A late November reflection

If you're old enough to remember where you were 48 years ago today, you'll understand why this time of year has special meaning, much more important than the current controversies surrounding store hours for "Black Friday." In a blog three years ago, I wrote about my memories of the day President Kennedy was shot. Those thoughts reflected a feeling of challenge, but also the promise of 2008, having just elected a new president. The challenges we faced as a nation both in 1963 and 2008 were substantial and real. The challenges we face today continue to plague us.

A few months ago, I wrote about "fools on the Hill," a reference to our Congress. Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch seems to agree. His commentary, today, eloquently outlines not only the problems but a few meaningful solutions. During the course of my career in journalism I met many big time political leaders. Koch is one of the few who continues to earn my respect. I don't always agree with him--though more often I do-- but he is an honest man, a self described "sensible liberal."

Those who know me understand that I have many friends who are lifelong conservatives. I'm hoping a few "sensible conservatives" will step up and help lead with a spirit of reconciliation we so desperately need. The tone of discourse today has become so contentious and mean spirited that getting anything done becomes increasingly difficult. One of my conservative friends suggested that those on the right are waiting for the 2012 election when they believe the voters will move the country in their direction. A year is a long time in politics, but my guess is that the voters will actually take back what they did to Congress in 2010. It seems increasingly clearer each day that divided government, in today's political climate, is a prescription for the empowerment of fools. Whoever prevails a year from now, sensible liberals and conservatives have to place the good of the country ahead of narrow political expediency. We, the voters, must demand nothing less.

So, on this 48th anniversary of one of America's darkest days, I hope you will click the links above and read what Mayor Koch has to say about turning things around. And, if you haven't read my earlier reflections on November 22, 1963, take a look at that too.

All good wishes for a happy Thanksgiving and a holiday season with real joy.

 

Time for a late inning rally

Americans value freedom. It is one of the attractions of the United States, still a magnet for the oppressed of the world. Bob Dylan’s anthem, Chimes of Freedom, has a dreamlike quality that articulates an almost religious yearning for justice. President Obama would be well served to listen. His presidency is in the late innings in need of a lift if he has any chance at another four years.

One of the joys of iPod shuffle is being surprised by what pops up when you listen. I write this as I fly home to San Diego from New York. When I heard Dylan’s live version of “Chimes” on the iPod—a song I’ve always thought of as one of his greats—it struck me that the song just might help Obama articulate a 2012 version of “Hope” that the country desperately needs. But talk alone won’t do it. Which brings me to a memory of a comeback.

I attended two sessions at the US Open Tennis Championships last week. It reminded me of one of the great days in my personal sports spectator history 24 years ago. After spending a September afternoon at the 1987 US Open, I made my way across Roosevelt Avenue to Shea Stadium to catch a night game between the reigning world champion New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies. I met my father, Harry, at the ballpark. We watched as the Mets quickly fell behind with no signs of life for the first five innings; then they came back big, with seven runs in the sixth, and one for the win column. Back then—and still today—the divide between the tennis crowd and the baseball fans offers a sharp contrast, visually striking as you leave the more upscale National Tennis Center for the blue collar ball park across the street. But even the vast majority of the tennis crowd are middle class.

So many “ordinary Americans” (as the politicians like to say), including baseball and tennis fans, are hurting and wondering how we got where we are today. Robert Reich offers a particularly cogent summary answering that question in Sunday’s New York Times. Professor Reich positions his analysis of hope for the middle class not with a baseball metaphor but rather as a “dream within our grasp.” And in his most recent Times column, Nobel Prize winning economist Paul Krugman also offers a better blueprint for economic recovery than the one force fed on the president and American people by our current Congress.

The intersection of art and scholarship has been discussed and identified by many. Marshall McLuhan and Neil Postman both recognized the artist’s gift for articulating cultural realities with great power and clarity often before scholars study these trends. That’s why the power of a song may just help. Many of us thought Barrack Obama was the man to make the Chimes of Freedom—including economic freedom--flash more brightly when he was elected in 2008. If he is to become a two termer he needs to do more than articulate a vision; he must make the dream a reality. That will take a late inning comeback. Unfortunately, the reality is that members of the opposition are not going to blink. Their goal is to see this president strike out. All one has to do is watch body language and pay attention to the tone of voice of Tea Party faithful when they talk about President Obama--it is personal for them with this president. The idea of a bipartisan era where the good of the country is placed above the need for one party to win has not yet arrived; this current Tea Party tinged Congress does not have an approach that will work.

