No News is Good News (Literally)

I've stated here a couple of times that no news story that contains positive information seems to be allowed to stand on its own nowadays.

NOTE: Channel 8's Denise Valedez just mentioned "these tough economic times". I wonder if there's a mandate from the news director to throw that phrase in several times a broadcast. I've even heard it during a weather segment. "War on Terror"? No thanks. "These tough economic times"? Yeah, baby. Can't get enough.

Ok, anyway...go and read the first sentence again, then come back.

There have been a couple of examples this week that again led me to think that you can't get an ounce of positive without having a gallon of crap poured all over it:

Exhibit A: The Project CityCenter development has begun hiring and staffing. Yay! Some touts said that "in these tough economic times" such a monstrous project would never move forward. It was simply a case of too much ambition, and not enough dough to bring those dreams to fruition. Whether it's 100, 75, or even 10 percent successful remains to be seen. Still, it's a badly needed shot in the arm for an area seeing record unemployment. There can be no downside, right?

Downside: With part of the project completed, there will be construction jobs lost. Ouch. Didn't see that one coming, did you? Then again, if you watch the news, I'm sure you did.

Exhibit B: The Clark County School District's student enrollment is decreasing for the first time in years. The district will have approximately 1,500 fewer students this school year. In past years, large increases in the number of students have stretched resources thin, led to critical teacher shortages, and forced students and teachers into much less comfortable portable classrooms. The district was sinking under the weight of Las Vegas' population boom. If increases in students caused such problems, reductions must alleviate same, right? Logic dictates so.

Downside: Fewer students means the district will have to cut programs, especially in it's arts departments. There's been a layoff or two. A future cellist is at risk. Enrollment didn't meet projections, so cuts needed to be made. None of these cuts came from any of the amazingly bloated school district administration. After hearing all these years about how the school district was unable to realistically sustain itself with such rapid growth, I thought that a drop of approximately three students per school would be welcome relief. My lesson: I'm a fool.

NOTE: Channel 8 on scene at a neighborhood where a man has barricaded himself in a home. I'm waiting for someone to say how much we've seen of this behavior "in these tough economic times".

Back In Session

As summer turns to fall, it means the temperatures dip (eventually), the Packers lose at home to an unheralded opponent, and the fall television season begins. Tonight, it's the season premier of "Two And A Half Men". While no "Barney Miller", I enjoy "Men" and have seen every episode. It's not overly smart, but it's consistently funny. These days when "30 Rock" is thought of as the best comedy series going (would that it were as funny as it thinks it is), that's enough.

Still, as the season premiere looms, part of me doesn't want to watch the show anymore. I'm not telling anyone else not to watch it. It would be my decision only. It all stems from recently learning that "Men" star Charlie Sheen is part of a conspiracy group that believes that the Bush Administration was behind the attacks of 9/11/01. A couple of weeks ago, Sheen went so far as to request a meeting with President Obama to discuss his theories. Thankfully, Obama was prepping for his appearance on "Tyra" or Jay Leno and didn't have any time to have his ears bent. The story didn't get much play in the media (surprise), but when I found out about it, my enthusiasm for "Men" tanked. I usually don't watch it during the week anymore (it's on twice nightly), but yesterday I caved and set my DVR for a season pass for "Men"

I'm not a boycott guy, because what I do doesn't matter on a large scale. Me not watching it this season won't keep "Men" from consistently rating in the Top 10. It will continue to run until well past the title changes to simply "Three Men". I don't agree with people who try to organize boycotts of artists they don't see eye to eye with. I think Woody Harrelson is a first-class chump, but I can't wait to see "Zombieland". Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon are as opposite my political spectrum as possible, but I'll still gladly watch "Bull Durham", "The Player", "Atlantic City" or any other quality work that they produce. I'm sure the list of people in Hollywood that I share great ideological differences with is vast and wide. I guess I'm surprised that the Sheen story didn't get much play (except for Fox). Maybe I'm not. And again, what I think only matters to a very, very small circle of people.

I told Pumpkin about the whole Sheen affair, and while she thinks the whole "truther" movement is asinine, she wants to watch the show. I just don't think it's going to be as funny to me as it once was. Few things are.

Chapter 15, Page 1

I watched a cockroach die yesterday.

It was in the bathroom at work, next to the urinal. It was on its back and in obvious discomfort. Each time I can in, I thought it had died, only to see it wiggle its legs again. It just would die. It's kind of scary to think that a cockroach can survive a nuclear blast, yet something in the bathroom at work was powerful enough to kill it.

Anyway, today I feel like the roach that just won't die. Again yesterday, more people lost their jobs and I survived. I'm now taking the place of the person responsible for getting me the job in the first place. I'm back to waking up before the sun. I'm back to getting home in time to catch a few innings of the Cubs' game. I'm back at home for an afternoon nap with my dog. I used to love all those things but now I just want things to be as they were last Friday. I want people who only look at the bottom line to realize the simple fact that getting rid of good people to save a few bucks leads to a subpar product, then a poor performance, followed by falling ratings and dwindling  revenue. Then more firings. But they'll never understand, will they?

What's particularly frightening from a radio aspect is that there isn't any good talent rising up to take the place of those who've been let go. A baseball team can shed its high-salaried superstars to save money in hopes that their farm system prospects pay cheaper dividends down the road. In radio, there's no farm system. Good people are sent packing and there's no one in the minor leagues ready to take their place. The industry will eventually die. cause of death: suicide.

Today, I'm just sad and concerned. That's the bottom line.

Like Ross and Rachel....

I've just been taking a break from this. Everyone seems to take a vacation in August, so I've done the same with this blog. Many a time, I've thought about sitting at the keyboard and hammering out something rife with rapier wit, only to be overwhelmed with indifference minutes later.

