Thursday, April 12, 2007

Happy Trails

(This post is FINALLY getting completed today,22 April--nearly three weeks from the initial incident!)

Manhattan's most famous cowboy (sorry, Jon Voight)...
heading for a golden sunset--or perhaps satellite???


In my new blogging 'mode', I'm only speaking out on items that I need to vent about. So it's only appropriate that I feel compelled to blog about this latest media 'tempest'.

I would like to make a personal confession up front. Although I follow what some folks would call a liberal or progressive ideological philosophy, I am (or after tonight, was) a fan of the 'Imus in the Morning' show. I started to watch it during a military assignment in Maryland back in the late 1990s. After working nearly 18 months in a shiftworking operation that required CNN to be playing on the television 24/7 (that is, except during the baseball playoffs and on Monday nights in the fall), I transferred to a days-only organization and the Imus simulcast would be on screen (right behind my cubicle) for the first few hours of my day. While I would roll my eyes on some of the poor choices of humor or entertainment (I'm not that big of a country music fan), I was intrigued by the guests who would call in or visit Imus in person to discuss the events of the day. When we moved to Ohio, the new unit did not have TVs so I had to get my fix before leaving for work (usually pedaling a stationary bike over in the base's Dodge gym). I went 'cold turkey' during my 33-month assignment to Japan and resumed my viewing once I returned in 2004 and that continued up through yesterday on MSNBC (and today via the internet on WFAN's streaming audio service).

Such a declaration will probably raise a few eyebrows with some of my online acquaintances but my consumption of his programming was of a personal nature and was not transferred or acted out in my personal or professional life. Even though I'm a mid 40-something year old guy with a graduate degree and a 24-year military career behind me, I still have a desire for what some folks might call 'sophomoric' humor. As I was growing up, I was 'raised' by television and experienced the offerings of 'Laugh-In', 'Benny Hill', the OLD 'Tom and Jerry' cartoons (the ones that weren't censored for racial stereotypes) and 'Monty Python's Flying Circus' during my formative years. Although I don't watch much television these days, most of what I do view involves some element of irreverence, snark, or jejuneness ("Countdown with Keith Olbermann", "The Daily Show", "The Tonight Show", all of the Fox Sunday night animation shows, Cartoon Network's "Robot Chicken"). My theory for this immature 'fetish' centers on my lifelong preponderance for seriousness and my attempts at being the 'stern' parent to two teenagers (I'm a Gemini so that 'alter ego' thing attributed to those of us born under that zodiacal sign might also be true).

For whatever the reason, I would endure Don Imus' and Bernard McGuirk's lame skits and crude comments (about nearly everybody and everything) in order to get the opportunity to hear Frank Rich, Bob Schieffer or many of his other intriguing guests during the interview segments. I personally thought most of it was neutral (with some glints of humor) but there were elements that would even make a 'Peter Griffin' fan cringe. The 'Cardinal Egan' parody brought back memories of my Catholic upbringing but McGuirk's 'over-the-top' rendition transcended the experience to quickly ensuring the volume on the TV was turned down low enough to make sure that the kids (or the wife) wouldn't hear his foul rantings. The inclusion of the 'Ray Nagin' character after Hurricane Katrina was topical in the immediate aftermath of the storm but quickly wore out its welcome as the months went by. Stand-up comedian Rob Bartlett's repertoire of celebrities began to gravitate around a few ('Bill Clinton', 'Omar Minaya', and 'Alberto Gonzales') that were frequently performed in very poor taste. The constant verbal pummeling of the show's most recent sports announcer (Chris Carlin) on his physique and masculinity (he did not demand that his newlywed wife take his last name) often went beyond the bounds of good taste.

