Saturday, April 21, 2007
Thoughts on a very strange week
The week was going to be stressful enough anyway. The kids were doing their CRCT testing, which is the crap they now put all children through to make sure that teachers are teaching them everything which is on the test and nothing else. So I was rushing about trying to make sure that the kids were ready for school with sleep and food.
I just don't understand how these tests are actually serving the purpose intended, which is to make sure kids are learning. What they actually seem to have become is something which makes school administration go nuts, which then trickles down to the faculty, which trickles down to the students which brings it into the parents laps. I just hate watching kids at the age of 9 freaked over testing. It seems backwards.
On top of that on Monday, there was Tracey's dad. He is getting worse by the day, which is sooo tough for Tracey to see. Each time she visits him, she comes home sad. Who can blame her? I can't imagine what it would be like to slowly watch my parent waste away. It's hard to see for me and the boys, its so much worse for her.
Then, as I'm working my little tushy off on the computer, I get an e-mail alert from my friends on the World News Now list. There's been a shooting at Virginia Tech. Time to flip the TV over to CNN. I start listening as I worked, and it seems as though this person has shot up a dorm, or is it a classroom, or is it a hall? It was quite confusing trying to get the picture straight. Maybe because it was at a relatively remote location, but no one in the media seemed to have a real grasp on what was going on.
But it was my friends on the WNNDL who kept giving the best information. First, 20 dead. Then 30. It seemed to be a single gunman. And in the end, he killed himself.
Bias time....I was absolutely sure this was the work of some middle-class white kid. Probably someone with a hatred for people of color. Maybe a neo-nazi. So I was wrong. It was a middle-class Korean kid. He hated rich kids, and those who weren't like him. Ultimately, I learned that isolationist angst is equal opportunity.
This kids was one screwed up person. I mean, I was not popular and was disliked by nearly everyone in high school. I was geeky, gawky and couldn't get a date to save my life. But, I never considered mass murder. Suicide, yes, but not homicide. I guess I just leaned toward self-hatred as opposed to hatred of others. I obviously missed the boat. Suicide is anonymous, mass murder means a made-for-TV movie about you.
It was nice to see all those VT students coming together to support each other, but was it necessary for every TV station in America to send reporters. There is a point of overkill (so to speak), and the media certainly hit that point.
A question that vexes my soul...how did I live without XM Radio (and every MLB game every day) and high-speed internet?
I've decided that Kirsten Dunst is the PERFECT guilty-pleasure actress. She's in 3 of my favorite such movies. In fact, just because, here the list of my top 10 guilty pleasure movies:
I just don't understand how these tests are actually serving the purpose intended, which is to make sure kids are learning. What they actually seem to have become is something which makes school administration go nuts, which then trickles down to the faculty, which trickles down to the students which brings it into the parents laps. I just hate watching kids at the age of 9 freaked over testing. It seems backwards.
On top of that on Monday, there was Tracey's dad. He is getting worse by the day, which is sooo tough for Tracey to see. Each time she visits him, she comes home sad. Who can blame her? I can't imagine what it would be like to slowly watch my parent waste away. It's hard to see for me and the boys, its so much worse for her.
Then, as I'm working my little tushy off on the computer, I get an e-mail alert from my friends on the World News Now list. There's been a shooting at Virginia Tech. Time to flip the TV over to CNN. I start listening as I worked, and it seems as though this person has shot up a dorm, or is it a classroom, or is it a hall? It was quite confusing trying to get the picture straight. Maybe because it was at a relatively remote location, but no one in the media seemed to have a real grasp on what was going on.
But it was my friends on the WNNDL who kept giving the best information. First, 20 dead. Then 30. It seemed to be a single gunman. And in the end, he killed himself.
Bias time....I was absolutely sure this was the work of some middle-class white kid. Probably someone with a hatred for people of color. Maybe a neo-nazi. So I was wrong. It was a middle-class Korean kid. He hated rich kids, and those who weren't like him. Ultimately, I learned that isolationist angst is equal opportunity.
This kids was one screwed up person. I mean, I was not popular and was disliked by nearly everyone in high school. I was geeky, gawky and couldn't get a date to save my life. But, I never considered mass murder. Suicide, yes, but not homicide. I guess I just leaned toward self-hatred as opposed to hatred of others. I obviously missed the boat. Suicide is anonymous, mass murder means a made-for-TV movie about you.
It was nice to see all those VT students coming together to support each other, but was it necessary for every TV station in America to send reporters. There is a point of overkill (so to speak), and the media certainly hit that point.
A question that vexes my soul...how did I live without XM Radio (and every MLB game every day) and high-speed internet?
