"Have You Loved Your Newspaper Today ..."

That's the question Karen asks with this post at Pen in Hand.

Karen and I are among those who are not employed as journalists anymore, yet remain "insufferable proponent of the local press." We find ourselves at odds with those who - for whatever reason, by whatever means - would have you think that their personal, usually-virtual properties are the sole reliable repositories of information, inquiry and integrity.

"I worry that people will discover, all too late, the value of a strong local newspaper," Karen wrote in November, 2008, when she announced her departure from the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "Bloggers are nothing without professional journalists -- don't let anyone tell you different."

In her latest post, she writes, "whether you live in Cleveland or Charlotte or New York City or San Francisco (I know you Europeans don't need this nudge), please support your local newspaper today. Buy it, read it, shop the advertisers and tell them why you're there."

It's something I hadn't thought of, each morning, when I'd get my coffee and the paper at the local convenience store ... but she's right, you know.

Out of Africa ...

Men, women and children from West Texas are returning home from the east Africa nation of Uganda, where they have been engaged in Christian mission.

The 2009 Uganda Mission Team from First Presbyterian Church of Midland has been sending back regular reports from Uganda, along with photos, which have been collected under the Uganda Mission heading at West Texas Missioner.

Almost Born on the 4th of July ...

George M. Cohan, one of America's most honored entertainers, who so ably set the spirit of our nation to words and music, was born on this day in 1878

"A baptismal certificate," it's been reported, "indicated that he was born on July 5, but the Cohan family always insisted that George had been 'born on the Fourth of July!'" The son of vaudevillians, young George Michael would take to the stage, himself, as an entertainer, playwright, composer, lyricist, actor, singer, dancer and producer. At one point, he was known as "the man who owned Broadway."

A wonderful tribute, including anecdotes about the man and his career, can be found in his obituary in the New York Times, which appeared on November 6, 1942 ... just a year after America entered the Second World War, it bid farewell to the man whose music - with songs like "You're a Grand Old Flag," "Over There" and "Yankee Doodle Boy" - helped raise morale during the First World War.

Dandy songs, from a true "Yankee Doodle Dandy"

The March of the Fire Ant ...

If you haven't visited Eric's Fire Ant Gazette lately, you should. Blogs, by their nature, seem to be a perpetual 'work in progress' ... and there's been a lot of hammering and sawing around the Gazette lately.

Atta boy, Eric!

Alles Gute zum Geburtstag! ...

Hermann Hesse - a man whose works I discovered in my groovy phase, but would come back to in the ensuing years - was born on this day in 1877.

Hesse received the Nobel Prize in Literature for his body of work, which found inspiration in the growth and development of ideas and philosophies that helped shape humanity's attempts to better know itself in the 20th-century ... books, it's been suggested, "which explore an individual's search for authenticity, self-knowledge and spirituality."

Much of that came from Hesse's own, first-hand experience with the ideas and events that helped shape the century. The sometimes-rebellious son of Christian missionaries, young Hesse would experience the culture of India, the endless routine of the factory floor, a series of schools and seminaries, and a stay in a mental institution ... all of which would find its way into his works.

As an adult, there were added experiences that shaped his view of the world around him, his view of the path to finding one's place in that world ... and the words that helped him express those views for millions of readers worldwide. His works found new favor in the west during the counter-cultural movements of the 1960s and 70s, which included a variety of efforts to free the 'true' self, and a renewed appreciation for eastern mysticism.

My first experience with Hesse was "Journey to the East" ... a primer, of sorts, to the rest of his works. I've also enjoyed "Steppenwolf" and "Magister Ludi" ... but my favorite remains "Siddartha."

I may no longer be groovy ... but I remain a fan of the man and his books.

Peace!

Neverland, Permian Basin ...

This hasn't shown up on the major networks, yet ... but then I also can't find it on what Jessica's Well once called the "super secret right wing blog astroturf network." Thank goodness there are still journalists of ... uh ... character out there ... and in our own back yard, too!

MICHAEL JACKSON SPOTTED WITH ELVIS

ARTESIA, NM - Weekly World News exclusive: Michael Jackson has been spotted in a diner with Elvis! At roughly 3am last night patrons at a diner outside Artesia, New Mexico, saw what was undeniably Michael Jackson dining with Elvis Presley. The two arrived just before 3 at The Sunshine Diner on 285.
Read the rest of the story in the Weekly World News

LiveStrong, LiveFunny ...

