Wait...Wait! Kick it up a notch!

One of my favorite programs is Wait Wait... Don’t Tell Me, broadcast on your local PBS station. It’s hilarious — the program highlights current events by questioning a panel of three guests and questioning phone-in contestants. It features “games” like “Lightening Fill in the Blank”, “It’s Not My Job” and “Who’s Carl Kassel Now?”. One never knows how the guests and the host, Peter Sāgal (diacritical added for proper pronounciation), will expand on the current event and the resulting answer.

However... I wonder if the producers might “spice up” the show even more than it already is. For example, can you imagine having three of the Presidential and V.P. candidates as panelists? (Sarah Palin as the “junior” member would have to be a call-in.) Even better, have just the presidential candidates (sorry, Joe Biden!) separated by a rather animated, rather short George Stephanopoulos (of course, you can’t see on radio that he’s short...). And let the sparks fly! Every time one of the candidates starts plugging themselves, “Happy Days Are Here Again” or “Barracuda” could play at top volume to drown them out. (I’m partisan to the Democratic musical campaign theme, but the popular [Republican?] song by the group Heart would work just as well.)

Just think — we get to find out just how intelligent and humorous they are (politicians— humorous? intelligent?), better informing the public so they can cast their votes more intelligently (??) in November. Peter Sagal and company could be satisfied that they are performing important service for their country without having to go to Iraq.

Of course none of the questions would be about current events. Maybe John McCain could tell us which rap artist went wild in an airport (Conye West) or a question about a website (does he know how to use a computer yet?). I’m not sure how we could stump Barak or George, but maybe you all out in BloggerLand have some good ideas.

Another thought for panelists: Couples. That would make six on the panel, but would double the pleasure, the confusion, and maybe even the potential for greater comedy. To be thoroughly PC about it, there would be no restriction according to gender, fidelity, or species. One might ask Click and Clack (the Car Guys from another NPR [and PBS] show) or Hillary and Bill or even Big Bird and Elmo! (Elmo's been on before, so he's an experienced contestant and might give Bill and Hill good gaming advice.)

On WNYC in New York, Wait Wait... Don’t Tell Me airs on AM at 1pm Saturdays and on FM at 11am Sundays. Check http://www.npr.org for your local station, or listen to a podcast or streaming audio of the program.

Bailing Out Greed

We are in a financial crisis, no thanks to our outdated, loop-hole filled financial regulatory system. Of course, we wouldn’t be in any sort of crisis if it wasn’t for the presence of one of the most economically insidious deadly sins: greed.

Oh those poor people cleaning out their desks at Lehman Brothers! My cynical pity is truly reserved for those who made lots of money sinking (in this case, literally) clients’ money into balloon financed, real estate “securities”. Most of these brokers were out to greedily make as much money as they could in the form of commissions for themselves. To say that they really cared about the company they worked for (except for caring about cutthroat competition for promotion within the company) would, I believe, be mangling the truth.

Oh those poor company Presidents and CEOs! Just think what life will be like for you without the day-to-day negotiations over your silver, golden, or platinum parachutes. Think of your loss of satisfaction, knowing that your incomplete quarterly reports which misstated profits resulted in a rise in your stock portfolio, cashed out just before the company imploded. Don’t worry though; there’s another sucker out there ready to hire you at a million times the salary earned by the truly poor clerk in the mail room.

Oh those poor Federal Regulators! Now they actually have to work for a living trying to bail out us citizens... er, I mean bail out those poor financial institution suffering from balloon mortgage hangover. It's not a bad job — regulators have to put out only every seven years or so (how biblical!) when an Enron, Chrysler, or Fannie/Freddie Mac comes along, hat in hand. Parting with our tax dollars must be heart wrenching — or does it energize you and make your heart race with excitement??

Greed cannot be stopped, it can only be regulated and prosecuted. Let’s hope that this current crisis, described by one economist as the worst he has seen since the Great Depression, will encourage tighter regulation, better oversight over our regulators, and more effective prosecution of those who twist, break, and mangle our financial laws and regulations.

