Whatever

Here we are at another Olympics and the hype machine is running full throttle. Every little thing is blown out of proportion. Every athlete has a story to tell and they all involve some type of triumph over some obstacle.

Coverage and hype have become synonymous. So much so that the real story of United States Olympians is lost amidst the hype and the lack luster. We just do not have it any more.

We don’t even have excuses that are worth repeating. The whole United States experience can be summed up in a Bode Miller phrase “it's more important whether he feels good about a race than whether he was good enough to beat everybody else.” I'm sure the 1980 Hockey team felt the same way.

If we did not create the sport of snowboarding we would have half as many medals, and is it really a sport? We cannot win at all the traditional sports so we take the latest idea to come out of the XGames and make it one. We have already had 10 years perfecting it and a head start on the rest of the world. Come next Olympics, we will most likely have our heads handed to us in that “sport” as well.

And don’t get me wrong; what the snow-borders are doing is athletic. There is no doubt about it, but why can’t we slide on a luge or a bobsled? Why can’t we ski or ice skate like the rest of the world? Why are we getting out-played in hockey? Where are our cross country skiers and ski jumpers?

It's more important that we feel good about an event than whether we are good enough to beat everybody else.” This says it all. It is a ho-hum, whatever, Xbox approach to life. Our children spend more time with John Madden 06 and Grand Theft Auto than they do in Pop Warner or riding their bikes. If we do a poor job, we just hit reset or quit.

There are some bright spots in speed skating and maybe figure skating but it seems that when it comes to most of the sports the people of the United States can not compare with Europeans or Asians. We look pretty and we have overcome some type of tragedy (like every other person on the planet), but we do not have the drive anymore. We can't compete - so like, whatever.

As the elder Miller explains about his son's lack luster approach, "What am I going to do with a gold medal?" It seems that we used to know the answer to this question.

Ouch, don't hurt me!

Would our leaders just stop it! Still they jockey for position trying to blame someone else for what happened to Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama after Hurricane Katrina made landfall.

Why is it, that as humans we somehow believe that we are more powerful than nature and that somehow we can live in this world without pain or tragedy?

Hurricane Katrina was a disaster. It was not a surprise. The people living in Gulf coast area have been living with hurricanes since people have been living in the Gulf coast area.

This nonsense about poor response and warning going unheeded is the biggest bunch of media spin ever created. Human beings place themselves at the mercy of nature everyday. They build their houses and businesses where nature regularly destroys them. All around our country every year homes are destroyed by mudslides, forest fires, river floods, lightning, blizzards, tornados and hurricanes. And every single time they are destroyed, we build right back in the same place. Warning unheeded.

You can tell the general population to stalk up on water, batteries, towels and canned goods. You can tell them to leave in advance. You can tell them that they live in a flood zone, a falling rock zone, tornado alley and they will continue to live there and they will ignore the warnings.

Why? Because that is where their father lived or their grandfather or they have a good job or they like the view and on and on.

The problem with Katrina is that people still do not get it. Humans are not the all powerful beings that we would like to believe we are. At the same time we can’t seem to come to an agreement on God. Does God punish us? Does God affect our everyday lives? Or does God sit back and watch and let things happen. However, when tragedy strikes, we blame God or we blame ourselves for upsetting God.

We just can’t seem to accept that fact that life is filled with joy and pain, ups and downs, successes and failures. Try as we might, we cannot have one without the other and so we resort to blaming because we cannot accept and move on.

I moved to Louisiana in February 1996. I went through my first Hurricane Season starting in June of 1996 and heard then that New Orleans would be wiped off the map and taken into the sea if a hurricane ever hit it directly. How is it that in 2006 we are saying that warnings went unheeded?

If New Orleans had fully evacuated and the storm had veered off course, every single person to a man would have been complaining that the weather reports were all wrong and our leaders overreacted.

And as we speak, people all around the Gulf coast are complaining that they have to rebuild using new building codes. They don’t want to spend the money. They don’t want to buy the insurance; they don’t want to do what is the right thing. They want to go back to what failed and blame someone for their predicament. They want someone else to pay for their trouble. They want someone else to feel their pain because they do not like it.

