Photos from my hike with friends to the Wichita Mountains in February 2009.
Tomorrow: One of many tales I have from Table Rock.
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Tomorrow: One of many tales I have from Table Rock.
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Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Chad's Takes
Well, I'm home. For about 84 hours. Another weekend out of town coming up, followed by another one in two weeks. So, as has been the trend this semester, I will not be writing notes on the weekend. And, as usual, that means I'll be doing my weekly-themed posts on unusual days to compensate.
I'm beginning another one today, inspired by writer Ken Levine's blog posts called "Misc-takes", essentially short blurbs about a lot of things in the news. My installment will feature fewer of these "takes" but more written on each one. I'll try to post this every Tuesday, unless there are absences or overriding subjects I want to discuss.
And so we begin...
---
The big news story this week, which may be more telling of journalism than of the subjects involved, was the David Letterman sex scandal. In an odd and extremely unpleasant Thursday night show, David Letterman explained the situation. It was fascinating to listen to the audience as the story became clearer and clearer. Today, I finally listened to the whole taping, and two things are clear to me. Letterman is a master PR man, and Letterman declared war on CBS producer Halderman.
On the first, the audience was a clear gauge of Letterman's master plan to manipulate public reaction to his otherwise highly embarrassing scenario. At times, the audience was clearly uncomfortable with what was being explained. This was obvious when the laughs occurred at points that made no sense, such as when he was discussing his meetings with Halderman's lawyers. At one point, Letterman even asks the audience what was so funny. Normally, Letterman has a clearly sarcastic or deadpan tone when he interrogates audience reaction. This was missing on Thursday, I imagine (in part) because of nerves. However, I think this was Letterman's vulnerable portion of the discussion. He needed to do a better job of coming clean from the get-go that the topic was going to be primarily serious. (His obvious jokes of self-deprecation, such as the "embarrassing for the women" line, are exceptions.)
However, the audience gradually caught on, and Letterman gained some momentum in telling the story. By the end, the audience roared with applause...applause! In a matter of ten minutes, Letterman had sold his audience on the story, and created a national discussion that was not focused solely on the substance of the criminal and ethical manner. Immediately, the attitude toward Halderman was negative, clearly the PR intentions of Letterman. He cleverly and convincingly owned the discussion from the beginning, and Halderman and his lawyers have been fighting this ever since.
Letterman's strategy since his disclosure has been one of self-deprecation. The plan is risky for a comedian, because a comedian's job is to make jokes, even if the jokes have to be on himself/herself. The problem, of course, is that the issue is no laughing matter. A man has been arrested, a news corporation is potentially under serious fire, and a wife and child are dealing with an all-out media assault of which they are completely innocent (and outside) of. It's hard to tread on thin ice here. So far, it appears to be working. However, every single joke, every one, Letterman uses against politicians, entertainers, and other celebrities will be scrutinized, and rightly so. And, as Letterman's monologue last night showed, his comedic jurisdiction has been severely diminished. For now, that works in the perspective of self-deprecation. This will wear itself out, though, and Letterman's true genius will be if he can find a life after this scandal that will exist with his more limited comedic purview.
Letterman has weathered many storms, but this one will be his hardest and his most important. So far, his brilliant vision has allowed him to move along with little long-lasting effect. I'm not sure if it will stay that way.
***
Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska has declared that a legitimate health care bill would have 65% of the votes in Congress. Based on this completely arbitrary percentage, we haven't had a legitimate President in years, and a certain senator from Nebraska has not been elected legitimately, either. Nelson faces reelection in a very red state soon. He knows it. And, as many other conservative Democrats are discovering, they are becoming the targets of both the right and the left. The left has been particularly effective recently, running a large number of ads suggesting that people who can't afford health care premiums are wondering why these representatives are protecting the health care industry.
You know, it becomes startlingly obvious how twisted political debate has become in this country when health insurance is defended. Do you know anyone who has had health problems who has been happy with their health insurance? I don't, and I've known a lot of sick people in my relatively short lifetime. It becomes startlingly obvious how ignorant many of our representatives are on just how complex and how convoluted our health care system is. Especially when you have health care victims, time after time, complain to their government representatives how desperate their situation is, then hearing responses such as "You can get free care in the emergency room" or "My office will look into it" or "Why can't your neighbors help out?" Well, if the health industry is to be defended (for reasons completely not logical to me), why can't the health industry help out? Or, perhaps as a corollary, how is public health care different than "Why can't your neighbors help out?" or "My office (presumably, government) will look into it."
