From my former "Ducks On The Pond" blog, dated March 6, 2007. Enjoy.
It is within every baseball fan's rights to profess the longing for a return to "pure" baseball. One of the first things they will argue about is the elimination of the DH. You'll hear this every year.
I take the stance of being FOR the DH rule, chiefly because the DH had been around for seven seasons before I really began following the game. Yes, the DH is not a pure rule. But neither are six divisions, All-Star Games that supposedly mean something, and outrageous player salaries. They're a part of baseball lore now, although they aren't pure.
How effective is the DH? I believe it made Paul Molitor the Hall Of Famer that he is. More often than not, the slot is reserved for an aging hitter who no longer has reputable fielding prowess. Critics claim that a player should be able to be effective on both ends: hitting & fielding. But the legs generally go before the arms do, so those who DH on a regular basis may defend their stance, saying the experience has extended their careers.
Let's say there had never been a DH, and look at Molitor's numbers under that new scenario:
His career lasted from 1978-1998. He was a stalwart at second, third, and even the outfield; but began being a primary DH in 1989; nine seasons before he called it a career. If that is the case, consider the numbers he put up in these categories:
Games: 1246... Hits: 1568... Homers: 115... Stolen Bases: 160.
Also note: Three of his four 200-hit seasons came after he became a DH. What would this have done to his final numbers if no DH caused him not to play those extra nine seasons?
Games: 1437 instead of 2683
Hits: 1661 instead of 3319
Homers: 119 versus 234
Stolen Bases: 344 against 504
Most likely, he wouldn't have been in the Hall Of Fame, given today's perceived requirements. Remember, he was an injury bug waiting to happen early in his career. In 1987, the year of his 39-game hitting streak, the consensus seemed to be, "Wow, he actually played 100 games?" Molitor was a legitimate fragile person who overcame that label to become the player he ended up being. He needed the role to continue his career; but none of those nine years were subpar by any standard. He was nothing but a bonus to any team he was with.
The DH was a positive innovation in Paul Molitor's case. Innovation helps spur life forward. It seems silly to say... but we are stuck with the DH in the AL, and it does have perks that aren't normally associated with it directly.
January 30, 2008
January 27, 2008
CLASSIC BLOG: "When It Was About Teaching"
From my former "Airwaving It Out" blog, dated January 13, 2007. Enjoy.
YouTube has a great library of Sesame Street segments from the past, when I swore I was its number one fan. Sadly, these clips (save for a brief resurgence on the Noggin network in 2001) are ancient history and have never been appreciated by the generations growing up today.
What has Sesame Street been whittled down to today? Mindless junk segments meant only to make noise (and keep the infants awake), versus teaching something. Whoever made Elmo more than a supporting character should be barred from media altogether.
When I watched the show from ages 2-4, the emphasis was on learning letters and numbers. You would learn pronounciations, etc., on The Electric Company, but with time, you could understand the conversations the people on the street or the Muppets would have. Skits were creative, and yet simple for the youngsters to understand. Parents could watch the shows with them and appreciate the teaching tool the show provided.
Now Elmo takes 1/3rd of the show? With his third-person references, as in "Elmo wants, Elmo likes?" I was never told to say "Kevin likes, Kevin dislikes." The NBA has an image problem because so many of its athletes talk in the third person sense. Elmo may not have trained them directly to talk like that, but I'm sure the character influenced them. The emphasis is on visual humor these days, versus learning something.
How come the show still airs on PBS, which prides itself on being a teaching tool, I wonder.
I am grateful for the images YouTube does have, and reviewed some of them last week. I caught a glimpse of some commentary about this segment, which to my dying day I will credit for me learning to count to 20. There were many "far out, psychadelic, 'great' influence for the kids; what drugs were they on" comments, which caused one person to literally say: So it had some psychadelia, so what? People remember it, because the segment TAUGHT something.
How true. I'll never remember an episode of "Super Grover". But I'll remember all the things the show did teach me, and the fun ways the lessons were taught.
Call up YouTube sometime and type in "Sesame Street", looking for the old cartoons and viginettes. You'll see what I mean quite clearly.
YouTube has a great library of Sesame Street segments from the past, when I swore I was its number one fan. Sadly, these clips (save for a brief resurgence on the Noggin network in 2001) are ancient history and have never been appreciated by the generations growing up today.
What has Sesame Street been whittled down to today? Mindless junk segments meant only to make noise (and keep the infants awake), versus teaching something. Whoever made Elmo more than a supporting character should be barred from media altogether.
When I watched the show from ages 2-4, the emphasis was on learning letters and numbers. You would learn pronounciations, etc., on The Electric Company, but with time, you could understand the conversations the people on the street or the Muppets would have. Skits were creative, and yet simple for the youngsters to understand. Parents could watch the shows with them and appreciate the teaching tool the show provided.
Now Elmo takes 1/3rd of the show? With his third-person references, as in "Elmo wants, Elmo likes?" I was never told to say "Kevin likes, Kevin dislikes." The NBA has an image problem because so many of its athletes talk in the third person sense. Elmo may not have trained them directly to talk like that, but I'm sure the character influenced them. The emphasis is on visual humor these days, versus learning something.
How come the show still airs on PBS, which prides itself on being a teaching tool, I wonder.
I am grateful for the images YouTube does have, and reviewed some of them last week. I caught a glimpse of some commentary about this segment, which to my dying day I will credit for me learning to count to 20. There were many "far out, psychadelic, 'great' influence for the kids; what drugs were they on" comments, which caused one person to literally say: So it had some psychadelia, so what? People remember it, because the segment TAUGHT something.
How true. I'll never remember an episode of "Super Grover". But I'll remember all the things the show did teach me, and the fun ways the lessons were taught.
Call up YouTube sometime and type in "Sesame Street", looking for the old cartoons and viginettes. You'll see what I mean quite clearly.
January 25, 2008
CLASSIC BLOG: "Televising Improv"
From my former "Airwaving It Out" blog, dated February 9, 2007. Enjoy.
Today, my thoughts went back to my most ambitious creative project that skimmed the ground briefly before running out of gas.
About the same time my sports show Four-Pro Forum was being produced at the college, I met up with a man who was a graduate of Detroit's chapter of Second City comedy club. Jerry was a specialist at improv, a comedy niche I knew something about, but not totally. What I did know was that nothing of that nature was televised before, it had only been staged.
I attempted to break through and produce a variety show, Kaveman's Korner, that would combine Jerry's comedic talents with my take on a Tonight Show / Late Show format.
It was an interesting premise as we devised the script for the first show. I expected interest to come from a lot of the students in the production classes, but either they were unsure, or scared, to see something that major being produced. No one had tried to produce a variety show of that magnitude in the small, cramped studio on campus, and I quickly found this out -- although I was willing to work around it.
"Kaveman" was perhaps the most challenging show I had come up with or worked on. I can't count the re-enactment of Annie Hall that our class did, or the remake of Pulp Fiction that I edited for my final class project. This show would be a one-hour, straight through, with previously-recorded roll-ins introducing various comedy sketches.
Those side sketches, called "wrap-arounds" in the business, were the easiest to produce, and were very naturally funny. The actual studio segments, though, were quite hard. We had to squeeze a curtained stage, interview desk, and platform for a four-piece live band into a 150-square foot area, then strike the set when finished. There was action in all corners of the studio, but as I found later, not enough lighting and not enough microphones. My friend Alan always salivated at the prospect of assisting on major productions, but even he became frustrated with the lack of mobility, and frustrating him was something that was not easy to do.