No, warnings did not go unheeded, most humans need a good deal of pain before they make the right decision and even then they question the truth when it right in front of them. Someone else is to blame, maybe God.

Mining - a dangerous business

I can't remember the last time the "media" in general made me so very angry.

You have all heard about the West Virginia miners. There was a mining accident involving 12 miners who were alive and then they were not alive. Or was it the 12 survivors that ended up being one survivor? Anyway, the shock and awe that has followed this event and the lack of integrity coupled with the clueless reporting is truly disgraceful.

This is no more a tragedy than it was 3 years ago, 5 years ago, 12 years ago when miners caught in mining accident were killed. However, it is because the initial report was that the miners were OK and the minute these words were release from someone's mouth, the media almost defecated all over themselves rushing to be the first barking dog to bark.

Well, they jumped the gun (again) and now the new story is the new tragedy of HOW this information could be released without it being confirmed and HOW the officials at the site were ill informed and HOW they destroyed a group of local people who went from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. We must get to the bottom of this lack of communication, this fowl up, this tragedy that set in motion a wave of despair that has crushed a town. And on and on and on and on go these drones from CNN and Fox and everyone else.

News Flash,....when there is a mining accident, miners die. This is not news beyond the simple reporting of the event. However, the media has no news. They only have hype, so somehow a reality like "mining is dangerous and here is an event that proves this" becomes "Miners Saved" becomes "Miners not saved, officials gave out faulty information" becomes "how could this happen?" becomes "Someone is to blame!"


Who is to Blame? The media.

I actually heard one of the drones from the media say that it was not their fault that they did not confirm the source that said the 12 miners were alive. It was the fact that the Governor had showed up on the site of the story that caused them to immediately react to the news because the Governor's presence made the reports "more" legitimate.

Sorry, I do not see the connection. What I see is something my grandfather would have called lazy. The media today is lazy. They go for the easy/quick in everything that they do. They do not confirm anything, or they look for something else to use as confirmation. Actually, they look for anything else that they can use and say, "This confirms it."

Last I checked, being governor of a state did not make you an expert on mining, nor did it make you a legitimate source or a reason to legitimize a source of information regarding a mining accident. The fact that you showed up means nothing outside of politics. It is political savvy to show up when you think there is something that you can use to help your end result - get elected. The governor was there because governors show up at accidents, especially large accidents so that they can show concern if there is tragedy and show leadership if there is success.

Their mere presence does not legitimize a source of information.


Newspapers are to blame.

If this is not bad enough, in order to save their hind quarters I saw a report on national news that twisted the blame for this ill advised unconfirmed source. It was actually the newspapers fault. Unlike the television, the print media cannot retract their statement until the next printing where the TV can "correct" their statement the minute the truth is revealed - proving once again that there is no honor among thieves.

It is bad enough that mining is a dangerous business and miners are at risk of losing their life each day. (I grew up in an area where men went to sea and some men never returned. Each year fishermen were lost at sea which informed everyone that if you became a fisherman it was dangerous and you were going to put yourself at greater risk of losing your life as a fisherman as opposed to an accountant.)

It is bad enough that 12 miners are dead. It is bad enough that the first report was that they were OK - an obvious mis-communicated message in a confusing event. (You see, when people are trapped under ground it is tough to talk to them, so shit happens.)

It is all bad enough. But not for the media, who now have to cover their mistake by laying blame on each other.

The fact of the matter is the media in this country wants one thing - you to watch. They do not care if they are reporting truth or fact they just want you to watch and they will stop at nothing to get you to watch. And when they screw up they will behave as if they were not the problem but are seeking the culprit. And in seeking the culprit they will repeat their original mistake of creating the news.

But it is not a mistake. A mistake would mean they think they are wrong in what they do - and they do not.

Public Relations Evolution

Public Relations and Mass Communication 1800 - This is what I believe.

Public Relations and Mass Communication 1900 - This is what I believe and here are the reasons why.