The Greening of New York

I walk down my Avenue quite a few times a week, and am always greeted by two blocks of very mature oak trees (probably at least 50 years of age) shading the sidewalks and the road. Even though one has to watch out in October when the acorns go flying in the wind, these few blocks used to be one of the few respites from the white-hot sidewalks of my neighborhood.

The above picture doesn't show oak trees, but does show trees typical of a program in New York called "Greenstreets" that is resulting in a greener New York.

Last month I actually had to call 311 (New York City’s All-in-One information and city agency action non-emergency number) to request that some recently planted trees get trimmed. My neighborhood is starting to look like the stereotypical revered suburbs, and I’m loving every minute of it!

The greening of New York City has come during the administration of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, someone who we will hear a lot from in coming years after he leaves office at the end of 2009. Not only has he started a program to plant more trees in the city’s five boroughs, but he and others also have done quite a bit to help make our city more “green” in this time of environmental uncertainty.

New York has a lot to loose if the climate warms dramatically. A good deal of the city sits very close to sea level, as does vast areas of New Jersey and Long Island. Whether or not Bloomberg is doing this to show he is environmentally responsible or not, we certainly are benefitting from the immediate effects of tree planting, bike lanes, and hybrid buses and taxis.

Yet more can be done, Mr. Mayor. What about requiring planting vegetation on roofs of apartment buildings, much like I saw done recently on Extreme Home Makeover? This might just bring the summer temperature of the city down by a good deal and also help lower air conditioning bills of long-suffering tenants of those buildings. Need more power for air-conditioning? Install windmills along the entire length of the Belt Parkway and hook them into the ConEd grid instead of building more power plants. Maybe all new buildings could be required to provide a portion of their own power for themselves through windmills and solar panels, both thermal and solar-electric. Extra and unused energy could be fed into the grid.

But I’m really not complaining. The greening of the city is more than I ever thought that I’d see in my lifetime in New York. Still, let’s not stop; let’s make New York a great example of Green Power and show the world that we can cool off and power up at the same time.

Speaking of wind power, T. Boone Pickens has an interesting and bold proposal for helping wean the United States off of expensive, polluting, environmentally unfriendly petroleum. This plan includes a significant investment in wind power and conversion of road transportation to a fleet of more environmentally friendly natural-gas powered cars and trucks. Check out his plan at: http://www.pickensplan.com His plan doesn't include geothermal or solar sources of energy, but it is a good start and it can be done.

The Sun Never Sets on the BBC

I have been listening to quite a lot of programming from the BBC World Service recently, and I have come to the conclusion that the British Empire is not completely dead — only transformed by means of a new connection though radio waves and the internet into a more collaborative and culturally inclusive community.

On the BBC webpage, “A Short History of the BBC”, the name of this particular service has changed from Empire Service to the External Service to the World Service. Whatever the name, the content is still quite a bit the same as what I heard broadcast on CBE radio out of Windsor, Ontario, Canada — a well-researched, well-reported summary of world events followed by extended reports and intelligent commentary. The style of delivery by the various presenters has changed, but the integrity is still there.

Television has certainly had an impact on the BBC’s reputation throughout the world. Entertainment programs (Faulty Towers, Monty Python’s Flying Circus, and As Time Goes By come to mind) and news programs and documentaries (seen almost exclusively on PBS here in the U.S.A.) have had an impact on societies and cultures throughout the world, probably particularly in the Commonwealth countries.

The internet is a relatively new and exciting place for the BBC to be experienced. It’s web pages, though the print is a bit small, are well thought out and contain a wealth of information and entertainment that could keep a person busy for quite a while! What I like most about the pages (some still under development) is that, at least as far as the news goes, one can find out more about a particular event or subject. Like the PBS and NPR websites, there are numerous links to other sites and resources.