I had a 'ring side' seat to that infamous moment last Wednesday morning and, considering the tone of the show Imus has, I really didn't give it a second thought (perhaps since I was only awake for 5-10 minutes and staring down at a bowl of cold cereal when I heard it). The next time I became aware of this controversy was in news coverage that started up on Friday evening on MSNBC and at some of my more frequented internet locations. I watched the Monday edition of the show to see how Don was going to handle the controversy and he gave a 15-minute on-air explanation of his version of the incident and how, over the weekend, he had sought out the counsel of several members of the African-American community and requested a personal meeting with the Rutgers women's basketball team to express his sincere regrets. Everything hit the fan later that day when both CBS and NBC announced that Imus would be suspended for two weeks (beginning on 16 April to allow his 2-day radiothon to be aired on the 12th and 13th). The Rutgers team held a news conference on Tuesday afternoon and provided Americans their first view of the 'target' of Imus', McGuirk's, and Sid Rosenberg's racist and sexist words. Late Wednesday afternoon, due to increased public and internal pressure, the television simulcast of the show was permanently terminated. I 'tuned in' to the WFAN streaming audio broadcast this morning to hear what the host's comments were on that quick decision (due to the late notice and the logistics of the already scheduled telethon, the program still emanated from MSNBC's studios in Secaucas, NJ). Knowing that it might be his last broadcast, Imus did let out some venom but concentrated primarily on the radiothon (raising nearly $1 million in 5 hours). The CBS cancellation came late this afternoon, effectively canceling the career of one of the industry's first 'shock jocks'.

I am torn on how to respond to all of this. On the one hand, the comments made were not directed at public figures or celebrities who expect such scrutiny but with regard to a team of 17- to 20-year old women who just experienced the agony of losing the NCAA women's basketball championship game not less than 7 hours prior. Using such language (I will not post it here) to describe innocent, hard-working, intelligent, athletic women was reprehensible. However, the Imus show is an entertainment program conducted in the format of former terrestrial broadcasters Howard Stern or Opie & Anthony (both shows moved to satellite to escape existing FCC restrictions on content and language). Both CBS and NBC knew this kind of thing might happen and kept extending their sponsorship of him and his 'product'.

While Imus was fired for using racist and sexist words, a full-blown entertainment industry has blossomed around those same types of socially unacceptable paradigms in the guise of hip-hop/rap music and the stand-up routines of Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle (a fellow Greene County resident), and Paul Mooney (who, in the wake of the Michael Richard's meltdown, has sworn off using the 'N' word). When I was a young child, I can still remember my grandmother (a woman of Polish-Ukrainian descent) playing 'Eeny Meeny Miny Moe' with me--with the then-acceptable racial term coming from her lips. In my teens, I listening (covertly) to Richard Pryor and his racial epithet-laden and profanity-laced routines and used to laugh until it hurt; however, in the past 30 years or so, a lot has changed in terms of how Americans (publicly) related to their fellow citizens and such language is, IMHO, no longer necessary for ANY community to continue to use. It was probably my military career and the prolonged exposure to individuals who were 'different' than me that has helped me to be the type of person I am today.

Maybe this development and firing is for the better. While a small 'fish' among the other hate-speech media personalities (radio, television, books, newspapers, internet), Imus might be the catalyst for fishing those bigger 'prizes' out there in the public 'pond' that continually ignore social decorum and foster divisiveness between their listeners/readers and their fellow citizens as well as fear. Perhaps his days aren't over just yet. Satellite radio, as a subscriber-based enterprise, escapes the restrictions that its terrestrial outlets are bound by and there could be a Sirius or XM microphone with his name on it. Nevertheless, Don Imus has had a long career and should be able to live out his remaining years with relative comfort and purpose (his cattle ranch for children suffering from cancer and blood disorders is a truly worthwhile endeavor). I doubt that Rush or Neal or Ann could 'fade away' to such a philanthropic 'second' career...nor would they ever even THINK about such 'humane' things.

Saturday, March 17, 2007

A VERY Busy Week

Again, I fell off of the blogging 'wagon' and let a good amount of time go by before I decide to post anything worthwhile. But THIS week, I had a good reason...

Opening tip-off of the NCAA 'play-in' game...
the winners can proudly say 'We're #64!'

