Thursday, March 26, 2009

Wayne's World No More

The local access channel on our basic cable line-up is something we all take for granted. From cheesy local shows (as parodied in Wayne's World) to gavel to gavel coverage of the local planning commission's meetings, we may not have ever watched it much, but it was comforting to know it was there.

These stations (known as PEGs for "public, educational, and government") are now a dying breed. According to Newsdesk.org:
California and Illinois are among 20 states that enacted laws allowing cable companies to end their support for PEG studio facilities, equipment and staff, and giving control of programming to state agencies rather than local communities.

When California's Digital Infrastructure and Video Competition Act took effect Jan. 1, Los Angeles closed 14 studios.
The article from Newsdesk, "Access Denied to Cable Viewers", goes on to describe pending legal action against AT&T and Comcast, who have sponsored the legislation that makes it easier to take local views and ideas out of the broadcast spectrum.

The future of Wayne and Garth is secure on YouTube. I'm not worried about them if PEGs vanish completely. But losing coverage of local city council, board of supervisors, etc., would be a great loss.

Yes, it's true that these meetings are open to the public, but transportation and other considerations make it difficult for many to get to them on a regular basis. On the PEG stations, these proceedings are often repeated several times, giving citizens many opportunities to check in on their local elected officials.

I don't mean to raise an alarm that if these stations go, it will give rise to fascism and tyranny in local politics (insert your own rude remark here). But anything that diminishes public oversight of government affairs - even the slightest bit - does diminish democracy in the end.

Broadcast and cable licenses are a public trust. They are a valuable commodity, and big business, with very little asked for in return. One of those things is public access to the airwaves. I think it's worth preserving.

Monday, March 23, 2009

50 Things About Me

Another traveling meme, this one came to me on Facebook, but I'll post it here. And, no, I'm not tagging anybody - if you want to do it, fine, but I ain't forcing anybody...

Here's the instructions I received: "Copy and paste these questions on your own 'note' replacing my answers with yours, then tag 25 people to do the same thing. Remember to tag me back so I can see your answers!"

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
Yes, my mother's uncle, the bigamist. Well, they didn't know he was a bigamist at the time, but years later information about his "other wife" from back in Russia showed up quite unexpectedly. But they tell me he was a very nice guy. Really.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
Since we had to put our cat, Big George, to sleep about six months ago there's been quite a few tears shed whenever we think of him. Like right now, dammit. Don't get me started.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
Depends. If I want to read it again later, then no way. If I want to write it and forget it, it's just fine.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Roast beef, usually. Pastrami, when it's done right (rarely is). And ham, on occasion.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
No.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Well, that would depend on who else I was. I'd probably find me pretty annoying.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM?
No shit.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
No.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
I think that time has passed. I like vacation activities that don't include the possibility of hospital visits.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
I'm not wild about cereals, but I do like a Clif bar in the morning. The Apricot one is my favorite.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
If they have laces, yes.

12. YOUR MOM?
I'm sure she unties her shoes too. What was the question?

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Cherry Garcia is pretty damned good. Chocolate chip cookie dough is always welcome. I wouldn't mind a bowl of Espresso Chocolate Chip right now either.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
Their height.

15. RED OR PINK?
Red.

16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
I have an annoying voice. (Yes, I know, that's not all).

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
Big George.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO COMPLETE THIS LIST?
If I have to, so do they.

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
Blue jeans. Brown shoes.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
Silence.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Brown.

23. FAVORITE SMELL?
Ribs on the smoker.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO?
Joan.

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO TAGGED YOU IN THIS?
Maria? Oh, she's alright ;^)

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Iron Chef America. Well, I consider it a sport.

27. HAIR COLOR?
Dog shit brown (okay, I haven't looked in the mirror for a decade or so, I assume it's still brown).

28. EYE COLOR?
Hazel.

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Nope.

30. FAVORITE FOOD?
BBQ!

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Both.

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
The Reader. (Excellent, btw)

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
Blue & grey.

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Autumn.