Public Relations and Mass Communication 1920's - 1960's - This is what you should believe.

Public Relations and Mass Communication Today - This is why the other guy is wrong.

Oh my god, what have we done?

Yesterday I read that people had to move from their homes due to rising water. The island that they lived on was becoming smaller due to rising sea levels.

When I was a child in the 70’s, I can remember stories of how the oceans were drying up. At school we would receive pamphlets and small magazines directed at kids with a worldly message. Some were done by UNICEF, others by Highlight magazine or a company associated with them and still others came from something called scholastic news.

Our oceans were drying up and our water supply was disappearing. What would we do? We had to conserve water. Do not run your faucet while you brush your teeth. Wet your brush and turn off the water while you are brushing.

When you take a shower, wet yourself down and turn off the water until you are ready to rinse off. When you take a bath, do not fill the tub up. A few inches of water are enough to bathe.

I can remember all these things and how they were preached to us and how we were filled with doom over the threat of living in a desert some day. There was no global warming in the 70’s.

Some 25 – 30 years later we have gone through El Nino and La Nina in the late 80s and early 90s, which were the cause for forest fires and drought. And now we have had to listen to Global Warming in the last 10 – 12 years.

My dad used to tell me that the winters were a lot worse when he was a kid in the 30s and 40s. He said they would get a number of storms that would drop close to a foot of snow each time. He said they were colder and seemed to last longer. There was no global warming in the 30’s and 40’s and as I have stated, there was none in the 70’s when he told me this.

Nowadays, every time water levels go up, it is global warming, every time river beds dry up, it is global warming. If we get a lot of snow – global warming. A mild winter is also global warming.

In 2004 Florida was hit with 3 major Hurricanes. In 2005 Louisiana was hit with 2 major hurricanes. During the mid 50s the Northeast – New England and New York was hit by 5 category 2 storms.

Global warming – we talk about it as if there is a “Global Warming” button and someone keeps pushing it and it results in some kind of natural disaster or climate change. When in the history of the world has their not been climate change. Climate and weather changes from day to day, week to week, month to month, season to season and year to year. Why do we think that there is some kind of controllable cause and effect? Why does the media think this?

There are thousands of people who spend their days studying weather and climate change and much like the weather they are constantly changing their minds, revealing new data and contradicting each other. I do not blame these people for doing a study and coming up with a theory or suggesting a trend. I do blame the media for taking only the data that they think will support this theory that human beings are destroying the planet when there is equally enough evidence that we are not and that we are incapable of doing so.

Here is just one instance where reality differs with the fear environment created by the media. Man made a nuclear bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima. There have been numerous studies on the effects of this bomb on the environment and lingering effects there after. In short, it did effect the environment and did change life as we know it. This was man created.

The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens was reportedly equivalent to 27,000 Hiroshima-sized atomic bombs - which translates roughly to 350 megatons. Now, Mount St. Helens did not involve a nuclear explosion. Instead it involved hot molten lava and volcanic ash. I am sure that scientist could argue that one is more deadly than the other and one has longer lasting effects and the discussion would go on and on. That said there have been 2 nuclear bombs dropped in history. There have been numerous nuclear tests. Combined, they do not even come remotely close to the number of volcanic eruptions in the history of the world as we know it.

If the water is rising around your Island it is not the first time and it will not be the last time it will happen. Feel safe that you had nothing to do with it. And lastly, we have been studying weather and climate on this planet for about 150 years. Prior to that we were guessing with less data than we have today and we are still guessing today.

Civil Rights Abuse - Now What?

The UN inspectors have reported that civil rights abuse is widespread in China. Now what?

I’m not sure I understand the UN. For that matter, I do not understand the mindset of the media and other world powers when it comes to “Doing something” about these claims.

What are people supposed to think and do when we hear this? What are UN members countries supposed to do?

In the United States, if I notice that my next door neighbor is beating his or her kids I can call Social Services and report this. Social Services will investigate the problem and if it is a true claim they will take action. They will remove the children from the abusive environment and work with or force the parent to change their ways. It is possible that the children will never return to their parents.