I like that I've been getting positive feedback about this page, but that also comes with a small price; Expectations. I'd come to feel that just a small sampling of opinion wasn't sufficient enough. Every entry had to be a column worthy of a leading newspaper or it wasn't worth posting. Thus a lot of potential entries were scuttled (yeah, scuttled. Aargh!). Today, that doesn't matter much. 

Today I'm puzzled as to why stocks continue to rise right along with unemployment (though I'm not complaining). I'm confused as to why leading economic experts say we're seeing an end to the recession when the only signs they're using are that more FORECLOSED HOMES are coming off of the market. Why be optimistic about the future of the economy when the nation's debt is projected to quadruple? Or are we up to quintuple now?

Certainly, if my personal debt was to increase four-fold, I wouldn't describe myself in a better financial state than before- unless I was a complete fool. Yet, somehow, the economy is getting better as the debt grows by leaps and bounds? Kids always have more trouble with math than any other subject. Too bad elected officials seem to struggle most when the subject is Logic.

Ok, back to the cabin.

Booze For Thought

One of my favorite shows is "Intervention" on A&E. The show follows along an addict down a road of destruction fueled by their own addictions, be it alcohol, drugs, obsessive compulsiveness. The show has the intended consequence of making me feel better about myself while at the same time making me yearn for a drink. I'm pretty sure that's not the purpose the producers had in mind.

Anyway, last night's show focused of a woman whose life was ruled by vodka. Her marriage, her kids, her career- all lost because of her inability to quit drinking. I was not bothered by this. I felt no sympathy. What irritated me the most was the way that she drank. She would go to the liquor store and pick up several little bottles (the ones flight attendants dole out) of vodka, bring them home, then chill 'em and swill 'em. My anger stemmed from the fact that she could've saved more money by buying a huge jug of the stuff over individual sized bottles. I wasn't worried about her liver- but her wasteful spending. Ah, but she's a woman, so...

Come to think of it, I've never seen an "Intervention" episode about wasteful spending. I'm guessing that would air on Lifetime: Television for Women

Don't Blame Me

I haven't posted very much lately. I've got things to say, but seeing as part of my job entails pounding away at a keyboard and constantly clicking a mouse, my home computer hasn't been a regular stop during non-work hours. Still, as I sat watching the Padres/Nationals game and realized there has to be a better way to spend my time. So...

I read an article this morning about the whole Erin Andrews affair. Ya know, the looker from ESPN who was videotaped while primping, nude, in her hotel room. It's in all the papers. Anyway, that's the problem. The whole tone of the article was what a voyeuristic society we've become and how "all of us" are to blame for the Andrews fiasco. Yep. You and me. We're at fault. I haven't seen the video and really don't want to. I'm a 43 year old man who's seen naked ladies in all shapes, sizes and colors. Seeing another set isn't going to turn into Bud Bundy. It's just not a big deal. I feel bad for Ms. Andrews and hope the punk that taped her gets his just desserts.

What bothers me the most is the media moralizing over how "we're all to blame". I first heard about the story while watching Channel 13's late morning news. They were appropriately horrified that one of their own had been exploited in such a way. I'm guessing their righteous indignation lasted close to three minutes. Then I saw stills from the video on the NY Post website. Every day, print, electronic, and viral media were all over it, and they were all uniform in their disgust. 

I'm still trying to figure out how the blame somehow lies at my feet. My exposure (for lack of a better term) to it came from the same media now lecturing me for my voyeuristic nature. I would not have known about the video's existence without them. They provide the sweets, then scold me for eating them. Nice.

I'm guessing a Doris Burke video wouldn't get nearly the same coverage.

Yes You Did

I didn't sleep very well. The dog got me up in the middle of the night, after after he was done with his business I just laid in bed and thought of how things have changed in the past 8 months. A "stimulus package" passed, voted on by people who didn't read it. We're on the way to passing clean energy and health care overhauls. Not reforms. Complete overhauls. Huge stories with ramifications for generations to come, if we even get that far. The international situation is as tense as ever. We may get nuked, but at least I'll die recycling.

It doesn't seem like many people know what's going on. None of the "Most Read" stories on foxnews.com have to do with stimulus, cap and trade, health care, Sotomayor, or international tensions. The most popular story is about the murder of a Florida couple that had 18 kids. There are a couple of Michael Jackson items as well. Interesting stories if only for their macabre value. The show hosts I listen to atwork constantly pontificate about how the people have to do something to stop what's happening before it becomes law. I think lawmakers know that the people aren't going to do that, or they would've become lawmakers in the first place. People only care about their own little kingdom, and I get that, but I'm scared about how our indifference is going to finally come back to bite us.

In times of recession, people are always given advice to cut back on what they spend. Instead of having a couple of months reserve cash on hand, try to have as much as a year's worth. Save. Yet, our government continues to throw money around like they're Rip Taylor tossing confetti on the old "Gong Show". The deficit has tripled (or has it quadrupled?) since BHO took office. Imagine more massive spending on the health care overhaul. Industries will have to spend more to work "cleaner" and who do you think the costs will be passed to (BHO's comments that energy prices would "necessarily skyrocket" somehow got past everyone) ? Farmers will have to charge more for the goods they produce, and who's going to have to bite down on that nut? Me. And I've asked for none of this.

The whole concept of letting "the rich" pay for everything is a topic for another time (maybe). Lying in bed last night, not only was I worried, but angry as well. Not at BHO and his cronies. They're only doing what they said they would do. I'm angry at the voter who put him in office, who fell for the rhetoric, who decided that BHO should be President because "It's time" a minority took office. The Presidency has become yet another Affirmative Action job, with predictably disastrous results coming down the road.