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!

Saturday, December 09, 2006

RIP, Progressive Talk 1360


Rest in peace...you were probably doomed from the start!


I have interrupted my hiatus due to the news I received yesterday morning. Unbeknownst to me, Friday was WSAI’s last day for carrying Air America Radio and other syndicated progressive talk programming. According to press accounts, the station’s parent company, Clear Channel Communications (CCC), decided that liberal commentary just doesn’t sell in the greater Cincinnati/tri-state (Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana) area and they pulled the plug on such programming as midnight last night.


If I had been more ‘media savvy’, I would’ve seen the handwriting on the wall when Clear Channel announced back in November that it was merging with a private equity group and selling off nearly 400 of its radio stations. Actually, the first indicator would’ve been the swapping of Air America programming from 50,000 watt WCKY (1530AM) to its final (and now former) destination (WSAI’s weaker 5,000 transmitter) back in July of this year (here's my blog entry which covered that event).


As I sit back and reflect on this sad news, I really can’t blame Clear Channel for this particular action. Due to AAR’s early programming success at one of CCC’s outlets in Portland, Oregon (KPOJ), they decided to take a risk and subsequently provided the struggling network with radio outlets in markets they thought impossible to enter (which included the three Ohio stations in Akron/Canton, Columbus and Cincinnati). Air America’s affiliate total swelled to over 80 stations at its apex because of these assets; however, most were low-powered outlets that sometimes didn’t even reach the intended metropolitan markets they thought they could target (Philadelphia and Atlanta were good examples). Ratings over time at many of them (including Cincinnati) dwindled to near 1.0 shares (and some fell below that). Since Clear Channel and other affiliates are in the money-making business (and with the November merger news), now seems to be a good a time as any to declared this nearly 2-year experiment a failure and dump the stations or switch to more commercially viable programming.


When I read what WSAI’s new format would be and looked at their daily lineup, I was shocked. In a market with FIVE other conservative-leaning talk stations, ‘1360thesource.com’ will be featuring right-leaning shows by Clark Howard, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, Neil Boortz, Dr. Joy Brown, Joey Reynolds, and the Wall Street Journal report. The Boortz program grabbed my attention because it will be a rebroadcast of his 9-12AM show--originally aired by a rival talk station--at the later 7-10PM timeframe. The station will also rerun the 4-7PM Clark Howard show the following mornings from 7-10AM. Even the local media is scratching its collective head on this decision to broadcast conservative-centric 'self-help' and 'rerun' programming that is already well-covered with similar offerings in this middle-sized market (#28 in the country--estimated 1.7 million listeners aged 12+).


Why did this progressive talk effort fail? Although Ohio is slowly turning 'bluer', it is doing so by crawling from the northern and eastern parts (Cleveland/Akron/Canton/Youngstown areas) towards the south and west--and the greater Cincinnati area. This can be seen in the voting patterns from the last two federal general elections (the yellow arrow in the graphic below points to the Fairborn area). Although adjacent to two Democratic 'pockets' (Dayton and Springfield), my county (aptly with the colorful name of Greene) still trended 'red' this past November and overwhelmingly elected/re-elected Republicans to US and state legislature seats (Mike DeWine garnered nearly 60 percent of the votes for US Senate). With these kinds of communities sitting within the radio 'footprints' of both WCKY and WSAI, it was rather obvious that Clear Channel would have a tough product to sell.




A nice transformation in two years...but not fast enough in MY area


Facing this absence of progressive talk from my local radio choices, I still have other resources available to me. I can still listen to AAR at work or home via their streaming audio service or from streams of their affiliates--as long as that network remains on the air. I can (and probably will) purchase an XM satellite radio so I will be able to listen in during my commute time or when I'm away from a computer (with their exclusive contract with Major League Baseball, I won't feel too put out financially for going XM if AAR goes away). Earlier today, I found an online petition to save progressive talk radio in Cincinnati but it was canceled once the CCC announcement was made (I signed it anyway just to lend support and make myself heard).


Life will go on--with or (unfortunately) without a local affiliate (several other US markets are also going through similar Clear Channel withdrawals). Listening in over the past 23 months was an educational experience in terms of getting 'pointers' of what were the important issues affecting me personally and our country in general. The tone of the programming was generally optimistic, sometimes humorous, occasionally vitriolic yet always aggressive. The lineup of Maron, Springer, Franken, Shultz, Rhodes and Maddow kept me company throughout my workday and during my commutes to or from the office. While most of these 'soldiers' continue to wage war on the national radio scene, the battle for southwest Ohio has now been lost. I and many former listeners simply want to thank you for the 'good fight' you helped us wage over the last two years by leveling the talk radio playing field and providing an alternative to the Limbaughs, Hannitys, O'Reillys, Boortzs and other bloviators that dominate the talk radio market. While you are now gone, you will never be forgotten!

Saturday, November 25, 2006

On Hiatus

To ANYONE who actually reads my entries and might be anticipating more 'regular' updates or postings, I will be disappointing you now with my announcement that I am taking a hiatus from blogging for a while. Is it because there isn't anything to comment on? No, in fact, there are things happening that are registering on my consciousness but since the mid-term elections, NOTHING HAS REALLY BEEN BOTHERING ME!!! Some in the blogosphere are referring to this phenomenon as 'DemoGlad'...and I've got it BAD!!!

Click on the graphic above to see if you are ALSO afflicted...

I had several topics I was going to discuss (an analytical overview of the mid-term results, my thoughts on Veterans' Day) and was trying to complete them but this euphoric feeling is not allowing me to do so (I did post my tribute to Ed Bradley). I recently threw out (actually recycled) a whole bunch of newspapers I was going to review from my October business/personal trip to provide readers some outside perspective on the local paper here in Dayton. I also recycled copies of the DDN I was keeping as 'samples' over the past 4-5 months (one week's worth per month) to review and try to demonstrate in an objective way that their op/ed pages are more bipartisan than some of its conservative readers believe. I was going to coin a new award--The Libra--to symbolically 'present' to the paper when they met that challenge. But that's not going to happen now--it's just not that significant a task.

The 'Libra' Award...
never presented but no longer necessary


I still feel the need to 'discuss' more contentious issues with others and routinely utilize the DDN's 'Speak Up!' venue for that reason--probably more than I should. But the matter of blogging--the methodical documenting of my particular takes on issues--just doesn't seem that important now. I will keep this site intact and periodically look it over to see if I can (or need to) get the 'juices' flowing again. Right now, I have other things on my plate that need my more immediate attention right now...like life!

Thursday, November 09, 2006

RIP, Ed Bradley

Ed Bradley
1941-2006

I was shocked to hear earlier this afternoon about the untimely passing of CBS News' and '60 Minutes' reporter Ed Bradley. A Philadelphia native, Bradley died of pneumonia as a indirect result of leukemia (he was diagnosed two years ago but was currently in remission). He is survived by his wife Phyllis and leaves a gaping hole in the fabric of that Sunday night news-magazine staple.

Although I've fallen away from this show over the past several years (its time slot conflicts with the end of football games when CBS wasn't broadcasting them, Fox animated shows and other weekend-ending things happening at the 7PM hour), I used to like the way our Armed Forces affiliate used to show it in Japan. Because of the 13-hour time difference between our local standard time and Eastern Standard Time (14 with daylight savings), '60 Minutes' aired on Mondays at 8AM (9AM in the DST months) on the network's news channel. Since most of the base's working folks were away from home during that time, the local affiliate reran it at 7PM that evening so it never experienced any sports 'delays' (like US West Coast viewers). If that seems strange, remind me to tell you about watching 'Monday Night Football' on Tuesdays some time.

Back to Ed...although he wasn't one of the original hosts (Mike Wallace and Harry Reasoner kicked things off back in September 1968), he joined the ensemble for its 14th season and stuck around for 25 renewals until this most recent one. He reported on a wide variety of stories but cut his journalistic 'teeth' during the Vietnam War (he was wounded during a mortar attack in the conduct of his duties). He served as CBS News' White House correspondent during the early years of the Carter administration and gravitated towards television news documentaries prior to joining the '60 Minutes' team in 1981.