So, what about the Empire? From personal experience, growing up 20 miles from the border of Canada, listening to the BBC through Canadian Broadcasting Company stations, and visiting family in Brantford, Ontario (my mother is Canadian), I can say that the BBC has influenced its British subjects. The formerly United-Kingdom-
colonized nations that comprise the Commonwealth of Nations still experience a unique connection to their former ruler through the ability to keep up with current and historic events in the U.K. and the world through a British perspective. In addition, the World Service, especially, reciprocates with regular reports about
Commonwealth nations’ news and events. My mom always looked forward to hearing the 6 o’clock summary of world news and certain entertainment programs from BBC radio. Of course, a few Canadian news items always made it into the news summary and extended reports.

Could it be that the BBC in all of its manifestations has eased the transition of former British colonies to effective self-rule? The various Commonwealth nations all have different levels of connection to the British government, sometimes very slim ones. But communication can bring greater understanding and, in the case of the former British Empire, maybe has eased the transition to self-rule. Communication through the BBC could also form a bond among all of the Commonwealth countries, and
even if this bond is weak it could influence events toward a more positive outcome in a country that is experiencing troubles.

The new British Empire is connected by electricity through the efforts of the BBC. It is no longer completely controlled by a central government (although it is fairly well supported financially by the government) but instead involves its listeners from various parts of the planet, whether they be British subjects or not. I have heard, on World Have Your Say (BBC Radio World Service) opinions expressed from many different English speakers in many different countries. The BBC not only reports events from various countries but also involves its peoples in opinion making.

One interesting twist is that since 9/11 the BBC seems to have become more interested in reporting events in the U.S. Through the BBC, I have occasionally been finding things out about events and happenings in the current Presidential campaign that weren’t reported on American networks! Hearing intelligent analysis of the campaign presented in the British way can be quite ear opening. I personally hope that this interest on the part of the BBC continues; it provides another perspective to the news that is truly more “fair and balanced” than that provided by some U.S. networks.

I don’t really have a lot of hard evidence to back up my thoughts, but hope that my musings will encourage you to go to http://bbc.co.uk and surf a bit. Try connecting to a live audio or video stream. Read the many articles presented on its pages. And think about how radio, television, and the internet can continue to unify our world in peace through intelligent programming that has integrity.

Talk Among Yourselves — Here's some topics:

• Bubble gum pop vs. classic rock vs. Gregorian chant — what ever happened to the generation gap? Does your grandson listen to Led Zeppelin?
  
• Half-ass or compromise decision? The Democratic National Committee is back at it again, trying to please everyone. Wait 'till we get to the convention...
  
• Barak Obama is Soooo handsome! Hillary Clinton is not that cute.
• I wouldn't want to be in Hillary Clinton's shoes right now. But when she finally sings her swan song, I hope she's wearing the right designer style. Why not wear Yves Saint Laurent?
• An Yves St. Laurent trouser suit (the British way of doing things, courtesy of the BBC) sounds so much more sophisticated than an Yves St. Laurent pant suit. Sorry, Hillary, but you will have to wear a YSL trouser suit on Saturday!
• Speaking of the candidates... Found voice, lost voice, old voice, new voice...
• And last but not least: Should he or shouldn't he? Michael Bloomberg as (Vice) President, New York Governor, or third-term Mayor of New York City?

That's all, folks... for now!

Do You Know How to Pronounce Katie "Couric"??

Could the name “Couric” have originated from a foreign land? Should it be pronounced more like the language from which it comes? And what is that language?

I’ve always been intrigued by English transformation of proper names. We have tried to impose our “native” English language on foreign-born names of foreign-born people who speak a foreign language, especially during the great immigration influx of the 19th century. Down through the generations, the result is that we lose a sense of origin of the original name of a person and thus lose a bit of history.