But what became the most tedious was the reaction to Jerry's material. I found out that improv does not produce the same type of pacing as regular comedy or interview spots do. On the first show, he opened with a two-minute explanation of what improv really was. To say I wasn't shaking my head to myself would be a lie, but I was hoping for the best. I didn't think for one moment I was in over my head, but I guess the lack of interest from staff members may have dictated otherwise, though I would never have admitted it.
All good comedians will tell you that audience reaction is do-or-die; they thrive off positive reaction and are encouraged to become funnier off-the-cuff if the reception is warm. We had no room for an audience, so I had to insert a laugh track in post-production. But in presenting material before the cameras, he had to rely on banter with his bandleader and nothing else. This disappointed him more than anything. I wasn't keen about shooting on location, and to make a long story short, it contributed to the premature ending of this idea and the parting of ways.
I regret all partings that happen before their time, and I do wish that I had put forth a little more effort into being more flexible. That's part of who I am as a producer: I will admit faux pas, even though they may come late.
Would this be a show I would do now? I would definitely try again, given better facilities, and a better understanding of how the genre of improv works. Apparently, improv is not at its best when staged deliberately. If the natural aura is killed, so must be the enthusiasm. I only wish I knew - it would have been a very interesting & unique pedigree on my record if it had gone through.
Today, my thoughts went back to my most ambitious creative project that skimmed the ground briefly before running out of gas.
About the same time my sports show Four-Pro Forum was being produced at the college, I met up with a man who was a graduate of Detroit's chapter of Second City comedy club. Jerry was a specialist at improv, a comedy niche I knew something about, but not totally. What I did know was that nothing of that nature was televised before, it had only been staged.
I attempted to break through and produce a variety show, Kaveman's Korner, that would combine Jerry's comedic talents with my take on a Tonight Show / Late Show format.
It was an interesting premise as we devised the script for the first show. I expected interest to come from a lot of the students in the production classes, but either they were unsure, or scared, to see something that major being produced. No one had tried to produce a variety show of that magnitude in the small, cramped studio on campus, and I quickly found this out -- although I was willing to work around it.
"Kaveman" was perhaps the most challenging show I had come up with or worked on. I can't count the re-enactment of Annie Hall that our class did, or the remake of Pulp Fiction that I edited for my final class project. This show would be a one-hour, straight through, with previously-recorded roll-ins introducing various comedy sketches.
Those side sketches, called "wrap-arounds" in the business, were the easiest to produce, and were very naturally funny. The actual studio segments, though, were quite hard. We had to squeeze a curtained stage, interview desk, and platform for a four-piece live band into a 150-square foot area, then strike the set when finished. There was action in all corners of the studio, but as I found later, not enough lighting and not enough microphones. My friend Alan always salivated at the prospect of assisting on major productions, but even he became frustrated with the lack of mobility, and frustrating him was something that was not easy to do.
But what became the most tedious was the reaction to Jerry's material. I found out that improv does not produce the same type of pacing as regular comedy or interview spots do. On the first show, he opened with a two-minute explanation of what improv really was. To say I wasn't shaking my head to myself would be a lie, but I was hoping for the best. I didn't think for one moment I was in over my head, but I guess the lack of interest from staff members may have dictated otherwise, though I would never have admitted it.
All good comedians will tell you that audience reaction is do-or-die; they thrive off positive reaction and are encouraged to become funnier off-the-cuff if the reception is warm. We had no room for an audience, so I had to insert a laugh track in post-production. But in presenting material before the cameras, he had to rely on banter with his bandleader and nothing else. This disappointed him more than anything. I wasn't keen about shooting on location, and to make a long story short, it contributed to the premature ending of this idea and the parting of ways.
I regret all partings that happen before their time, and I do wish that I had put forth a little more effort into being more flexible. That's part of who I am as a producer: I will admit faux pas, even though they may come late.
Would this be a show I would do now? I would definitely try again, given better facilities, and a better understanding of how the genre of improv works. Apparently, improv is not at its best when staged deliberately. If the natural aura is killed, so must be the enthusiasm. I only wish I knew - it would have been a very interesting & unique pedigree on my record if it had gone through.
January 22, 2008
CLASSIC BLOG: "Over one-fourth mumbo jumbo"
From my former "Airwaving It Out" blog, dated February 10, 2007. Enjoy.
... It's likely that any critics of this post will mention that I turned on the television at the wrong time of day (5:00 AM in this case), but as biased a time as that may be, the point was still noted by me: Out of 65 channels in my new cable subscription package, eighteen of them were showing "Paid Programming".
It is a sad reality that these are what keep station budgets afloat, and we will never escape or turn back. A local author, Gordon Castelnero, published a very entertaining book in 2006, TV Land Detroit, which chronicle shows of a bygone era: locally produced comedies and interview shows. Dubbed the "golden age" of Detroit television, the age lasted until about 1985, when syndication went the popular route.
Castelnero notes that these paid programs make tasks easier for the local programming station, as they no longer have to budget for sets and crew to fill air time. They simply are given the tape of the infomercial and are paid by the sponsor simply to air it. Sounds like the easy way out to me.I would understand it to a point, since the goal of local access television (which I worked on) was to end up producing those programs with volunteer staff. But in this area, those channels have been virtually silenced as well by threats of budget and department eliminations.
The advent of mainstream cable television likely demanded that these stations should be on the air twenty-four hours a day. But if the station is unwilling to air reruns of classic local fare, for example, what programming material can they rely on to fill those odd hours of the night? Hence, the informercial.
These days, storage warehouses abound in this area. I'm not one for building up an area, but if we need to have those warehouses around, why can't one of them store tapes of old shows for playback later? What budget would need to be exhausted to re-air what's already there; programs that would bring back memories for the generations my age and older?
With the classic programs, yes, they may seem a bit dated in the technology and content factor, but you see real human TV personalities whose aim at that simpler time was to entertain. Critics of TV today are correct in pointing out that the original purpose of TV, to entertain, has been lost in the shuffle, coining the phrase "idiot box". And just look at the type of people that are feeding life into that phrase: idiots who do informercials.
Also consider what else I found this morning: Four stations were playing the same Donald Trump informercial at the exact same time. And can you believe MSNBC had two more hours of paid programming scheduled after 5:00 AM? With all that is going on in the world with the war, presidential candidates declaring, and everything else, why isn't an information station MSNBC do its job (airing news & viewpoints) 24 hours a day?
Believe it or not, there are sites on YouTube which pay homage to station sign-offs during the days when 24 hour operation was not possible. When people post these clips online with a great wave of nostalgia, you know something's wrong with the 24-hour choice.
Unfortunately, cable television providers would balk at seeing eighteen channels off the air, showing only color bars and that annoying tone. They are thinking of the bottom line, which is live airtime. But when something from Ronco or ITV becomes more ingrained in an insomniac's mind than shows which strive for Nielsen ratings... there renews the "idiot box" phrase time & again.
I was without cable TV from August until yesterday... and it didn't take long to rediscover the one reason why I preferred boredom over late-night viewing.
... It's likely that any critics of this post will mention that I turned on the television at the wrong time of day (5:00 AM in this case), but as biased a time as that may be, the point was still noted by me: Out of 65 channels in my new cable subscription package, eighteen of them were showing "Paid Programming".
It is a sad reality that these are what keep station budgets afloat, and we will never escape or turn back. A local author, Gordon Castelnero, published a very entertaining book in 2006, TV Land Detroit, which chronicle shows of a bygone era: locally produced comedies and interview shows. Dubbed the "golden age" of Detroit television, the age lasted until about 1985, when syndication went the popular route.