Ed's death will most likely be another blow to hardcore viewership numbers for this investigative reporting icon. The recent departures of both Mike Wallace and 'relative' newcomer Dan Rather (mostly confined to 'moonlighting' segments on the canceled '60 Minutes II' spin-off) removes almost all of the personnel (Morley Safer the sole exception) from the show's 'glory days' period when they were a 'must-see' item--enjoyed a 5-year streak as television's highest rated program. The network has brought in some 'new' blood over the years (Steve Croft, Bob Simon, Leslie Stahl, Scott Pelley) and, in just the past two years, added chief foreign correspondent Lara Logan, the new 'CBS Evening News' anchor Katie Couric, and CNN's Anderson Cooper for periodic contributions. Andy Rooney, who started out in 1978 and will turn 87 this coming January, rounds out their team.

A 2003 photo of the '60 Minutes' cast

In this day and age of 24/7 news coverage on television and the internet, the uniqueness of this pioneering program has been diluted among the multitude of other 'knock-offs'. Programs such as '20/20' and 'Dateline NBC' tend to focus more on the sensational or reality-based subjects which garner a larger share of the higher-prized demographics (18-54 year olds). The average age of '60 Minutes' viewers is outside that range and that can be readily seen by the types of advertising seen during their broadcasts (spots for prescription medications and 'E.D.' products abound--no iPods or 'Hummers' to be seen). After nearly 40 years on the air, the show is still going strong (currently #16 in total households for primetime series in the most recent Nielsen ratings for the 2006-2007 season), no doubt fueled by the exploits of the current administration and Congress.

The eventual departure of Safer will remove all vestiges from the program's more formative years and put me smack dab into their target audience. Maybe then I will be able to discipline myself to either be watching or recording for a later viewing--that is if I'm still awake!

Monday, November 06, 2006

Election Eve


Hard to believe that it's only been two years...click on the image above to take a nostalgic look at what we were facing back in 2004--the 'good old days' (pre-Katrina, pre-Foleygate, pre-warrantless wiretaps)!

I'm not in the habit of predicting things but I see the Democrats picking up 20+ seats in the House and attaining a 50-50 split in the Senate. Those gains would eliminate the constraints that the GOP have placed on their rivals in terms of investigating the actions of this administration in those chambers since Bush took office nearly six years ago. Let us hope, for our democracy's sake, that everything goes relatively smooth tomorrow...

If my House prediction comes true, a conservative friend of mine will be treating me for dinner at the restaurant of my choice...hmmm...he IS a member of the Dayton Racquet Club!

Sunday, November 05, 2006

Sunday 'Shotgun' Blast

"I'm Dick Cheney and I approve this torture...I mean BLOGGING method!"


It’s been a few days since I’ve posted anything to my blog (I’ve ‘relapsed’ back to ‘Speak Up!’ after a 2-week absence and have been discussing a variety of issues in that forum). I don’t want to have this initiative stall again, so I want to try something different. Instead of taking just ONE issue and giving my opinion about it, I’m going to try the method that some of the more popular blogs (Booman Tribune, Eschaton, etc.) use—the ‘shotgun’ approach. This is where you bring up a lot of topics and give them a few lines (or just hyperlink to other sites) before moving on to the next one. I’ll take a shot at this so if anyone actually reads this blog, please feel free to comment…


- I promised my wife that I’d mention the DDN’s habit of putting a fold-out on the front page of their Sunday comics. Instead of just opening and closing it for that short period of reading ‘Blondie’, ‘Closer to Home’, ‘Zits’, ‘The Family Circus’ and ‘FoxTrot’, she has to audibly express her displeasure (a weekly occurrence) and physically tear this tab off from the main part of that page. I noticed that today’s edition did not have a flap…could they have read her mind?


- A story in the Friday edition of the DDN mentioned that a union representing 120 reporters, copy editors and photographers urged the paper to begin negotiations on a contract to replace a 20-year-old pact the union says is outdated. After I saw that piece, I was going through the weekend entertainment section and noticed that they gave the new Helen Mirren movie 'The Queen' a rating of 'X+'...I didn't think it would be THAT graphic. I believe it was supposed to be a 'C+' (the 'X' and 'C' keys are adjacent on our 'QWERTY' keyboards). If I were the DDN, I would suggest that these journalism professionals review the simple process of editing their copy before sending it to print.


The DDN gave this movie an 'X+'...
this erroneous review just might improve local ticket sales!


- The DDN also mentioned a story about the latest 'fantasy' game to pique the interest of political junkies--Fantasy Congress! The Chicago Tribune's October 26th story describes how instead of athletes, each player gets to choose from the 535 legislators on Capitol Hill to form their own 'dream teams'. Points are awarded based upon their real legislative accomplishments. The game is schedule to go live after the Tuesday elections.


- I did notice in the Sunday DDN (and on other occasions over the past several months) where advertisements are 'popping' up in some mighty peculiar places on their pages. Back in the days before 'cold type' printing plate preparation, the pagesetters had to fit advertisements into square or rectangular spaces to fit on the page and keep them in line with the publication's columnar scheme. In today's publishing arsenal, ads can be placed ANYWHERE inside the boundaries of the entire page. For example, a Kroger spot was placed as a large diamond centered in the middle of the page. Around it, four news/feature stories were inserted to take up the remaining white space. As a 'traditionalist', I find this practice somewhat distracting but my opinions don't pay the bills. If the advertisers want it, the paper will give it to them.


- In a recent editorial by Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer, I saw that he used the most peculiar phrase (highlighted below):


According to the pollsters, pundits and pols -- Democratic and nervous Republican -- a great anti-Republican wave is a-coming. Well, let's assume major Democratic gains: 20 to 25 House seats and four to six Senate seats. The House goes Democratic for the first time in 12 years. The Senate probably stays Republican, but by such an excruciatingly small margin that there is no governing majority.


In many of my on-line duels with the 'red' tribe members on the DDN's 'Speak Up!' forum, they always alude to the fact that when the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 was passed in the US Senate in October of that year, that body was controlled by the Democrats (Senator Jim Jeffords/R-VT opted for 'independent' status in May 2001 which turned a 50-50 split of that body into a 50-49-1 on paper advantage for the Dems). In my frequent rebuttals on this issue, I would try to explain that since Dems normally can't even agree on the most basic of things, (like what to have for lunch), this 'majority' status is pretty much in name only. Since my GOP colleagues believe ALL political parties must behave just like theirs (think lockstep), this is a very foreign concept for many of them to grasp. Now that I have the words of an avowed RW conservative on record, maybe they'll stop their fringe complaints and focus on the issues...yeah, right!


Finally, something meaningful from 'Sir Charles'...


- Speaking of 'war games', a read an online article about a 1999 Pentagon war scenario with the primary subject being the overthrow of Iraq. While details can be found at the National Security Archive website, the posting's bottom line was that even with 400,000 troops, removing Saddam Hussein would still put that country in the same condition it is in today. These findings make it seem that even if former Army Chief of Staff Eric Shinseki had his way, it might not have made a difference...but just tell that to the families of the troops who have lost their lives when Rumsfeld only deployed one-third the total of that scenio's recommended total.


I had more on my list of things to 'spray' (Joe Paterno's unfortunate injuries, traffic at the Nutter Center, Air America 'blackout' memo) but I don't want to delay this any longer than I have. Fire in the hole!

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Smashing Pumpkins

It was an uneventful Halloween out here in our part of Fairborn this year. Since the kids are both well into their teens, the days of dressing them up and escorting them around the neighborhood for their one night of 'confectionery extortion' are long gone (although they are now polishing off the bowl of visitor 'leftovers' in the living room as I type). I put up our Democrat yard signs last night so I was curious if they would reduce the amount of visitors to the house compared to years when we remained 'neutral' or if the 'trick-or-treaters' would risk knocking on the door of a scary 'librul' house...boo! Apparently, by the small amount of candy left at 8PM, they weren't the deterrent I thought they might be.