I've decided that Kirsten Dunst is the PERFECT guilty-pleasure actress. She's in 3 of my favorite such movies. In fact, just because, here the list of my top 10 guilty pleasure movies:
- "Bring It On" - Cheerleader movie....I should hate this movie, but I love it. Don't ask me why.
- "Drop Dead Gorgeous" - Mockumentary on a local beauty pageant. Denise Richard's talent is the funniest thing EVER!!!
- "Josie and the Pussycats" - I loved the cartoon, liked the movie and it has Rosario Dawson.
- "Dodgeball-The Movie" - Ben Stiller as the uber-obnoxious gym operator with that hair is...well...really funny.
- "Animal House" - Still makes me laugh after seeing it about 1000 times.
- "Excalibur" - Arthur, Lance and the rest. I can quote every single line from this movie.
- "Deliver Us From Eva" - Gabrielle Union and LL Cool J...need I say more.
- "Bachelor Party" - Tom Hanks and Tawny Kaeten are getting married. There is the obligatory bachelor party...much hijinks's ensue. Yup, simple plot...funny movie.
- "A Mighty Wind" - Probably Christopher Guest's best mockumentary. Irving had a great hummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
- "Can't Hardly Wait" - A great cast of teenagers who beautifully skewer what high school was like. Just try to find all the young actors and actresses who went onto fame.
OK, I'm done writing, time for the end of "Bring It On".
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
The Comment that kills my morning
Over the last few years, I've learned to enjoy listening to Imus in the Morning. Imus himself was OK, I loved Chuck and could live with the other cast of characters who were a part of the show.
But the reason I listened/watched the show was to enjoy the wonderful insights of so many of his guests. I enjoyed listening to Jonathan Alter, Evan Thomas and John Mecham. I loved hearing from the historians, Doris Kearns-Goodwin, Douglas Brinkley, Michael Benchloss - who gave me a historical perspective to current events. I always learned something listening to the different political background players and journalists who would spin and discuss what was happening in the political world. I even enjoyed the politicians who came on, if for no other reason than Imus would actually tell them when they were full of crap.
But last week, Imus went stupid. First, his producer decided to discuss the Women's National Championship game, which he never should have done. Then, he took a dumb comment by Bernard way too much farther and insulted them Rutgers woman's team with a phrase everyone has now heard. It was racist, it was sexist and it was moronic. He won the prize for dumbest comment by a shock-jock for the decade in that moment.
His comment had an unintended cost. That cost is going to be very high. MSNBC just announced that they are taking off his simulcast immediately. That was their choice, I can't argue with them on that. CBS Radio has already suspended Imus, but as the advertisers are running as quickly as possible, I can already see the writing on the wall. He's finished. He will soon be relieved of his duties there also.
Now, I'm betting he will end up on satellite radio. Let's face facts, he's got a much bigger audience than Howard Stern, but his career as a truly public broadcaster is done. It is a shame that he ends in such a way. It's not surprising though. He loved to play with fire on his program, and he is now completely engulfed.
So I shall hunt for a decent alternative in the mornings. I have no idea where that will be. I am hoping that someone will step into the breach to give America the same type of program. Filled with intelligence and making fun of politicians and other hypocrites.
But the reason I listened/watched the show was to enjoy the wonderful insights of so many of his guests. I enjoyed listening to Jonathan Alter, Evan Thomas and John Mecham. I loved hearing from the historians, Doris Kearns-Goodwin, Douglas Brinkley, Michael Benchloss - who gave me a historical perspective to current events. I always learned something listening to the different political background players and journalists who would spin and discuss what was happening in the political world. I even enjoyed the politicians who came on, if for no other reason than Imus would actually tell them when they were full of crap.
But last week, Imus went stupid. First, his producer decided to discuss the Women's National Championship game, which he never should have done. Then, he took a dumb comment by Bernard way too much farther and insulted them Rutgers woman's team with a phrase everyone has now heard. It was racist, it was sexist and it was moronic. He won the prize for dumbest comment by a shock-jock for the decade in that moment.
His comment had an unintended cost. That cost is going to be very high. MSNBC just announced that they are taking off his simulcast immediately. That was their choice, I can't argue with them on that. CBS Radio has already suspended Imus, but as the advertisers are running as quickly as possible, I can already see the writing on the wall. He's finished. He will soon be relieved of his duties there also.
Now, I'm betting he will end up on satellite radio. Let's face facts, he's got a much bigger audience than Howard Stern, but his career as a truly public broadcaster is done. It is a shame that he ends in such a way. It's not surprising though. He loved to play with fire on his program, and he is now completely engulfed.
So I shall hunt for a decent alternative in the mornings. I have no idea where that will be. I am hoping that someone will step into the breach to give America the same type of program. Filled with intelligence and making fun of politicians and other hypocrites.