English-American spelling does not duplicate the original because English doesn’t contain characters like ç (Couriç?) or ř (Couřić?). Without the diacritical markings, it is less likely that one would know the true pronunciation of the name. Of course, one of the benefits of spelling English is that it uses 26 letters without diacriticals. But pronouncing English is a whole different matter, especially trying to pronounce foreign-born names, even if an attempt is made to spell them more phonetically.

Changes in names are sometimes a matter of perception, like Ellis Island “round peg in square hole” inventions. Sometimes changes are deliberately made to make the name more saleable or palatable to English speakers of the U.S. and Canada. Israel Isidore Beillin becomes I. Berlin and eventually Irving Berlin, one of the more prolific American song writers. (Would the average American in the early 1900s have bought music written by Isidore Beillin??). Of course in his case, there are those who think that his name was changed at Ellis Island by some foreign-language-challenged clerk or that some music typesetter, trying to save space, just did his job without regard to the composer’s intent.

The word “foreign” is problematic in its own right. This word, I would guess, encouraged many an orator or politician to justify assimilation, a process in the U.S. that encourages immigrants to conform to what was perceived at a particular time to be the American norm. Public school teachers (just like the ones I had when I was growing up!) probably mispronounced quite a few “foreign” names, instantly “Americanizing” them — and it stuck! Those poor children lost the heritage contained in the pronunciation of their names, and the became a little more “American.”

Today, we are starting to pull away from Anglicizing or Americanizing “foreign” names. We are encouraged to embrace “different” or “unfamiliar” cultures and languages. The new political and social correctness calls on us to acknowledge and preserve linguistic history and heritage.

Pronunciation seems to be less of a problem these days because there are standard transliterations being used to help the English speaker properly pronounce foreign words or names. For example, the German ö becomes oe as in the name Boellman, making pronouncing it a little easier for a person who knows nothing about the German language. Of course sometimes there can be two or three spelling standards; The New York Times may spell Quatar and The Daily News may spell it Qatar. Maybe not the best (or most accurate) example, but you get the drift. However, the pronunciation remains the same.

So... are Katie’s precursors from the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, or the former Yugoslavia? (Did I miss any possibilities?) And should we change the pronunciation of her name for her benefit and to restore her linguistic heritage? Bet she — and CBS — would love that!

If you would, please leave me a comment, especially if you suspect how her name could be pronounced.

MyThis and MyThat — My, My, MY!

The advent of the computer, The Knack’s 1979 hit song (My Sharona), and Microsoft corporation could very well be responsible for the “my” generation. Or was it “My Generation” by the rock group The Who? Maybe Ronald Reagan? Free love of the 1960s and ‘70s? (We seem to blame everything bad on that!) Frank Sinatra, maybe?

“My”, in its newest form, is used as a prefix with no space after, and the word following has a capital letter at the beginning, i.e., MySpace. It seems to provide a heightened sense of ownership for the owner and cautions the non-owner to tread carefully into “MyTerritory”.

Or does it just show how selfish and self-centered we individuals are?

Here are a few examples of the MyWord syndrome:

• MyComputer. We can blame Microsoft for this one, not that it made computer use any easier — just more cute. Of course they didn’t stop at MyComputer, creating on your (or my) computer MyFiles, MyDocuments, MyMusic, MyPictures, and so on. To make it even more My-centric, the latest operating systems let an “administrator” set up various “users” who can have their own sets of MyFiles, MyPictures, etc. That way your computer can suffer from multiple personality disorder, eh? (As if viruses aren’t enough!) And just try to spell check a document with a lot of MyWords in it! (God help you if you use WordPerfect, another name with a mashed word!) Redlines all over the place! And, of course, you can always go to the Microsoft website and check out what they think you would like to buy in “MyMicrosoft”.
• MyMcDonalds. Jumping on the MyCrosoft (ha ha!) bandwagon is one of the biggest purveyors of cholesterol in the world. I get my weekly dose of MyFat by running (to burn off calories) to Mickey D’s (they used to hate that name; now they’ve embraced it) and consuming MyBigMac meal. Sure beats Burger King making it MyWay — or was that the song sung by Frank Sinatra?
• MyTorahPortion. This must be the origin of the My- syndrome. Almost every Bas Mitzvah student that I have observed during these services begins their sermon with this (or, if you put spaces in, these three) ominous word(s). Could it be that this sticks with the poor schmucks (like the aforementioned cholesterol) for the rest of their lives??

