed by scripted “bots” programmed to hunt the site faster than any human possibly could. Where’s the fun in that?

2. Stay safe

It’s a sad reflection of our society when a guide to shopping has to include an entry on personal safety, but facing off against the wild, deal-crazed mob created by Black Friday can be legitimately dangerous. There have been at least two instances of Black Friday tragedy this year:

In Long Island, N.Y., a temporary Wal-Mart employee was trampled to death as a flood of shoppers broke through the store’s front doors just minutes before its 5 a.m. opening. The family of Jdimytai Damour will have to spend the holidays without the 34-year-old fan of movies, Anime and politics. Hopefully the hundreds of people who “had to step over or around him or unfortunately on him to get into the Wal-Mart store” will enjoy the fruits of their shopping trip.

A Southern California Toys R Us was the scene of another Black Friday tragedy, as two men shot each other to death in the middle of the store’s crowded aisles about 11:30 a.m. Toys R Us officials were quick to try to dissociate the incident from Black Friday.

“Our understanding is that this act seems to have been the result of a personal dispute between the individuals involved,” the company said in a statement. “Therefore, it would be inaccurate to associate the events of today with Black Friday.”

Frenzied mob or not, the average shopper does not bring a loaded weapon to Toys R Us. But it’s still too early to know for sure whether this dispute was related to past tension or a fight over a toy.

3. Sleep in

Some people look better in their pajamas than others. It’s as simple as that. And even if you are a “morning person,” odds are you aren’t a “get frostbite in line at Best Buy person.”

4. Take your time

Miss today's deals? Don't worry, there's always next week's Cyber Monday. Although today's is the most prominent, each Monday between Thanksgiving and Christmas is considered a Cyber Monday. A few years ago, retailers noticed a spike in online shopping on each of these Mondays, and decided to capitalize on it with sales and promotions.

5. Don’t end up on YouTube

There’s just something about Wal-Mart that attracts the strangest group of shoppers, so it’s no surprise that the added mob mentality of Black Friday affects them more so than the clientele of other stores. It’s not like viewers of this video will commend the shoppers piling on each other for the last Xbox 360 for their shopping prowess. A more likely reaction is pity for and disappointment in our society.



[note] Want to find Cyber Monday deals? Deal aggregators abound, including the sites listed in this article, dealhack.com, as well as tech blogs like Gizmodo and Engadget.

What Marcos Breton missed: The tech tips you'll need to get a job as a journalist

by Cody Kitaura

Marcos Bretón means well, but he probably isn't the best person to ask for job-hunting help. The Sacramento Bee columnist spoke to our column writing class last week, and answered many questions from the hungry and apprehensive journalism majors the same way: with stories from his tooth-and-nail climb up the newsroom hierarchy and his “bullish” view on newspapers.

He had a lot of good stories, but he didn't seem to have much in the way of job-hunting tips. He clearly understands that journalism is changing, but his advice was more philosophical than concrete.

As many journalism students near graduation, they may face a more uncertain future than ever before. But there are a few things they can do to better prepare themselves for jobs in the real world:

1. Don't fear the reaper

Nothing is certain in the future of news. The Christian Science Monitor's 90-year history didn't guarantee its safety, and in April the newspaper will cease daily printing and focus on its website and a new weekend edition. Its editor called it “a leap that most newspapers will have to make in the next five years.”

The theme here is not the death of newspapers. It is the evolution of newspapers into new forms – many of which probably have not yet been developed. It's important for journalists to be flexible and to not be afraid of change.

2. Video, video, video

When readers hear about an event that has a great visual aspect (a protest, a fire, exotic locales, etc), they expect to see video. It might end up being part of the average journalist's job to carry a video camera and, when necessary, abandon a traditional story in favor of a video.

In order to be competitive in today's job market, it's more important than ever for journalists to become jacks-of-all-trade – and that includes video. Learning the basics of video doesn't take much specific training, but it does take time and practice.

