Bobbing Heads

I know you have seen it.  When you watch the news, or live sports reporting on the news, or weather, and there are reporters in remote sights, they stand there and nod their heads until it is there turn to talk.  I have to guess that the nodding head is a universal signal that they are hearing the comments of the anchor person. I have to guess this because I see this motion on local news, and on national news and even national sporting events and weather forecasting shows.

But this bobbing head does something to me: It makes me think of a bobblehead doll http://www.bobbleheads.com/  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobblehead.  To me, it diminishes the authority and credibility of the reporter, and I just think about the bobbing head instead of the story about which the reporter is commenting, no matter how serious it is.  I can edit that, if I need to, in order to focus in the actual story.  But the bobbing head irks me, no matter what.

No Wonder!

It was one of those days.  I was racing all day, trying to get too much done, and feeling overwhelmed.  Then, I was given a large chore to do. 

I stayed late at work, and then ran an errand before coming home.

When I got home, I was upset with myself that I had forgotten that the Lady Raiders and Red Raiders http://www.texastech.com/index-main.html had a double header basketball game tonight.  I looked on TV and on the radio, and just could not find the game.  I gave up.

Just a few minutes ago,  I got on line to check the scores. And lo and behold, the games are not until tomorrow night!  Well, no wonder I could not find them on TV or the radio.

Drum Corps International 2015

I went to the satellite cast of Drum Corps International http://www.dci.org/ premier at a local movie theater.  I thought it was a three hour broadcast, but it was a little under 2.5 hours.  It was good.  There were six bands performing, and while we were waiting for the scores, they showed the performance of last year's championship winner, the Blue Devils of Concord, Ca.

I enjoyed the performance tonight.  There will be another broadcast in August, the start of the finals.  If you are a real fan, you can join DCI and watch their webcasts.  I am not that much of a fan, I think.   But I will probably go to the next broadcast.

Who won tonight?  The Cavaliers.  I agree with that decision. Theirs was the best performance of the night. 

Things Happen for a Reason

I am reading The Men Who United the States http://simonwinchester.com/books/the-men-who-united-the-states/ by Simon Winchester, who by the way is not a native born citizen of the United States.  I am nearing the end, and read the section on NPR http://www.npr.org/, which by his reporting was initially thought of as a radio system to unite the country. 

It started me thinking about what unites this country.  Before September 11, 2001, I was unaware of people approaching uniformed (military) strangers in public places saying "Thank you for your service to our country."  Although it was something I thought people should be proud of, I never thought to thank any one, including a police officer or fireman or EMT.  Now, it is appropriate and very acceptable to thank the military and first responders for their service.

The first time or two I said as much to a stranger, I felt I was reading very stiltedly from a cue card. Not that I did not mean it, but it felt strange.  Now, when I say thank you, I frequently have a catch in my throat.

Our nation has always celebrated historical and memorable events, anniversaries and holidays.  But as I get older, and I know I have said this before, I pay more attention to those celebrations for their meaning, not their fun.

Tonight I watched The Star Spangled Spectacular http://video.pbs.org/video/2365312956/  celebrating the 200th anniversary of The Star Spangled Banner.  I am wondering if an extravaganza like this would have occurred before 9/11, and more to the point, would I have cared if it did.  I think back to the late 1970's, early 1980's when I was lectured on proper national anthem and flag etiquette by someone who grew up in the south, and who's family still refers to the War between the North and the South as the War of Northern Aggression.  I knew proper flag etiquette, and national anthem etiquette, but had grown away from it, from caring.  From believing even.  That was a  lesson I will never forget. 

But being patriotic then was not popular. It was okay, but not for the ceremonial, the honor and respect, but for the celebration and hoopla.  I am thankful we have brought the honor and respect back into the celebrations.

The attack on this country brought us together in a way no president, no social policy, no educational program could.  After 13 years we still remember. 

I know, with time, the emotional and reverential attitude will dissipate. It took a long time, but it did, after Pearl Harbor. And it did after the assassination of John F. Kennedy.  But we can preserve and kindle it for as long was we can.

Premium TV - We Did it To Ourselves

When the "premium channels" for TV came out however many years ago that was, people bought into the idea.  They could get new movies and special programming for an additional fee. So, they paid.  Maybe the mentality was that it was like paying for going to a movie.  I remember that mentality. We did it a few times when there was a special sporting event in the late 70's or early 80's.  We would generally have a party, and everyone chipped in to cover the fee.  We did HBO for a while, but found the selections too limited for the price.