Castelnero notes that these paid programs make tasks easier for the local programming station, as they no longer have to budget for sets and crew to fill air time. They simply are given the tape of the infomercial and are paid by the sponsor simply to air it. Sounds like the easy way out to me.I would understand it to a point, since the goal of local access television (which I worked on) was to end up producing those programs with volunteer staff. But in this area, those channels have been virtually silenced as well by threats of budget and department eliminations.
The advent of mainstream cable television likely demanded that these stations should be on the air twenty-four hours a day. But if the station is unwilling to air reruns of classic local fare, for example, what programming material can they rely on to fill those odd hours of the night? Hence, the informercial.
These days, storage warehouses abound in this area. I'm not one for building up an area, but if we need to have those warehouses around, why can't one of them store tapes of old shows for playback later? What budget would need to be exhausted to re-air what's already there; programs that would bring back memories for the generations my age and older?
With the classic programs, yes, they may seem a bit dated in the technology and content factor, but you see real human TV personalities whose aim at that simpler time was to entertain. Critics of TV today are correct in pointing out that the original purpose of TV, to entertain, has been lost in the shuffle, coining the phrase "idiot box". And just look at the type of people that are feeding life into that phrase: idiots who do informercials.
Also consider what else I found this morning: Four stations were playing the same Donald Trump informercial at the exact same time. And can you believe MSNBC had two more hours of paid programming scheduled after 5:00 AM? With all that is going on in the world with the war, presidential candidates declaring, and everything else, why isn't an information station MSNBC do its job (airing news & viewpoints) 24 hours a day?
Believe it or not, there are sites on YouTube which pay homage to station sign-offs during the days when 24 hour operation was not possible. When people post these clips online with a great wave of nostalgia, you know something's wrong with the 24-hour choice.
Unfortunately, cable television providers would balk at seeing eighteen channels off the air, showing only color bars and that annoying tone. They are thinking of the bottom line, which is live airtime. But when something from Ronco or ITV becomes more ingrained in an insomniac's mind than shows which strive for Nielsen ratings... there renews the "idiot box" phrase time & again.
I was without cable TV from August until yesterday... and it didn't take long to rediscover the one reason why I preferred boredom over late-night viewing.
January 16, 2008
Search, play, relive, repeat endlessly
This is what happens when I go into a retro-kick on YouTube. Early this morning before work, I was dabbling on the video service and wanted to see some commercials that aired when I was growing up.
The first was a classic Toys R Us Christmas commercial (1976), which reminded me of the old Tootsie Roll commercial: it played on for many years after its debut. I could not get the damned song out of my head all day at work today. I tried listening to the news station... I even tuned in some radio stations I don't listen to (heavy metal for goodness' sake) to try to change the song in my head. No luck.
Then, I come home, call it back up, and looked for a specific Greenfield Village commercial from the 80s. I didn't find it, but I found one from the late 70s that I used to enjoy.
And now guess which jingle is in my head now.
My computer song database now numbers almost 700 songs. I am hoping that SOMETHING changes the Greenfield Village jingle, and fast! Serves me right.
Link: Toys R Us Commercial
Link: Greenfield Village commercial
--------------------------------------
* My heart goes out to one of my passengers I had early this afternoon. He came out of a huge kidney dialysis procedure where he had to have several things done -- twelve hours after his father suddenly died in the hospital. The man had composure and I admire him for battling through it all. Right after I dropped him off, he said he had to arrange the funeral, which will likely be tomorrow.
I'd like to see if there's any fine print mixed in with the saying "you're never given more than you are able to handle." If there is, this guy's got a case.
* I also need to work the phone lines for Steve again tonight. He's not sure when he'll be able to board a flight home from the Phillipines, so I need to help arrange an emergency shift trade for him for Saturday, just in case.
I don't mind doing it, though it's obvious to him he knows the risks of trying to board an international flight that only goes out once per day, filled to capacity. He's certainly had the experience over the past couple years.
The first was a classic Toys R Us Christmas commercial (1976), which reminded me of the old Tootsie Roll commercial: it played on for many years after its debut. I could not get the damned song out of my head all day at work today. I tried listening to the news station... I even tuned in some radio stations I don't listen to (heavy metal for goodness' sake) to try to change the song in my head. No luck.
Then, I come home, call it back up, and looked for a specific Greenfield Village commercial from the 80s. I didn't find it, but I found one from the late 70s that I used to enjoy.
And now guess which jingle is in my head now.
My computer song database now numbers almost 700 songs. I am hoping that SOMETHING changes the Greenfield Village jingle, and fast! Serves me right.
Link: Toys R Us Commercial
Link: Greenfield Village commercial
--------------------------------------
* My heart goes out to one of my passengers I had early this afternoon. He came out of a huge kidney dialysis procedure where he had to have several things done -- twelve hours after his father suddenly died in the hospital. The man had composure and I admire him for battling through it all. Right after I dropped him off, he said he had to arrange the funeral, which will likely be tomorrow.
I'd like to see if there's any fine print mixed in with the saying "you're never given more than you are able to handle." If there is, this guy's got a case.
* I also need to work the phone lines for Steve again tonight. He's not sure when he'll be able to board a flight home from the Phillipines, so I need to help arrange an emergency shift trade for him for Saturday, just in case.
I don't mind doing it, though it's obvious to him he knows the risks of trying to board an international flight that only goes out once per day, filled to capacity. He's certainly had the experience over the past couple years.
January 15, 2008
As good as a dead man's race
I've been scanning the initial results of the Michigan Presidential Primary on the local channels a little today.
Two things do not surprise me. The first is that Steve's preferred candidate, Ron Paul, only garnered 6% of the Republican vote. The guy that seemingly makes the most sense, relates well to the young and future voting generations, can raise more money at one time than anyone in history, and holds unique ideas such as abolishing the IRS, doesn't seem to get the vote when it counts. Critics of the voting process and the candidates' pedigrees often say we need an "ordinary Joe" in office. But it doesn't seem to show in the ballot boxes.
The second is that Mitt Romney appears to be the Republican winner here. He has a darn good Michigan pedigree; his father George having served as Michigan governor eons ago.
The one thing that does surprise me so far is the likely Democratic vote, particularly in Detroit. Hillary Clinton did not pull her name out of the primary ballot in Michigan, yet she's being trailed closely by "Uncommitted." Who is this guy anyway? Voters have been told that they can vote "uncommitted" so that some Michigan delegates can go independent and vote for who they want at the convention.
Voters have gotten the message. In fact, it almost appears that "Uncommitted" won out in Detroit, beating Clinton.
When we watched the episode of Night Court where Dan Fielding is running for public office and loses to a dead man, we laughed.
Life imitates art. That's not just a saying... in Detroit, they're apparently making it fact.
Two things do not surprise me. The first is that Steve's preferred candidate, Ron Paul, only garnered 6% of the Republican vote. The guy that seemingly makes the most sense, relates well to the young and future voting generations, can raise more money at one time than anyone in history, and holds unique ideas such as abolishing the IRS, doesn't seem to get the vote when it counts. Critics of the voting process and the candidates' pedigrees often say we need an "ordinary Joe" in office. But it doesn't seem to show in the ballot boxes.
The second is that Mitt Romney appears to be the Republican winner here. He has a darn good Michigan pedigree; his father George having served as Michigan governor eons ago.
The one thing that does surprise me so far is the likely Democratic vote, particularly in Detroit. Hillary Clinton did not pull her name out of the primary ballot in Michigan, yet she's being trailed closely by "Uncommitted." Who is this guy anyway? Voters have been told that they can vote "uncommitted" so that some Michigan delegates can go independent and vote for who they want at the convention.
Voters have gotten the message. In fact, it almost appears that "Uncommitted" won out in Detroit, beating Clinton.