***
But perhaps something more obvious about how devolved the political discourse in this country has become is the glee with which (some) staunch conservatives have celebrated the US losing its bid for the 2016 Olympic Games. Funny, President George W. Bush (R) ... wait, what's that (R) doing after his name? ... stated that the US (that's the entire country of the United States) would be a great place to host the Olympics, and he couldn't think of a better city than Chicago.
You know, conservatives wrapping their bodies around the flag of the United States one year then celebrating the nation's loss of an Olympics bid the next, staunchly fighting for a flag burning amendment then providing images of a tarnished flag as some sort of political symbolism, of basically telling us they are for America as long as their leader is their choice and not a lot of other people's choices...
There's a joke about ignorance and apathy. Someone asks another what the difference is between the two terms, and the reply is "I don't know, and I don't care." When I look at the Olympics issue and at the status of discourse in this nation in general, I no longer view this as a joke.
---
Tomorrow: Pictures from the Road takes on the Wichitas.
Thursday: Stories from the Road takes on Table Rock Lake.
Monday: Growing Up takes on swimming lessons.
Tuesday: Chad's Takes (takes) on global warming, or mourning, or something.
I'm beginning another one today, inspired by writer Ken Levine's blog posts called "Misc-takes", essentially short blurbs about a lot of things in the news. My installment will feature fewer of these "takes" but more written on each one. I'll try to post this every Tuesday, unless there are absences or overriding subjects I want to discuss.
And so we begin...
---
The big news story this week, which may be more telling of journalism than of the subjects involved, was the David Letterman sex scandal. In an odd and extremely unpleasant Thursday night show, David Letterman explained the situation. It was fascinating to listen to the audience as the story became clearer and clearer. Today, I finally listened to the whole taping, and two things are clear to me. Letterman is a master PR man, and Letterman declared war on CBS producer Halderman.
On the first, the audience was a clear gauge of Letterman's master plan to manipulate public reaction to his otherwise highly embarrassing scenario. At times, the audience was clearly uncomfortable with what was being explained. This was obvious when the laughs occurred at points that made no sense, such as when he was discussing his meetings with Halderman's lawyers. At one point, Letterman even asks the audience what was so funny. Normally, Letterman has a clearly sarcastic or deadpan tone when he interrogates audience reaction. This was missing on Thursday, I imagine (in part) because of nerves. However, I think this was Letterman's vulnerable portion of the discussion. He needed to do a better job of coming clean from the get-go that the topic was going to be primarily serious. (His obvious jokes of self-deprecation, such as the "embarrassing for the women" line, are exceptions.)
However, the audience gradually caught on, and Letterman gained some momentum in telling the story. By the end, the audience roared with applause...applause! In a matter of ten minutes, Letterman had sold his audience on the story, and created a national discussion that was not focused solely on the substance of the criminal and ethical manner. Immediately, the attitude toward Halderman was negative, clearly the PR intentions of Letterman. He cleverly and convincingly owned the discussion from the beginning, and Halderman and his lawyers have been fighting this ever since.
Letterman's strategy since his disclosure has been one of self-deprecation. The plan is risky for a comedian, because a comedian's job is to make jokes, even if the jokes have to be on himself/herself. The problem, of course, is that the issue is no laughing matter. A man has been arrested, a news corporation is potentially under serious fire, and a wife and child are dealing with an all-out media assault of which they are completely innocent (and outside) of. It's hard to tread on thin ice here. So far, it appears to be working. However, every single joke, every one, Letterman uses against politicians, entertainers, and other celebrities will be scrutinized, and rightly so. And, as Letterman's monologue last night showed, his comedic jurisdiction has been severely diminished. For now, that works in the perspective of self-deprecation. This will wear itself out, though, and Letterman's true genius will be if he can find a life after this scandal that will exist with his more limited comedic purview.
Letterman has weathered many storms, but this one will be his hardest and his most important. So far, his brilliant vision has allowed him to move along with little long-lasting effect. I'm not sure if it will stay that way.