 

The sooner Mr. Obama fully embraces the fact that the top priority of the opposing team is to retire his presidency, the sooner he will start saving his chance at a second term. Those who voted for him last time expect him to fight for the middle class and a brighter future. For too many, the feeling of being—in Dyaln’s words—“the luckless, the abandoned and forsaked” is real. That’s the constituency Obama must engage and not cede to the Tea Party. The only way that will happen is by winning the hearts and minds of the American people through action and results, in essence bypassing the “fools on the Hill” who are hurting so many while pretending to be part of the solution. At this point, it is all about jobs. Late inning comebacks happen all the time, especially when the fundamentals are solid and the approach is consistent with the skill of the players on the field. It's time for the president to take his swings and quit hoping for a walk.

Fools on the Hill

Too many words have been written and spoken about the consternation and constipation Congress is suffering over the debt limit deadline debacle. It is time to act and to do so in the interest of the rest of us, the people the president and others refer to as "ordinary Americans."

I am one of the lucky ones with my wife employed and a 40 year history of saving, and investing, reasonably wisely. Too many "ordinary Americans" are much worse off and suffering unnecessarily because of a stubborn minority that is focused primarily on seeing President Obama fail.

During the dark days of  President George W. Bush's second term, I told my conservative friends that I truly had no interest in seeing the president fail. The good of the country outweighed any short term political gains. I worked hard to see President Obama get elected. I doubt I will devote much time to his next campaign; he's missed too many opportunities. But, most likely, I will vote for him. He has worked to compromise and govern from the center, many say to a fault. So it is especially disheartening to watch as the Tea Party contingent in Congress holds us hostage. Those who supported their insurgency ought reconsider their votes in the face of the tyranny this minority has wrought on the rest of us. The knee jerk rejection of any new taxes--euphemistically referred to as "revenue"--is making thoughtful conservatives, and Republican stalwarts, worry whether the GOP has any grandeur left. Even President Reagan recognized the need for "revenue."

If the current polls are accurate, the majority of Americans, ordinary and otherwise, are starting to see that the hard core obstructionists in Congress, the Tea Party crowd and their enablers, are the heart of the problem. "Ordinary Americans" are starting to speak out and realize that the fools on the Hill have too many blind spots.

Musings on rock stars and a bit of wisdom

In our celebrity-obsessed culture, the most celebrated and select idols of the galaxy would have to be the rock stars. If you have any doubts, consider this anecdotal evidence. Julia Roberts—at one time the highest paid female movie star on the planet—was seated next to Paul McCartney at the 2010 Golden Globe Awards. Roberts said afterward that everybody she knew was sending her messages about the super star beside her. The "Pretty Woman," next to the former Beatle, was clearly impressed. She told reporters, “If you want attention, sit next to Paul McCartney.”

The other bit of evidence comes from Martin Scorsese’s rock doc, Shine a Light, about a Rolling Stones concert to benefit former president Bill Clinton’s foundation. Filmmaker Scorsese and politician Clinton are both superstars in their own very visible worlds. But as you watch the documentary, it becomes indisputable that these two giants are definitely “standing in shadow” of the really big stars, The Rolling Stones. To further emphasize the potent celebrity of rock stardom, referring to Bill Clinton as the “rock star president” is often used to indicate his special status as a politician and former president.

Rock stars enjoy extraordinary financial success through being creative outlaws who bring pleasure to the masses. To paraphrase another pop star, who first became famous before the age of rock and roll, “they do it their way.” So what can we learn from these highly successful, much admired, super rich celebrities we call rock stars? We know all too well about rock stars who succumb to drug problems, legal problems, money problems, relationship problems and every other human flaw or failing you can imagine. The bright lights can illuminate but also burn.

During one of the interview segments in Shine a Light, Stones guitarists Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards are both asked the same question. Who is the better guitarist? Wood responds flippantly by saying, that he is better than Richards. When asking the same question, the interviewer tells Richards what Wood said. Richards, in a moment of real wisdom, responds by saying he’s not surprised by his fellow guitarist’s boast. But it is Richards’ next statement that cuts to the heart of creative success for a range of endeavors. Richards says, something like this. “The truth is there are ten guys better than Ronnie or me. But together, we’re better than those ten guys.”

Organizational success involves more than the talent of individual team members. Talented people are a necessary ingredient. But in the words or Hall of Fame baseball manager Casey Stengel, “Finding good players is easy. Getting them to play together is another story.” It is not surprising that the most successful “rock stars,” whatever their field, know how to be part of a team. Think about it. Every truly successful star works with a team. This goes even for novelists, golfers and tennis players. There are coaches, managers, trainers, psychologists, editors, fact checkers, agents, and many others who contribute to success.