One of the most important things for journalists to remember is that video is just another tool. A video won't add to every kind of story, so it's just as important to develop a sense for when to shoot video (example: A video of an elevator's grand opening = boring. A video of a skateboarder = visually interesting.).

3. Learn the tools, but don't focus on them

News organizations around the country are scrambling to form accounts with the micro-blogging service Twitter – a website many organizations use to post links and connect with readers. In the process, it's easy to get so caught up in the excitement of learning about shiny new web tools that you forget what you're going to use them for. Jeremiah Owyang, a web analyst, has a perfect analogy:

“Instead of honing in on the specific technology, you should approach developing your web strategy as you would building a house. Focus on who you’re inviting to come over to your property (websites) and what is it that they want (needs). Start there.”

The moral here is that new tools like Twitter, Facebook, blogs and RSS feeds are useful, but they are the means, not the end. Journalists should familiarize themselves with these tools, but focus more on how they can be used (NYU's Jay Rosen agrees).

4. Pay attention in journalism school

None of this matters if a journalist can't piece together a decent sentence. A tech-savvy journalist with no writing skills won't be much better off than a great writer with a 19th-century tech sensibility.

Out in the real world, journalists will be competing with crowds of bloggers and citizen journalists. Journalism school teaches a vital skill many of them lack – the ability to analyze.

As multitudes of smaller outlets compete for readers, it's possible that the role of newspapers will change to focus on more long-term, team-based stories that probe deeply into government policies or environmental issues.

In order to stand out, it's important for journalists to have a strong foundation in these skills.



These are just a few basic tips to help prepare journalists for the real world, but the most important thing to remember is that no one has all the answers. No one can predict what news organizations will look like in five or 10 years – but that doesn't mean we can't all be a little more prepared for that future.

[photo courtesy Flickr user from a second story.]

[disclaimer: I am not in the business of hiring journalists. These are just my personal opinions on what employers will probably be looking for in the near future. I don't have all the answers. If I did, I'd write a book and get rich.]

Review: Servers hop frantically at Hoppy Brewing Co.

by Cody Kitaura

The Hoppy Brewing Co. in Sacramento faces a dilemma any microbrewery must face: Is it a bar, or is it a restaurant? The excellent food and bright interior suggest a restaurant, but the sports pages posted in the restroom and the tragically slow service scream crowded pub.

And that's exactly what the Hoppy Brewing Co. became on Tuesday night. The multitude of TV screens were tuned to election coverage, and the hordes of people in the main eating area let out a cheer every time a state turned their color.

Considering the crowd amassed in the dining area, our wait was relatively short – although one prudent member of our party had actually been on time (and had hence been waiting for the rest of us for a while).

Once we became the waiter's responsibility, we received considerably less attention – perhaps with good cause. Every time an employee wanted to reach one of the inner tables, he or she seemed to have to squeeze sideways and carefully maneuver between one packed table after another. They moved with purpose, and barely seemed to break stride when stopping to fill up waters or remove salad plates.

Browsing the menu, vegetarians or vegans used to having only one or two entrees to choose from will fare a little better here. There's a multitude of seafood options, and anyone with a more strict diet will have about one item from each category to choose from, including the impossibly hard-to-pronounce Capellini Pomodoro ($8.75; $2 more with chicken, $3 more with prawns or crab) – a mouthfull of Italian that seems out of place in a brewpub with a giant, yellow smiley face for a logo.

It came with the standard option of a soup or salad. The raucous crowd made it hard to hear the long list of soups our waiter quickly spat out, so I chose the first one that I could repeat: baked potato. It seemed like a good idea until, a few bites in, a thick slab of bacon floated to the creamy surface (it was my fault for not asking, but the waiter didn't seem to have time for questions).

“Maybe you can get them to give you something else,” a friend suggested. A couple moments later, the nearly full bowl had been whisked away without as much as a passing glance from the busboy.

Eventually, the main courses arrived and it was a moot point. The capellini noodles sat low in a bowl so large it made the portion look diminutive. Steam rose from the bowl of thin noodles, fresh tomatoes and a thin pool of white wine sauce.