For some reason, this is the first year that I noticed that most Ohioans refer to this annual rite of passage as 'Beggar's Night'. When I was growing up in Pennsylvania, there was no other name used except Halloween. This alternate moniker seems to be a Midwestern thing (when I 'googled' the term, most of the hits were related to events in Ohio, Wisconsin and Iowa) and I'm guessing it was given to reduce the connection to the un-Christian aspects of the evening (costumes, characters). Some hits I got referred to October 30th--the night before 'All Hallows Eve'--as being 'Beggar's Night'. The only thing I remember hearing about in conjunction with Halloween was the anarchist phenomenon of 'Devil's Night'. Every year, our local TV stations would feature news stories about wide-scale arson and other public acts of property damage in and around the Detroit, Michigan area. Thankfully, that activity has subsided over the last decade or so but for a time it was something you could set your calendar by.

Speaking of periodic rituals (every even year), our current election cycle is coming to its highly anticipated conclusion next Tuesday. While some of our more notable races (US Senate, state governor) seem to be leaning to the Dems in Ohio (both Brown and Strickland have double-digit leads in the latest polls), there are still competitive races for other statewide and national offices. The tide has turned so much to the Democrats' advantage this year that the president--with a sub-40 percent approval rating--has been forced to campaign in only the most 'blood red' states and districts in order to salvage some measure of accomplishment for the GOP.

I mentioned in a previous post that I just missed of these campaign stops up in Scranton, Pennsylvania for Rep. Don Sherwood, PA-10. Down by nearly 10 points with just under three weeks to go, the president decided to pop up there on Air Force One to hopefully give his campaign a much needed boost. Unfortunately for Sherwood, he is still nine points down in the latest figures. As the sitting representative of perhaps the most conservative district in that state--he garnered 93 percent of the vote against his Constitution Party's opponent in 2004, you would think he'd be a shoe-in for reelection. However, this is the same Don Sherwood that settled a $5.5 million lawsuit out of court with his mistress for his alleged assault at his Washington, DC apartment. In fact, in one of his television spots, the only thing that Sherwood could 'gloat' about to his constituents was that no evidence of assault was ever proven in that case (he does forget to mention that he 'purchased' that evidence). After the rally, Bush joined Sherwood and his wife for some ice cream at a local store. I wonder if he recognized any of the new minimum wage employees his 'robust' economy provided jobs for over the last 4 to 5 years working on the other side of the counter...


The president campaigning with the Sherwood family in northeast Pennsylvania...with a six-figure income, you think he would've
at least sprung for some sprinkles...


In the 140+ hours left before the polls open next Tuesday morning, we can expect to see the unexpected, the bizarre and, in something that happened yesterday in Los Angeles, make- believe. Senator John Kerry-MA (D), during a campaign appearance for California gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides, tried to use humor and poke some fun at his 2004 presidential rival. He warmed up by saying that Bush, a Texas resident, now lives in 'a state of denial'. Hearing a few laughs from the crowd, he decided to continue on this tact by saying the following:

“You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq.”

At that point, he continued on through his remarks and turned over the podium to Mr. Angelides to continue the event. It wasn't until this morning's White House press briefing that the fecal matter hit the oscillating air-movement appliance. I won't get into all of the details but Kerry was accused by Tony Snow and other prominent Republicans of belittling our troops. The normal 'wing nut' hangouts (NRO's 'The Corner' and AM talk radio) were rabid in their universal condemnation of his implication that only 'dummies' were fighting in Iraq.

All of this 'righteous' indignation turns out to be false alarm because those previously stated words were misinterpreted by the GOP. He was referring to the president when he brought up the sup-par academic achievement and the resulting 'quagmire' his forces are currently embroiled in inside Iraq. You would think that Kerry's explanation would clear things up...but not in THIS reality! Bush, Snow and a whole slew of others readily sensed a 'red herring' to introduce into the final week of the campaign and they hit it hard and heavy throughout this news cycle. Kerry, apparently the recipient of a backbone transplant since his 2004 'swiftboating', released a scathing response to this smear job; however, this 'genie' was already out of its bottle and, unfortunately, only the passage of time will quell this issue.

"Let's see...if we give Karl this here pumpkin,
he'll make
a real scary 'Dem'-o-lantern' out of it...heh heh heh"

I will admit that the first time I heard them, they were out of context (I didn't hear any of his attempts at Bush humor prior to them). Pat Buchannan of MSNBC said the same thing on this evening's 'Scarborough Country' program and we both see it how Kerry meant it to play out. Earlier in the day, with just those words, I was able to produce a logical explanation in some interoffice emails with some RW friends of mine based on my familiarity with the senator. I said I believed that Kerry may still be locked in a 'Vietnam' paradigm, telling the audience of college students that if you did not do well in school you'd lose your draft deferment and be eligible to be conscripted into the military if a draft is reinstituted due to more foreign policy debacles by the current administration. After excising that 30+ year-old 'lens', I was also able to see that he might have been telling folks that in our current economic situation and if college didn't pan out, the military may be the best option to get ahead. What other employer offers entry-level folks a guaranteed paycheck for 4-6 years at a stretch, free housing and extremely low-cost medical care, generous educational benefits and 30 days of annual vacation to start? I was enticed to join the military by these 'carrots' back in the high unemployment, high inflation times of the late 1970s and early 1980s living in the soon-to-be 'Rust Belt'.

What effect will this have on the Dem's chances next week? Every one of their Congressional candidates will have to take at least one question about it sometime in the next day or two and be asked to disavow him and/or his remarks. With the hours rapidly dwindling, that kabuki dance with the media will eat up time that could be better used to further their offensive on the Iraq war, homeland security and Washington corruption--Tim Russert's 'perfect storm' scenario that has played out in the aftermath of the Foley page scandal. This is the GOP's tried and true modus operandi of repeatedly beating up on familiar 'demons'...Bill Clinton, almost six years removed from the Oval Office, still makes the hairs on the back of Republican necks stand on end. The GOP is desperate (never having, in recent memory, faced such a bleak election outcome) and this incident might not be the last one to surface before the 7th...what other 'pumpkins' are they willing to carve up and smash between now and then?

Monday, October 30, 2006

Political Reality Creeping into the Funny Pages

It is a rare event (outside of 'Doonesbury' or 'B.C.' that come at you from different parts of the spectrum) to have the world of the DDN's Sunday comics intruded upon by the political events of the day. So it was surprising to see TWO strips in yesterday's paper dedicate some or all of their allocated space to intersperse things of that nature with the upcoming 'celebration' of Halloween (I'm expecting more next Sunday due to the elections being only two days after that).

The first one was 'Hi and Lois' (courtesy of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer):

'Hi and Lois'...another lame attempt at well-worn political humor

In this offering, we see the eternally bickering Flagston twins (Dot and Ditto) trying to decide what to go 'trick or treating' as this year. Everything that Dot wants to dress up like is matched or trumped by her brother Ditto's counter choice. In the next-to-last (or set-up) panel, Lois tries to put an end to this sibling skirmish by saying that they have to pick get-ups that are the polar opposite of what the other one chooses. As they enter the living room in the final frame, Dot is seen sporting a headband and a vest, with one hand in a 'peace sign' and the other holding flowers. Ditto, standing next to her, is decked out in a black business suit and tie with a briefcase in his right hand. They then both announce their choices to the parents: Dot saying 'I'm a Democrat' with Ditto adding 'and I'm a Republican'. A subtle clue to their 'creative' decision is seen in the faces of Hi (startled from reading his newspaper, staring with his mouth agape sitting in his easy chair) while Lois stands behind him with a smile and arms folded across her chest--Mom is very proud of her little 'flower power' girl (Lois was 'liberated' herself by the strip's creator in the 1980s to reflect the growing number of women in the workforce during that time).

Although it might be good for a small groan, this comparison has already been worn out in television, the movies as well as in other comics since the advent of the 'hippie' movement in the 1960s. 'Hi and Lois' originated during the bucolic 1950s but needs to rely on well-worn stereotypes (the fat, lazy neighbor being nagged by his long-suffering skinny wife--sounds like a lot of sitcoms I watched over the years, the messy teenager's room--although having two of my own brings that one into the realm of fact, the overbearing boss, etc.) to amuse today's dwindling readership. I don't know about you but I haven't seen 'flower children' in quite awhile--and Yellow Springs is just a few miles down the road from our house!

The second strip with a political theme was 'FoxTrot' (courtesy of GoComics):

'FoxTrot'...an excellent overview of a modern day 'horror' story...