***
Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska has declared that a legitimate health care bill would have 65% of the votes in Congress. Based on this completely arbitrary percentage, we haven't had a legitimate President in years, and a certain senator from Nebraska has not been elected legitimately, either. Nelson faces reelection in a very red state soon. He knows it. And, as many other conservative Democrats are discovering, they are becoming the targets of both the right and the left. The left has been particularly effective recently, running a large number of ads suggesting that people who can't afford health care premiums are wondering why these representatives are protecting the health care industry.
You know, it becomes startlingly obvious how twisted political debate has become in this country when health insurance is defended. Do you know anyone who has had health problems who has been happy with their health insurance? I don't, and I've known a lot of sick people in my relatively short lifetime. It becomes startlingly obvious how ignorant many of our representatives are on just how complex and how convoluted our health care system is. Especially when you have health care victims, time after time, complain to their government representatives how desperate their situation is, then hearing responses such as "You can get free care in the emergency room" or "My office will look into it" or "Why can't your neighbors help out?" Well, if the health industry is to be defended (for reasons completely not logical to me), why can't the health industry help out? Or, perhaps as a corollary, how is public health care different than "Why can't your neighbors help out?" or "My office (presumably, government) will look into it."
***
But perhaps something more obvious about how devolved the political discourse in this country has become is the glee with which (some) staunch conservatives have celebrated the US losing its bid for the 2016 Olympic Games. Funny, President George W. Bush (R) ... wait, what's that (R) doing after his name? ... stated that the US (that's the entire country of the United States) would be a great place to host the Olympics, and he couldn't think of a better city than Chicago.
You know, conservatives wrapping their bodies around the flag of the United States one year then celebrating the nation's loss of an Olympics bid the next, staunchly fighting for a flag burning amendment then providing images of a tarnished flag as some sort of political symbolism, of basically telling us they are for America as long as their leader is their choice and not a lot of other people's choices...
There's a joke about ignorance and apathy. Someone asks another what the difference is between the two terms, and the reply is "I don't know, and I don't care." When I look at the Olympics issue and at the status of discourse in this nation in general, I no longer view this as a joke.
---
Tomorrow: Pictures from the Road takes on the Wichitas.
Thursday: Stories from the Road takes on Table Rock Lake.
Monday: Growing Up takes on swimming lessons.
Tuesday: Chad's Takes (takes) on global warming, or mourning, or something.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Pictures from the Road -- Big Sur, CA
Enjoy these photos from Big Sur during my trip to California this summer. This is my last blog update until next Tuesday.
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Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Stories from the Road -- Dyer, IN
Vacations require hiccups. Trips you plan cannot and should never go as scheduled. If they do, you won't have as much fun, and you won't remember it as much as you'd prefer.
Mom and I went to Canada in 2006, and it was a wonderful trip. We visited Niagara Falls, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal, and I loved each place in many ways. Because it was a road trip, we had to drive there. From Lincoln, NE, that's no small task. The first three days were completely drive-days, though the first day we left after Mom finished work for the day. Hey, that's an extra day of vacation she can have later!
The first night, we stayed in the Quad Cities. We arrived there around midnight, and after a quick sleep, we left the next morning at 9 am sharp. The next night, we had reservations at a hotel in Buffalo, NY. There was much ground to cover in the next few hours.
Unfortunately, some of that ground involved Chicago. Now, I love Chicago more than just about anybody, and future "Stories from the Road" posts will detail just how much I adore this city. Regretfully, this would be the experience that would tarnish my Chicago image for years. In fact, it still remains a bit tainted by the stench of failure.
Mom and I have different stories as to how our Chicago excursion transpired, but it begins the same way. On Interstate 80, which crosses the south side of the city, there was a stretch covering about five miles that joins I-294. This is a problem for two reasons: extra traffic and toll booths. The extra traffic is OK, but on a weekday at around the noon hour, there is quite a bit of this extra traffic. The problem is exacerbated by the stop-and-go of toll-boothing. The result was an hour-plus delay on the interstate that we could ill-afford if we wanted to end up in Buffalo at a decent hour.
So, using my quick Rand McNally skills, I decided to exit on Harlem Avenue, which dives south to Lincoln Highway, or glorious US 30. The plan was working, as traffic was heavy but steadily flowing. We turned east on Lincoln Highway, and we crossed into Indiana. The traffic was very high, as many other interstate travelers had the same idea I had, apparently. Traffic lights were backed up for blocks. Unfortunately, there was one traffic light too many.