The entire mixture of basil, garlic and tomatoes was tangy and bright, but also very light. After a few eager minutes with it, the portion seemed more generous than it did at first. The smooth taste, however, made the pasta disappear relatively quickly.

It might seem sacrilegious to visit a microbrewery and have just water to drink, but a beer didn't seem like a good pairing with a cold and a sore throat – even if they were free to people who voted. This decision too, almost seemed moot, considering the amount of time my glass spent empty.

But maybe it wasn't the waiter's fault. It seemed like he had control over almost half the dining area, which was packed. If it had been split between more waiters, perhaps it wouldn't have taken what seemed like an eternity to receive our separate bills (but then again, perhaps a long delay is to be expected with seven separate checks).

Still, the rushed demeanor of the employees left almost as much of an impression as the garlic, which lingered for hours after our visit.


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Columnist Clive Thompson connects tech world and "meatspace"

by Cody Kitaura

Every once and a while, it's important for geeks and the tech-obsessed to step away from the glow of their laptop screens and out into “meatspace.”

But first, they should let tech writer and columnist Clive Thompson make sense of what they'll find there.

Thompson is a freelance columnist for Wired magazine, and specializes in writing about the ways science and technology influence our culture – and vice versa.

Sometimes the hardest connections to draw with technology are the ways it interacts with the outside world, and this is where Thompson excels. He's written extensive pieces on the topic, like this lengthy article for New York Times Magazine explaining the way social networking and Twitter influence the relationships between people in real life.

He also appears regularly in Wired magazine, writing columns with provocative titles like “Games Give Free Rein to the Douchebag Within” – a piece in which he discusses what the in-game decisions video gamers make might say about their real-world personas.

He writes about obscure topics at times, but somehow always make a strong connection to the real world, like his piece about how playing Halo 3 online helped him realize why suicide bombing makes sense for some.

His tech commentaries are always entertaining and thought-provoking, but are much more than some computer geek's caffeine-fueled rants. Sometimes Thompson's opinion isn't even obvious in the story until halfway through, because he piles in so many facts, outside quotes and research. Doing this only helps to increase his credibility, and makes it incredibly hard to argue against any of the points he makes.

In addition to appearing in Wired, New York Times Magazine and several other tech and science publications, Thompson has been posting to his blog, Collision Detection, since 2002. He is a strong advocate of blogging and has said it helps him to keep ideas flowing in his mind – a vital process for a freelance writer.

“But more often it's inspiration and keeping my intellectual wheels greased so that I'm able to continually think of new ideas,” he told MIT's Martha Henry. “It probably makes my writing faster and looser because I'm accustomed to regularly sitting down in the evening and blogging 2000 words on four different topics.”

Although Thompson is quick to extol the ways blogging has helped his writing abilities, his blog also has an ulterior motive: making him more popular on the web.

“I wanted to establish myself as easy to find on Google,” he explained. “So I started the blog because when you're a freelancer, you don't belong to an organization. It's very hard to find you. So I needed to establish an unshakable presence.”

Thompson's blog topics are varied and somewhat scatter-brained, but he doesn't simply throw together links and accompanying posts of a couple dozen words. He said his blog started as a place for short posts like those, but in time evolved into only posting when he had “something interesting to say about it.”

“I blogged less frequently and I blogged longer little essays, things that were at least 500 words and sometimes up to 1000 words,” he told Henry. “Every posting became like a mini essay. And that's the way I still write today.”

His blog is currently the No. 1 Google result in searches for “Clive Thompson,” and it ranks in the top 20 results for “Clive.”

The more a reader is exposed to Thompson, the more obvious his extensive understanding of tech and the way it influences society becomes. He's able to see more than the obvious uses and effects of technology (a June column wonders if a video game not clearing the corpses of defeated foes affects the moral impacts on gamers), and explain them clearly to readers.

Plus, he's confident enough in his masculinity to have a cute, fluffy AOL Instant Messenger screen name: pomeranian99. Maybe next time he's online, I'll ask him about it.