When we watched the episode of Night Court where Dan Fielding is running for public office and loses to a dead man, we laughed.
Life imitates art. That's not just a saying... in Detroit, they're apparently making it fact.
January 14, 2008
The fifteen minutes have lapsed
Two wonderful stories (to me, anyway) from the entertainment world over the weekend:
* Sony announces that 36% of the American Idol winners they've signed through the years have been released from their contracts. To me, no big name stands out, but it's proof positive (perhaps) that the big record executives finally realize that one glitzy hour of television exposure per week does NOT necessarily make talent.
Could you imagine a young Rolling Stones being on "Idol"? How did the Beatles establish themselves? By working all the lower clubs in Liverpool. Their career did not begin with their Ed Sullivan appearance in the states. Back then, talent travelled through word of mouth. When they say "fame is fleeting", that certainly was the case. It was a long road to the top.
Consider one of my favorite songs: "Hot Child In The City" by Nick Gilder in '78. He had no TV exposure - there was no MTV. The song, I believe, still holds the record for longest journey to #1 on the Billboard chart - 20 weeks. Yes, Gilder was a one-hit wonder. But that 20 weeks of chart agony resulted in his #1 without the television exposure or a glorified talent contest. His talent was natural, did not need "professional" coaching, and word of him came through associates; not television producers.
Obviously, FOX TV wanted to jump on the "reality" bandwagon ASAP. It's made celebrities of the judges. And supposedly, they've all got a keen eye for talent.
Other than the possibility that Sony is running out of money (as big as they are, that's hard to imagine), perhaps they realize as we do that the exposure isn't necessarily going to jump-start careers. We need more people from the old school that earned every ounce of airtime they ended up getting. Simple as that. It's called "expectations".
* The Golden Globe Awards went by with barely a whimper. Thanks to the writers' strike, all names & winners were drawn in just one hour. As well it should be in this day & age.
I won't dive into the argument that we need simplicity in this hectic world of today; that is stating the obvious. What was also obvious is the by-product of the toned-down ceremony, as stated by a critic: No red carpet... but no paparazzi either. In other words, nothing blown out of proportion, no rumors started over who's dating who, or who gained weight. If they drank themselves to oblivion, we didn't hear about it.
Refreshing!
* Sony announces that 36% of the American Idol winners they've signed through the years have been released from their contracts. To me, no big name stands out, but it's proof positive (perhaps) that the big record executives finally realize that one glitzy hour of television exposure per week does NOT necessarily make talent.
Could you imagine a young Rolling Stones being on "Idol"? How did the Beatles establish themselves? By working all the lower clubs in Liverpool. Their career did not begin with their Ed Sullivan appearance in the states. Back then, talent travelled through word of mouth. When they say "fame is fleeting", that certainly was the case. It was a long road to the top.
Consider one of my favorite songs: "Hot Child In The City" by Nick Gilder in '78. He had no TV exposure - there was no MTV. The song, I believe, still holds the record for longest journey to #1 on the Billboard chart - 20 weeks. Yes, Gilder was a one-hit wonder. But that 20 weeks of chart agony resulted in his #1 without the television exposure or a glorified talent contest. His talent was natural, did not need "professional" coaching, and word of him came through associates; not television producers.
Obviously, FOX TV wanted to jump on the "reality" bandwagon ASAP. It's made celebrities of the judges. And supposedly, they've all got a keen eye for talent.
Other than the possibility that Sony is running out of money (as big as they are, that's hard to imagine), perhaps they realize as we do that the exposure isn't necessarily going to jump-start careers. We need more people from the old school that earned every ounce of airtime they ended up getting. Simple as that. It's called "expectations".
* The Golden Globe Awards went by with barely a whimper. Thanks to the writers' strike, all names & winners were drawn in just one hour. As well it should be in this day & age.
I won't dive into the argument that we need simplicity in this hectic world of today; that is stating the obvious. What was also obvious is the by-product of the toned-down ceremony, as stated by a critic: No red carpet... but no paparazzi either. In other words, nothing blown out of proportion, no rumors started over who's dating who, or who gained weight. If they drank themselves to oblivion, we didn't hear about it.
Refreshing!
January 11, 2008
Funny attempts to be "forever hip"
A semi-regular passenger of mine is a very active, 60-ish senior who used to work downtown at the Fisher Building. She, along with some of her co-workers, got buyouts and no longer work there. It's disappointed her, but to her credit, refuses to slow down her pace because of it.
She leads the lifestyle of someone half her age. She is one of the biggest Detroit Tiger fans I know. I didn't even have to mention the big names in that big trade conducted last month: she knows who Dontrelle Willis & Miguel Cabrera are, and has even followed their careers. It doesn't appear that she's just finding out her information from newspapers or the web, either. She says these things as if she's been in attendance all these years... and she has been.
She's also a regular bar patron -- allbeit for the ground rounds one bar serves -- but she seems to have more fun there than the general 20-something crowd. I say, bless her for being young at heart.
Yet, some things are strange because of the age. Whenever she gets into the cab, she looks at me and says "what's up, dude?" Whoa! A senior calling me dude, as if she's "one of the guys"?
Not being prejudiced or anything, but it's funny... and yet seems out of place at the same time. Maybe it's just labels people put on the older folk. Not everyone thinks of seniors as those who just spend their time baking cookies & brownies for the offspring. Heck, my dad and stepmom keep very active within their community. And my Aunt Lori? You could put a tether on her and still not know where she is, active as she is.
But when they call you "dude" in small talk, doesn't it make you stop and think? It's hard to get used to, and though it doesn't make me feel uncomfortable in any way, something about it just seems out of place.
I think she'd look perfectly at home at Comerica Park, though. For her sake I hope she doesn't change her ways. Many talk about being young at heart; few actually do it. I'm glad I know one who does.
She leads the lifestyle of someone half her age. She is one of the biggest Detroit Tiger fans I know. I didn't even have to mention the big names in that big trade conducted last month: she knows who Dontrelle Willis & Miguel Cabrera are, and has even followed their careers. It doesn't appear that she's just finding out her information from newspapers or the web, either. She says these things as if she's been in attendance all these years... and she has been.
She's also a regular bar patron -- allbeit for the ground rounds one bar serves -- but she seems to have more fun there than the general 20-something crowd. I say, bless her for being young at heart.
Yet, some things are strange because of the age. Whenever she gets into the cab, she looks at me and says "what's up, dude?" Whoa! A senior calling me dude, as if she's "one of the guys"?
Not being prejudiced or anything, but it's funny... and yet seems out of place at the same time. Maybe it's just labels people put on the older folk. Not everyone thinks of seniors as those who just spend their time baking cookies & brownies for the offspring. Heck, my dad and stepmom keep very active within their community. And my Aunt Lori? You could put a tether on her and still not know where she is, active as she is.
But when they call you "dude" in small talk, doesn't it make you stop and think? It's hard to get used to, and though it doesn't make me feel uncomfortable in any way, something about it just seems out of place.
I think she'd look perfectly at home at Comerica Park, though. For her sake I hope she doesn't change her ways. Many talk about being young at heart; few actually do it. I'm glad I know one who does.
January 10, 2008
It's someone else's (tragic) nightmare
How many times have I been recalling the constant nightmares I have about driving on that damn I-75 bridge over the Rouge River?
One passenger today asked me how the tanker could have crashed through the guardrail so easily. According to witnesses, the tanker plowed through that guardrail without braking, which would give all that weight an additional 60 MPH boost (the tanker was loaded with liquid propane). Another big reason is the condition of the guardrail itself. It was remade in a reconstruction project 15 years or so ago. This means it's been through 15 Michigan winters (snow, ice, salt, repeat). Any type of water does damage to outdoor items long-term. And though the state of Michigan has spent a gazillion dollars over the past five years trying to re-do these roads, the Rouge River bridge has not been touched.