Elder Son strongly recommends that you check out the series of ads for Dick's Sporting Goods, featuring Texas' own Lance Armstrong as the spokesman for Nike's LiveStrong line. The ads have been out for more than a year, but have had limited airplay in markets, like ours, where the chain has little or no presence.

I really like what they've accomplished with Armstrong's subdued facial expressions and almost flat vocals. They really, REALLY work in these ads.
(the following sample is courtesy of RagingArtist at YouTube)

Let the Madcap Revels Begin ...

I suspect the debate over who gets custody of Michael Jackson's children and (more important, to some) his estate, will be a show against which even the late 'King of Pop' performances - on stage, on record and on video - will pale in comparison.

The contributions of such family friends as Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson should certainly add a certain 'flair' to the proceedings.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

If You Haven't Seen This Yet ...

... then definitely watch for a re-broadcast, on Discovery or the Military Channel, of "Somali Pirate Takedown: The Real Story."

It documents the dramatic hostage situation aboard the Maersk Alabama, earlier this year, using re-enactments, Navy footage and eyewitness accounts of the extraordinary measures taken to keep Captain Phillips and his crew alive ... with a look inside the world of Navy SEALs, who put a sudden end to this modern-day pirate standoff.

Will We Ever Learn? ...

The uproar over a governor, his admitted extramarital affair, and the fallout from said admission, has me asking, Dr. Phil-like, "What were you thinking?"

The Associated Press and msnbc.com offer this analysis of the events leading up to South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford's admission, Wednesday that he had secretly flown to Argentina to visit a woman with whom he was having an extramarital affair.

The story includes a report that copies of e-mails allegedly sent by Sanford to his mistress, delivered anonymously to The State newspaper. It was in the course of seeking verification of these that a reporter from that paper encountered the governor in the airport, and conducted a brief interview, setting-off a string of events that led to this week's press conference in Charleston.

"Efforts to authenticate the e-mails were unsuccessful," The State reported on Thursday. "However, Sanford’s office Wednesday did not dispute their authenticity."
By the way, you can read the e-mails ... if you wish.

But here's where that Phil-like question comes in. Didn't the governor realize that he would be under scrutiny ... reporters and cameras everywhere, in both the actual and virtual worlds? He should know, by now, how things work ... he is a long-time and successful politician. Governor of the State of South Carolina, chairman of the Republican Governors Association, mentioned as a possible running mate for Mitt Romney's presidential bid in the last election, and named by some as potentially making his own bid for the Oval Office in the next election.

An already-high profile was raised even further in recent weeks by the SC legislature's override of his veto of new regulations on the payday lending industry, and his losing a court battle over his decision to refuse $700-million in federal stimulus money.

So people are watching, and taking pictures, and asking questions.

Since the days of Gary Hart, daring the press to follow him, then having that infamous photo on the deck of the good ship "Monkey Business" surface, we've had no lack of elected officials behaving in ways that discredit themselves, their office and the people they serve. In addition to Sanford, there's Rod Blagojevich of Illinois, John G. Rowland of Connecticut, Jim McGreevey of New Jersey, Don Siegelman of Alabama and Bob Taft of Ohio ... and that's just Governors since 2000.
(Want to get informed AND depressed? Visit Wikipedia's "list of major political scandals of the United States")

But I still find myself asking ... with no lack of precedents, did they really think they could behave in this manner, and no one would notice? Was it really that hard to do the right thing, in the first place ... at the very least, out of fear of getting caught?

The Truth is Out There ... in Chavez County, NM ... I Guess ...

On this day in 1997, the Air Force released a report on the so-called "Roswell Incident," suggesting the alien bodies witnesses reported seeing in 1947 were actually life-sized dummies.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the article from the New York Times

Whatever they heck they were, their crash launched one of the giants of American pop culture, in the late 20th-century and today. Just about all of us have seen, or heard, or said something - from the very serious, to the very silly - in connection with the Roswell incident.

And it won't go away ... bad news for the Air Force, but great news for the City of Roswell, and its Chamber of Commerce, as they welcome tens-of-thousands of visitors, and millions of dollars, every year.
By the way, if you haven't visited the International UFO Museum & Research Center in downtown Roswell, you should! And don't forget ... "The Bugs are Back!" The new Beetles Return to Roswell this weekend, for an annual gathering of vehicles "reverse engineered from UFOs!"