Oh my, we all are seemingly consumed by MyCorporate. Most of the My-creations (except for MyTorahPortion) seem to be commercially related. So many websites of commercial entities, like Verizon and Yahoo!, use the “My-“ prefix as a tool of marketing to supposedly give the websurfer (or customer, or client) more of a feeling of ownership and comfort when visiting. That doesn’t work with me; indeed, it personally results in MyDisComfort. (I wonder if The Knack can sing that?)

I’d rather all of that “ownership” be focused toward different things. What about MySociety, MyNeighborhood, MyFriends? And MyEnvironment, MyVillage, MyWorld? My- is a word or, in this case, a prefix that can close people off from reality and put them into MyFantasyLand.

Reality will some day catch up to all of the “My’s”. Hopefully, I’ll be in MyReality when that happens. Good luck, MyFriends!

Lump in my throat: — The Memorial Day Concert

 I have not often been a fan of concerts of patriotic music, especially those which have a heavy commercial tone to them. I find that these concerts too often celebrate a sort of superficial blind patriotism that makes me gag. There is too much blind “patriotism” and not enough intelligent thought.

The National Memorial Day Concert, broadcast on PBS and presented in the Mall of Washington, D.C., had a different tone to it that produced in me a different reaction: a lump in my throat and, at times, tears. Although the concert contained some of the same superficial elements that usually result in a negative emotional reaction from my body, there was something more meaningful in this concert.

The presentation by Colin Powell praising and recognizing the service of Vietnam veterans, the presentations from and about wounded veterans about many of the conflicts and wars that we have fought as a nation, and the presentation of the various
physical memorials located on the Mall in Washington, D.C. showed a more refined point of view of war and military service.

The goal of the concert seemed not necessarily to be one of cheering for our country’s military might or advancing our agenda for changing the world, but instead true and honest recognition of those who gave their lives in loyal service to our country, however misguided our government’s intentions may have been.

We could have done without Sara Brightman’s voice, but the selection of pieces she sang were ones of comfort and remembrance. To quite my surprise, we found out that John Schneider has an excellent baritone voice, even though what he sang was less to my liking. Gladys Knight was superb as usual. Maestro Erich Kunzel did a wonderful job holding all of the musical forces together, although some of the background music that was chosen was a little syrupy. Still, I have to admit losing it when Barber’s Adagio for Strings was played during the Vietnam segment. (Do you remember the movie Platoon? I lost it then, too.)

But it wasn’t the music that was necessarily the highlight of this program. A woman and his wounded vet spouse and a wife of a vet killed in action were present in the audience, and three actors recounted these persons recollections. General Colin Powell gave quite a moving speech recognizing Vietnam War veterans; his presentation was well balanced and commented on our change of attitude toward our current and former soldiers since the Vietnam War.

A few times during the presentation, the hope for peace was emphasized. Ms. Knight sang a beautiful rendition of “Let There Be Peace on Earth”, a song that usually is not dear to my heart, but in this context and sung by this artist did not produce the usual gag reflex and gave me a certain amount of a feeling of hope. Other presenters mentioned the hope that we can, through negotiation and understanding, work toward peace and not belligerently make war.

The closing music was Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America”. I actually felt like singing along for a change —again, not one of my favorite pieces. But in this case — after watching a program that truly memorialized the sacrifice of (quite) a few for many, whatever the cause and cost — it felt more like an appropriate prayer to end the concert.

May we always respect and remember the service of our military personnel and especially remember those who have died. May we always pray for peace and never forget the horrors that have been inflicted on soldiers and civilians because of war.