Richards figured out that Ronnie Wood made him a better guitar player and he said so with a bit of humility. Keith Richards as a source of wisdom? Maybe people will listen. After all, he’s a rock star.

Some thoughts on 9/11 nearly ten years later

Shortly after 9/11/01, I sat with a working journalist friend and a man he introduced me to who is a leader in San Diego’s Muslim community. Our Muslim acquaintance was disappointed and upset that his community did not suspect the three 9/11 hijackers who had spent many months in San Diego. He explained to us that the hijackers had been seen at mosques in San Diego. He also told us that members of San Diego’s Muslim community would have, and had on other occasions, contacted the FBI if they suspected something was not right. Perplexed, he told us something to the effect, “I can’t believe we missed these guys.”

I have often thought back to that conversation realizing how one person can change history. What if the FBI had been following the three San Diego based 9/11 hijackers? It is a difficult call to act on suspicions that may or may not be well founded. In the current climate I am guessing someone would speak up. Now that Osama bin Laden is dead, nearly ten years after 9/11, we are wisely more vigilant.

Members of a US Navy SEAL team took out bin Laden further enhancing the reputation of one of America’s elite military units. This particular unit, sometimes called SEAL Team Six (ST6), is the elite of the elite. ST6 is based in Virginia, but all Navy SEALs pass through Coronado, California. I live in Coronado, just across the bay from downtown San Diego. Naval Amphibious Base Coronado (NAB) is home to the Naval Special Warfare Command and the training facility where every sailor and naval officer comes to earn his “Trident;” that’s the badge worn by SEALs that distinguishes their uniforms from those of aviators, submariners, and surface warfare personnel.

I drove past NAB this morning to see if anything special was going on. I saw a group of sailors running in fatigues, a sight quite normal here. There was a TV crew outside the local Starbucks, probably hoping to talk to those in uniform who stop there on their way to work. Traffic coming over the bridge from San Diego was backed up this morning. Higher security at Coronado's two naval installations was possibly the reason. Later, part of Interstate 5 leading into the bridge was shut down because of a suspected pipe bomb found nearby; the object turned out to be an innocent piece of debris. In the days and weeks ahead we will experience, once again, heightened security and vigilance in the aftermath of bin Laden’s demise.

Living where I live, I’ve had the privilege to know a few SEALs over the years (mostly retired, now). Some of my daughters’ classmates from Coronado High School have gone on to earn their Tridents and are currently serving with SEAL teams. The SEALs I have known are nothing at all like the caricatures you might expect of elite warriors. They are artists and gardening enthusiasts, usually soft spoken and humble. At least that is how they act around this civilian. My abiding respect for them is nearly limitless. To require them to do what they do, and do it so well, is the price of a civilized society. We have not yet advanced to a time when swords are ploughshares and we no longer have to study war. In the meantime, having SEALs and Rangers, Green Berets, Marines, and every other military specialist and service member available to help keep us safe, is something we should not take for granted. To those who serve: Thank you.

Tune up your crap detectors

 

When I think back on all the crap I learned in high school,

It’s a wonder I can think at all.

Opening lyrics to Kodachrome, by Paul Simon (Released in 1973)

A little background: Paul Simon attended, and graduated from, Forest Hills High School in New York City’s Borough of Queens. So did I. Simon was graduated in 1958; I graduated in 1969. When the song was released, I was finishing college. For several reasons, I have always felt a special connection to Kodachrome. Kodak stopped producing Kodachrome film about two years ago. Obviously, Kodachrome is a metaphor in Simon’s nearly 40-year-old hit. Here’s a link to the lyrics in case you are not familiar with the song.

With traditional film cameras now replaced, for most of us, by digital photography, at least one thing crosses the boundaries of the two technologies—frames. We frame pictures; we view them in frames; we edit within frames of film or frames on our iPhoto or Photoshop apps. So metaphor and frames help us see and understand the world.

Paul Simon obviously recognized the “crap (he) learned in high school” for what it was. Contrary to his next line, it is probably one reason he can think well, certainly well enough to write great songs over the last half century. Neil Postman wrote about the need for “crap detectors,” playing off a line from Ernest Hemingway. You can read Postman’s essay (I agee with about 90% of what he says) and see what you think. I’d pay particular attention to Postman’s third and fourth laws. Or, to paraphrase Stephen Stills, be cautious of mostly saying “hooray for our side.”

