Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Information Station...

Here are some random news and trivia items...

  • There are 1.5 million children who are homeless in America. That means one out of every 50 children is homeless. (CBS News)
  • An average of 14 deaths per day happens at U.S. workplaces. (ABC's Nightline)
  • The most common form of litter: cigarette butts. And they contain some toxins. (NBC)
  • In 2008, the last year of the Bush presidency, the Bush administration denied 47,000 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. In 2009, the first year of the Obama presidency, the Obama administration denied 70,000 FOIA requests. (Rachel Maddow Show, MSNBC)
  • "When cheaters prosper, it drives honesty out of the market." --William K. Black, author of "The Best Way to Rob a Bank Is to Own One." On the Bill Moyers Journal show, Black talked about the alleged fraud of Goldman Sachs investment bank. He said, "If you don't regulate, you create a 'criminogenic' environment for fraud." (PBS)
  • Singer Lena Horne died in May 2010. She was the first African-American entertainer to have a Hollywood contract in movies. Her most famous song was "Stormy Weather." Her scenes in movies where cut out of the movies when they were shown in the South in the 1940s and 1950s. She left a USO tour during WWII in protest after she saw that black soldiers were seated at the rear, even behind the German POWs. (CNN)

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

If I were grading President Obama...

With the end of the school year, students recently received their grades. If President Barack Obama were my student, I'd give him a "C" for average, for having the opportunity to carve out a magnificent progressive legacy and then choosing to dilute it instead, for going to the do-no-change center too often, for being Clintonesque, for mythically thinking consensus-building works when you are dealing with people so far to the right that your neck is likely to twist to an angle reminiscent of the demon-possessed daughter in the movie "The Exorcist."

Here's how my grading system is based:

1). Obama is the first African-American president. An "A" for that and the excitement that the American electorate can choose someone other than a white, old, rich guy.

2). Obama campaigns as a progressive liberal. An "A" for that. More excitement. Maybe the old status quo can change, after all. But wait. Obama fills his Cabinet with Clinton people and heads to the political center. An "F" for: Been there, done that, no real progress.

3). And the issues...Two wars. Though Obama inherited two wars, he still has pretty much the same lousy generals who apparently can't win them. The wars have become the longest in American history. WWII was shorter. Generals after WWII sure have been poor. What's wrong with the military leadership training? Democrats have to realize that some of us progressives have never voted for a war president ever and don't intend to in 2012. Thus, it is paramount that Obama end the costly wars, rather than increase troop deployment and lengthen the list of the American war dead. An "F" for ongoing wars.

4). Health care reform. Wow, Obama had the chance to do something amazing here, but caved in on the public option possibility. It is good that more people are covered by health insurance, though the insurance companies are still pretty much in charge of costs and profits. An "A" if there'd been a public option plan. The "C" here stands for caving for convenience.

5). Guantanamo Bay prison. Still not closed and that's gone beyond his first-year promise. An "F" there.

6). Worldwide view of America. Definitely this one is a bright part of the Obama presidency and the replacement of Bush. Much improvement. An "A" for change the world can believe in.

7). End to discriminatory practices. One that comes to mind is the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy that is discriminatory toward gay soldiers. So, how does the first racial minority president--the second minority president if we count FDR in terms of his wheelchair disability--do in tackling discrimination toward others? Not so good. Here again, Obama is leaving it up to the generals. Yes, those same incompetents who can't win wars. The Obama administration wants to wait for the generals. Or maybe it's waiting for Godot. A "D" for good talk, just no action.

8). Supreme Court selection. A high mark for Obama's selection of Sonia Sotomayer. As the first Hispanic member of the Court, another legacy moment was attained. An "A" for that. For his second selection of Elena Kagan, the jury is still out. Obama missed his chance to select a solidly liberal justice. He still has a majority in the Senate, so why didn't he go for it? That old mythical dilution quality of "consensus-building" and "go to the center" makes for more "C" words with average intentions. Why didn't he choose a liberal African-American man or woman to offset the conservative Clarence Thomas? Why didn't he choose a Protestant, so the Court wouldn't be, for the first time in its history, without a Protestant justice? No Protestant is counter to diversity. And, yes, religion does matter, because it represents thought and stance. With Kagan, that would mean the Court consists of six Catholics and three Jews. That's not representative of the nation.

