Commercial Broadcasting

The ‘Gag’ Rule

No, I'm not talking about some political rule in congress; and I'm not making reference to anything in jurisprudence either! My use of the "Gag Rule" refers to something completely different. My Gag Rule is that American television (and radio) has now gotten so commercialized, trivialized, and bastardized that if you simply surf the channels or stations you will very probably GAG as a result of what you find!

Basically, there are two separate and equally disgusting characteristics that can be easily observed at anytime of the day or night, on any station.

The first GAG is that the preponderance of commercial interruptions completely destroys the continuity of virtually ANY program content. And, the second GAG is that the program contents themselves have become so disgracefully banal and simpleminded that the deluge of commercials is almost MORE enjoyable than the programs themselves.

We now watch programs in which people play poker (with background narration), or people try to answer questions that most third graders could answer when I was in school -- and need to "phone a friend" for help then get it wrong anyway -- GAG! Or we watch so called "reality" shows which occasionally experience "writers strikes" (October 2005)! If they are REALLY reality shows, why do they need writers? GAG!

Then of course there is professional wrestling, UNprofessional advice shows for people who are socially dysfunctional, soap operas that highlight all that is wrong with modern society, and even news programs that hype upcoming news items during their own program to keep you from changing channels! Gag, Gag, GAG!

Architect Frank Lloyd Wright hit the nail squarely on the head way back in the 1960s when he characterized commercial TV as "chewing gum for the eyes!" Gag!

Mexico

Like many other thinking Americans, I'm extremely concerned about the clear fact that our congress is doing everything that it can to GIVE AWAY our country's assets to foreign businessmen. Because of a public outcry, they backed down a few months ago on the ports deal, but now they are at it again, trying to give away ($$$) control of our domestic airlines to foreign businessmen. And as far as illegal immigration is concerned it is pretty obvious that it is NOT in the financial interest of the Mexican government to help us maintain secure borders.

But, I'm also extremely annoyed by the "woe is me" attitude of average, working, tax paying, middle class Americans. "What can the AVERAGE American do?" Frankly, I'm sick of hearing it and reading it! And the press has fallen on its face on this issue as well!

STOP BUYING MEXICAN YOU MIDDLE CLASS FOOLS! -- THINK!

Are Mexican tequila and beer really staples of nourishment? Do we really NEED to drink Corona and Mexican tequila instead of alternate brands? Are Puerto Vallarta, Cancun, Cozumel, and other Mexican resorts our only vacation options? Can't we take vacations in the Caribbean for a while? Can't we simply book cruises on ships that DON'T stop in Mexican ports of call? Would it be such a hardship?

Well, it certainly would be a wonderful way to send a message to Mexican businessmen and legislators! And it is something that Americans are perfectly FREE to do individually and en masse! You don't even need help from your own (probably) corrupt politicians in D.C. (District of Corruption!)

Wake up Americans! Stop buying Mexican! Boycott Mexico AND ITS PRODUCTS!

Democracy

Democracy Or Idiotracy?

If you watch and listen to news reports you have probably heard the word "democracy" used a great deal, especially lately! And invariably, it is almost always regarded as a term with POSITIVE connotations -- especially AMERICAN democracy. It's a GOOD thing... right? Well, here's a thought.

Government OF the people, BY the people, and FOR the people is a wonderful concept... AS LONG AS the PEOPLE are well educated, fully aware, actively involved, genuinely interested, and reasonably civilized. But with each passing day, and each developing news story, I become more convinced that Americans have crapped out, and ARE GETTING exactly the kind of society they deserve!


Yes, I know it is dangerous and unfair to generalize, so I won't use any absolutes here, OK? Not ALL, not EVERY, not EVERYWHERE, not NO ONE! But for these I will substitute "SUBSTANTIALLY LARGE PERCENTAGE!"


It is said that one of Winston Churchill's favorite sayings was that "a ten minute conversation with the average American is all it takes to understand what's wrong with democracy!" And I have no doubt that such an assessment is even more true now than when he made it! We have become borderline literate (most newspapers and magazines are written at the fifth grade level), extremely unrealistic in our growing sense of entitlements (city services, child care, idle entertainment, health care, and so on) while we complain constantly about taxes, corruption, greed, waste, and bad behavior while actually demonstrating all of these on a daily basis.