Car, Plane, or Train? Amtrak Wins!!

I was doing some comparison shopping for a trip down to Roswell, GA to see my parents. Here's the results:

Amtrak's direct roundtrip fare to Atlanta, GA is $306.00. It includes a rather large, reasonably comfortable seat to sit and sleep in (the same or better than airline first-class seating), a two moderate-size bag carry-on limit, a three rather-large-bag check-in limit for the baggage car (try and fly with that!!), a lounge car with carry-away snacks, drinks, and light meals, and a dining car (a bit more expensive but with full meals to order). Although trains can and do run behind schedule, you've got room to walk around, and you don't have to worry about the weight-challenged person squeezed into the seat next to you in coach.

I called and spoke to a rep about their refund/cancellation/modification policy; he assured me that there would be no more than a 10% penalty for canceling, but most probably no penalty at all. Reservation date and time can be moved if seats are available. Try that with an air carrier!

Want to drive to Atlanta? If you figure gas at $4.00/gal with a 25-mpg car, the one-way train fare just about equals the cost of fuel alone! Figure in hotel (you have to stop halfway unless you have the zany stupidity to drive 17 hours straight [I did that once!]), maintenance, insurance, depreciation, and other things and it gets to be quite an expensive proposition to drive that distance. Travel time is 17 hours -- just about the same as the train trip. Of course there's no having to take a bus or subway to your car, but who cares about two hours anyway [see below]. And I'm not figuring in traffic jams! Also figure in the weariness that comes from dodging trucks and cars at high speed for hours. Couldn't that result in possible increased stress (medical bills) and need for psychiatric counseling?? And if your car breaks down... fugetaboudit!!

I didn't bother checking out air fares; I'm guessing that the base fare would be about the same as Amtrak. However... airlines seem to be adding surcharges faster than the price of oil is rising, and there are less promotional, cheap fares out there on the internet, so I'm guessing that someone with one piece of check-in luggage might spend at least $400 round trip.

As far as the amount of time spent traveling, one has to add in getting to the station for the train (45 minutes to an hour by subway and bus on both ends). Amtrak suggests being at the station one-half to one hour beforehand to pick up your ticket and check baggage. LaGuardia airport is not too long of a subway/bus ride for me, but then comes check-in (at least a half hour), security check (who knows what could go wrong there, and I like keeping my shoes on!), the wait to board, the wait on the tarmac to take off, the potential delay in landing, and waiting to get your bags after you land -- that is, if they weren't sent to Istanbul. Total wasted and waiting time — somewhere between two and four hours — or more.

Train travel is less susceptible to weather changes. You won't be circling around the airport for hours to land.

I must admit that I didn't check into Greyhound or other bus lines. The reason? Some of those bus drivers really scare me.

Now for the sermon: We've neglected our passenger rail system in this country for far too long. In terms of energy use, it is one of the most efficient use of our resources for long-distance traveling — it is a green way to travel. So why do we only have one high-speed train — the relatively new up-to-150-mile-an-hour Acela between Boston and New York and Washington, D.C.? Why do we have only very limited service to cities outside of the Northeast, Atlantic coast, and Great Lakes/Canada? I would say that we have stubbornly and selfishly spent far too much love on the automobile and the airplane; it's time to invest in building a good passenger rail system with a well-maintained infrastructure and updated, reliable equipment. A program of expanding rail service along existing rail corridors (and maybe along interstate highways?) is as important to our national security as building the Eisenhower Interstate Highway System in the middle-to-late 20th century. While we're at it, how about shifting cargo to a higher-speed rail system as well and get some of those trucks off the road? Well... that another subject for a different time.

I saw a news item on ABC mentioning that Amtrak ridership is up at least 10% in the last year. Of course most of the segment was reporting about the higher cost of operating planes and cars, but at least someone acknowledged our rail system and the potential for it's growth. Rail can become an important part of the transportation mix in this country as it has been for years in many other European countries. Once people realize how much cheaper, efficient, green, and more pleasant train travel is, Amtrak is going to have quite a crowd to deal with! I just hope that Amtrak is ready for the influx of passengers.