The world has usually benefited from well-tuned crap detection. One of the traditional roles of the news media is sorting out what is real and what is not. Now doing this we have Jon Stewart and other entertainers working to expose purveyors of pap and crap on a nightly basis. That he makes us laugh is an added benefit.

There are many working journalists—likely most—who continue to point out what is legitimate information and what is not. Unfortunately, many popular media personalities—including so-called journalists--are spewing crap at an alarming rate. My goal is not to “call out” individuals who contaminate the airwaves, news pages, and digital platforms with crap. Rather, it is to suggest all of us tune up our detectors and know the difference between the crap we learned in high school and everywhere else, and what is real knowledge, reliable information, and true wisdom.

You could take beautiful pictures with Kodachrome and you can take beautiful pictures with a digital camera. It’s not whether it is digital or film that is important; it is about how we see.

Trade-offs in the digital age

Alain Bieber (holding microphone), Photo by Werner Laschinger

 (Written for the BaKaFORUM Blog and  re-posted here.)

Those technological Faustian bargains--articulated by Neil Postman with great clarity years ago--that we enter into with each new breakthrough, came up, indirectly, in the discussion at last night’s opening session of BaKaFORUM. Panelist Alain Bieber made a forceful statement advocating openness on the web with, for example, no copyright restrictions. To emphasize his point, Alain went on to say he supports the work of Wiki Leaks, to which he received enthusiastic applause from many of those attending the session.

As a long time news producer and later an executive, I regularly fought battles to get information released so it could be made public. So, on many levels, my heart is with Alain and those who supported him by their approving response. Okay, you’ve probably figured out that I’m about to say, “but on the other hand.” And yes, that is correct. All this openness has a price. Is there such a thing as “a reasonable expectation of privacy” for us in the digital age? I hope there is, though I’m no longer certain. And aren’t there times when the Wiki Leaks mentality promotes reckless disregard for the greater good? Isn't good journalism also about being a responsible "gate-keeper?" (Yes, all these rhetorical questions are designed to provoke a dialogue.)

The work of Wiki Leaks embarrasses the powerful. Those who speak truth to power are often persecuted, prosecuted or, in some cases, even murdered. These are risks journalists have been facing since long before the personal computer became a commodity. As we say in the American idiom, “it goes with the territory.” So let’s limit our consideration (or not!) to the more typical, every day varieties of copyright infringements and disclosures of what might be considered private information.

I, and I’m certain many of you, recognized, long ago, that there is a distinction between anonymity and privacy. Clearly, in today’s world, being anonymous is nearly impossible. But what is a reasonable expectation of privacy in today’s world, both for private individuals and the public person? As you answer the question consider it in terms of the tradeoffs we are willing to accept as the technological age leads us to new frontiers. Are we entering a new chapter of “Brave New World” or shining daylight on dark places hiding in the shadows? Obviously, we are in a gray area and I suppose that was Postman’s point when he alerted us to the dual nature of technological progress. As he said, “Technology giveth and technology taketh away.”

As for protecting copyrighted material on the internet, I tend to agree with Alain,with some minimal exceptions. As the saying goes, “the net just wants to be free.” For more on that, I recommend Free: The Future of a Radical Price, by Wired Magazine’s Chris Anderson.  

Finally, it appeared to me that one of the fiction film clips screened last night touched on some of these questions. Zero Point Seven (0.7) seemed to this non-German speaker to be headed in a direction that examines the march of technology in the not so far away future, perhaps touching on these current questions.

And a final, final point… thank you to our translator who did a fine job for those of us who understand English but not German. Simultaneous translation is a bit of an art form when done so well.

New blog up at BaKaFORUM blog

As I get ready to head to Switzerland, next week. I've started posting on the BaKaFORUM Blog.

Please share your thoughts and comments here, or on the BaKaFORUM page.

Thank you.

Going back to BaKaFORUM

Hello, again, everybody. I want to let you know that I will be going to the BaKaFORUM educational media conference again this year, beginning in about two weeks. Last year I went as BaKaFORUM's blogger and I will be doing the same this year.

BaKaFORUM is a gathering of producers, teachers, executives, and other interested people who care about excellent story telling and using visual media for positive purposes. It alternates each year between Basel, Switzerland, and Karlsruhe, Germany. This year it is in Switzerland.

Here are a few links if you want to follow the blog or get caught up on last year.

This year's blog is just getting started. Here's the link.
http://bakaforumblog.blogspot.com

And here's a link to last year's blog.
http://bakaforumblog2010.wordpress.com

Please let me know what you think by way of comments on those blogs.