Taking one for the team

Times are tough, there’s no doubt about that.

Hundreds of thousands of Americans are finding themselves out of work. Splattered across the news are headlines that say unemployment rates are reaching levels unseen in decades.

And the effects are spreading across the board. We in the news industry are seeing our fellow journalists lose their jobs as many newsrooms across the country are downsizing in order to survive. But one reporter decided to give the ultimate sacrifice to help save a coworker.

Nicole Wong, a business reporter at The Boston Globe, volunteered to be laid off.

It’s unprecedented. In this economy, just having a job is a blessing. But Wong didn’t want to see someone with a family lose their job just because they had less seniority. Someone with roots in Boston where uplifting them would be far more difficult than it would be for her.

In a note posted on Facebook, Wong wrote about the countless stories she’s covered about people who have been negatively affected by the economy.

“Their stories of strife have lingered in the back of my mind. It’s tough being out of work,” she wrote. “And even tougher when you have a family or mortgage to take care of.

“I happen to have neither.”

These stories, ultimately, found their way into her daily life as coworkers often expressed worries about losing their jobs, she wrote. After much thought, Wong came to the difficult decision that leaving the Globe would be for the best.

“ ... it should be less of a hardship for me to find a job since I’m more mobile than my colleagues who have spouses, kids, mortgages, and more. (This is probably the first time I’m relieved to not even have a boyfriend or a house!),” she wrote.

While one job may not seem like much compared to the 50 that the Globe is eliminating, the unselfish gesture and the optimism Wong displays is a beacon of light in these dark, uncertain times. It’s a story that shows the American spirit and says, hey, we can make it past this.

“With that, I’m off to pursue the next great adventure!” she closed.

We hope it’s a good one, Nicole, you deserve it.

Fight nights

Both Vitali Klitschko and Roy Jones Jr. were in action in the ring this weekend. It's a fun week in boxing — if they were fighting six years ago.

Klitschko pummeled overmatched mandatory challenger Juan Carlos Gomez to retain his WBC Heavyweight Title. Jones destroyed Omar Sheika to get some light heavyweight alphabet soup belt.

Omar who?

Exactly.

Heavyweights
Klitschko is heads and shoulders above everyone in the heavyweight division with the exception of one man — his 32-year-old brother Wladimir — but don't look for the two to ever battle. Britain's David Haye, a former cruiserweight champ, has been looking for a fight with one of the brothers for months now and he looks like he may get his chance as Wladimir's camp says they're getting close for a June 20 bout.

And while that's all fine and dandy, there aren't many American prospects who look like they can challenge them. 28-year-old Chris Arreola has size (6'4", 255) and power, but hasn't fought anyone with world-class ability yet. John Ruiz, Hasim Rahman and Lamon Brewster are all in their mid- to late-30s.

Junior Welterweights
This is one of the most exciting division in boxing today. And it's all for one reason: Manny Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton in May. Hatton's a hard-nosed brawler who tries to bully his opponents. Pacquiao's quick on his feet and has tremendous power. Both like to punch. This'll be fun.

Family Guy's run its course

It's time to call it quits.

Each television show has a shelf life before the material becomes stale and the quality lessens. For "Family Guy," its time is up.

Since season four, the quality of the show has steadily decreased, relying more and more on inside jokes and breaking down the fourth wall. It's nothing more than inane filler and lackadaisical writing, capitalizing on the fact that its fans don't ask for anything more.

It's sad. I've been a fan of the show since it first launched on Fox, but I find it difficult watching the show's predictable jokes and mediocre plots. It's like watching "The Simpsons" from 2001 to 2007 — very hit or miss.

Online Escape: Greg is not an alien

Things journalists do

When there's a wide, towering eruption of black smoke flying into the air, conventional thinking would suggest that one should turn around and head the other way.

Nope, not me. Nor the dozens of others along Alameda who were at a near dead stop watching the brushfire near the Lowry Sports Complex last Sunday.

We were in the office around 4 p.m. when we saw this small billow of smoke in the distance. It didn't look that big, but we didn't realize that it was about 3-1/2 miles away.

I grabbed my camera and headed out there. Just then, a friend called me. As I got closer to the fire, my mind faded away from the conversation and focused on the huge stack of smoke shooting into the sky. To be honest, it was a bit surreal. I wish I had some pictures of the smoke from Havana and Alameda.

By the time I was able to pull into a parking lot, the fire died down.

Imagine this times 20.

Bonus shwag from 'Watchmen'

I picked up tickets for 'Watchmen' on Fandango last week and they sent me a free "Watchmen Bonus Content" download.

From the little I've gotten to watch, it looks cool — a blend of art from the comic mixed with animation. But I have listened to it a couple of times. The 25-minute video is a retelling of the first part of the comic, all narrated by Tom Stechschulte.

Stechschulte does a good job narrating it, but it sounds a little weird when he does the voice of the Silk Spectre II. Most men can't pull of female voices, especially when they have a deep voice.

Regardless, it's a nice little bonus for seeing a movie.

If you like the "Watchmen" graphic novel, you'll love the movie. If you've never read it, you won't like it. There's a lot happening in the 12-issue series and Zach Snyder tries to fit as much as he can in the allotted 165 minute time frame.

So read the book a couple of times and go see the movie.

Rep. Polis killed the Rocky

According to a story from The Denver Post, U.S. Rep. Jared Polis said he helped kill the Rocky Mountain News:

"We killed the Rocky Mountain News. Long live new media," said Polis at the Netroots Nation speaker series in Westminster, according to the Denver Young Democrats Examiner website.

Good job, Jared. There's nothing like gloating over the fact that 240 people are now unemployed and Denver's lost one of its biggest voices. Might as well go to their old building and take a leak in the lobby while you're at it.

'Chun-Li' lacks punch, common sense

There was no press screening for "Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li" so I got in my car and made the 30-minute trek up to Westminster Promenade for their midnight showing of the movie.

I wish I just stayed in saved my $10 for something better. Here are my thoughts:

"While there are a couple of fun action sequences, the overwhelming majority of the movie is a bevy of nonsensical story progressions, awkward acting and utter pain."

Read the rest of the review on aurorasentinel.com.

I'm confused why it has a 5.6/10 rating on imdb. Horrible action, big plot holes and the simple fact that it wasn't fun to watch should have dropped this down to the 3, 3.5 range.

I came into this movie with low expectations, but I still expected to be mildly entertained. But it failed — completely.

And how do you have a "Street Fighter" flick that takes place in Thailand WITHOUT Sagat?

Stocks for thought

The last time the Dow Jones was under 7,000 points, I was a 14-year-old freshman at Overland High School.