As for me... I'll just sit back and read and sip my soda or tea while watching the trees and hills speed by... the Amtrak way!

Are we there yet??

Have a pleasant summer!

Laura Bush, U.N. Ambassador??

Laura Bush's performance in her news conference on Monday 5/5 showed her both poised and prepared. I'm sure her words influenced many around the world, especially the Myanmar (Burma) generals. She would be a great asset to the McCain/Clinton/Obama administration.

I see her as having a role in U.S. or world government in the future, much like Elizabeth Dole. I would be curious to find out whether her news conference created a more positive feeling for the U.S. and for her as opposed to her husband's low esteem among world leaders.

George W. also presented his case to the U.S. people and to the world community. I wonder who's presentation was better accepted? "W" hasn't a very good track record in this regard; my guess is that her wife surpassed him in counting the number of people who had a positive reaction.

She seems to have a more inclusive world vision than does her husband, a positive trait for dealing with various cultures and countries in today's world. She also seems to have determination and strength of character to hold her own, not only with the reporters in the briefing room in the White House but also with world leaders and the Security Council.

I pray for the people of Burma (Myanmar) that they may survive and not experience hunger and deprivation. Let's hope that the government will continue to allow the U.S., the UN, and many other generous countries into the country to help the Myanmar (Burmese) people.

Spiritual, Virtual, and Real Food

I heard today, on NPR All Things Considered and as part of their continuing series What I Believe, an essay by Sara Miles (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90133974). It not only was a moving commentary from one who lives out the words of what some call the Son of God or a prophet or a zany philosopher, but also a testimony to a life changed and enriched by the experience of sharing what she has with (mostly) those less fortunate -- or different -- from her.

I hope you will click on the link and get inspiration, as I did.

O'Reilly and Clinton

 I had a little difficulty finding the correct link from which to play Bill O’Reilly’s
interview of Senator Hillary Clinton (found not on O’Reilly’s page but on FoxNews.com), but
it was worth it. I generally was impressed with the way the two of them behaved and especially
impressed with Clinton’s ability to hold her own under O’Reilly’s questioning and occasional
posturing. The news summary of the first part of the interview includes some reaction from her
campaign staff and from the Obama staff, but as I’ve said in previous posts, it’s best to see them
in action by watching the whole interview.

I’m looking forward to seeing Part II of the interview. You can catch it on the Fox
News channel on cable or see it on the Fox News website within a few hours of it having been
aired.

Did You Read or View the Whole Thing?

With the continuing growth of the web and the ease with which one can get information
from various web sites, one may choose whether to view reports, excerpts, and soundbites of an event or view the entire event from beginning to end.

We rely on headlines and reports of events for much of our news. Reports are often
given from a “point of view” — either that of the reporter or influenced by the editor or
producer of a publication or program. Content inclusion decisions are often made with
restrictions of time and print space as major factors. This can result in the whole story not
being told.

Let’s take the Rev. Wright’s sermon he gave in which he said that the U.S. was partly to
blame for the attacks by Al Quaida, excerpted on Bill Moyers Journal during his interview with
Wright last Friday. Although not “the whole thing”, this longer excerpt put into context the
Reverend’s comments, unlike the soundbite which made its tour of the networks and websites. The longer excerpt had Wright listing many of the policies that have encouraged disrespect around the world for the U.S., its government, and its culture. In short, the longer version showed the evidence and the Reverend’s conclusion based on the evidence.

Other reports on encyclicals of the Roman Catholic Church and Supreme Court decisions show that there is a problem reporting on especially dense documents. For example, the Supreme Court decision at the beginning of this century regarding Microsoft was reported as
a victory for that corporation by some news outlets. On examination of the actual verdict, there was a Finding of Fact that Microsoft was indeed a monopoly, setting the stage for further litigation and/or negotiation between Microsoft and the plaintiffs. This resulted in a loosening of Microsoft’s control of its operating system code, allowing software vendors to plug into the operating system in ways that were only available before to Microsoft for their Office applications. I wouldn’t call this a “victory” for Microsoft.