9). Off-Shore Oil-Drilling. Oh, wow! Here's where Obama could have stayed with his environmentalist base on higher ground and oil-free water, but chose again to retreat to the center. The oil leak by British Petroleum in the Gulf of Mexico is gushing disastrously at, so far, 3.5 million gallons of oil and no end in sight. Hey, I am not a rocket scientist, but I kind of think that if there's no solution for plugging up an oil leak in the middle of an ocean, then it's probably not a good idea to drill there in the first place. The Obama administration says it is considering a reversal in its support of off-shore oil-drilling. Really? So, pelicans might mean more than campaign donations, after all. And when will the administration decide? A "C" for can't stop loving oil. (An "F" for my lack of faith now that the administration will do the right thing on this issue.)

10). Wind energy development. The Obama administration does seem progressive on advancing alternative energy development. A "B" there, maybe a "C," because Obama also endorsed nuclear energy, which could be worse than oil-leaky catastrophic.

11). Obama probably had no choice when it came to bailing-out Wall Street after the greedy non-regulation of the Clinton and Bush years. The question is: Are the banking regulations back in place to prevent the problem from happening again? An "I" for incomplete on this grade.

12). Jobs. Probably the most important of the long-term issues on this list. The stimulus money has helped, but Obama has been too timid in job-creation ideas. FDR had a legacy of lifting people out of unemployment and economic despair. I don't think Obama has that legacy yet. Guess that means a "C" for average again.

So, what's the grade for President Obama, a year and a half into his presidency? My averaging may be off, but "C" seems like it makes sense to date. Definitely, the shine of the prospects of finally getting a liberal president who knows how to achieve progressive goals has faded.

How does Obama improve his grade? Well, he needs to stay with the views of the people (the progressives) who took him to the White House in the first place. The center is not a wise suppport mechanism for enthusiasm at the voting booth.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Leave American rights alone...

Oh, good grief! Politicians should leave the Miranda ruling and its legal requirements alone.

I heard Wolf Blitzer on CNN saying that Miranda occurred before the threat of terrorism. I guess he meant the terrorism from the Middle East of recent decades.

But there's always been some form of terroristic activity going on in America. One of the oldest terrorist groups is the Ku Klux Klan. When did presidents and politicians ever talk about taking away citizenship of the KKK members, let alone reducing their legal rights as defendants? I don't remember hearing that. And how about all the other hate groups in the nation? I don't like them at all, but prosecution of their crimes certainly can be successful without eliminating legal rights.

Once again, the nation is forced into a frenzy of fear by a bunch of goofy politicians. Leave American rights alone! We can still keep the high ground and defeat terrorists and criminals if we have good quality law enforcement.

Here are two concrete ways to reduce the threat of terrorism: 1). Solve the dispute between Israel and Palestine. 2). Stop wasting time, money, and lives on wars.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

A refreshing change...

President Barack Obama hosted leaders from around the world at the Nuclear Treaty summit last week and I especially appreciated one major change and aspect that the Obama presidency has provided.

Now when I watch the U.S. president at a lectern, at a meeting, at a public event or at anything that requires poise, dignity, and intellect, I don't have to worry about being embarrassed anymore.

When I watched President George W. Bush, at about any moment or function, I always watched with a certain uneasiness, even dread, that he'd say something moronic or otherwise goof it up. Bush was probably good at hosting barbecues and that's about it.

Obama is articulate, prepared, and impressive in his public demeanor. He projects an excellent image for America to the rest of the world. That's refreshing! That's a change worthy of praise!

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Fishermen and pirates and the framing of the issue...

I know from journalism that every story is like a slice of bread: It has two sides. And often an issue has more than just two sides as well. There can be all kinds of sides and complexities. So, it is always interesting to consider how the media or government or business or others can frame an issue. Sometimes information is there, sometimes it isn't. Sometimes sides of an issue are available, sometimes they aren't.