Sunday's edition of this strip has Jason (the family's über geek) showing off his Halloween costume--a touch-screen electronic voting machine--to his older brother Peter. In the following two build-up panels, Jason explains to his snacking sibling the 'horror' aspect of this device (imparting very accurate data readily available online about the machine's susceptibility to tampering and its widespread use throughout the country). In the second-to-last scene, the younger boy concludes his 3-1/2 panel monologue by asking the older one if there could think of anything scarier than that device. Finally given the chance to speak, Peter replies that most people don't care about such things. As he walks away in the final frame, analyzing that solicited response, Jason rubs his chin and seems to confirm his older brother's unintentional wisdom.

Of all of the offerings on today's comic pages, Bill Amend's strip was probably the most appropriate candidate to translate this dire warning to a tech-savvy readership. Since the machine already exists, 'Dilbert' and his system development accomplices would have already done their work--and hopefully, for the pointy haired boss' next performance review, on schedule and under budget. The daily editions of 'Non Sequitur' (politics) or the 'The Fifth Wave' (technology) are single panels so cramming that much background information into a confined space would be relatively impossible. 'Beetle Bailey', like the previously mentioned Hi and Lois, is so anchored in the past (Specialist Chip Gizmo the only exception) that I'm guessing that they still use paper ballots and a cardboard box with a slot in the top. Do you suppose that Mort Walker has the same mental picture of the Internet like his octogenarian contemporary Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska--a 'series of tubes' that get filled when you put your message into one?

There have been several surveys released recently that indicate that younger people are looking to 'unconventional' places for their 'hard' news--Comedy Central's 'The Daily Show' is one such source. If the current political discourse in our country continues and more and more of this nation's youth flee the traditional nightly news format or newspapers in favor of on-demand downloads of Jon Stewart or online views at GoComics.com, strips like 'FoxTrot' could start to play a greater role in informing the public of what it really needs to know--bridging the divide between entertainment and information. Maybe it's time that more comics reflect real life instead of the escapist 'vanilla' world of the printed page...

Saturday, October 28, 2006

Is Air America THAT Much of a Threat?

It's now been two weeks since Air America Radio declared that they were filing for Chapter 11 protection in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York but so far the world hasn't come to an end (for liberal/progressives) and AAR is still on the air (to the dismay of most of the right-wing punditry). On the evening of the announcement, I was out at our local Meijer's and decided to purchase a copy of Air America: The Playbook: What a Bunch of Left Wing Media Types have to Teach you about a World Gone Right to commemorate the event (appropriately made on October 13th--a Friday). I waded through it when I got home and was delighted to see that it wasn't just the contributions of Al Franken or the more well-known personalities (Randi Rhodes, Sam Seder). Although Al did write the foreword, almost all of the current and some former contributors/hosts were able to provide their unique perspective on this on-going fight for the minds of the American listening public.

As I've written before (here and here) and as Franken details in the book's introduction, AAR started its existence under a dark cloud of financial difficulties and it was only sheer determination that had them endure that constant strain for almost 2-1/2 years. Now that the filing has finally happened (many detractors predicted this event since the network first went on the air on 31 March 2004), the pressure of operating under such constraints can be temporarily lifted and allow the 'green eye shade' folks an opportunity to right their 'left listing' ship.

Many of AAR's foes point to this issue as an indicator of the idea of liberal talk radio being a commercial failure. However, it can be seen in a different light when compared to what Fox News went through during their start-up. In The Playbook, Franken makes the following statement:

'Capital is important when starting up a major media network. Take, for example, the Fox News Channel...just to get on the air, Rupert Murdoch had to pay cable carriers $11 per viewer. In other words, $5.50 per eyeball--roughly. That cost approximately $187 million. Add to that the $130 million operating deficit in the first two years, and you're looking at more than a $300 million loss.'

Such dollar figures dwarf the $16 million deficit that AAR has declared in its recent bankruptcy filing. For additional context, the Washington Times, that city's 'second paper' and a conservative alternative to mainstream news nationally, received an estimated $1.7 billion in subsidies from its owner (Sun Myung Moon and his Unification Church) during that publication's first twenty years of existence (1982-2002)
--an average $85 million annual 'bailout'.

Rupert Murdoch & the Rev. Sun Myung Moon...
deep pockets that the right wing 'picked' to fund their media pulpits...

OK, enough about the legal proceedings...let's look at what all this ballyhoo is all about...

In my most recent post, I provided a graphic representation of AAR's presence during my trip through Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. Since the network only lists stations in a text-based format, I took the liberty of preparing a map of their national coverage:


Upon examination, it is obvious that AAR has NOT adopted Howard Dean's '50 state' strategy. While no progressive listener is ever truly barred from 'tuning in' (if they choose to stream the audio over the Internet or subscribe to XM satellite radio), it appears that 15 states do not have a station within their borders. Signal propagation from some of the stronger transmitters do provide coverage for those 'forsaken' jurisdictions. For example, I was able to hear (weakly) WWRL's 25,000 watt signal out of New York City in eastern Pennsylvania so I would assume that most of northern and central New Jersey--lacking an affiliate of their own--would be able to tune to 1600AM on their car or home radios. The 'dots' on my graphic only represent an estimated coverage area (most of AAR affiliates are on stations broadcasting at 5,000 watts effective radiated power or less). Weather, time of day, solar activity and terrain are several factors that can affect the signal strength and quality on a day-to-day (and sometimes hour-to-hour) basis.

Several locations correspond to major media markets (New York, Chicago, Los Angeles) but one outlet truly surprised me. According to a wikipedia.org's listing of affiliates, one of KYTI-FM's ('the Coyote') high definition, or HD, channels carries AAR programming to the listeners of the greater Sheridan, Wyoming area. Unlike some smaller stations located in 'red' states that carry this progressive programming to a college crowd (Chapel Hill, NC and Columbia, SC for their respective state's university campuses, Spokane, WA for Gonzaga University--close to the Idaho 'hinterlands'), I could not immediately find ANY overt reason why that community (the town only has one junior college and its claim to fame has been its selection as the #1 Western town in the nation--not a very liberal haven) would broadcast AAR, let alone be the only one in the US to offer it via HD radio. However, when I looked at the broadcasting coverage map for their transmitter, I noticed that it extends over the Wyoming border into southern Montana. With the influx of business and entertainment moguls into that part of the country since the 1970s and the use of a new technology that is somewhat pricy to the standard radio listener, I'm guessing this programming will be heard only by those 'Hollywood' expatriates or rich vacationers from the East and 'Left' coasts. If Dick Cheney ever heard about the 'treason' that was going on back in his 'home' state, I'm sure he'd roll over in his grave...oh wait, he's not dead...he just resembles it...



AAR's 'Wild Wild West' outpost...
I wonder if Wyoming's 'favorite son' is aware of this???


If you look again at the national map, you will see that there isn't a whole lot of 'blue' out there. If I were to take the time to plot out all of the stations that carry, say, Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity, that graphic would be bleeding bright red. Since their take-over of AM talk radio in the late 1980s and early 1990s (fueled primarily by Reagan's veto of placing the FCC's existing 'Fairness Doctrine' equal time policy into law), conservatives have had a stranglehold over this medium to the near exclusion of any liberals or progressives in the national arena (still had pockets in traditionally Democratic strongholds--New York, San Francisco--and current personalities Randi Rhodes and Ed Shultz honed their craft during this period).

With such overpowering assets (hundreds of stations and millions of listeners), I scratch my head and wonder what conservatives can possibly be afraid of. Some say that AM talk radio is simply a 'guy thing', a place where 'boys will be boys'. A rough and tumble environment that liberals supposedly detest (unlike FM, where NPR holds sway over the nation's ear). Others say that liberal talk radio is not 'entertaining' enough to capture and hold a steady audience. Still more think that the format is exclusively for them to wage combat against the alleged liberal media and its bias when presenting news and current events through the other traditional mediums (television, newspapers). Since their conquest of the AM dial, conservatives have made strides in cable news (although recently slumping, the Fox News Channel is the highest rated on television today due to the mass congregation of GOP viewers to that sole 'citadel' defending against the influences of the 'mainstream media') as well as on the 'internets' (a plethora of news sites and blogs dedicated to pounding out the right wing drumbeat on a 24/7 basis to a ever-growing constituency).