[photo courtesy flickr user cambodia4kidsorg]
[video courtesy Beth Kanter]

The presidential debates are a chance to drink - that's about it

by Cody Kitaura

Viewers of tonight's second presidential debate might have tuned in expecting the town hall format to provide intimate responses to the questions of everyday citizens. Maybe Senators John McCain and Barack Obama would have shed their thick political facades and answered from the heart instead of dolling out the same talking points their campaigns have fed the media for what seems like an eternity now.

But those viewers would have been wrong. The "town hall" format was as tightly controlled as any other debate, with "average citizens" stumbling over carefully prepared questions and moderator Tom Brokaw trying in vain to hold McCain and Obama to the agreed time limits for responses.

And if realism was what the hosts of tonight’s debate were searching for, they should’ve picked a real town hall to host it in, not a soundstage that looked like a freshly painted ride at Disneyland. The bright blue railings and starkly contrasting red carpet didn’t lend any authenticity to the format.

And once the two candidates fielded the questions, which were almost certainly screened with intense stringency, they often avoided giving a specific answer in favor of citing the same talking points anyone half-following the election has already heard a thousand times.

The Bush administration squandered our budget surpluses.

My opponent has never opposed his party on a single issue.

I’ll use a scalpel, not a hatchet, to fix the budget.

Sigh. Haven’t we heard all of this before? Are the candidates even listening to the questions being asked? Doesn’t that red light mean it’s time to stop talking?

But don’t despair. America is about freedom and ingenuity. The freedom and ingenuity to use insincere debates like tonight’s excuse for a “town hall” meeting for the only thing that really makes sense anymore: drinking.

Clearly, the only original thing that can possibly come out of tonight’s debate is a debate-themed drinking game.

Every time one of the candidates falls back into one of their stereotypical stump speeches, the participants of this game will drink.

Here are some of the most commonly used phrases from tonight’s debate – perfect triggers for alcohol consumption:

“My friends” – McCain’s signature tagline, these two words seemed to pop up at the end of almost every “answer” he gave. Drink up.
The “scalpel” – this metaphor for precise analysis of the country’s budget appears, without fail, in almost every mention Obama makes of our financial woes. Bottoms up.

McCain’s military record – as if we really need another reminder of the years and years McCain spent serving our country, these experiences appears in far too many of McCain’s illustrations and responses. We get it already. Have a sip.

Obama’s mother – sincerely or not, the compelling story of Obama’s mother and her struggle to raise a family alone appears at least once in every appearance. Chug.

Brokaw (or whoever is moderating) reminding the candidates of the strict time limits – not that they’ll listen, anyway. Down the hatch.

These are just a few of the broken-record-style responses the candidates dolled out in large doses at tonight’s debate. Even the most casual observer would likely find many, many more examples. So get creative. Don’t get discouraged if there’s nothing new or informative in the debates – just do what America does best: turn it into a party.

The third presidential debate is Oct. 15 – that should leave plenty of time to stock your liquor cabinets.

"Attack of the Show!" proves cool people can love technology, too

by Cody Kitaura

Kevin Pereira and Olivia Munn are the kind of geeks that don't really exist in real life – attractive, stylish, funny and witty. They're the kind of make-believe geeks that cable TV networks cast to host tech variety shows like G4's “Attack of the Show!” in an attempt to trick viewers into thinking that geeks can be cool and stylish, too.

There's only one problem: Pereira and Munn actually are cool. Despite the fact they anchor the extremely niche talk show aimed at gadget-and-tech-obsessed 20-somethings, they seem to be more focused on hip gadgets and social networking than motherboards and graphing calculators.

“Attack of the Show!” covers a wide variety of topics: gadget reviews, movie sneak peaks and interviews, tech-industry news, viral videos and sex and relationship advice. The hosts banter back and forth sharply between the show's many segments, nipping at each other with quick wit and practical jokes.