It started off with some personal issues (a claustrophobia-inducing medical test and a polygraph exam) on Monday and Tuesday, respectively. After work on that second evening, my friend (and co-worker) hosted me and another mutual friend for a 'boys night out' at the NCAA Opening Round game at the University of Dayton Arena. Back in 2001, the tradition of matching the 64th and 65th teams in a pitched head-to-head battle was established to see who would be go on to be one of the #16 seeds that usually get 'slaughtered' by the region's top ranked squads. This year, the Purple Eagles of Niagara University and the Rattlers from Florida A&M were those teams. Both qualified for the 'big dance' by winning their respective conference championships (the Metro Atlantic and Mid-Eastern) and each won 20 games this season so it appeared--on paper--that this would be a very evenly matched game. While it was close for a good part of the contest, Niagara eventually pulled away and earned a 77-69 victory (the big difference being FAMU was stone cold from the free-throw line). Here is a link that provides some additional insight into this game and the traditions that has been building up here in Dayton for this annual event over the past seven years.

Dayton's peace rally...a respectable gathering--
considering OSU vs Xavier was on TV

And today was a 'first' in my life--I attended a peace rally! Sponsored by the September 11 Coalition, this gathering attracted nearly 100 people to the US federal courthouse in downtown Dayton on a sunny--but cold--Saturday afternoon. Several speakers, to include Iraq and Vietnam-era veterans, addressed the crowd on this local commemoration of the 4th anniversary of the 2003 pre-emptive invasion of Iraq by the current administration (and the DC march was to recognize the 40th anniversary of the first mass march on the Pentagon during the Vietnam War). Several demonstrations were planned throughout the country this weekend and one counter-demonstration was expected at the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, DC due to an unfounded fear of peace activists vandalizing that monument. By all news accounts, no major incidents occurred at that or any other location. You can find all of my photos at this link.

All in all, it was a rather remarkable six days...but if I'm going to be taken seriously as a blogger, I've got to stop falling off of the 'wagon'...

Sunday, March 04, 2007

A Pleasant Surprise (For Greene County)

Terry McAuliffe in Greene County...
who'd have thunk it???


For some strange reason, we decided to eat out last Thursday (choosing to brave the miserable weather and have Mongolian BBQ over at BD's at the Greene). When we finished and started strolling near Books & Co., I noticed the neon 'event' light was lit so we decided to take a peek inside. It turns out that Terry McAuliffe (Hillary Clinton's campaign manager) was there as a guest speaker and was just finishing up his after-talk signing of his latest book. Needless to say, I schlepped up the stairs, picked one up, and got in line (the Mrs. and our two kids made it up there shortly afterward). There were a few folks ahead of us so we waited our turn. He seemed to be very positive about this event here in a 'red' county. He looked very 'clean' and was extremely articulate!!!

During our turn, my wife mentioned that we used to live in Maryland (during my 'No Such Agency' days) and he struck up a conversation that led to the WH's warrantless wiretapping program. He started in with the 72-hour timeframe the AG has to seek a warrant, and I had to correct him by stating that during wartime the period is extended to 15 calendar days. While he was already flabbergasted that the Justice Department couldn't function in that shorter period, he was almost giddy with the FISA 'nugget' I provided him. Perhaps Mrs. Clinton will have that item tucked into one of her point papers or stump speeches in the near future.

Unfortunately, I didn't provide my name so I will not be expecting any kudos (or Cabinet appointments)...so my dream of being CIA director won't be coming true anytime soon!!!



Langley's just a 'pipe dream'...
no new business cards needed...


Now, because of an unscheduled dinner trip, our family has a nice keepsake of our accidental brush with a national-level Democrat who ventured into our neck of the woods. Let's hope this is a good omen for 2008.

Saturday, February 24, 2007

The Pressure Has Been Building

Venting can be therapeutic...

Happy New Year! OK, OK...it's nearly EIGHT weeks after the fact but, as some folks say, better late than never!