Take, for example, the matter of Somali pirates. For years now, I have heard on the TV news about pirates off the coast of Somalia, tormenting ships and drawing the ire of world-wide navy forces. The term "pirate" itself is certainly a negative term. When I think of a "pirate," I think of "Treasure Island" by Robert Louis Stevenson and salty peg-legged or hook-handed characters who are mean and violent and like to steal and kidnap. And if a person "spells like a pirate," well, then you know they probably aren't too educated.

Well, I was surprised recently when I checked out the book "Censored 2010, The Top 25 Censored Stories of 2008-09," edited by Peter Phillips and Mickey Huff with Project Censored. The project provides lists and information about news stories that have been reported but tend to be generally overlooked and don't make it into the mainstream media.

Story number three was titled "Toxic Waste Behind Somali Pirates." It noted, "The international community has come out in force to condemn and declare war on the Somali fishermen pirates, while discreetly protecting the illegal, unreported, and unregulated fleets from around the world that have been poaching and dumping toxic waste in Somali waters since the fall of the Somali government 18 years ago."

I don't mean to imply that I am sympathetic to the cause of Somali pirates. I honestly don't know enough about the matter. But now I do have some questions, because of how the issue has been framed by all those who control the picture and the framing.

The descriptive word "fishermen," in contrast to "pirates," is not a negative term. But my main point is that until recently when I saw that article in the book, I had never ever heard anything remotely positive, let alone potentially justifiable, from the Somali side of the issue. Not once, not ever. It just wasn't in the news. It just wasn't part of the news reports. Those who framed the issue within my world of the media and society had framed that detail out.

Saturday, April 3, 2010

News at 10...

This just in...

An American got a job today. It was the lead story on the TV news. "60 Minutes" plans to do an expose. Said Morley Safer, "When Andy Rooney retires in 25 years, there will be another job opening for someone."

The Party of No recently spent party money on a strip club. That's a no-no, Party of No.

So, if people don't send in their census forms, would that allow newly-employed census workers to be employed longer, which would also help the economy? Hmmm.

The proper grammatical conjugation of Apple gadgetry products is, "iPod, iPad, iPeed."

Media Watch notes that Sarah Palin has been getting too much media coverage lately, with her Arizona trip to campaign for John McCain and other dull subjects, and that isn't fair because Levi Johnston hasn't been providing enough of a counter-balance by getting the same share of media time. For every Palin story, there needs to be a Levi story. Where's the FCC "Fairness Doctrine" when we really need it?

Tea companies are suing the National Tea Party for defamation of character.

A new group, known as the National Beer Party, has emerged. Oh, wait, that was just spring break for college students.

The Republicans and President Obama favor off-shore oil-drilling on the East Coast. Residents of North Carolina are for it too, until they have to trudge around in the black sand with oily feet.

Rufus Barfly said his Idaho militia members like playing soldier, as long as it's not in Iraq or Afghanistan. Their favorite color is camouflage. He said, "We pledge to protect potatoes from government interference and from the French and their fries."

O.K., more Hollywood bad behavior. But, after all, what do people expect from a person named Jesse James?

Sunday, March 28, 2010

What's Not For Me--New Media, Technology, and Gadgets...

In considering aspects of new media, technology, and various modern gadgets, I have come to some conclusions and theories about the future of media and electronics, both personally and generally.

Here are some media and technological products that, I am sorry to say, just aren't for me:

