Day Late and Dollar Short

Dear Mr. Powell, Chairman F.C.C.

Elvis has left the building.

As a member of the broadcasting community and a study of the field for many a year I find it hard to believe that the F.C.C. would do something this stupid. I live in that apparent minority that says if you don't like what you are watching/listening to than turn it off. The Janet/Justin thing was way out of hand as it was a big venue with everyone form Grandpa to Junior watching and there is no need for that type of shit on the air. SO this is my dilemma. I love certain types of entertainment, The Sopranos, NYPD Blue, The Shield, and believe there is a place for everything on television, within limits. Then there is the side of me (father) that feels some of the shit on the tube goes beyond certain boundaries of the viewing audience. I am NOT for censorship but some of this stuff shouldn't be on the air before 9:00 pm. When I sit to watch TV with my wife and son we are not watching 'Family Business' on Showtime but I might as well be watching soft p*rn on MTV. The networks need to exhibit a little more self-control and really take a pass on some of these shows. Maybe if they put the money for developing crap back into quality but struggling shows then gems like Firefly or Murder One would still be here. Instead CBS gives us the 4th CSI, NBC cranks out Law & Order: The Next Generation and FOX puts out....well it's FOX. ABC hasn't had a real hit since NYPD Blue and see how they've f*cked with that all these years. Point is people, TV is more than the Idiot Box and offers some quality stuff on there, but we are letting network office jockeys and yes men turn it into a cesspool of filth and we should be able to do something about it, I'll let you know when I find out what it is.

Now back to the FCC, this stuff has been going on for so long you are closing the gate after the horses are out. You (and Clear Channel) are just now listening to Howard Stern! You blame local CBS stations for Viacoms and MTV's programming of the Super Bowl. Bob and Tom in Indy, Don and Mike in Washington DC, Brother Weeze in Rochester, Howard Stern in New York, these guys are sometimes funny, sometimes cutting edge and always raunchy. Mostly I think they aren't very good, sometime they are really bad and once in awhile they are extremely funny. But that's their job as shock jocks and they've been doing it for damn near 20 years. And NOW the FCC wants to put a stop to it. I say let us the listener make the decision to 'tune in or drop out'. I will listen to some if the boy isn't with me, but never if he is in the car. I am a responsible parent, everyone else should be too then the FCC can go back to letting 3 companies own every radio and TV station in the country.

The Blame Game

I am a man of many faults (not of constant sorrow) but I always take the blame for my mistakes. I hate finger pointing, especially when it is to divert blame. I work in a field where putting on a newscast is really a team project. And if one member doesn't do their job, the entire show could be in danger of blowing up. Now when I make a mistake, I own up to it and try to learn from it. Others it seems think they and their department can do no wrong and since I am at the end of the line before it hits air, I should be responsible for fixing their mistakes. Unfortunately for them it doesn't work that way. We had a problem the other day where A+B+C=D, now I am 'C" and "B" didn't do her job so "D" got messed up. "B"s boss tries to pin it on my and I respond that if "B" did this then it wouldn't have happened. Bossman says no I am to blame and I state again if "B" had done their job all would have been right with the show. Then Bossman says, "All this other bullsh*t aside, you pressed the wrong button". And I say "No, "B" didn't advance the stories to clear the machines, I pressed the RIGHT button but because the machines weren't cleared by "B" the wrong thing was on the air."
Bossman says "Oh, thank you for your time."
Fifteen minutes of my life gone because people don't like shit in their own backyard.

On an unrelated note, it has been since Friday night that I have held a book in my hands and I believe I am going crazy!!!

Lunch Time Musings

OK, I work for a news outlet, and am exposed to many different news events, stories and opinions every working minute. I think over the years I have developed a 'shield' of some sort by not having too strong an opinion on things and events not directly affecting me.

When at work I try to discuss two things, TV (shows) and Sports (mostly Baseball). Those are usually safest and I know I am not influenced by my over exposure.
Maybe that seems like a cop-out, but I believe you can be influenced by repetition even if it goes against you ideals.

For example, "The Passion of Christ". Big movie, big to do, big extremes of opinion. My view on this is the same for all 'entertainment', be it movies, television, music, or books. If you don't like it turn it off or don't go. SIMPLE. Yet if I express what I hear all day long I am either an Anti-Semite, or a Bible Thumper. It is hard to listen to such extreme opinions all day and not quote or relate to it in some way no matter how firm your beliefs are.
As for how I feel, I intend to see this film. I am a Catholic and can appreciate what the producers and director have made here. Now there is another side that believes this will set back inter-religion relations and cause 'mass hatred' and 'religious based violence'. To these members of this faith, please shut up. Thank you. You do not believe as we (members of my faith) do. Christ is not a religious figure to you, this is not part of your faith. Keep your noses out of it. Our faith is based on love and forgiveness. If you took the time to learn what this movie is about you will realize that Christ took the pain and suffering heaped upon him by others and turned and forgave them. HE did not cry for vengeance, did not call for extermination. As my pastor said in his homily this weekend, "Jesus could have SMOKED them all where they stood, but he turned the other cheek and died for our sins. The Jews did not kill Jesus, we did. He died so we might live!"
Take a note and move on!