Conservative America's multimedia 'drummers'...

So what does all of this mean for AAR? Since they went in 'for a pound' and decided to create a full-fledged network back in 2004, they now have one of two choices. They can either secure additional funding (pledges like PBS does, premium services for web-specific items, etc.) to properly establish a true national network to carry their programming (the advent of HD radio could provide them an avenue into EVERY market) or they must cut back and limit themselves to producing programming to be marketed to one of the various national syndicators (currently in an arrangement with 24 Clear Channel Communications stations).

What if AAR can't make it back? There is a possibility but hopefully a very miniscule one. However, if the network did fold, I don't think that liberals and progressives will do their best 'lemming' impressions and head off the nearest cliff. What Air America has done during its short existence is provide its listenership with the tools to go out and fight for the hearts and minds of independent-minded Americans. Time and time again, they have exposed the 'man behind the curtain' on important issues over the past 2-1/2 years (Iraq, Katrina, signing statements, current GOP scandals, etc.) and, in conjunction with other media outlets who have recently 'rediscovered' their spines, have led a full-flanked attack on individuals and a party that have hijacked our country's reputation and resources in the pursuit of an agenda favoring themselves.

I might be dating myself here, but the song for my graduating high school class was 'Freebird' by Lynyrd Skynyrd. In the lyrics, the question is asked: if I leave here tomorrow, would you still remember me? In Air America's case, if the worst does happen, I can happily answer 'yes'...


Thursday, October 26, 2006

Radio Excursion through 'Red' America

Between October 17th and October 23rd, I had the unfortunate experience of spending at least almost an entire day--nearly 24 hours-- behind the wheel of a rental car. These road-bound periods were normally during daylight (late morning through the early evening) hours. Since the car only had terrestrial radio (no XM or Sirius satellite receiver) and a CD player, my entertainment options were somewhat limited. For this trip, I purposely bought a portable DVD player that has a DC adapter for plugging into an automobile power port. My plan was to listen to the lectures from a set of educational discs I recently purchased entitled 'The American Mind' during the long stretches between Ohio and Baltimore and from Wilkes-Barre back to Fairborn. Those were to take approximately 18 hours to play through the 36 lessons--almost matching the anticipated drive times exactly. In my driveway, I set up the player in the passenger seat, put the DVD into the device, and pushed the 'play' button. Unfortunately, it took less than five minutes to me to realize that my careful calculations failed to consider one crucial element--road noise! Even at the player's maximum volume level, there was no way I would be able to make out what the professor was saying. Sadly, I reached over, pushed the 'off' button, and resigned myself to relying on the AM & FM offerings along the way to keep my company on the drive.

Zones of 'blue' relief in an otherwise sea of 'red'

The graphic above shows what I had to 'endure' during my trip (traveled on I-70/I-76 straight through to Baltimore, took I-95 to I-83 to I-78 and then I-476 to Wilkes-Barre, drove back to Dayton via I-81 to I-80 to I-76 to I-71 back to I-70). The 'blue' areas represent coverage zones for AM radio stations that broadcast Air America Radio programming. I included the 'purple' zone around Pittsburgh because I 'found' Thom Hartman's show (syndicated via AAR as an alternative programming choice to Al Franken) playing on WPTT (1360AM) when I was driving through on on the afternoon of the 17th (station features talk hosts from all parts of the political spectrum). Except for those occasions when I was lucky enough to be within in proximity to those labeled transmitters, I was at the mercy of programming one might call 'non-progressive' for the majority of my drive time. I shaded the map a reddish hue for a reason...

One let-down I had during one of my 'blue' spells was my first (and hopefully last) exposure to Stephanie Miller. During my outbound drive through the Columbus area, I rolled up on WTPG (1230AM) and expected to hear either Sam Seder or Jerry Springer--AAR's two program offerings during the 9AM-12 noon timeframe. I was somewhat intrigued when I heard a woman taking phone calls and expressing a progressive bent in her opinions. However, this initial interest was quickly dampened when she started a raucous studio discussion with two male co-hosts and took a call from someone who recorded themself producing flatulence-imitating music during their freeway commute. Based out of Los Angeles--3 hours behind listeners in the Eastern time zone, she gives her listeners a 'morning show' routine in the same vein as Bob & Tom or Howard Stern (before he went to Sirius). During the almost 90-minute stretch before the station began to fade, I must've counted at least four plugs for her current or upcoming appearances on cable television (once you look at her photo, you can immediately see why she is invited). Maybe it's just me but perhaps radio is NOT her preferred medium.

Stephanie Miller...a disappointing show...
and a poor choice of wardrobe


Before anyone can call me a sexist pig (as if anyone actually reads my blog), I do admire other female progressive/liberal hosts but I base my loyalty on the content of their words and not just on their outward appearance. Randi Rhodes, a self-made radio personality, puts in the time and researches her subjects (a self-professed 'C-SPAN junkie', she assigns her audience 'homework' to let them judge for themselves the information she discusses on her shows). Katherine Lanpher, Al Franken's former co-host, had a long career in journalism and a short stint on Minnesota Public Radio prior to joining the AAR team in March 2004. Rachel Maddow, originally teamed with rapper Chuck D. and comedy writer Lizz Winnstead for Air America's 'Unfiltered' morning show from March 2004 to March 2005, is probably my favorite radio host. After 'Morning Sedition' (the show that replaced 'Unfiltered') was cancelled at the end of last year, she was given the hosting duties in January 2006 for a 7-9AM show that made my commutes more bearable. She now is on in the evenings (6-8PM) but also is a regular commentator on cable news. Being a Rhodes Scholar allows Dr. Maddow to readily impart credibility and gravitas into her somewhat manic on-air persona. The local AAR affiliate (WSAI-1360AM) doesn't carry the new program but I do stream her broadcast every now and then. In all the time I've listened to these three women, I can't remember ever hearing a fart joke...

Speaking of foul-smelling and forcefully expelled gas, my map above indicates the inordinate amount of time I was vulnerable to the overwhelming presence of conservative AM talk radio programming--honchoed by the king of all right-wing bloviators, 'El Rushbo' himself. On the two days I had the longest drives (17 and 23 October--both weekdays), I was unfortunate enough to be outside of the designated 'relief' areas during most of the 12 noon-3PM timeframe. On his show on the 17th, I was 'fortunate' enough to hear his interview (more like a scripted 'love-in') with the vice president. Until I found that Pittsburgh station, I must've scanned through nearly a dozen stations on the AM band that was simultaneously airing his program in the eastern West Virginia and southwest/central Pennsylvania region. Most of those same stations immediately followed with Sean Hannity's show; however, a few reverted to their regular programming (one was for a big-band 'oldies' station--a telling indicator of Mr. Limbaugh's target demographic). I was also listening on the 23rd when he made his now infamous comments about Michael J. Fox's political ads supporting Senate candidates that favor embryonic stem cell research. If someone was driving by me at that very moment, they would've seen me screaming at the dashboard in response to Rush's tactless and erroneous claims about Fox's condition and motives. Luckily, I was rapidly approaching northeastern Ohio so I was able to tune to Akron's 'Radio Free Ohio' offerings on WARF before I blew a gasket...or worse!


From a January 1995 copy of Time Magazine...
just look how accurate their prediction really was!

I will admit that I do listen to Limbaugh from time to time--mostly for the entertainment value. Last year, I was in Arizona on a business trip and was driving with a co-worker between Sierra Vista and Tucson. With limited scenery (and even more limited radio programming), we decided to put on his show for something to listen to. At first, he played a musical number (supposedly Hillary Clinton singing 'Try to Remember') which I thought was rather amusing; however, that jovial mood was cut off by comments he made about a reported poll tax initiative in Georgia (legislation stated that citizens are to show a photo ID card--that they must purchase themselves--in order to vote). He was also in 'defense mode' for comments he made about Katrina victims earlier in the month (just like he is now with Fox). As soon as he would say something, I immediately shot back
(to those within earshot) with proof that his words were untrue. As for my traveling companion--a somewhat 'red' person, that turned out to be a rather long drive that day.