Not many people think about guardrails as being an important part of a bridge, but they are. And sorry to say, so many of them in Detroit are in worse condition than the pavement and bridge planking. You'll hear a story about twice a year about concrete chunks falling off viaducts and smacking cars underneath. Many of these concrete chips come from the guardrail itself, or the foundation supporting it. Plywood now covers up the bridge decking of many viaducts to keep the roadway from chunking onto the road, but the plywood can do nothing about the guardrails.
We used to poke fun of the Zilwaukee Bridge further upstate, about what an engineering disaster it started out to be. However, I think the Rouge Bridge is in even more of a dangerous state than Zilwaukee's was.
Don't worry; I scooted around the area on the trip back to St. Clair Shores, so I was never in any immediate danger.
---------------------------------------
And yes, I AM back to work after two weeks off. The rest I got in those two weeks is getting used up in a hurry, however... though I've got over $200 cash to show for it. You take the tradeoffs when you can get them. And my new cab (#23) is a joy to drive; it runs better than my old cab (#20) ever did; and I made many compliments about how #20 was the best in fleet.
This is what happened today. And please note I was on that bridge an hour before the incident, taking a fare to St. Clair Shores...
This was the scene about 9AM today at the Rouge River Bridge, at Exit 44 (Dearborn Ave.)... a tanker crashed through the guardrail and fell 30 to 40 feet right onto a house in the DelRay section. The house occupants got out with no injuries.
This stretch of northbound I-75 could be closed off for months - some structural damage to the bridge pylons was noted.
Witnesses reported a fireball stretching across all eight lanes of freeway, approximately 300 feet wide by 800 feet tall. It could be seen for miles.
These images are courtesy www.wwj.com.
One passenger today asked me how the tanker could have crashed through the guardrail so easily. According to witnesses, the tanker plowed through that guardrail without braking, which would give all that weight an additional 60 MPH boost (the tanker was loaded with liquid propane). Another big reason is the condition of the guardrail itself. It was remade in a reconstruction project 15 years or so ago. This means it's been through 15 Michigan winters (snow, ice, salt, repeat). Any type of water does damage to outdoor items long-term. And though the state of Michigan has spent a gazillion dollars over the past five years trying to re-do these roads, the Rouge River bridge has not been touched.
Not many people think about guardrails as being an important part of a bridge, but they are. And sorry to say, so many of them in Detroit are in worse condition than the pavement and bridge planking. You'll hear a story about twice a year about concrete chunks falling off viaducts and smacking cars underneath. Many of these concrete chips come from the guardrail itself, or the foundation supporting it. Plywood now covers up the bridge decking of many viaducts to keep the roadway from chunking onto the road, but the plywood can do nothing about the guardrails.
We used to poke fun of the Zilwaukee Bridge further upstate, about what an engineering disaster it started out to be. However, I think the Rouge Bridge is in even more of a dangerous state than Zilwaukee's was.
Don't worry; I scooted around the area on the trip back to St. Clair Shores, so I was never in any immediate danger.
---------------------------------------
And yes, I AM back to work after two weeks off. The rest I got in those two weeks is getting used up in a hurry, however... though I've got over $200 cash to show for it. You take the tradeoffs when you can get them. And my new cab (#23) is a joy to drive; it runs better than my old cab (#20) ever did; and I made many compliments about how #20 was the best in fleet.
January 8, 2008
Thankfully, it's not what I thought
I spent this morning at Garden City Hospital again, resigned to the fact I would be in there for several days this time. Pleasantly, this was not the case; I was in & out in three hours today.
The past two nights, I've not been able to sleep at all. It really felt like my right lung was collapsing, and the area of pain was very concerning: a little too close to the appendix for my comfort. Having read online where non-treatment of appendicitis is fatal made my decision to go in this morning all the more logical.
The pnuemonia is actually about 70% gone from my lungs; it's just latched itself onto my bottom rib and bottom right lung, which explains the pain. I received two pain injections and got a prescription for the "dad medicine" (Motrin). That 800 mg. dose I hope to take tonight will go a long way towards a good night's sleep, hoping it doesn't make me late for my first day back to work tomorrow.
Sick or not, I still wouldn't have been in until tomorrow anyway. Three new cabs were purchased, but the owner ran out of time to plate them. He doesn't feel comfortable having the new cabs being driven around with only the temporary sticker on them. I can't say I blame him: myself, I'm still not comfortable about picking up in Melvindale & Inkster; another ticket was issued over the holiday to another driver in Melvindale. I still don't see why cities don't honor the mandates the state passes down. We are, after all, licensed by the state in our current capacity. These cities have a mind of their own.
-----------------------------------------
Flipping thru the channels last night while trying to find a rare comfortable sleeping position, I saw a CNN piece where a state wants to disallow the death penalty (by lethal injection) in one death row case, citing "cruel & unusual punishment".
True, there is something in the Constitution that bars an individual from having to go through the process. But how can they complain that lethal injection is cruel & unusual punishment? What did the guy do to get on death row anyway? Consider the crime he committed: multiple murders. Now go talk to the victims' families. Buried underneath their mourning is their view: what type of punishment did the victims go through -- nice and normal?
More than ever, criminals are being harbored, while not only victimizing their "prey", but the families as well. The "two sides to every story" line in this case is hogwash to me. Everything should even out in the end when it comes to this case. There's no room to be politically correct when it comes to dishing out consequences to those who've proven to kill.
The past two nights, I've not been able to sleep at all. It really felt like my right lung was collapsing, and the area of pain was very concerning: a little too close to the appendix for my comfort. Having read online where non-treatment of appendicitis is fatal made my decision to go in this morning all the more logical.
The pnuemonia is actually about 70% gone from my lungs; it's just latched itself onto my bottom rib and bottom right lung, which explains the pain. I received two pain injections and got a prescription for the "dad medicine" (Motrin). That 800 mg. dose I hope to take tonight will go a long way towards a good night's sleep, hoping it doesn't make me late for my first day back to work tomorrow.
Sick or not, I still wouldn't have been in until tomorrow anyway. Three new cabs were purchased, but the owner ran out of time to plate them. He doesn't feel comfortable having the new cabs being driven around with only the temporary sticker on them. I can't say I blame him: myself, I'm still not comfortable about picking up in Melvindale & Inkster; another ticket was issued over the holiday to another driver in Melvindale. I still don't see why cities don't honor the mandates the state passes down. We are, after all, licensed by the state in our current capacity. These cities have a mind of their own.
-----------------------------------------
Flipping thru the channels last night while trying to find a rare comfortable sleeping position, I saw a CNN piece where a state wants to disallow the death penalty (by lethal injection) in one death row case, citing "cruel & unusual punishment".
True, there is something in the Constitution that bars an individual from having to go through the process. But how can they complain that lethal injection is cruel & unusual punishment? What did the guy do to get on death row anyway? Consider the crime he committed: multiple murders. Now go talk to the victims' families. Buried underneath their mourning is their view: what type of punishment did the victims go through -- nice and normal?
More than ever, criminals are being harbored, while not only victimizing their "prey", but the families as well. The "two sides to every story" line in this case is hogwash to me. Everything should even out in the end when it comes to this case. There's no room to be politically correct when it comes to dishing out consequences to those who've proven to kill.
January 6, 2008
How horrific can you get?
Obviously, more. Kinda goes hand-in-hand with "pathetic" as well.
Last week on my links list to the left, I added the "Do Not Fly Spirit Airlines" blog by blogger Alex Rudloff. Every week or so I call it up to hear more horror stories about the airline I used to work for.