As you can see by the choice of graphic above, my 'magma' levels have been elevating lately and, if I didn't restart this blog, I might actually blow my top. What could have me feeling this way? Let me count the reasons:

- The 'surge': In spite of overwhelming popular opinion supporting troop withdrawal and a well-received bipartisan report prepared by a hand-picked group of elder statesmen urging alternate solutions, the president has decided to 'double down' our national bet by opting to ignore the will of the people and sending even MORE troops into Iraq. By all unofficial accounts, this action effectively pushes off the earliest possible date for a policy revisit to the middle of the 2008 presidential contest--further muddying the waters for any contenders for the job. As this rate, Bush's war will probably outlast his presidency.

"Just keep thinking Crawford and brush-clearing...
2009 can't come soon enough"


- The 'stall': Although no longer in power, the GOP minority has effectively stymied any Democratic-led initiatives for debating the Iraq war in the US Senate. Although they complained about opposition intransigence and 'up or down' votes in the last Congress, they have quickly adopted the obstructionist banner and intend to use it as long as possible to keep that first anti-war 'domino' from falling.

The GOP Senate leadership...
"stalling's just another word for everything left to lose..."

- The 'smears': Since the beginning of the year, there have been three major smear campaigns launched by conservative operatives. The first one concerned the reports of Democratic senator (and presidential candidate) Barack Obama attending a madrassa when a young boy in Indonesia (and it was compounded by false implications that Hillary Clinton was to blame for this 'leak'). The second one was generated when the sergeant-at-arms of the US House of Representatives inquired into arranging military transportation for newly elevated Speaker Nancy Pelosi to travel back and forth to her home district (the same 'perk' her predecessor received in the wake of 9/11). The latest one concerns Fox News' Brit Hume speculating that Representative Jack Murtha was suffering from senility. While I will admit that all's fair in love and politics, the frequency and vehemence of these attacks are unnerving.

'If you can't say something nice about someone, just make sh*t up!"

- The 'season': While the early part of this winter season (and the late fall) were unexpectedly mild, winter came in with a vengeance in the latter part of January and socked us with a few good storms. For a couple weeks earlier this month, the kids were either having two-hour delays or complete school closures due to the weather (extremely cold morning temperatures, snowstorms, thick freezing fog from melting snow). While I believe that global warming is real and what we're seeing is attributable to climate instability, those facts haven't made the weather any more palatable!

"Alright, alright...it's winter already...now make it stop!"

I'm still up in the air on how I want to continue this blog (stay with op/ed pieces, do a 'shotgun' version of current events, one topic per entry) but I just needed to get these things off of my chest...for the sake of my blood pressure!

Sunday, December 31, 2006

Hello 2007!


Today is the LAST day of 2006...a year that started with much promise and seems to have lived up to it.

Over the past twelve months, we've seen changes on the national and state stage in political and social circles. Democrats will comprise the majorities of the US Senate and House of Representatives--something that hasn't been seen since 1994. A Democratic governor will sit in the Ohio statehouse for the first time since 1990. And, since December 7th, non-smokers are now able to visit public places in Ohio without the possibility of enduring other peoples' second-hand smoke for the first time since--well, since the founding of the state in 1803!

What can we expect in the new year? A realization by the White House that Iraq is an unwinnable situation and the development of plans to withdraw from that civil war-torn nation? Democrat-led investigations into the war and other Bush administration 'shenanigans' that previously escaped Congressional oversight measures that lead directly to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue? A plethora of 2008 presidential candidates throwing their hats into the ring and visiting this electoral vote-rich state like flies hovering over road kill? I'm anticipating these and a whole lot more.

I believe my 'hiatus' is nearly over and I anticipate posting here on at least a weekly basis--more often if issues or events dictate. I've started another blog for my relatives and friends (not open to the public) to keep them up-to-date on what is going on with our family here in Fairborn. This blog (my first one) is an anonymous alter ego and, as Seinfeld's George Costanza will advocate, I will do my best to prevent these two distinct 'worlds from colliding'.

"If Family Blogger me walks through this door, he will kill Political Blogger me! A blogger divided against himself cannot stand!"

In a couple of hours, I will sit in front of the television with my wife and kids and enjoy a glass of wine at the stroke of midnight. As I anticipated our annual reflection upon what has transpired in the past 12 months and the promises of the coming dozen, I'd like to wish you all a happy and healthy new year!