But you wouldn't know this if you watched it online. It seems logical that G4, the only U.S. network focused mainly on technology and video gaming, would at least follow the example of major networks like NBC and stream episodes of its programs online. But “Attack of the Show!” follows a different model: Each individual segment of the show can be streamed online, but it's all but impossible to find full episodes of the show anywhere around the Net. Each episode is trimmed down, eliminating the loveable banter and segues between segments – unless it contains something that could turn into a viral success, like Munn's best rendition of “The Goonies' ” truffle shuffle.

Watching episodes of the show in truncated sections like this has its ups and downs. The segments are grouped by date on the show's blog, and while it does allow the viewer to pick only the sections of the show that seem interesting, it makes “Attack of the Show!” feel more like a half-dozen or so mini-shows than one continuous program.

Once one segment is done playing online, the site's video player will recommend a similar clip, á la YouTube's “related videos” pane. This is great if you want to sit and watch a whole month's worth of gadget reviews or comic releases, but it makes it far too easy to get lost in old clips and forget which episode you started on.

But perhaps this is how “Attack of the Show!” is meant to be watched. The producers of the show clearly pay attention to Internet trends (a regular feature on the show is “Around the Net,” which focuses on the most popular viral videos of the day), so maybe “Attack of the Show!” is meant to be seen as several short clips rather than the 60-minute episode that is pumped into living rooms.

And the Web seems to offer a more genuine look into the hosts' personalities than do the full episodes. Bounce around the “Attack of the Show!” website enough and it's easy to land on Munn and Pereira's personal sites.

The two are intensely open with their Web presences: each has a frequently updated blog and links to many of their other accounts. Watching the two make quips at each other on-air is one way of getting to know their personalities, but it's completely different to watch a drunken Munn answer questions posed by readers of her blog, or to see photos on Pereira's Flickr account of the game of Doom he played on a recent Virgin America flight.

Munn and Pereira's extensive Web presence helps lend credibility to their hosting roles on “Attack of the Show!” Because really, who would trust someone to host a tech variety show if he or she didn't have a Twitter account? (Munn on Twitter) (Pereira on Twitter)

The show can sometimes venture too deeply into serious-geek territory, with extensive coverage of comic book conventions and nitpicking critiques of the extra features included on DVD releases. But the show never forgets its target audience, taking every possible opportunity to shamelessly exploit Munn's sexuality: A recent skit on the show had her moaning in ecstasy any time she exerted any physical effort, and a regular segment on the show is “In Your Pants” – intimate sex advice with Munn and visiting relationship columnist Anna David (who just happens to be gorgeous).

No matter where you watch it, “Attack of the Show!” is easily the best tech-flavored show on any network. But if you aren't in the mood for some extra reading and don't want to hunt for the best segments, stick to your living room.

The wine or the watercolors: Art walk should be about the art

by Cody Kitaura

This was supposed to be the time when I avoided the booze. This time was supposed to be different. Yet there I was, struggling to explain to the slurred voice on the phone that I would catch up with them a little later.

Why aren't you here yet?
We're waiting for you.
We already passed that exhibit; why are you still there?
Where are you?
We've been waiting forever.

It was no use. I sighed as I hung up my phone and headed reluctantly toward a group of friends likely intent once again on skipping over the art of Sacramento's Second Saturday Art Walk and heading straight for the booze.

This is how it ends up almost every time: A group of friends fall in line with the crowds filing through a few art galleries, then hurry to the real destination: liquor.

This week was supposed to be different. I had come alone and wandered Midtown with a video camera, hoping to capture a sampling of some of the bands and art the gathering had to offer. But the texts and phone calls were relentless, and I have a hard time making up excuses.

As I approached the group, a friend jumped at me with familiar enthusiasm. I feigned a smile and exchanged hellos with everyone.

It's not that I don't like these people – they're great friends. It's just that their agenda during the Second Saturday Art Walk usually has very little to do with art – with the exception of the art of finding a seat at some of the more popular bars in Midtown.

Once a month, Midtown Sacramento blooms with culture. Bands playing bizarre, home-made instruments fill the air with song. Artists lean canvases against trees and empty can after can of spray paint into part of a dark, twisted scene.

And yet, the most important topic of our conversation was whose apartment would hold the alcohol-laden afterparty.