Entry #606 (yes, people have taken the time to post over 600 bad experiences) is the topper so far. A passenger was left stranded, along with 20 others, in Ft. Lauderdale. Check out what the gate attendant told the passenger when confronted, being demanded an explanation:
“I’m really sorry sir and I know this is not fair, but there is nothing I can do. The Supervisor? Oh no, the Supervisor won’t come down here sir, no way. She doesn’t want to deal with this shit.”
Having been there, I can attest this is the attitude from all over. When I got injured for the second time last year in March, the operation was falling apart. Too many flights came in at the same time. Too many flights were leaving at the exact same time. The result was endless chaos and a baggage pile downstairs almost three feet tall. This was the day where I reported my injury, and the supervisor said I'd have to wait at least two hours to be tended to, so I ended up going upstairs to the ticket counter.
In the midst of getting my injury paperwork, both shift supervisors were holed up in the office with me. There was a near-riot taking place at the counter upstairs, and the supervisors were doing their best to be no-shows. "This is ridiculous," they were saying. "I'm not going out there." "I just want this day to be OVER", said the other one. I was simply laughing to myself because I was safe upstairs from the imploding situation downstairs. You couldn't pay me to choreograph the time of the injury any better.
Mind you, I was not proud of the goings-on. I knew it would be another black eye for our station. But I honestly can't say I blamed the supervisors for their mind-set. It was a lose-lose situation that threatened to ruffle feathers & nerves further. The station and the airline as a whole had spent the previous two years biting off more than they could chew, and now they were getting bitten.
But at least the ground staff in Detroit had a work mentality. Ft. Lauderdale is three times busier, and I've been at that airport before: the workers couldn't care less how well they do.
Spoken as an outsider with pride!
----------------------------------
* Healthwise, I'm a bit better. The cough is still there, and now my right ribcage is hurting from all the coughing. It's gotten hard to sleep on my right side, but I always slept better on my left side anyway.
* Rent got paid just in the nick of time yesterday. It's amazing how many banks will not touch a personal check made out to me by a business. One place demanded four pieces of ID. Not even the party stores would bat an eye to it. Hopefully, next month there won't be any breakdowns. I've been paying cash for property rent for five years and don't like deviating from it. The person who wrote the check, however (not the roommate George) is not the easiest person in the world to communicate with.
* Dustea's getting more spoiled by the day. Now, if you don't fill up her food bowl all the way, she keeps tapping the food dish with her paw until you get the message. It's a cute way of finding out who ended up being boss in this house!
Last week on my links list to the left, I added the "Do Not Fly Spirit Airlines" blog by blogger Alex Rudloff. Every week or so I call it up to hear more horror stories about the airline I used to work for.
Entry #606 (yes, people have taken the time to post over 600 bad experiences) is the topper so far. A passenger was left stranded, along with 20 others, in Ft. Lauderdale. Check out what the gate attendant told the passenger when confronted, being demanded an explanation:
“I’m really sorry sir and I know this is not fair, but there is nothing I can do. The Supervisor? Oh no, the Supervisor won’t come down here sir, no way. She doesn’t want to deal with this shit.”
Having been there, I can attest this is the attitude from all over. When I got injured for the second time last year in March, the operation was falling apart. Too many flights came in at the same time. Too many flights were leaving at the exact same time. The result was endless chaos and a baggage pile downstairs almost three feet tall. This was the day where I reported my injury, and the supervisor said I'd have to wait at least two hours to be tended to, so I ended up going upstairs to the ticket counter.
In the midst of getting my injury paperwork, both shift supervisors were holed up in the office with me. There was a near-riot taking place at the counter upstairs, and the supervisors were doing their best to be no-shows. "This is ridiculous," they were saying. "I'm not going out there." "I just want this day to be OVER", said the other one. I was simply laughing to myself because I was safe upstairs from the imploding situation downstairs. You couldn't pay me to choreograph the time of the injury any better.
Mind you, I was not proud of the goings-on. I knew it would be another black eye for our station. But I honestly can't say I blamed the supervisors for their mind-set. It was a lose-lose situation that threatened to ruffle feathers & nerves further. The station and the airline as a whole had spent the previous two years biting off more than they could chew, and now they were getting bitten.
But at least the ground staff in Detroit had a work mentality. Ft. Lauderdale is three times busier, and I've been at that airport before: the workers couldn't care less how well they do.
Spoken as an outsider with pride!
----------------------------------
* Healthwise, I'm a bit better. The cough is still there, and now my right ribcage is hurting from all the coughing. It's gotten hard to sleep on my right side, but I always slept better on my left side anyway.
* Rent got paid just in the nick of time yesterday. It's amazing how many banks will not touch a personal check made out to me by a business. One place demanded four pieces of ID. Not even the party stores would bat an eye to it. Hopefully, next month there won't be any breakdowns. I've been paying cash for property rent for five years and don't like deviating from it. The person who wrote the check, however (not the roommate George) is not the easiest person in the world to communicate with.
* Dustea's getting more spoiled by the day. Now, if you don't fill up her food bowl all the way, she keeps tapping the food dish with her paw until you get the message. It's a cute way of finding out who ended up being boss in this house!
January 5, 2008
Being the backup that he is
In lieu of being able to find the "Jon Kitna 10-win-thermometer" from the Detroit News archives, I submit this sillier photo of the Lions QB during Halloween. Don't ask me to explain the costume. But please explain how he can masquerade as a starter in the NFL. Oh that's right... the team he works for! (Photo courtesy personal.umich.edu)
Ah, another day, week, month, year... whatever you want to call it... in the Detroit soap opera "As The Lions Turn."
The favorite whipping post among Lions fans these days is QB Jon Kitna. He was the one, after all, who predicted ten wins from this Lions squad. Even when they crushed Denver to run their record to 6-2, I made personal bets that this ten victory bar would never be reached.
I'm in collect mode right now (too bad it's not with real money).
The NFL's worst-kept secret was made public this week with the firing of Offensive Line coach Mike Martz. Replacing him is a guy who supposedly will mesh with coach Rod Marinelli's desire to have a more balanced offensive attack.
Hmm... what will that do to Kitna's status? Make him return to the backup role that he is destined for?
Read this quote, and you tell me that Kitna's thoughts are not about the team's potential for 2008 at all... rather a look at self and personal stats:
"If they go in that direction with Mike (Martz, being fired), I'll be bummed out. That's my guy. I love that guy. That being said, you have to move on."
I wish my father could tell me the last decent Lions QB they've had. I'm going to go on a limb and say Gary Danielson. Early 80s to say the least!
Come on. If you run the ball ten times versus throwing the damn thing 40 times or more, don't you think opposing defenses will pounce? If we had a Tom Brady or, hell, even a Vince Young or a Brady Quinn for God's sake, at least it would justify passing more than rushing. But when the Lions QB roster has three backups on it, the coaches should know that the passing game will break down as much as the rushing game. Trouble is, they never found out because at times, they never TRIED the rushing game.
Now we'll get to see that balanced attack, supposedly. And Kitna will paste on a smiling face (since as you can see up above, he likes dressing up) to cover up the mopey face he's wearing and communicating right now.
The least Kitna could do, in my humble opinion, is just go all the way and say he wants out of Detroit. The ones who held the door open for Joey Harrington and then smacked him in the rear with it will only be too happy to reprise their roles.
January 4, 2008
Let's call it a "croak-us"
In between gulps of water (I have gone thru an entire 24-pack of bottled water in 3 days), I decided to watch the Iowa Caucus yesterday, amid Steve's protests.