Remembering a First-Rate Second-Banana ...

I can't even begin to count the number of times my late night included a "heeeerrre's Johnny!" Now comes news that the man who delivered that intro - and the promise of a funny and entertaining evening - has passed away.

"LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - Ed McMahon, the loyal Tonight Show sidekick who bolstered boss Johnny Carson with guffaws and a resounding “H-e-e-e-e-e-ere’s Johnny!” for 30 years, died early Tuesday. He was 86."
CLICK HERE for the rest of the story from the Associated Press and msnbc.com, which includes video and a slide show about McMahon and his career.

One way we can date ourselves is who we cite when comparing 'Tonight Show' hosts, youngsters compare Conan O'Brien to Jay Leno, while oldster compare them all to Jack Paar. Those of us in-between, compare them to Johnny Carson. With a style honed during his youthful days as a carnival hawker, McMahon took the job as 'second banana' to Carson, a man he once described as "one of the brightest, most well-read men I’ve ever met ... and the funniest ...”

That, coupled with his annual appearances backing-up Jerry Lewis on the MDA Labor Day Telethon, and his MANY appearances with Dick Clark on those Publisher's Clearinghouse ads, made him a household name and pop culture icon ... for example, one of the most frequently-repeated lines from "The Shining" is Jack Nicholson's lunatic spins on McMahon's trademark intro from "The Tonight Show."

Sadly, health and financial problems made McMahon's last few years fodder for the supermarket tabloids ... but those are easily dismissed, and quickly forgotten.

Me, I'll stick with the man at Carson's side, 'back in the day' ... he was great!

Maybe ... and Maybe Not ...

The self-styled 'Minutemen' may disagree with Brendan Brehan, who once wrote, "There is no such thing as bad publicity ..." Just take a look, for example, at the news coming out of Arizona.

Many of you have heard of these neo-Minutemen ... we have some right here in West Texas. The group takes its name from a citizen army, militiamen who volunteered to be ready for military duty at a minute's notice at the time of the American Revolution against British rule. It's a proud symbol, used by our National Guard, to sell war bonds, and appearing on our stamps.

Seems kind of different from these people hanging out along the border, watching for illegal immigrants ... and it seems A LOT different from these people now making headlines in Arizona.

According to this report from The East Valley Tribune in Phoenix, "authorities say, Shawna Forde and two men dressed up as Border Patrol agents and broke into the southern Arizona home of a man they thought was a drug dealer, hunting for money or drugs to sell. They found neither, but killed the man and his 9-year-old daughter . the killings rocked an anti-illegal immigration movement that prides itself on being vocal but not violent, and added to a growing list of activists unafraid of using violence to advance their aims."

According to this report from The Arizona Daily Star in Tucson, "Two of the people charged with the home-invasion murders, Shawna Forde and Jason E. Bush, led a small group called Minutemen American Defense based in Everett, Wash. Investigators say they carried out the attack as the beginning of a violent campaign to steal money and drugs from drug traffickers. The group planned to use its haul to fund its activities, investigators said."

Back to the Tribune's report, "several groups focusing on stopping illegal immigration formed in the past half-dozen years, and many were drawn to southern Arizona, the busiest corridor in the U.S. for illegal border crossings. While the movement has been largely peaceful, it seemed a matter of time before someone would be accused of resorting to violence."

But, the report goes on to note, not all Minutemen are created equal.

"After the killings, some of the movement's leaders quickly distanced themselves from Forde and her Minutemen American Defense group, saying they warned for months that she was potentially dangerous ... 'We knew that Shawna Forde was not just an unsavory character but pretty unbalanced as well,' said Chris Simcox, the founder of one of the original border watch groups, the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps."

Even before this story hit the press, Tucson Citizen columnist and blogger Mark Kimble suggested, "if members of the Minuteman Project spent half as much time patrolling the border as they do fighting with each other, this nation's immigration problems would be solved." He went on to write, "the Minutemen have never been a particularly well-organized outfit. They make some noise, send out some e-mails and figure they've accomplished something. A recent split in the group, however, is so nasty and complicated that the Minutemen may not recover." HERE is the rest of Kimble's blog post, which discusses a split between the MCDC and still another group, the Minuteman Project.