There can be some difficulty getting the full view from some websites. To see the
O’Reilly Factor interview with Hillary Clinton and other “archived” interviews and programs, I
would have needed to buy a membership ($49.95). But... FoxNews.com had the whole thing
for free, probably only for a limited time. So I got the opportunity to see Parts I and II (I’ll see Part III and IV tomorrow). I don’t have cable, so I rely on the internet to see programs that have already been aired on cable channels. For the most part, these programs are up on websites within hours of having been aired. Having DSL or broadband makes it even easier.

I love to hear pundits go at it — roundtable discussions are some of my favorite programs. However, we need to remember that this is not “the news” — only an interpretation of it.

I have to admit that time for many of us is limited to get the “whole picture.” We rely
on the “media” to summarize for us in a “fair and balanced” manner. However, too many
reporters, editors, and producers too often neglect to report just the facts and end up “spicing it up” a bit. (News can be boring, but isn’t there a way to make accurate facts interesting without presenting an opinion?) Too many of us get all or most of our news from one source, be it the New York Times or the Fox News Channel. Why not watch/read both, or three or four sources? And, if it really matters to us, why not watch or read the whole thing by searching the web or going to the library?

The World Is Watching Us

Welcome! I'll try to make this blog as interesting as possible, but please pardon me if your eyes glaze over every now and then! These are truly my opinions, and hopefully will spark debate and reflection (depending on subject matter, of course!).

To start, that is not me above and to the left. That is the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, man of God, man of Controversy. Here's what I posted at ABCNews.com inspired by the report of his address to the National Press Club:

In one of the soundbites that was broadcast by you in your report on Reverend Wright's address to the National Press Club, Wright playfully (??) chided a reporter for not have listened/seen the entire sermon that was in question. Well, he doesn't have to chide me; I watched Bill Moyers Journal on Friday night -- the entire show -- encouraged by ABC's plug at the end of a WNN news item about Wright's interview with Moyers. Although they didn't include the entire "God damn America" sermon (wasn't it given the Sunday after 9/11?), the longer excerpt (about 3 min.) put the Reverend's remark in a completely different context -- a context which greatly increased my respect for this man of God. I'm not up on my theology of the United Church of Christ, but I'm pretty sure that his words and his work reflect the UCC's commitment to social justice. He speaks not only for the black church, but for a significant chunk of Christians as well concerned with feeding the poor and housing the homeless, among other things. Barak Obama need not distance himself too far from Wright's comments. In fact running away only sends the message that he is a wimp, concerned with image rather than issues. Obama needs to explain further what of the Reverend's words he agrees with (the UCC based points mentioned above would be a good start) and criticize the way the message is presented by one who maybe is a bit too "in your face" for White America. We need to remember: Style and Substance are two separate things.

In the Moyers interview, Wright came across as a Christian fully committed to social justice. Although he spoke a lot about and from the viewpoint of the contemporary African-American church, his philosophical and theological points were often those of the United Church of Christ -- a denomination that rejoices in it's diversity, accepting members of all colors and orientations.

Yes, there are many that would decry how he disseminates his message, but few can argue with the content -- when it is properly taken in context. For example, take the sermon given the Sunday after 9/11 in which he states that U.S. government should share some of the blame for the attacks. Well -- doesn't he speak at least some truth in that statement? God supposedly rained down fire and brimstone and plagues and frogs and bloody rivers on those who would have destroyed rather than built up. The fact is that our government hasn't done enough to build up this world of ours. I could go into an extended tirade about this, but the arguments for the U.S. being more of a World Team player are out there already. This is the core of the Reverend's message regardless of how he presents it. And the core speaks truth.