I've been saying for many years that to judge a society just look at how it spends its money! We spend HUGE amounts of money on fashions, sex, violence, drugs, junk food, and hedonism of almost every imaginable kind. At the same time, nurses and teachers at every level are poorly paid and overworked. Educational funding and social services nationwide are miniscule compared to other trivialities like new sports complexes, recreation centers, highways, airports, corporate lobbying, and new shopping centers.

Considering that almost fifty percent of eligible voters stayed home in the last two national elections, and over 90 percent of the adult population has NEVER even tried to communicate with their elected representatives, I'd say we're getting pretty much the kind of government and society we deserve!

Bugs

It's the little things that matter and make a difference! No,... I'm not talking about holding hands or saying "I Love You," or stuff like that... I'm talking about ANTS!

When I was just a little rascal (5 or 6), I heard someone say "eventually, insects will inherit this planet!" Hmm, eventually? Well, in my boyhood mind, I decided to do my part then and from that day forward, so I never miss an opportunity to step on an ant! Yep,… that should slow down, in some minuscule way, our eventual fate!

What can one learn from such an anecdote? Well, the other day I was walking along and chatting with someone, and I made a very minor modification in my steps to send an ant to insect heaven. (No big deal,... it's automatic!) My companion however asked about it and I related the previous paragraph. Well, you'd have thought I had altered the operation of the universe!

My companion responded that everything "created by GOD deserved to live!" (Good grief!)

We could have had quite a philosophical brawl if we weren't already such friends. Instead, I simply responded that stepping on ants (as God's creations) was nothing compared to what I'd do if I had an opportunity to step on other living creatures -- LIKE AIDS VIRUSES!

THAT observation resulted in some genuine laughter and it was the end of the matter. However, I have thought about it quite a bit and have decided that since animal feces are literally teeming with nasty (yet living) germs there are still some over-riding reasons to not kill them by stomping!

Oh well, some battles to preserve our existence are more trouble than they're worth!

F Words

I know it would give everyone a cheap thrill to see me type the F-word but I'm not going to do that -- so there!

I am, however, NOT talking about the old F-word -- that one has become so over used that it has lost most of its old zip and zing. You hear it everywhere; and it just doesn't seem to have any real impact anymore! Sad really, because it came in so handy for such an incredibly long time.

However, the NEW F-word does have real possibilities! First of all, it is truly pervasive in our society; and it is virtually always deceptive as hell. In fact, in most cases, it is downright OFFENSIVE after we find out the details.

This morning, I was reading through my email and there it was -- AGAIN! Yep, that offensive four letter F-word. I've become so sensitive to its use that I believe I can actually feel my blood pressure increase when it is used in my presence.

We certainly don't need more meaningless legislation, and I'm not going to suggest making it illegal to say it in public; but I do think people should at least learn to frown when it is spoken.

So there I was, sipping my morning cup of coffee, looking through my emails, and WHAM -- there it is! Someone was offering me a FREE subscription! All I needed to do was agree to pay shipping and handling of $9.95 plus a small "initiation" charge of $5.00! Ugh! Now I'll be cranky for hours!

Wake up America! Stop trying to get stuff for FREE! NOTHING IS FREE! (Oh, except for this advice! It is, ah,... er,... well OK -- it's FREE!)

Rights & Responsibilities

Have you ever noticed that people can (and often do) get into some pretty heated discussions about individual rights in modern America? It seems that virtually everyone can get themselves into a lather about anything that they perceive as a challenge or danger to their personal existence. Issues as trivial as the right to an open parking space, or as monumental as personal privacy in the bedroom can become points of major annoyance to almost any citizen at almost any time.

However, while the majority of folks seem always ready to assert their rights; it seems to me that there are mighty few who are prepared to discuss their responsibilities. Some examples of this would be useful here.

Suppose for a moment that our precious right to vote was in danger. Now that is something that could truly start a revolution, and in fact, it has! We'd certainly be united on that as a nation, yet in past elections only about half of our eligible voters have exercised that precious right. Put another way, they have ignored their responsibility.

Here's another example. If our right to a jury trial is ever challenged there will certainly be a public uprising. Yet, many of us have received jury selection notices, and thought "oh no, jury duty!" (It's that responsibility thing again.)

Take the education issue! We all believe that our kids have a right to a good education; but (quite obviously) there is a huge percentage of the country's population who have abrogated their responsibility to be the primary source of that education for their kids! Then later in life, they just can't understand why their kids ignore them by placing them in nursing homes!

Medical care? Sure! We want the best -- cheaply or free -- but we still smoke tobacco, get plastered on booze, do recreational drugs, inject metallic dyes under our skin, punch holes all over ourselves, and still demand the right to sue for malpractice whenever we want to blame the doctors and hospitals.