  • No way can I ever imagine that I would watch a movie on a tiny screen like the screens of cell phones and texting devices. No thanks!
  • I also don't watch movies on a computer. You see, when I want to watch something long, like a movie or a documentary, I like to sit on a comfortable couch and watch a screen that's across the room. A VCR is a nice addition, because I can start, stop, and start again when I want to. TV remains the place for my film viewing.
  • No, never would I read a book on an electronic screen. For me, a Kindle-type device will never replace the good feeling of opening up a book and reading from paper-page to paper-page. I also prefer library check-out to the Internet for reading a book, although the Internet is a great resource for research and quick information.
  • Twittering? Oh, I don't think so. It reminds me of what I didn't like about USA Today, when it was all the rage for the new kind of newspaper: The brevity of stories and content. It was nice that USA Today added the splashes of color and color photos. But it was media cotton candy. The New York Times and the Washington Post still are the T-bone steaks. I still look for those great papers in libraries or, at a lesser degree, online. I haven't seen a copy of USA Today in years. Does it still exist?
  • Even Facebook falls short for me because it is Twitter-like in its brevity that works well for chit-chat about how the "weather is bad" or "it's time for a beer" or "I just got to the zinnia level of the zombie flower game I am playing." Oops, the last comment may be too long, in words, characters, and attention-deficit, for Facebook. But what I mean is that anything of depth is not what Facebook and other social networking sites are about apparently. Media cotton candy again.
  • I wonder just how "lasting" a lot of this new media, including sites on the Internet, will be. When I subscribe to a newspaper or a magazine, I usually stay for years. I can't think of one newspaper or magazine website on the Internet that I go to as consistently. In fact, I have lost more interest in websites the longer they exist than I have found in terms of maintaining a connection. When eBay first started, I was excited to surf for items and to even sell some items. But about eight years ago or so, eBay became more "corporate" with lots of big companies getting into the act and I think the feeling of an individual finding items in the attic that he wanted to sell was lost. I haven't been back to eBay in years. I used to enjoy looking at all the videos on YouTube. I haven't been there in months. I used to go to Salon.com, as it has some very good writers, such as Glenn Greenwald. But I haven't been there in weeks and once when I returned, it had changed its look and I felt like I had to re-learn the procedure for looking or writing comments. No time for that. I only go to the Huffington Post when relatives send me links to something interesting. I certainly prefer the progressive sites to the conservative sites, just as I never go to the Fox channel on TV, but I still want to read or see objective and neutral reporting, for my own evaluations or the scope of the arguments, and I just don't tend to find that on the Internet. I am on Facebook, but now I visit it about once every two weeks, just to keep up with the chit-chat. Facebook probably has reduced e-mailing. As I have heard from others too, I get less personal e-mails now than ever before, though there is still plenty of it coming from spam sources. So, even e-mail is losing its popularity.
  • I don't like the idea of connecting my bank account to anything on the web. So, the paypal concept doesn't work for me. If a website is paypal only, I don't buy products.
  • I heard from a recent broadcast speaker that the fastest-growing user group for Facebook now is the group of middle-aged to older women. Hmmm? I have this theory called "Theory of the Generations," which theorizes that when older generations take over a youth media, fad, or product, the young people move on to something else (and new). I have often said that when some young men were walking around in the fashion fad of letting their trousers drop low enough so that their boxer-covered butts were exposed (and fortunately at least the fad included boxer shorts), the sure-fire way of eliminating the fad was if the faculty and parents had done the same thing for about a week. That would have killed the fad pretty immediately and beyond measure. MySpace gave way to Facebook. What will replace Facebook for the new youth social network?
  • I heard a faculty adviser from a Missouri university comment that, while college students will place zillions of personal photos on their social networks, why is it that it remains somewhat difficult to get them to go out and take photographs of news events and activities on campus? Wow, I don't know, either. Students in journalism and mass media are wasting their valuable time if they are spending too much of it on Facebook and social networks. They should be creating portfolio-quality products and experiencing journalistic moments in order to make the most of their education and to get a good boost into the professional world. Much of their work then could still end up online, but involving subjects beyond themselves and published in more serious form.
  • The "lasting" feature is problematic to new media. I believe people are wrong if they think that newspapers will vanish and Internet sites will pick up their place. I don't think new media may last long enough, in any form that becomes a tradition, to not be easily replaced. New media is also partly about product sales. The way of selling electronic products is to change them. For example, the VHS tape gave way to DVDs and now Blu-Ray and 3-D wants to claim the DVD customer base. If you have lots of money, you can keep up with electronic media products.
  • It took about 10 years for digital cameras to get good enough for the replacement of 35mm camera, though some photographers might disagree. I certainly love the replacement of the chemical darkroom with the computer darkroom of Photoshop. I like the immediacy of the digital photo and its transfer capabilities. But I kept looking for a digital camera that would have, not only removable lenses, but also a shutter speed adjustment on the outside of the camera...and with digital cameras at 12 megapixels that I have recently seen, it finally has arrived, or so I have now found them.