At least we had seen one gallery together. I suppose the artist (a friend of ours) inviting us to drink at his apartment afterward was his way of repaying us for wandering through his gallery, glancing briefly at his photographs, and then gabbing with him about work and life after college.

I wondered how another group of friends, who are usually much more focused on finding good art than good beer, were making out. I stole away to find out. Turns out their night had been pretty similar so far.

As I scanned a crowded street full of galleries and music, a familiar face emerged from the crowd, wide-eyed and moving in slow, exaggerated movements.

His girlfriend had left in a huff after a trip back to their house to retrieve a wallet had taken a sour turn: He had downed a shot or two and smoked some marijuana. Now he was trying to think of a way to keep her from discovering he had forgotten his wallet for the second time.

As a relatively new resident of Sacramento, the art walks are still foreign and new to me. Perhaps that's why I seem to be the only one interested in the actual art. In fact, it always seems easier to walk through the galleries on 20th Street than Streets of London or the Golden Bear Pub. But aren't these places always open? Why does everyone seem to enjoy the alcohol more than the art?

The owners of the bars in Midtown probably aren't complaining, but perhaps the people who pack in once a month should think about the real reason they're roaming the streets of Sacramento. If they aren't out to truly appreciate the art, they shouldn't try to drag along people who are.

Dangerous taillight offenders on the loose!

by Cody Kitaura

It is a warm Sunday morning in Midtown, Sacramento. An Acura points its primer-covered nose down the wrong street and ends up behind a Sacramento Police Department cruiser. The cruiser takes notice and slows, maneuvering until it's directly behind the multi-colored Acura. It follows closely for a few moments, then sets its sirens ablaze and stops the car.

What follows is always the same.

“Do you know why I pulled you over?”

Because you already solved all the real crimes? Because all the criminals are busy going to church today?

“Why don't you have a front license plate on your car?”

Because its only purpose is to help your traffic cameras catch a clearer glimpse?

The truth was that it's a little hard to paint a bumper with the license plate attached, but the fix-it ticket the officer handed over said he obviously wasn't a paint-and-bodywork kind of guy.

But before those formalities are taken care of, the officer always shoots a sideways glance down the sandpaper-scarred side of the car and asks incredulously: “Whose car is this?”

No matter what the minor infraction Johnny Law cites as a reason to stop drivers, there's almost always something else. It seems hard to picture Sacramento Police Chief Rick Braziel tossing and turning in his sleep, having nightmares about cars roaming the streets without front license plates. There's always something else.

For an example, try to see what happens when you turn down a side street to “avoid” a DUI checkpoint (even if that side street happens to be the actual route to your house). A patrol car will break off from the group and glue itself to your bumper until the officer finds a tiny reason to pull you over. The line of questioning that will follow will, of course, have very little to do with that license-plate light that happens to be burned out, and will focus heavily on anything you've happened to had to drink that night.

Sure, it's important for cars to have properly functioning marker lights, working headlights and visible license plates – but is enforcing these tiny formalities really the best way to spend our tax dollars? When grade-school children say with a glimmer in their eyes that they want to become a police officer someday, is it because they have a burning desire to hand out slaps on the wrist for extinguished taillights?

It seems cliché to say that cops surely must have something better to do, and according to the Sacramento Bee, they have been busy. Violent crime in Sacramento dropped 7 percent in 2007, the department told the paper, but one can't help but wonder what the city would look like if law enforcement tackled legitimate crime with the same vigor it seems to use to latch onto virtual non-offenses like front license plates and taillights.

The real test may be yet to come, as the Sacramento Police Department faces a $16 million budget cut this year to make up for the $58 million shortage in the city's budget. The Sacramento Bee reports that the department is experimenting with officers riding two-per-car and may cut the amount of available overtime hours for officers, which could slash the paychecks of some by 10 to 40 percent.

It's possible these cuts could lead to fewer officers on the street, and while it might seem that no good could come from less police enforcement, perhaps these cuts will be the jolt our police force needs to realign its priorities in the right direction: real crime.