In the suburb of Dyer, IN, in front of a gas station several car-lengths away from a street light that had just turned green, we suddenly heard this loud bang followed by my car moving forward. I involuntarily hit the brakes hard, narrowly avoiding colliding with the vehicle in front of me. I remember the moment it happened. Mom was watching a DVD using a portable player that I had received as a gift. She was watching an Everwood episode entitled, "We Hold These Truths". I remember the scene because I could hear the dialogue through her headphones. I remember Mom gasping really loudly. And I...well, I said nothing.
I motioned for the vehicle behind me to pull into the gas station. He obliged and (fortunately) had insurance. He had no problem copping to the accident. His words were: "I saw the green light and not you." I remember Mom calling my insurance agent. Why didn't I? Well, because I was not capable of speaking for some reason. I remember the police officer stopping by. He asked some questions, and I could barely muster audible responses. I remember the officer said, "Good luck," as if suggesting that somehow I would not receive compensation. (Experience, I guess.) I remember seeing the damage. Two beautiful bruisers on each end of the rear of the vehicle. The luggage in the trunk was safe. The trunk could still close, amazingly.
As far as rear end accidents go, this one was about as minor as could be, despite the large dents on the vehicle. The bumper protected the trunk and prevented a very painfully long delay in the trip.
Of course, by the time all of the insurance calls, police interaction, and "thanks for nothings" were over, it was three hours later, and we were in Dyer, IN. It was a long way to Buffalo.
The car ride through Indiana and Ohio was quiet. Very quiet. Mom went on with her DVDs, and I was content to say nothing. We hadn't eaten...all day. I was not hungry. Mom was afraid to say anything. Finally, in Erie, PA, my stomach had had enough, and I couldn't bear being angry anymore. I asked Mom: "You hungry?" "Sure." Mom rarely answers positively to this question, so I took this as, "You're starving me!"
I think we ate at Applebee's. I've eaten there three times now. You can see Lake Erie from the restaurant. This time it was dark. It had been dark for a while. We loudly chomped down on our food. We spoke little, but then I finally said, "I'm going to laugh about this tomorrow." Mom laughed. Everything was fine. "This wouldn't have happened if you weren't so impatient." Actually, it wouldn't have happened if the man had paid attention. That did not seem like the time nor place to argue. We could do that in the car. Damaged, but still running.
The next day we saw Niagara Falls. You can imagine how much more we liked it because we had actually made it. See? That's why you need a hiccup every once in a while.
Mom and I went to Canada in 2006, and it was a wonderful trip. We visited Niagara Falls, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal, and I loved each place in many ways. Because it was a road trip, we had to drive there. From Lincoln, NE, that's no small task. The first three days were completely drive-days, though the first day we left after Mom finished work for the day. Hey, that's an extra day of vacation she can have later!
The first night, we stayed in the Quad Cities. We arrived there around midnight, and after a quick sleep, we left the next morning at 9 am sharp. The next night, we had reservations at a hotel in Buffalo, NY. There was much ground to cover in the next few hours.
Unfortunately, some of that ground involved Chicago. Now, I love Chicago more than just about anybody, and future "Stories from the Road" posts will detail just how much I adore this city. Regretfully, this would be the experience that would tarnish my Chicago image for years. In fact, it still remains a bit tainted by the stench of failure.
Mom and I have different stories as to how our Chicago excursion transpired, but it begins the same way. On Interstate 80, which crosses the south side of the city, there was a stretch covering about five miles that joins I-294. This is a problem for two reasons: extra traffic and toll booths. The extra traffic is OK, but on a weekday at around the noon hour, there is quite a bit of this extra traffic. The problem is exacerbated by the stop-and-go of toll-boothing. The result was an hour-plus delay on the interstate that we could ill-afford if we wanted to end up in Buffalo at a decent hour.
So, using my quick Rand McNally skills, I decided to exit on Harlem Avenue, which dives south to Lincoln Highway, or glorious US 30. The plan was working, as traffic was heavy but steadily flowing. We turned east on Lincoln Highway, and we crossed into Indiana. The traffic was very high, as many other interstate travelers had the same idea I had, apparently. Traffic lights were backed up for blocks. Unfortunately, there was one traffic light too many.