So, does Brehan's quote about bad publicity hold-up? Maybe ... and maybe not. Before we decide, we need to consider the entire quote ... "There is no such thing as bad publicity except your own obituary."

Internet Uprising, 2 ...

Earlier this week, I posted this about the phrase "first true internet uprising" being coined to describe the protests underway in Iraq.

That protest over the results of Irean's national elections not only continues today, but has grown, in both the actual and the virtual worlds.

According to this report from the Associated Press on msnbc.com, "it's not just young, liberal rich kids anymore: Whole families, taxi drivers, even conservative women in black chadors are joining Iran's opposition street protests. They say they want something simple: their votes counted and their voices heard. What they will settle for — or push for — is a far bigger question."

Also joining is a growing number of protesters in the virtual world, as well ...

According to this report from msnbc.com's Alan Boyle
and Suzanne Choney, "as international media outlets are being pushed off the streets of Tehran, the burden of reporting on Iran's post-election crisis is falling increasingly on online channels ranging from blogs and video sites to Twitter and Facebook. The Iranian government raised the stakes in the Internet battle on Wednesday by spreading the word that online users could face prosecution and even execution for 'incitement.'"

Earlier this week, NBC's Richard Engel compared Iran protest-related "Tweets" on Twitter to combat radio messages ... he's right. Here's one page of Tweets under the #iran hashtag from yesterday ... heady stuff ... to say the least ...

Chameleah: Info for people of #Iran to find a secure outlet to let their voices be heard. #tehran #iranelection http://bit.ly/vE5Wn
less than 10 seconds ago from TweetDeck
mjemmer: RT @DominiqueRdr: Robert Fisk witnesses Iranian military keeping the special forces away from protesters. http://bit.ly/OZ5aF #iranelection
less than 10 seconds ago from TweetDeck
kenshane: RT @janflora: EVERYONE RETWEET NYT publishing sensitive names of Iranians on Twitter Get them to stop! #NYTfail #iranelection
less than 20 seconds ago from TweetDeck
clotilde_souper: RT @MitraJoon Rob Fisk Live frm Iran (Australia) reporting.He is on streetsconfirms police acting partly on protesters side #iranelection
less than 20 seconds ago from web
IranPussInBoots: Khameni site still down. They're taking the vids off youtube as fast as they're going up. #iranelection
less than 20 seconds ago from web
SteveMelito: #IranElection - Here's hoping, once again, that today is the day the religious fanatics in Iran will fail and fall
half a minute ago from web
iran88: URGENT RT from Iran: Tell protesters in Enghelab to go towards 7 Tir sq. and join the rest (not Azadi sq.) #iranElection #gr88
half a minute ago from TwitterFox
AdrienneVergara: RT Man covered in blood from protests (picture) http://bit.ly/gPKTQ #gr88 #iranelection
half a minute ago from web
PooYaKasha: RT Unbelievable! pro-ahmedinajad ralley is photoshopped http://bit.ly/NpibJ #iranelection
half a minute ago from web
Marilyn_Res: from @DailyDish "Lots of fake Mousavi sites created 4 counter intel.THESE ARE FAKE: http://www.mirhoseyn.ir/ ,www.mirhoseyn.com" #iranelection
less than a minute ago from web

The Return of Big 2? ...

FOLLOW-UP: According to a comment attached to this post, the return IS official.

Officially, KMID-TV has not referred to itself as "Big 2" for a loooong time. But unofficially, among the general public, you still hear people refer to what was once Midland-Odessa's premier television franchise, and most recognized brand. And the phrase is still used by those of us who belong to the largest media group in the Permian Basin, the Big 2 Alumni Association.

But now, maybe the official stance is changing, going back to what is still in use among their viewers. Below is a screen shot from their website.

Weigh-ing On the Subject ...

Bringing more than most of you can to the table for a discussion of weight, I find myself siding with the AMA in their move opposing efforts by advocacy groups to make obesity "a disability."

According to this report from msnbc.com and the Associated Press, "the American Medical Association has taken action to support doctors' ability to discuss obesity with their overweight patients. Under a new policy adopted Tuesday, the AMA formally opposes efforts by advocacy groups to define obesity as a disability."

I don't have a problem with the phrase "disability." Rather, my concern is whether we water-down that phrase through over-use. I'm speaking here of cases of obesity that arise from our habits, rather than cases of obesity caused by medical conditions over which the individual has no control ... in which case, a designation of "disability" might be applicable.