What about responsibilities?

Commercial Television

The Great American Wasteland

What is the great American wasteland? Is it the Badlands of the Dakotas or the deserts of the southwest? How about Death Valley,… or maybe all of the country's trash dumps and landfills? Any of these? — Nope!

According to my way of thinking, our greatest wasteland isn't a REAL place or a physical space, but rather a VIRTUAL one! (Fanfare) Tah-Dah! It is the great wasteland of American minds that is the direct result of watching commercial television.

I think it was put best many years ago by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright when he described American TV as "chewing gum for the eyes!" Literally, something to occupy your eyes while your brain is idle. And, that was DECADES ago!

Marshall McLuhan once said that America produces the most sophisticated HARDWARE in the world; but unfortunately the most stupid and useless SOFTWARE. And I am certain that this observation applies now more than ever in reference to what was named early on as -- the boob tube!

Recently, out of sheer curiosity, I got out a pad, pencil, and stopwatch for a little experiment at 8pm one evening. At the beginning of a prime time broadcast on one of the BIG THREE (CBS, I think) I started my stopwatch, and at the very first commercial interruption, stopped it until the program resumed. I continued this until the end of the half hour show and was astonished to discover that only sixteen minutes and 20 seconds were program! Barely half the clock time! The rest was commercials!!!

And that wasn't the worst part. The show itself was stupid, mindless, and sensationalized nonsense as well! Truly a wasteland!

On subsequent attempts on another network I discovered a new and more insidious device. They began inserting miniature video clips in a lower screen corner DURING the broadcast of the main program! Aaargh!

My solution was to discover the VAST collection of educational videos, films, and other materials available for FREE from my local library! Now, my evenings and viewing leisure time consists of UNINTERRUPTED programming that I control (via the 'pause' button) which costs virtually NOTHING and gives my cerebellum some real nourishment!

Try it! A mind is truly a terrible thing to waste!

Priorities

Most of us live our lives according to a particular set of priorities but in most cases we aren’t really conscious of what they are!

I have a colleague who simply lives to make money — and frequently says things like “money, Money, MONEY!” At other times, he may say to me that he envies the time I have for travel, scuba diving, socializing with friends, kayaking, photography, or music composition. And, I virtually always respond that it is all a matter of priorities.

According to my way of thinking, one of the best things a person can do is order their priorities, and then consciously live according to those priorities. And as my dad used to say, there are some things that money just cannot buy. So, here is a short list of obviously important priorities. Grab a scrap of paper and rearrange them into an order that reflects your own philosophy of life. And feel free to add any that I may have omitted. (They are presented below in alphabetical order.)

+ discretionary time
+ education and understanding
+ family and friends
+ health and vitality
+ longevity
+ money and wealth
+ sense of accomplishment
+ travel and activities

You may also want to reflect on the reality that money can’t necessarily buy health; and that health doesn’t automatically guarantee longevity. Further, what other things contribute most (in your opinion) to quality of life?

Having ordered your priorities, try doing an assessment of whether your current way of living reflects and supports your priority order.

Finally, isn’t it just amazing how our priorities change with age and maturity?

Blogs & Blogging

Why Would Anyone Write A Blog?

Well, some people do it primarily to make money. The thought of bucks is a powerful motivator, especially in this wealth-centered world. But,… I don't expect to ever make a penny on this blog, and frankly, I don't care!

Other people (and groups) create and maintain blogs because they are interested in things like fame or popularity, which frequently turns into money (see previous paragraph). Since I believe that fame and popularity are often a curse, they aren't my motivation either.

Having been a teacher for almost all of my life; and believing that education, awareness, and understanding are the pathways to living a productive and healthy existence, I certainly am interested in fostering logical thought as an approach to productive living. And to the extent that I can help people achieve that, I want to help.

So, this blog is intended to be a collection of short essays on virtually any topic that I feel is worth careful reflection. I also believe that you can learn as much by disagreeing with someone as you can through agreement, and I do not expect my readers to agree with all or most of these essays,… only that they THINK! That is because I truly believe that logical, reflective thought is a discipline that has fallen into widespread disuse in our society.

Finally, there is one other motivation for me; and that is to find a way to unburden myself when I am aggravated by attitudes and behaviors that I see as unhealthy and/or unproductive. And by using these essays as a catharsis, I hope to unburden myself while also creating a feeling that I have, in some small way, helped others.