35. HUGS OR KISSES?
From whom?

36. FAVORITE DESSERT?
Apple pie, the crumbly kind.

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
Well, I ain't tagging anybody so... Steve?

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
Me.

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
I'm not reading a book right now. I'm typing up 50 things.

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
I don't use a mouse pad (I don't use a mouse).

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
Celebrity Apprentice.

42. FAVORITE SOUND(S)?
Waterfalls, fountains, the tide coming in.

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Which year? Probably Beatles, but tough choice.

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
The Netherlands.

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
Of course.

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Boston, MA.

47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?
Yours.

48. HOW DID YOU MEET YOUR SPOUSE/SIGNIFICANT OTHER?
Astronomy class at UCSC. She thought I might be smart enough to help her pass the class.

49. IS THE CUP HALF FULL OR HALF EMPTY?
Don't they offer free refills here?

50. IF YOU COULD SIT DOWN TO DINNER WITH FIVE PEOPLE WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE?
Thomas Jefferson, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Charley Parkurst (aka "One-eyed Charlie"), Francis Coppola (well, gotta pick somebody who's still alive), and you.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Obama on Leno

Last night I broke my boycott of the Tonight Show to watch the interview with President Obama. As annoying as I find Jay Leno to be, it was worthwhile viewing. No abundantly serious hardball questions, but a mix of light banter and non-threatening inquiries into the state of the nation, which the President answered in an engaging and thoughtful manner.

And then there are the naysayers. "It's beneath the dignity of the Presidency to be on late night TV." "Speaking with comedians diminishes the office of the President," "Yadda, yadda, yadda." I'm amazed that a) people still think that way, and b) that it's taken so long for a sitting President to do the late night circuit.

In an age when more people under the age of 40 get their news from Jon Stewart than from Katie Couric, what better forum is there for exercising the bully pulpit of the presidency than a show like Leno's?

That we have a president who wants to avoid the isolation of the beltway and engage the general public in an ongoing dialog about our nation's future is something that I find refreshing and inspiring. Having a leader who meets us where we are and talks with us, rather than over or around us, is reassuring and gives many of us hope.

Then, this morning, I heard a commentator complaining about the expense of Obama's Tonight Show visit. What? The President was already in California to meet with the Governor. The expense and trouble of having the Secret Service protect him at NBC was probably not much different than if he had visited a school or a factory, and I never heard anybody complain about any Presidents making those types of appearances.

But I guess the "serious news person" giving that analysis was simply upset at being bypassed for a washed up former stand-up comedian with an over-sized chin.

Late night TV appearances are no substitute for serious, in-depth interviews and news coverage. But if this is the worst complaint we have about this President, I'm pretty happy.

For those who missed it, here it is on NBC.com.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Very Progressive (no surprise)

The folks over at American Progress have an Interactive Quiz: How Progressive Are You?. The quiz consists of 40 questions which you either agree or disagree with on a 10 point scale.

My final "ideological score" was 297/400, which makes me "very progressive." The average score, according to American Progress, is 209.5, with Obama voters averaging 244 and McCain voters at 169.

So, just in case you hadn't noticed from the previous 1,100 or so posts here: I lean slightly to the left. As if we needed this quiz for proof.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Premio Dardos Award Winners

I was recently notified that I am a recipient of the coveted "Premio Dardos Award." Not familiar with the award? Let me quote:
"Nobody knows who came up with the Dardos Award, but it is given in recognition of cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values transmitted in the form of creative and original writing. These stamps were created with the intention of promoting fraternization between bloggers, a way of showing affection and gratitude for work that adds value to the Web."
The rules (I'm quoting what was sent to me):
  1. Accept the award by posting it on your blog along with the name of the person that has granted the award and a link to his/her blog.
  2. Pass the award to another five blogs that are worthy of this acknowledgment, remembering to contact each of them to let them know they have been selected for this award.
Well, first of all, yes, I graciously accept this award, which was given by my brother, Steve, author of LA's Graveside Companion: Where the V.I.P.s R.I.P. Is it cheating if your brother gives you the award? Let's assume not and continue...