Sometimes, I wasn't given a choice. When I lived overseas, the local AFN affiliate--the only audible station in the vicinity of my house--carried the first hour of his program from 5-6AM. Since I woke up at 5:45, it made for a quick wake-up routine...getting my hand to the 'off' button of my clock radio before I could start to listen to his screed du jour. When he checked into rehab in October 2003, I sent him an email stating that, on a human level, I cared about him and wished him well during his recovery. I was hoping that the experience would temper his outlook on life--apparently, he never read my words. A third divorce, getting fired from his ESPN gig for borderline racist comments, being addicted to prescription pain medication and enduring on-going health problems would weigh down the strongest of men--even someone with an ego the size of Limbaugh's. His most recent 'transgressions' (the Viagra issue and now the Fox comments) portray a person willing to risk everything to either prove his twisted points or to keep himself in the public spotlight.


One pleasant surprise came at the end of my journey. Due to the placement of the three AAR affiliates in Ohio, I enjoyed almost seamless coverage (some fading near Mansfield) during my drive from the northeast to the southwest along I-71. I rarely use that route but progressives who frequently drive between Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati can travel along that major artery serene in the knowledge that they no longer have to expose themselves to the 'dark side' of the radio dial if they fail to adequately plan for their highway entertainment needs...like someone I know...

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Straying from the Course


Dang! Another long break in my 'blogorhythm' has occurred...although not as bad as my previous 5-week absence, this one had a couple of mitigating factors behind it. As I mentioned in my previous post, I started to frequent the DDN's 'Speak Up!' message boards just a little too much. Many nights (and some days, too) would be spent checking up on posting activity--some might call it 'lurking'--to either my original posts or my replies to other topics. I just had to be able to respond rapidly to someone who would either condemn or congratulate me for my expression of personal opinion in that forum. My world began to revolve around the 30 or so frequent posters and the dynamics between our two online 'tribes'.

The only thing that was able to break me of this habit was a combined business/personal trip back east (Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania). Since my transportation would be on the company's 'dime', I decided to rent a car and drive the 8-9 hours each way. The drive was rather scenic (eastern Ohio and almost all of Pennsylvania were ablaze in autumn's fiery hues), despite the rain (and one patch of thick fog right around the Maryland border) that lasted almost the entire drive to the Baltimore area. I stayed in Maryland the first night and in northern Virginia for the second and was treated to political theater the likes I haven't seen before...except maybe in Ohio this year. Maryland and Virginia both have hotly contested US Senate races and Maryland's GOP governor is seeking re-election (with a blind woman as his running mate). The regional television stations must've been taking both DNC and RNC checks and heading straight to the bank. I didn't get a respite from politics in Pennsylvania, either (Senate and gubernatorial elections plus two contentious US House races featuring ethically challenged Republican representatives Curt Weldon and Don Sherwood). I just missed President Bush's 'fly-by' campaign stop for Sherwood in the Scranton suburbs but the papers had a field day with the photos and accompanying articles.

I was further kept from my 'cybersquatting' by a long-overdue visit to see my siblings and other relatives back in the Wilkes-Barre area. It was over two years ago that I brought the kids with me to see their aunts and uncles and nephews. I packed a lot of activity into those 80+ hours back home. The ride back (almost 500 miles straight through) was exhausting and I had to return to the office the following day. Only now am I able to put my thoughts to the keyboard on these and other events from the past 3 weeks.

In the following days, I will comment on some of the things I experienced on that trip (to include the excruciatingly limited options of terrestrial radio on long car journeys--especially through eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania) as well as a review of newspapers I picked up along both directions of my drive. This blog was started as a outlet to respond to our local paper here in the Dayton area so I thought it might be appropriate to see just how the DDN stacks up against other comparable dailies around the region. Hopefully this short respite will re-energize my blogging efforts (again) and allow me to provide my unique perspective on the issues of the day. Make sure to check back in a few days...

Sunday, October 01, 2006

"Speak Up!" Is Addictive

Another Sunday night is here and it's usually the time when I sit back to ponder what I accomplished over the past two days. If I subtract the hours I was asleep, I probably had approximately 30-32 hours available for me to use.

Let's see...we went out for Chinese on Friday night. I did my usual weekly 'chore' (grocery shopping) and found time to read newspapers both Saturday and Sunday morning. I took our son to buy a 'school photo-worthy' shirt for his class pictures and took him to some other places during a quick errand run. I continued dubbing our home movies over to DVD--a tedious process. I bought a copy of Frank Rich's new book "The Greatest Story Ever Sold" and read the first chapter last night. I've been watching football both yesterday and today--well, it was playing in the background (like it is now). However, the activity that occupied most of my waking moments was participating on the DDN's online forum, aptly titled "Speak Up!".

I first visited this site earlier in the year when I signed up for a user account for accessing the paper's online services. Previous to this, I've never been that involved with any online message boards and conserved my words for emails and IMs. I started off as a 'lurker'--someone who simply went through the listed subjects of discussion to read the exchanges between the more extroverted users. As a political 'wonk', I gravitated towards titles reflecting that particular type of activity might be present. As I started my reading, I noticed that there appeared to be two distinct online 'tribes'--corresponding to the major competing political ideologies of the day. Needless to say, I began to empathize more with the 'blue' group and was able to identify the 'red' members very readily. I can't remember what my first posting was about but I did receive a 'high five' from one of my future compatriots for my support on that issue. That kind act reinforced my desire to join in on this 24/7 discussion on a more regular basis.

And how true that has been! As I'm writing this, I'm checking the boards every few minutes to see the latest responses and check if anyone is taking me to task personally. I've taken up a 'vigilant' posture--if someone posts something that doesn't jibe with my understanding of our current version of reality, I take it upon myself to address the poster's issue and either correct them or refute their assertions. There are a few from the 'red' tribe that add items just to stir up a response from us (I won't mention their online 'handles' but if you look through the exchanges, they'd be recognized rather easily) and some of us 'blues' have started to do the same thing. Some exchanges get rather heated and people do step right up to the line drawn by the site concerning appropriate behaviors. I have to take mandated breaks from "Speak Up!" when I'm at work (my employer would not like me spending my entire day in contentious online debates) so I cannot keep up with other users who are retired or have more amenable working environments than I currently have. As with other 'manias', this one shall pass...

I wasn't selected as the winner in last week's "Open Mike" contest so my identity still remains cloaked in mystery. My submission had the person saying "he was what he was"--a take-off of one of his more famous catch phrases. The winner mentioned spinach and the deceased's long-suffering girlfriend. I got a headstart on this week's entry (pictured below) on Friday evening--as of this posting, I've submitted 16 different entries. I now have to wait until Tuesday to see if I've again earned the board's favor.



Right now, I'm not looking so good for winning my third straight fantasy football game. Two players that I was undecided about had very good games today; unfortunately, I benched them right before the 1:05 kickoffs in favor of more dependable guys who didn't perform as expected. As of 4:00 left in the 3rd quarter of the Bears-Seahawks game, I'm down by 26 points (my opponent and I each have one player involved in this game and we have others that don't play until tomorrow evening). Granted, one of my Monday night participants is Donovan McNabb--the highest rated player in our league--but he'd have to have an extraordinary evening (300+ yards, 4-5 passing/running TDs) just for me to get close. My opponent has one of McNabb's favorite targets (WR Donte Stallworth) as a starter so Donovan's success will probably involve him. I believe that the Warbirds winning streak is history...ah, but it's only a game!

Thursday, September 28, 2006

Busy Work Week

I've been away from my computer for the last 3-4 nights because of work-related activities (resurrected my dormant 'PowerPoint Ranger' skills). Our company just finished its turn in hosting rotating contract-required meetings and my team was one person short--that 'absentee' was the boss! The rest of us pitched in to shoulder the additional responsibilities so I had to create and present two briefings as well as facilitate an information systems security working group that I was assigned to just over a month ago! Today was the final day so I was able to come home early, take a well-deserved power nap, and catch up with the blog and the current scuttlebutt on the DDN message boards.