Now, why would Steve protest in the first place? He's a little biased because he doesn't care much for the American political system. He should be giving the system a chance to succeed. But with politicians grabbing bad press through the years, cases of favoritism hounding elections, "big business" being heard more than those who do the work, I can see where his concerns lay. Still, I thought it would be interesting to watch, since I had never witnessed a caucus firsthand.
We would be in for four hours of coverage from CNN. There were four caucuses in one middle school alone, plus a caucus of 53 people in a home. People were still reading rules & regulations for the caucuses 20 minutes in, and I thought "wow, this is going to be a long but interesting process."
Forty-five minutes in, my night was ruined: CNN already said who the winner was, with 3 hours & 15 minutes left in the program... and with 12% of the caucus locations reporting information! We have a winner with 88% of the state undecided? And with the winner, Mike Huckabee, only five percentage points ahead of Mitt Romney?
What's laughable is that these were exit polls, which were renamed "entrance polls!" Think we wouldn't recognize them, eh?
Big and quick winners are possible with elections, true. But why base a victory when 90% haven't even been reported? I counted at least six counties in Iowa that had NO numbers in. If I had been in that school or at that house, and saw the CNN feed showing the "winner", I would have left without caucusing, pure & simple.
People wonder why voting numbers are so low in the United States. Studies show there's little motivation behind elections among the general electorate. For example, do you ever hear about record turnout at primaries?
We're not looking for Alfred Hitchcock-like suspense on Election Night. But it was a shame that CNN dropped the ball in much the same way the "Big Three" networks continually drop it election year after election year.
When they say your vote counts, they say, "The people have spoken." Shove the entrance polls, CNN... let the people SPEAK before you make your declaration!
-------------------------------------
Jay Leno, meanwhile, has been blasted today for crossing the writers' picket line in order to resume the Tonight Show. For last night's show, he actually wrote his own material.
Imagine that: a comedian relying on his or her own natural talent to come up with jokes and stories. I appreciate a comedian that does their own material, and that's all too often lost in the shuffle.
Anybody can read cue cards and call themselves funny. Anyone can have "ghost writers" in the background who remain nameless while the celebrity gets all the credit. When I drew my comic strip all those years, I didn't solicit ideas. I came up with them myself. I had my own vision for the strip, and it was ONLY my vision, no one else's.
Whether or not it was a desperation ploy on Leno's part just to get back on the air is immaterial. Sometimes, you do whatever it takes in order to get the intended result. If anything, Leno's message should ring loud & clear to those on strike: they're missed, but they aren't irreplaceable.
Kudos to Jay.
Now, why would Steve protest in the first place? He's a little biased because he doesn't care much for the American political system. He should be giving the system a chance to succeed. But with politicians grabbing bad press through the years, cases of favoritism hounding elections, "big business" being heard more than those who do the work, I can see where his concerns lay. Still, I thought it would be interesting to watch, since I had never witnessed a caucus firsthand.
We would be in for four hours of coverage from CNN. There were four caucuses in one middle school alone, plus a caucus of 53 people in a home. People were still reading rules & regulations for the caucuses 20 minutes in, and I thought "wow, this is going to be a long but interesting process."
Forty-five minutes in, my night was ruined: CNN already said who the winner was, with 3 hours & 15 minutes left in the program... and with 12% of the caucus locations reporting information! We have a winner with 88% of the state undecided? And with the winner, Mike Huckabee, only five percentage points ahead of Mitt Romney?
What's laughable is that these were exit polls, which were renamed "entrance polls!" Think we wouldn't recognize them, eh?
Big and quick winners are possible with elections, true. But why base a victory when 90% haven't even been reported? I counted at least six counties in Iowa that had NO numbers in. If I had been in that school or at that house, and saw the CNN feed showing the "winner", I would have left without caucusing, pure & simple.
People wonder why voting numbers are so low in the United States. Studies show there's little motivation behind elections among the general electorate. For example, do you ever hear about record turnout at primaries?
We're not looking for Alfred Hitchcock-like suspense on Election Night. But it was a shame that CNN dropped the ball in much the same way the "Big Three" networks continually drop it election year after election year.
When they say your vote counts, they say, "The people have spoken." Shove the entrance polls, CNN... let the people SPEAK before you make your declaration!
-------------------------------------
Jay Leno, meanwhile, has been blasted today for crossing the writers' picket line in order to resume the Tonight Show. For last night's show, he actually wrote his own material.
Imagine that: a comedian relying on his or her own natural talent to come up with jokes and stories. I appreciate a comedian that does their own material, and that's all too often lost in the shuffle.
Anybody can read cue cards and call themselves funny. Anyone can have "ghost writers" in the background who remain nameless while the celebrity gets all the credit. When I drew my comic strip all those years, I didn't solicit ideas. I came up with them myself. I had my own vision for the strip, and it was ONLY my vision, no one else's.
Whether or not it was a desperation ploy on Leno's part just to get back on the air is immaterial. Sometimes, you do whatever it takes in order to get the intended result. If anything, Leno's message should ring loud & clear to those on strike: they're missed, but they aren't irreplaceable.
Kudos to Jay.
January 3, 2008
Spock's "spoiled" meant one thing
My generation sometimes refers to themselves as "Dr. Spock babies"... referring to Dr. Benjamin Spock, who came out with the landmark book, "Baby And Child Care" in 1945. It was Dr. Spock who mentioned in his texts that it is not a sin to pick your baby up when it cries and show him/her some love. Previous texts asserted that discipline was the rule of the day.
What most likely resulted from Dr. Spock's contributions was a better relationship between parents and baby. Some may have been coddled more than others, but at least a natural bond was formed to where baby wouldn't have to be worried about abandonment, etc., in case the mood didn't feel right.
There are those who may argue that Dr. Spock's viewpoints contributed heavily to the politically correct mainstream. Just by looking around me, I can see where they may be correct, at times. Political correctness has resulted in a lawsuit-happy society: "You touch my kid, and I'll have every penny you own." As far as parental interaction with some children in that atmosphere, that's the only interaction there is, other than biological.
Some children are spoiled to the point of numbness. A perfect example is a recent news piece about a "child discipline option" on new vehicles. "Don't worry, it's not an ejector seat!", the reporter said. Turns out that such a seat would have been more heartwarming: it's just a shutoff switch for the vehicle entertainment system.
The whole purpose of a vehicle entertainment system is numbing, ranking along with laptop plug-ins, liberal cellphone use, and potential fax machine/printer hookups straight from your dashboard. It's ended up spoiling the adults as much as the kids. How many auto accidents are caused by driver distraction? Throw out all the drunk driving incidents; your remaining "avoidable" acccidents will still be a high number.
So if the children misbehave, you shut off the switch. Does the child learn the lesson fully? Especially if the parent turns it back on within five minutes because they might be missing something? Or do you pull over into a parking lot and discipline the child like they should be? By this, I also mean to disconnect the entertainment system at its source, the fuse box.
People are nervous at the up & coming generations because of the vast potential that they may not be able to fulfill. They seem to be detached from society, have no underlying respect for people (including their own parents), and get more defensive when a house, vehicle or such doesn't have all those fancy gizmos.
Regarding babies, Dr. Spock said: "Pick 'em up." He didn't say, "Plug 'em in."
What most likely resulted from Dr. Spock's contributions was a better relationship between parents and baby. Some may have been coddled more than others, but at least a natural bond was formed to where baby wouldn't have to be worried about abandonment, etc., in case the mood didn't feel right.
There are those who may argue that Dr. Spock's viewpoints contributed heavily to the politically correct mainstream. Just by looking around me, I can see where they may be correct, at times. Political correctness has resulted in a lawsuit-happy society: "You touch my kid, and I'll have every penny you own." As far as parental interaction with some children in that atmosphere, that's the only interaction there is, other than biological.