I had a couple of questions, too, like, "Who is Premio Dardos anyway?" I'm pretty sure it translates roughly to "dart prize," which makes no sense at all.

The next thing that interested me was that Steve did not give me the award at what I consider my main blog, Random Thoughts, Notes, & Incidents (hosted blogspot.com), but at Vloggerheads.com. Now, it is true that I have a blog at Vloggerheads, I use that site mostly for posting videos. Of course, I've pretty much been ignoring the Random Thoughts blog for months...

So, did Steve mean to give me the Dart Prize for vlogging? But the rules are very specific that it should be in recognition of "creative and original writing."

Does it make a difference, or are blogging and vlogging interchangeable? Most every vlog starts with an idea and some thoughts in mind before the camera starts to roll, even if it's not all written out. And, frankly, even those that are shot randomly, end up being scripted in the editing. Perhaps, by the time it's posted, you could say video blogs require more work and preparation that a typed blog like this.

Both are legitimate means of communication, of getting our ideas out to others, or simply to clarify things to ourselves, and both are worthy of Dart Prizes if done well.

So, I'm expanding the prize - Instead of awarding it to five blogs - I'm going to award to both bloggers and vloggers and people who do both ...

I am now honored to present to you the latest five winners of the Premio Dardos Award:

Saturday, March 14, 2009

WTF Are Internet Friends?

Diesel Bodine wants to know about the difference between "real friends" and internet friends. His main focus is on the expectations - how online we "present" to each other through videos, but off-line we converse without notes. I see that more as a quirk of the medium than a measure of the depth of a friendship.

See, I don't see much difference between online or offline friendships. We have "friends" at work, or in our neighborhood, that are only friends because of a situation, an accident of place or time, and when you move, or change jobs, you never see them again. And then there are your real friends you keep forever. The Internet just puts that process under a microscope, and maybe speed it all up, but it's really not all that different.

There are friends we expect to come visit us when we're sick, and there are friends who we expect nothing more than to be sitting on a particular bar stool when we meet at the neighborhood pub. There are people you dearly love and care for, but if you have to put up with their crap today you'll end up killing them. There are people you expect to stay and help wash the dishes, and there are people who constantly surprise you with what they do - or do not - do for you.

Friendships online can be just as real as all that, and it has nothing to do with clicking a "friend" button. There are people online that I've had to my house, or that I've been to their house. There are people I've traveled some to see and be with. There are people I consider my brothers. And there are people who if they vanished tomorrow I'd barely notice the difference.

But that's not so different than "real life." Real life friends change interests, drift away, whether by boredom or a change in their situation. Somebody got a different job, a new house, got married, had a kid, joined a different gym, whatever, and we don't see them so much anymore.

You run into them 18 months later at the 7-Eleven and it's really awkward as you stand there, shuffling your feet, until one of you says, "Well, I'll call you, okay?" and the other replies, "We'll grab lunch at that place we used to go" and you both know neither of you ever will.

And then there are the friends who've moved half-way across the country and you only speak to on the phone once every few months, but when you do get together every couple of years, it's four days of nonstop conversation and laughs and not a beat is missed in knowing you're still on the same wavelength, and they'll always know you better than you know yourself, and your wives think you're each crazy, but it's okay 'cause you're with your friend.

It's kind of like that.

(Originally posted at Vloggerheads.com during my break from blogging here.)

Friday, March 13, 2009

It's Pink Friday in California

No, "Pink Friday" has nothing to do the ongoing battle to overturn Proposition 8, or anything to do with Gay Rights at all. "Pink Friday" refers to termination notices, often called "pink slips," and that the California Constitution mandates that local school districts notify teachers of any layoffs for the coming school year by March 15 each year.

As the last workday before March 15, today is the day when an estimated 25,000+ teachers throughout the state will receive notice that their services will likely not be needed for the 2009-10 school year. Well, actually, they'll be needed; they just won't be funded.

