Are you a skeptic? Not a conspiracy theorist (a group of people who are at best singularly informed and at worst, nuts) - but a skeptic.
Me too. A sometime cynic, but most often skeptic. I mean, really, could YOU send your gold jewelry off to somebody you saw on TV and really expect to get back what you deserve? Well, maybe in a sense you would...but anyway....
Lots of people are media skeptics - and with good reason. Especially in this day and age where even the major news organizations are relying on people's cell phone videos and twitter posts to bring you the news. Hell, I'm a media skeptic and I'm IN it!
Check out http://www.stinkyjournalism.org/ . Seems at first blush to be pretty fairminded in it's examination of media shenanigans and inadequacies.
In fairness to the current state of journalism, however, this is what you're going to get when the profit is more important than the product. Ratings, web visits, and circulation rule. So you're either doing stories the masses will watch (lowest common denominator stuff), or you're doing whatever you can (what's convenient) because of a lack of staffing.
And the band played on......
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Time Marches On
Was back home (Ohio) last week to see my Dad. 88 and recovering from major surgery to deal with some circulatory issues.
It's very difficult to watch somebody who has been the person you've looked up to and the anchor of the family all these years struggling and in so much pain.
Certainly not an uncommon situation for us middle baby boomers, though.
The 5 of us have been able to keep it pretty lighthearted, and I think he appreciates that. But not as much as a good homecooked meal - after 50 days in the hospital!!
Most distressing part of the visit? Five middle aged siblings and spouses sitting around talking about our freakin' ailments, medications and benefits - or lack thereof!! Now THAT was distressing!
It's very difficult to watch somebody who has been the person you've looked up to and the anchor of the family all these years struggling and in so much pain.
Certainly not an uncommon situation for us middle baby boomers, though.
The 5 of us have been able to keep it pretty lighthearted, and I think he appreciates that. But not as much as a good homecooked meal - after 50 days in the hospital!!
Most distressing part of the visit? Five middle aged siblings and spouses sitting around talking about our freakin' ailments, medications and benefits - or lack thereof!! Now THAT was distressing!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Women Drivers
The parking lot sequence in this thing is hilarious. It's actually funnier if you turn off the god-awful, annoying music. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygtBxhFc24A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygtBxhFc24A
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Sunday's Calm Post
You become assaulted with bad news when you're in the news biz. So when something truly good happens, you tend to sit up and take notice.
A couple minutes here to pass along proper kudos to the truly good guys at P & R Service in S'ville. Have you ever taken your car to a mechanic and gotten out of there for $10? I have.
They've let me drive my car around after they've worked on it and then bring it back again and again until we solved the problem.
This time? Ed and Al were upfront about the fact that they found a problem with the new tires we just put on the Honda. Had they put the tire on the back and not told me about it....I never would have known....until the tires were rotated, probably. Instead they told me they knew there was a problem...and as soon as a new tire came in, they'd take care of it.
It does your heart good. These are tuly good people. Hats off, gentlemen!!
A couple minutes here to pass along proper kudos to the truly good guys at P & R Service in S'ville. Have you ever taken your car to a mechanic and gotten out of there for $10? I have.
They've let me drive my car around after they've worked on it and then bring it back again and again until we solved the problem.
This time? Ed and Al were upfront about the fact that they found a problem with the new tires we just put on the Honda. Had they put the tire on the back and not told me about it....I never would have known....until the tires were rotated, probably. Instead they told me they knew there was a problem...and as soon as a new tire came in, they'd take care of it.
It does your heart good. These are tuly good people. Hats off, gentlemen!!
Friday, February 13, 2009
We were talking about 'spring' things' this morning. Drove through my first skunk cloud this week. Pitchers and catchers report this weekend.....and isnt that one of the sweetest phrases of late winter?!
Got to talkin' about kayaking .... so I thought I'd share this place with you if you're into kayaking or canoeing. Liquid Therapy in Three Rivers. Great people.....beautiful rivers - several to choose from - it's just an excellent escape. Think spring!! You can thank me later.
http://www.liquidtherapypaddling.com/
Got to talkin' about kayaking .... so I thought I'd share this place with you if you're into kayaking or canoeing. Liquid Therapy in Three Rivers. Great people.....beautiful rivers - several to choose from - it's just an excellent escape. Think spring!! You can thank me later.
http://www.liquidtherapypaddling.com/
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Giff's Calm Post
Saw something interesting on Napier Ave. on the way home from the station yesterday. Pickup in front of me had one of those Leer toppers on the back of it....and in the back window was a professionally lettered sign that read "In Loving Memory of........Somebody", don't remember the name.
Intriguing to me as I wondered if the truck itself was the tribute to this departed soul. Or perhaps the honoree was still IN the back of the truck.
Either way, I thought it an odd way to pay tribute to a loved one.
Gotta go. Lunch time.
Intriguing to me as I wondered if the truck itself was the tribute to this departed soul. Or perhaps the honoree was still IN the back of the truck.
Either way, I thought it an odd way to pay tribute to a loved one.
Gotta go. Lunch time.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Maiden voyage....
Hmmmmmm.......so this is what blogging is all about. A written stream of consciousness that carries no gaurantees that anyone will read it. Or care about it. I feel so free. And bloated, for some reason.
My guiding principal for any future entries? No yelling, no spitting, wear pants.
I'll try to offer interesting tidbits that I have turned up in my daily activities....so if there's nothing here for weeks at a time.....you will have just had a peek behind the curtain at the Gifford household....there just ain't much goin' on there for the most part.
We'll see how she goes......but for now.....my cynical nature has me mentally aligned with the following borrowed (can't remember from where - might have been Patton Oswalt) assessment of the 'blogosphere'......."Blogging is To Literacy What Facebook is to @#$*ing".
My guiding principal for any future entries? No yelling, no spitting, wear pants.
I'll try to offer interesting tidbits that I have turned up in my daily activities....so if there's nothing here for weeks at a time.....you will have just had a peek behind the curtain at the Gifford household....there just ain't much goin' on there for the most part.
We'll see how she goes......but for now.....my cynical nature has me mentally aligned with the following borrowed (can't remember from where - might have been Patton Oswalt) assessment of the 'blogosphere'......."Blogging is To Literacy What Facebook is to @#$*ing".
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