Moving Day Part II Part II

As I was saying yesterday. The last time I moved out of my parents home was in 1988 and it was high time to go yesterday. Now do not get me wrong. I love my parents dearly and they were incredibly gracious to open their home to me, my wife, our son, our dog and our many (MANY) things (or shit, as I like to say). But being on my own for 16 years, being married for 11 years and raising our son for 10 years, you kind of develop a certain 'independence' and a 'lifestyle' you are used to living. Then you live with 'mom and dad' for 4 months and things clash. We all did very well, mostly. We did our thing, they did theirs we met as a family once a day for a meal, some TV, movie, visiting, etc. It was not the best of times for our stress levels.
First in November you have the 'holy sh*t' we just left 100k/year, a house, and 10 years in a community to live in my parents guest room with me making half my old money and the wife unemployed.

After that we had the usual holiday stress for December. Especially hard was our traditions vs their traditions. We gave up 'our Christmas' and celebrated theirs and this year ours will be HUGE!!!!

Then January rolled in and we thought WHEW, we sold the house, are finding a new one and winter ain't that bad here. Then POW, the boy goes in for 3 surgeries and spends 3 weeks out of the 4 of January in the hospital with tubes and IVs and black bile and blood driving us mad.

We were ready for February for more of the same but we might make it out OK. New house moved into, Wife job going well and my job is fantastic. Only stress I have right now is draft day for my fantasy baseball league.

Moving Day Part II

We are finally getting to where we can live in the house without living out of boxes. We had the opportunity to stay at my folks while we unpacked, well now the time has come to move out.

Moving Day

The moving van pulled up at 8am today and they are still unloading while I am at work. The wife is excited that our stuff has finally caught up with us after 3 months. Phone, cable, internet, etal must be ordered and waited for. But in the end we have our own home again!!!

Everyone Else Has One

create your own visited states map
or write about it on the open travel guide

Monday

Had a 'normal' weekend. No hospitals, ER's or 10 hour trips. We closed on our new home on Wednesday and painted several rooms this weekend. We got 5 large rooms done and had a blast. The boy is doing very well. We gave him free reign on his room and he picked a good color and sport border to use. He wants to hang pennants all around and my sister bought him an electronic score board for his room.

The house looks great and the wife left last night to meet the movers and get our stuff here to Indy.

For Valentine's Day I got the wife one of those Italian Charm bracelets and a house.

I am just glad to start living a 'normal' life again. This coming weekend will be the first weekend in 2004 that we do not either have to stay in a hospital or be 600 miles away for one day.

Plus I can start writing here on a regular basis again.

Till next time

Great Article

Former Rochester radio host with an excellent article on Revisionist History

Frankie Says Relax

Life update:
1. The boy is home, and feeling better. His incision is infected and looks terrible, doc has him on antibiotics, should do the trick.

2. Closed on our home today, YAY!!!!! Movers come next week so we have to paint and clean and get ready for the new home.

3. Closing on NY home next week, town is giving us sh*t about the deck permit. Will clear that up soon. Ruined our closing today as we got the call in the middle of it. We look to make about 3-4 grand on the sale. Will be very nice nest to start life in Indy!

4. Very tired and coming down with cold. But nice to be home and going to our new home, finally.

Lights out, till next time

The Weeks In Review

I have a moment to outline the past week(s), brace yourselves:

Friday, January 23rd
10am-7pm Work
7:30pm Leave for New York
1:30am Stop in Columbus, Ohio due to weather

Saturday
8am- Continue trip
1:30pm Arrive in Rochester, NY and begin packing and cleaning home for moving
11pm- Stop for day and sleep

Sunday
7am- Finish packing, fix fallen fence in 2 feet of snow and repair plumbing in kitchen
3pm- Leave NY and head back to Indy
1am- Arrive in Indy with Winter Storm

Monday
7am- Awake to 2 hour school delay and vomitting child
9am- Leave for work, sick child stays with Grandma
4pm- Receive word of 102 fever and ER visit
7pm- Boy goes into surgery, stay night at hospital

Tuesday
10am-7pm- Work, everything else a blur

Wednesday
Boy getting better
10am-7pm- Work

Thursday
Boy not progressing
7am-10am- Home Inspection
10am-7pm- Work

Friday
Boy moving around, feeling better
10am-7pm- Work
7pm-8pm- Run home for first time this week and shower in non-hospital shower. Eat non-take out food. Get shits. Return to hospital

Saturday-Sunday
Beginning of the "Long Night".
Boy very uncomfortable. Puking BLACK, must change bad IV and re-tube (place tube in through nose into stomach, NOT EASY). Boy up every hour, incredible gas pains, no sleep for anyone.

Update

The boy is still in the hospital. I haven't slept i nmy bed or next to my wife since last Tuesday. He had a complication due ot internal bleeding. That is all healed (after surgery, serveral days of 105 fever and tubes out the wazoo). Now we are waiting for the bowels to work again. He is filling up with gas and his belly is rock hard. They have a tube down his gut draining this god-awful black bile out of him. Poor kid is 10 and cant fart. We are hoping the tube easies the pressure and gets stuff moving before we have to operate again!!!

Did we mention we close on the new house next year, the old one the next day and someone has to be in New York to meet the movers and the wife is openning a new branch TODAY and she has to worry abou the son's possible 3rd surgery while having the Pres, VP and assorted minions wathcing her every move!!!!!

No wonder I am so frickin tired.