Some children are spoiled to the point of numbness. A perfect example is a recent news piece about a "child discipline option" on new vehicles. "Don't worry, it's not an ejector seat!", the reporter said. Turns out that such a seat would have been more heartwarming: it's just a shutoff switch for the vehicle entertainment system.
The whole purpose of a vehicle entertainment system is numbing, ranking along with laptop plug-ins, liberal cellphone use, and potential fax machine/printer hookups straight from your dashboard. It's ended up spoiling the adults as much as the kids. How many auto accidents are caused by driver distraction? Throw out all the drunk driving incidents; your remaining "avoidable" acccidents will still be a high number.
So if the children misbehave, you shut off the switch. Does the child learn the lesson fully? Especially if the parent turns it back on within five minutes because they might be missing something? Or do you pull over into a parking lot and discipline the child like they should be? By this, I also mean to disconnect the entertainment system at its source, the fuse box.
People are nervous at the up & coming generations because of the vast potential that they may not be able to fulfill. They seem to be detached from society, have no underlying respect for people (including their own parents), and get more defensive when a house, vehicle or such doesn't have all those fancy gizmos.
Regarding babies, Dr. Spock said: "Pick 'em up." He didn't say, "Plug 'em in."
January 1, 2008
In a nutshell: 2007
Greetings for the New Year, everyone.
And good riddance to the rubbish that was 2007. Here's hoping 2008 provides much less of the same.
I got up about 12:03 and wanted to hear how Dick Clark was sounding on ABC. All I got was a winter weather statement from Channel 7. Yes, it's our second 8" plus snowstorm of the season, but I wondered if it pre-empted the actual Times Square ball drop. I heard a little from Clark after the special message ended, and it's obvious he's made all the recovery he'll ever make. He'll never sound the same again. That being said, his being out there still shows guts, and I think it's wonderful they still let him out there.
Now what's happened since the ball last dropped?
* 2007 got off to a rough start as cousin Mike lost his mom on January 2nd. Two days later, my Grand Am played taps on its own as I was literally smoked out of the car while on the way to her funeral.
* The latest back woes began with a slip-and-fall accident on January 28th... since then, the hip has gone south, I've grown to hate worker's compensation, I've taken to using a cane, had an MRI which showed damage, and an independent examination which says the MRI is bull, and that I can "act".
* Lost one "best friend" (Sheila), regained an old one (Laura), regained contact with Sheila, and met two women (Dana & Jennifer) on MySpace, all within the span of two weeks. My version of World War III would commence weeks later involving all parties. Seven months later... the war is purely laughable.
* Road Trip Of The Year: In March with Dawn as we circled the city for hours having bought $90 in lottery tickets and disbursing them to family and friends.
* Made a huge switch in the bills as we finally got the electrical in my name here. Two weeks later, our power was on; Mike's was not. Cue World War IV over the remainder of the year.
* Cousin Raymond's house was finally finished in May after eight years! Here's hoping he doesn't put it on the market for awhile.
* Finally pleased my father and got a "Ford Product". I'll never forget the mad, six-hour, ten-location dash I had to take with Mike in order to make it all happen; most of that running in order to get a $150 rebate.
* Got into a mini-war with the over-the-fence neighbor for not allowing him to put up a plastic fence on our property. Gad, I guess I didn't like ANYBODY this year.
* Uh, did I get my garden project finished THIS year? Uh, no...
* I swore off wrestling permanently. It's becoming too stupid, too heavy-metal these days.
* After six years, I finally got some guts and pulled the plug on that airport job in August. Unbeknownst to me, my cousin would follow suit six weeks later.
* Did my annual stint at the Church Bingo - without as simple a token as a "Thank You." Boy, how Christian...
* Gained the cab job, supposedly as a dispatcher. That much didn't happen.
* Pulled from one of my rides was George, the current third roommate. It's made things here more fiscally relaxing.
* Gained Dustea the cat in November, rescuing her from unliveable conditions.
* Found out in December that flowers don't get you anywhere. It also pointed my life in a new direction, as I see future in a distant place. It was a wake-up call that was needed.
* And, my first hospitalization in December, which I'm still recovering from.
It's no wonder I ripped the 2007 calendar from the wall and stomped on it this morning. A symbolic passing of the torch, shall we say.
I shall conclude this the same way I concluded the 2006 synopsis:
"(And) so as always, I resolve for this year to go a bit more smoothly than last year. All I can say is: enjoy the ride, however bumpy it may be."
And good riddance to the rubbish that was 2007. Here's hoping 2008 provides much less of the same.
I got up about 12:03 and wanted to hear how Dick Clark was sounding on ABC. All I got was a winter weather statement from Channel 7. Yes, it's our second 8" plus snowstorm of the season, but I wondered if it pre-empted the actual Times Square ball drop. I heard a little from Clark after the special message ended, and it's obvious he's made all the recovery he'll ever make. He'll never sound the same again. That being said, his being out there still shows guts, and I think it's wonderful they still let him out there.
Now what's happened since the ball last dropped?
* 2007 got off to a rough start as cousin Mike lost his mom on January 2nd. Two days later, my Grand Am played taps on its own as I was literally smoked out of the car while on the way to her funeral.
* The latest back woes began with a slip-and-fall accident on January 28th... since then, the hip has gone south, I've grown to hate worker's compensation, I've taken to using a cane, had an MRI which showed damage, and an independent examination which says the MRI is bull, and that I can "act".
* Lost one "best friend" (Sheila), regained an old one (Laura), regained contact with Sheila, and met two women (Dana & Jennifer) on MySpace, all within the span of two weeks. My version of World War III would commence weeks later involving all parties. Seven months later... the war is purely laughable.
* Road Trip Of The Year: In March with Dawn as we circled the city for hours having bought $90 in lottery tickets and disbursing them to family and friends.
* Made a huge switch in the bills as we finally got the electrical in my name here. Two weeks later, our power was on; Mike's was not. Cue World War IV over the remainder of the year.
* Cousin Raymond's house was finally finished in May after eight years! Here's hoping he doesn't put it on the market for awhile.
* Finally pleased my father and got a "Ford Product". I'll never forget the mad, six-hour, ten-location dash I had to take with Mike in order to make it all happen; most of that running in order to get a $150 rebate.
* Got into a mini-war with the over-the-fence neighbor for not allowing him to put up a plastic fence on our property. Gad, I guess I didn't like ANYBODY this year.
* Uh, did I get my garden project finished THIS year? Uh, no...
* I swore off wrestling permanently. It's becoming too stupid, too heavy-metal these days.
* After six years, I finally got some guts and pulled the plug on that airport job in August. Unbeknownst to me, my cousin would follow suit six weeks later.
* Did my annual stint at the Church Bingo - without as simple a token as a "Thank You." Boy, how Christian...
* Gained the cab job, supposedly as a dispatcher. That much didn't happen.
* Pulled from one of my rides was George, the current third roommate. It's made things here more fiscally relaxing.
* Gained Dustea the cat in November, rescuing her from unliveable conditions.
* Found out in December that flowers don't get you anywhere. It also pointed my life in a new direction, as I see future in a distant place. It was a wake-up call that was needed.
* And, my first hospitalization in December, which I'm still recovering from.
It's no wonder I ripped the 2007 calendar from the wall and stomped on it this morning. A symbolic passing of the torch, shall we say.
I shall conclude this the same way I concluded the 2006 synopsis:
"(And) so as always, I resolve for this year to go a bit more smoothly than last year. All I can say is: enjoy the ride, however bumpy it may be."
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