Speaking of blogging, I remember seeing a thread on that subject (borrowing Star Trek: The Next Generation's Borg) in the 'Brewster Rockit' comic strip about a month or so ago...here are the pertinent panels:












My family is still lukewarm to my 'assimilation'. One night, I mentioned (in jest) that I was going to quit my job and blog full-time. After I laid out a 'financial plan' (said that I could earn a lot of money--hundreds of dollars a month!!--by having ads on my site), my wife asked if my life insurance was currently paid up. After I answered affirmatively, she then told our kids (in jest) that 'plan B' will go into effect shortly...we both had a good laugh!

I did have one pleasant surprise on Wednesday. I logged into the 'Open Mike' page on the DDN website and found out that the selection board picked one of my submissions for its five finalists on last Saturday's 'Popeye' panel. When I logged in this evening, the contest had already ended so I couldn't screen-capture the other choices to post on this blog. I've got my fingers crossed but I also have some concerns. I entered my submissions using my 'nom de plume' and if I win, my identity will be revealed. While I would relish such a public recognition of my wit, I would lose my 'cyber' anonymity...Saturday morning will be very interesting.

Monday, September 25, 2006

I Finally Remembered

After two weeks of futility (and public acknowledgement of my inability to add a simple recurring suspense to Microsoft Outlook), I finally remembered to enter the DDN's "Open Mike" contest. Below is the panel for this week:




I felt this cartoon was a 'target rich environment' in the amount of obvious and underlying items that the contestants could infer from within its boundaries. Popeye is (was?) an American icon and his strips are widely known both here and abroad. Stories surrounding his favorite organic 'pick-me-up' have been in the news forefront over the past week or so—some documenting loss of life. Lingering political issues, although a little more difficult, could be shoehorned into the setting or the pictured scenario.

Over the weekend, I was able to come up with NINE different submissions covering all of the above. I will wait until they announce the five weekly finalists before I share them online; however, if one (or more) of those is (are) chosen by the paper as a finalist, I will stick with that one (them) as my #1 choice (top choices)—but I won’t identify it until after they announce the weekly winner.


Speaking of winning, my Fairborn Warbirds continued their unbeaten streak in our office’s fantasy football league over the weekend. It was a lot closer (a 14-point victory) than the previous 50-point blowout because my main running back (LaDainian Tomlinson of the San Diego Chargers) had a ‘bye’ week and had to sit out. If I didn’t mess up my starting line-up in the first week, I’d have the only undefeated or untied team in the league. The only sports ‘downer’ was the OSU victory over my Nittany Lions…

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Why the Urgency?

This past Friday, President Bush held a televised press conference in the White House Rose Garden. Many news outlets critiqued his performance (his tone, gestures, selected phrases) in order to read into why he seemed so angry and somewhat petulant in his conduct with the press corps. I've excerpted a few passages from the transcript to analyze (you can watch the whole thing at this link):




There are two vital pieces of legislation in Congress now that I think are necessary to help us win the war on terror. We will work with members of both parties to get legislation that works out of the Congress. The first bill will allow us to use military commissions to try suspected terrorists for war crimes. We need the legislation because the Supreme Court recently ruled that military commissions must be explicitly authorized by Congress. So we're working with Congress. The Supreme Court said, you must work with Congress; we are working with Congress to get a good piece of legislation out.


The bill I have proposed will ensure that suspected terrorists will receive full and fair trials, without revealing to them our nation's sensitive intelligence secrets. As soon as Congress acts on this bill, the man our intelligence agencies believe helped orchestrate the 9/11 attacks can face justice.


The bill would also provide clear rules for our personnel involved in detaining and questioning captured terrorists. The information that the Central Intelligence Agency has obtained by questioning men like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed has provided valuable information and has helped disrupt terrorist plots, including strikes within the United States.


For example, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed described the design of planned attacks of buildings inside the U.S. and how operatives were directed to carry them out. That is valuable information for those of us who have the responsibility to protect the American people. He told us the operatives had been instructed to ensure that the explosives went off at a high -- a point that was high enough to prevent people trapped above from escaping.


He gave us information that helped uncover al Qaeda cells' efforts to obtain biological weapons.


We've also learned information from the CIA program that has helped stop other plots, including attacks on the U.S. Marine base in East Africa, or American consulate in Pakistan, or Britain's Heathrow Airport. This program has been one of the most vital tools in our efforts to protect this country. It's been invaluable to our country, and it's invaluable to our allies.


Were it not for this program, our intelligence community believes that al Qaeda and its allies would have succeeded in launching another attack against the American homeland. Making us -- giving us information about terrorist plans we couldn't get anywhere else, this program has saved innocent lives. In other words, it's vital. That's why I asked Congress to pass legislation so that our professionals can go forward, doing the duty we expect them to do. Unfortunately, the recent Supreme Court decision put the future of this program in question. That's another reason I went to Congress. We need this legislation to save it.


I am asking Congress to pass a clear law with clear guidelines based on the Detainee Treatment Act that was strongly supported by Senator John McCain. There is a debate about the specific provisions in my bill, and we'll work with Congress to continue to try to find common ground. I have one test for this legislation, I'm going to answer one question as this legislation proceeds, and it's this: The intelligence community must be able to tell me that the bill Congress sends to my desk will allow this vital program to continue. That's what I'm going to ask.


The second bill before Congress would modernize our electronic surveillance laws and provide additional authority for the terrorist surveillance program. I authorized the National Security Agency to operate this vital program in response to the 9/11 attacks. It allows us to quickly monitor terrorist communications between someone overseas and someone in the United States, and it's helped detect and prevent attacks on our country.


The principle behind this program is clear: when an al Qaeda operative is calling into the United States or out of the country, we need to know who they're calling, why they're calling, and what they're planning. Both these bills are essential to winning the war on terror. We will work with Congress to get good bills out. We have a duty, we have a duty to work together to give our folks on the front line the tools necessary to protect America. Time is running out. Congress is set to adjourn in just a few weeks. Congress needs to act wisely and promptly so I can sign good legislation.


- Press conference; Washington, DC; September 15, 2006


This is something different for this president (a newfound spirit of cooperation and conciliation has replaced the previous swagger) and his administration. The last few lines above, I feel, are the key to why these 'unorthodox' attributes are surfacing. Although a woman in a persistent vegetative state is not involved in this particular instance, there is an obvious sense of urgency in the president's voice and words.

He seems very concerned about two pieces of legislation currently in front of Congress (he refers to one of them as the 'Detainee Treatment Act' and the other is considered to be modifications to his existing 'Terrorist Surveillance Program'--a.k.a. the 'Warrantless Eavesdropping Program' by those outside of the administration). Below are some long-standing issues that these initiatives will touch upon (I've highlighted the administration's actions/responses to them):


Warrantless wiretapping:



The authorization I gave the National Security Agency after September the 11th helped address that problem in a way that is fully consistent with my constitutional responsibilities and authorities. The activities I have authorized make it more likely that killers like these 9/11 hijackers will be identified and located in time. And the activities conducted under this authorization have helped detect and prevent possible terrorist attacks in the United States and abroad.


- Weekly radio address; Washington, DC; December 17, 2005




Today there are new claims about other ways we are tracking down al Qaeda to prevent attacks on America. I want to make some important points about what the government is doing and what the government is not doing.


First, our international activities strictly target al Qaeda and their known affiliates. Al Qaeda is our enemy, and we want to know their plans. Second, the government does not listen to domestic phone calls without court approval. Third, the intelligence activities I authorized are lawful and have been briefed to appropriate members of Congress, both Republican and Democrat. Fourth, the privacy of ordinary Americans is fiercely protected in all our activities.


- Presidential remarks; Washington, DC; May 11, 2006




I'm here to do a job that needs to be done for the President of the United States. And I'm perfectly willing to go out and speak out on those issues such as the NSA terrorist surveillance program because I believe very deeply in what we're doing. It's the right thing to do, and, frankly, I don't spend a lot of time worrying about the polls.