Now in the international world, what is the equivalent? Should countries go into China and remove those people whose civil rights are being abused? I do not think the UN could suggest this because of the respect they have for a sovereign nation.

Do they send in troops? If so when. We know for a fact that civil rights abuses have been taking place in China for decades. (Or at least a western definition of civil rights abuses). The UN has not done anything about accept for a few sanctions here or there and most of the UN community has not agreed on the sanctions so they have been worthless.

Russia, USA, England, France and Germany still trade with China as does Japan and Australia. It would be economic suicide for most countries not to continue trade with a country the size of Russia. In the 1970s-80s every little trinket you could get your hands on was made in Taiwan. China has learned a great lesson from their small disobedient Island and chose to join them when they could not beat them. Now every little trinket and tool is made in China.

So what does the UN do? They cannot engage in a military operation without the United States. However, they have been against the US war in Afghanistan and Iraq – where incidentally there have been civil rights abuses for as long as there have been civil rights abuses as defined by the Western world.

Back to my original question, now what? The UN lead coalition in Yugoslavia ousted Slobodan Milošević former President of Serbia and of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as well as leader of the Socialist Party of Serbia. They went in with forces and had casualties from all countries involved and in the end they have “freed’ Yugoslavia which still has the same racial and religious tensions between Muslims and Christians and Milošević is still on trial. Seven years now and what has really changed in Yugoslavia? Is it Serbia? Montenegro? Kosovo?

In the end there are three or four countries that are still loosely tied together, or not, and remain stagnant economically and politically are just waiting for the next explosion.

So what about China? It is tough to say that Yugoslavia was a success. The UN does not like the United State’s method of dealing with Afghanistan and Iraq. They also do not like the way Russia handles similar situations, but the US media does not involve itself with Russian so much and has completely ignored Yugoslavia for about five years.

So again, the UN reports the abuse, the media reports the abuse and then what? Ten years of actions did not work with Saddam Hussein. In fact it seems to have made a bigger problem with some countries and companies using the black market or covert operations to continue their dealings with Iraq even though their were UN Sanctions.

The continent of Africa is rampant with civil rights abuses, as is Korea and a number of Southeast Asian countries. What is to be done? If a country is profiting from a relationship with another country they will not be in favor of sanctions or military actions. France is the best example since they were the prime abuser of the sanctions against Saddam Hussein ad Iraq. Because of this relationship they were against any military actions and they were in favor of continued sanctions – sanctions that they were ignoring.

With China, you have several situations like France. China provides cheap manufacturing to most of Europe, the United States and Australia. It seems to me that the UN and the US media have not answer other than to state the obvious and then criticize every step along the way except their own.

Firearms - What the hell are we doing?

Students face expulsion; search finds knives, Mace

An article ran in the Baton Rouge Advocate - “Students face expulsion; search finds knives, Mace” on 11/18. This article displays exactly what is wrong with this country’s mentality when it comes to firearms and the law.

A loaded magazine with .223 caliber bullets is found hidden in a school and the local school board’s response is to opt not to pursue charges against any of the juveniles.

This is why we have issues in this country surrounding firearms. We do not apply the punishment when there is wrong doing. If a student or teacher gets shot at school there is an out cry to ban firearms, ban ammunition take away the second amendment right to bear arms, but what do we do to deter such tragic activity?

Any student that was remotely involved in this loaded magazine coming into the school or knew about the magazine and said nothing should be expelled from the school. The problem is that we do not take these things seriously until there is tragedy and then we seek to punish everyone.

The anti-gun movement always points out that access to guns is the problem. They want to remove this access and take away the rights of those who would use firearms for sports or hobbies. They see no value in teaching responsible behavior coupled with the punishment of unacceptable behavior. In short, they don't want to have to punish because that is cruel and can ruin someone's life. Instead we will make superficial gestures to "remove" the problem and then hope no one gets hurt.

The sad truth is that the law-abiding firearm owner is completely in favor of punishment and the enforcement of the law. However, when tragedy strikes it is those same law-abiding individuals who are labeled as part of the problem.