In the suburb of Dyer, IN, in front of a gas station several car-lengths away from a street light that had just turned green, we suddenly heard this loud bang followed by my car moving forward. I involuntarily hit the brakes hard, narrowly avoiding colliding with the vehicle in front of me. I remember the moment it happened. Mom was watching a DVD using a portable player that I had received as a gift. She was watching an Everwood episode entitled, "We Hold These Truths". I remember the scene because I could hear the dialogue through her headphones. I remember Mom gasping really loudly. And I...well, I said nothing.
I motioned for the vehicle behind me to pull into the gas station. He obliged and (fortunately) had insurance. He had no problem copping to the accident. His words were: "I saw the green light and not you." I remember Mom calling my insurance agent. Why didn't I? Well, because I was not capable of speaking for some reason. I remember the police officer stopping by. He asked some questions, and I could barely muster audible responses. I remember the officer said, "Good luck," as if suggesting that somehow I would not receive compensation. (Experience, I guess.) I remember seeing the damage. Two beautiful bruisers on each end of the rear of the vehicle. The luggage in the trunk was safe. The trunk could still close, amazingly.
As far as rear end accidents go, this one was about as minor as could be, despite the large dents on the vehicle. The bumper protected the trunk and prevented a very painfully long delay in the trip.
Of course, by the time all of the insurance calls, police interaction, and "thanks for nothings" were over, it was three hours later, and we were in Dyer, IN. It was a long way to Buffalo.
The car ride through Indiana and Ohio was quiet. Very quiet. Mom went on with her DVDs, and I was content to say nothing. We hadn't eaten...all day. I was not hungry. Mom was afraid to say anything. Finally, in Erie, PA, my stomach had had enough, and I couldn't bear being angry anymore. I asked Mom: "You hungry?" "Sure." Mom rarely answers positively to this question, so I took this as, "You're starving me!"
I think we ate at Applebee's. I've eaten there three times now. You can see Lake Erie from the restaurant. This time it was dark. It had been dark for a while. We loudly chomped down on our food. We spoke little, but then I finally said, "I'm going to laugh about this tomorrow." Mom laughed. Everything was fine. "This wouldn't have happened if you weren't so impatient." Actually, it wouldn't have happened if the man had paid attention. That did not seem like the time nor place to argue. We could do that in the car. Damaged, but still running.
The next day we saw Niagara Falls. You can imagine how much more we liked it because we had actually made it. See? That's why you need a hiccup every once in a while.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Ken Burns on America's Best Idea
PBS begins the 12-hour miniseries on the US National Parks tonight. I encourage everyone to watch it and learn why the NPS is such a special and important part of our American history.
The National Parks Traveler interviewed Ken Burns on the project:
http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2009/09/conversation-ken-burns-national-parks-americas-best-idea4591
The National Parks Traveler interviewed Ken Burns on the project:
http://www.nationalparkstr
Pictures from the Road -- America's Best Idea
In celebration of the documentary by Ken Burns, I thought I'd share some photos tonight from the national parks I have visited recently. Enjoy.
Coming up this week:
Monday -- Growing Up: A 10-Year Tribute
Tuesday -- Stories from the Road: Dyer, IN
Wednesday -- Pictures from the Road: More from the California trip.
No notes from Thursday through next Monday.
---
Coming up this week:
Monday -- Growing Up: A 10-Year Tribute
Tuesday -- Stories from the Road: Dyer, IN
Wednesday -- Pictures from the Road: More from the California trip.
No notes from Thursday through next Monday.
---
Jenny Lake, Grand Teton National Park
Frozen Lake Yellowstone, Yellowstone National Park
Hayden Valley, Yellowstone National Park
Lower Yellowstone Falls and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Yellowstone National Park
Upper Yellowstone Falls, Yellowstone National Park
Old Faithful, Yellowstone National Park
Sawmill Geyser, Yellowstone National Park
Morning Glory, Yellowstone National Park
Gorge Creek Falls, North Cascades National Park
Great Sand Dunes National Park
Emerald Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park
The Gore Range, Rocky Mountain National Park
Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite National Park
Yosemite Falls, Yosemite National Park
Kings River, Kings Canyon National Park
Kings Canyon, Kings Canyon National Park
General Sherman Tree, Sequoia National Park
Black Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park
Dream Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park
View from the Highline Trail, Glacier National Park
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