- Face the Nation; Washington, DC; March 19, 2006



Torture:



2. Pursuant to my authority as commander in chief and chief executive of the United States, and relying on the opinion of the Department of Justice dated January 22, 2002, and on the legal opinion rendered by the attorney general in his letter of February 1, 2002, I hereby determine as follows:


a. I accept the legal conclusion of the Department of Justice and determine that none of the provisions of Geneva apply to our conflict with al-Qaida in Afghanistan or elsewhere throughout the world because, among other reasons, al-Qaida is not a High Contracting Party to Geneva.


b. I accept the legal conclusion of the attorney general and the Department of Justice that I have the authority under the Constitution to suspend Geneva as between the United States and Afghanistan, but I decline to exercise that authority at this time. Accordingly, I determine that the provisions of Geneva will apply to our present conflict with the Taliban. I reserve the right to exercise the authority in this or future conflicts.


c. I also accept the legal conclusion of the Department of Justice and determine that common Article 3 of Geneva does not apply to either al-Qaida or Taliban detainees, because, among other reasons, the relevant conflicts are international in scope and common Article 3 applies only to "armed conflict not of an international character."


d. Based on the facts supplied by the Department of Defense and the recommendation of the Department of Justice, I determine that the Taliban detainees are unlawful combatants and, therefore, do not qualify as prisoners of war under Article 4 of Geneva. I note that, because Geneva does not apply to our conflict with al-Qaida, al-Qaida detainees also do not qualify as prisoners of war.


- Excerpt from presidential order given on Feb. 7, 2002, outlining treatment of al-Qaida and Taliban detainees




In early October, 2002, Joint Task Force 170, the SouthCom entity charged with prisoner interrogation at Guantanamo Bay forwarded a Request for Approval of Counter Resistance Strategies of 11 October, 02. That, in turn, was forwarded to the Joint Chiefs of Staff by Commander SouthCom on 25 October, 02.


The Request noted that "current" interrogation guidelines "limit the ability of interrogators to counter advanced resistance." It proposed three categories of interrogation techniques.


- Category I included an initial comfortable environment but if the detainee was determined by the interrogator to be uncooperative, could include 1) yelling (but not loudly enough to cause physical pain), and 2) techniques of deception including multiple interrogators and misidentification of the interrogator as a citizen of a foreign country "with a reputation for harsh treatment of detainees."


- Category II, which required the permission of the General in Charge of the Interrogation Section, included "...the use of stress positions (like standing), for a maximum of four hours," the use of falsified documents or reports, solitary confinement for up to thirty days, interrogation in other than the standard interrogation booth, sensory deprivation, hooding with unrestricted breathing, "removal of all comfort items (including religious items)," feeding cold Army rations, removal of clothing, "forced grooming (shaving of facial hair etc.)," and "use of detainees individual phobias (such as fear of dogs) to induce stress."


- Category III techniques include the use of "scenarios designed to convince the detainee that death or severely painful consequences are imminent for him and/or his family," "exposure to cold weather or water (with appropriate medical monitoring)," "use of a wet towel and dripping water to induce the misperception of suffocation," and use of "mild, non injurious physical contact such as grabbing, poking in the chest with the finger and light pushing."


- Counter-resistance techniques suggested by JTF 170; October 11, 2002




On 2 December, 2002, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, approved Category I and II techniques and the fourth technique in Category III ("mild, non-injurious physical contact"). The use of death threats to family, exposure to cold weather and water, and simulated drowning was not approved although DOD General counsel advised they "may be legally available." A number of those techniques were apparently used. On 15 January, 2003, Secretary Rumsfeld rescinded his approval of Category II and one Category III techniques pending a study by DOD General Counsel. He noted that "Should you determine that particular techniques in either of these categories are warranted in an individual case, you should forward that request to me." Approval of Category I techniques apparently remained in effect.




We conclude that for an act to constitute torture as defined in Section 2340, it must inflict pain that is difficult to endure. Physical pain amounting to torture must be equivalent in intensity to the pain accompanying serious physical injury, such as organ failure, impairment of bodily function, or even death. For purely mental pain or suffering to amount to torture under Section 2340, it must result in significant psychological harm of significant duration, e.g., lasting for months or even years. We conclude that the mental harm also must result from one of the predicate acts listed in the statute, namely: threats of imminent death; threats of infliction of the kind of pain that would amount ot physical torture; infliction of such physical pain as a means of psychological torture; use of drugs or other procedures designed to deeply disrupt the senses, or fundamentally alter an individual’s personality; or threatening to do any of these things to a third party. The legislative history simply reveals that Congress intended for the statute’s definition to track the Convention’s definition of torture and the reservations, understandings, and declarations that the United States submitted with its ratification. We conclude that the statute, taken as a whole, makes plain that it prohibits only extreme acts.


- Excerpt from memorandum from Office of the Assistant Attorney General for Alberto R. Gonzales, Counsel to the President; Re: Standards of Conduct for Interrogation under 18 U.S.C. §§ 2340-2340A




ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero released the memo Dec. 20 in New York. That document, a May 22, 2004 FBI internal e-mail, suggests that Bush issued a secret Executive Order authorizing the use of extreme coercive measures in interrogation, including sleep deprivation, stress positions, attack dogs, and use of hoods to intimidate prisoners. The Geneva Convention Against Torture bans all of these practices.


- Army email referencing a secret executive order authorizing the use of torture in Iraq






I can say that we, in fact, are consistent with the commitments of the United States that we don't engage in torture. And we don't.


I can guarantee you that we do do as a government, as an administration, is to support and uphold the Constitution of United States, that we do, in fact, take extraordinary steps to make certain we maintain our constitutional obligations and responsibilities, which includes both defending the country as well as defending individual liberties and protecting the rights of all Americans.


- Nightline; Al-Asad, Iraq; December 18, 2005




I want to be absolutely clear with our people, and the world: The United States does not torture. It's against our laws, and it's against our values. I have not authorized it -- and I will not authorize it.


- Press event; Washington, DC; September 6, 2006


Secret prisons:



In addition to the terrorists held at Guantanamo, a small number of suspected terrorist leaders and operatives captured during the war have been held and questioned outside the United States, in a separate program operated by the Central Intelligence Agency.


Many specifics of this program, including where these detainees have been held and the details of their confinement, cannot be divulged.


Information from the terrorists in this program has helped us to identify individuals that al Qaeda deemed suitable for Western operations, many of whom we had never heard about before.


This program has also played a critical role in helping us understand the enemy we face in this war.


The CIA program has detained only a limited number of terrorists at any given time -- and once we've determined that the terrorists held by the CIA have little or no additional intelligence value, many of them have been returned to their home countries for prosecution or detention by their governments.


- Press event; Washington, DC; September 6, 2006



So why is there a rush to get these proposed pieces of legislation through Congress? Could it be that he knows that Congress will change hands in the new year and someone (actually a lot of people pictured above and behind the scenes) will be caught with their hand in the legal ‘cookie jar’??? Johnathan Turley, George Washington University professor and Consitutional scholar, brought up this subject later that same night on MSNBC's 'Countdown' program (click on graphic below to watch the video segment):




"You know, the thing that is ticking here, in terms of a clock, is the fact that these 14 guys that were recently transferred just arrived not that long ago in Gitmo in Cuba. They are going to be, or have been, interviewed by the Red Cross. Most people believe that waterboarding, they where (ph) you are held underwater until you think that you‘re going to drown. That is undeniably torture under the international standard.

If that occurs in the coming days, the United States, and specifically the president, will be accused of committing a very serious violation of international law. Torture is one of the top three or four things that the international law is designed to prevent.

And so the reason there‘s this move to try to get legislation as fast as possible is because I think the administration senses that there‘s a lot of trouble coming down this mountain."


- Countdown; Washington, DC; September 15, 2006


It now appears quite possible that the administration that could not be defeated via the ballot box could well be removed (or seriously damaged) at the hands of their own hubris. These are the same people who believed the ends justified the means in any situation, no matter how incongruent their methods were to existing statues, accepted protocols or traditions, or even Constitutional law. Oh, how the mighty have fallen...



Soon to be mass-issued throughout the Bush Administration


To request such legislation (Turley insinuated that they might provide retroactive protection for the president's already committed 'transgressions') at this late hour of the Congressional session demonstrates their desperation to avoid any accountability for their actions over the past five years. Immigration reform, border security, the Iraq war--all will be pushed aside to save the president's backside. At least they won't be debating about Terri Schiavo again...