In Santa Clara County it will be about 1,000 teachers receiving their pink slips today. But that 1,000 will not be evenly distributed throughout the county. In the Cupertino district (where my wife works), they have managed to make other last-minute budget adjustments, and last week announced there would be no teacher layoffs this year. Needless to say, districts that aren't also home to companies like Apple or Hewlett Packard will not fare as well.

In many parts of the state, there will be protests today in support of teachers. But they're not likely to do much good.

Like the March 15 mandated deadline, the budget crunch is coming from Sacramento, where legislators "solved" their budget deadlock by overturning the people's commitment to funding schools and early childhood education.

Although we're now nine months into the 2008-09 Fiscal Year, the budget (which was only passed last month) will not be official until after a May 19 special election, which will ask the people to ratify the legislature's reworking of five previous ballot measures. These include voter approved minimums for funding K-12 education, early childhood programs (First 5), and mental health funding, as well as "borrowing" against future lottery earnings.

Not among the special ballot initiatives: modifying the 2/3 vote requirement for the legislature to pass a budget. California is one of only a handful of states that requires such a super-majority to pass its annual budget. This 2/3 super-majority has allowed a vocal minority (34%) in the legislature to stalemate and bankrupt the state.

And on Pink Friday, it's teachers who get to pick up the tab. Oh, and the kids? They'll do just fine as class sizes increase ... won't they?

Thursday, March 12, 2009

50 Days In

No, not 50 days since I've posted a blog here (actually, it's been a little longer than that), but 50 days (plus a couple) since Barack Obama was sworn in as President, and I know you're all just dying to find out what I'm thinking. Is the honeymoon over? Do I regret my vote? Am I loving everything he does?

No. No. And No.

The honeymoon is not over, I think he's doing a great job in a very difficult situation. I'm still pleased with my choice, and have no regrets over not sticking with an independent or third party candidate. But, no, I'm not thrilled with everything.

But I'm fine with not being thrilled with everything (and, really, who can be seriously paying attention and agree with any politician all the time?). The point is that even where I've disagreed or had a different opinion on something he's proposed, I can at least understand where he's coming from. It may be a different approach, or a different degree of attack than I would have preferred, but I can agree that it's for reasons that I can at least respect.

I'm still finding this a refreshing change from the previous administration, where it was not simply an honest disagreement with a particular detail of a policy, but where I was constantly being outraged with what I perceived to the wholesale destruction of all of what I believe to be great about this country. But back to Obama...

Example one of my disagreement: Obama's tax plan will cap the tax deduction for charitable contributions at 28 percent (current cap 35%). The positive side: this is to help pay for some rather expensive, but needed, health care proposals. The negative: this could put a damper on on major donor giving at a time when the nonprofit sector is being hit on all sides with reductions in revenue coupled with increased demand for services.

As a guy who lives in the nonprofit sector, this concerns me. But I'm not as panicked about it as some people are. The truth is, we won't really know how much of a hit this will bring to the nonprofit sector until long after it's happened, and it's being done for all the right reasons. Taking a hit to fund health care reform feels a whole lot better to me than taking a hit to give billionaires another tax cut.

Another area of disagreement is in Education. My wife is a teacher, and she and her co-workers are upset about the President's recent speech on the topic of failing schools and education reform. Obama crossed in front of a few sacred cows and promised more of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) policies that failed so miserably before.

Again, my wife and I (and many others) believe that NCLB was a failed policy from the concept (other than a nifty title), and that the problem was not simply "not doing enough of it." But, as I reminded my wife at dinner tonight, we knew this was coming. Obama, the candidate, was clear about his support for NCLB. This was a trade-off we made back in November so we have no right to start acting surprised or hurt by it today.

So, am I still drinking the KoolAid and thinking that President Obama can do no wrong? Absolutely not. But I'm still willing to give the man a chance. Overall, I'll give the First Fifty a strong 85% approval rating. Will it remain that high for the next four years? I doubt it, but I'm enjoying this moment while I can.

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