So, more and more, many of the sporting and special events on TV are on premium channels.  You have to subscribe to the "sports level package" or the higher than basic satellite package. Or some other subscription service. The NFL channel. The Yankee channel. The NBA channel. The MBL channel. And, stupid, we do it. 

What would  happen if people stopped paying for these extra premium channels, and said, "No thanks, I'll stick with the basic, and when you do not offer quality programming, I will turn to alternative entertainment: board games (not online premium games), card games, dominoes,  books, music, conversation, or hobbies that do not involve media.  Or, I will go to a movie at a movie theater. Or a local concert. Or play. Or, whatever.

Well, of course, this will never happen.

I often question if I really get my money's worth of the Cable service I use.  I like the access to NASCAR events, which, so far, do not require a special network access, and the Weather Channel, the programming of which has gone done hill, now that they do not offer continuous weather but they offer canned programs (yuck).

I blame the consumer.  The supply is out there, and we watch this schlocky stuff instead of tuning out and finding something better to watch.

I am as guilty as the next person.

Over the last 8 or 9 years, I have become more discriminatory about what I watch on TV. I do not have the TV on for background noise, as I used to do many, many years ago.  I use other media including books (they are media) CDs, DVDs, and because I have a good turntable, vinyl, for my entertainment.

Disappointed

As I was perusing the national coverage of Major League Baseball http://mlb.mlb.com/home games, it showed that the Red Sox vs. Detroit game would be aired on FOX.  Well, I was hoping to see the game.  But, FOX is also airing the Rangers vs. Cardinals game, so that is what we were supposed to see.  But the game was rain delayed, so FOX showed the Diamondbacks vs. Reds until the Rangers vs. Cardinals game came on.

I am not a big hockey fan, but the Boston Bruins are playing in Chicago against the Blackhawks in the National Hockey League http://www.nhl.com/ Stanely Cup Finals.  The series is tied 2 each.  I'll watch for a while.

Does Shelburne Falls Have a New Identity?

I could have sworn that I wrote about the filming of the movie Labor Day, http://www.recorder.com/home/6721923-95/movie-magic-is-latest-draw-in-the-falls based on a novel by Joyce Maynard of the same name.  But, if I did, I could not find the posts.  Well, that is okay, I sometimes have strange titles and strange labels for my posts, that make no sense to me when I go back to read them. So, if I did write about that, why should I think I can find it? 

The reason I would have written about Labor Day last year was because it was being filmed in Western Massachusetts, mostly Shelburne Falls, but also in the Franklin County Jail, and other areas in Massachusetts.  I followed its filming in my home town newspaper, The Greenfield Recorder http://www.recorder.com/ and I read the book, Labor Day http://www.joycemaynard.com/Joyce_Maynard/B__Labor_Day.html. I have been anticipating the release of Labor Day, http://www.deadline.com/2013/05/labor-day-movie-jason-reitman-release-date-december-25-2013/ which is apparently set for near Christmas 2013.  Why it would not be released near Labor Day 2013 is beyond me, but I think this has to do with Oscar politics, and holiday box office numbers. So, maybe, it is not beyond me.

So, today, I was reading The Greenfield Recorder again, and once again Shelburne Falls is being used as a location for a movie http://www.recorder.com/home/6721923-95/movie-magic-is-latest-draw-in-the-falls The Judge http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1872194/.  I think this is a great economic boost for Shelburne Falls, and from all reports in The Greenfield Recorder, the locals are as enamored with this cast and crew as they were with the Labor Day cast and crew. 

I think it is great that Shelburne Falls, and the surrounding area is being used for movie locations. That is so neat.

This is not the first time that movies have been filmed in Western Massachusetts http://www.mafilm.org/made-in-mass/.  The most memorable for me is Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061184/.  Another was The Edge of Darkness http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1226273/ but frankly, the movie stunk.

So, does Shelburne Falls have a new identity as a movie location?  Does two movies, two years in a row, make it so? And why do people in the film industry know about Shelburne Falls.

I have to wonder. Shelburne Falls has a very famous resident, Bill Cosby http://billcosby.com/ , who has a residential compound in Shelburne Falls.  Mr. Cosby resided in Shelburne Falls because he was a post-graduate student at the University of Massachusetts, http://www.umass.edu/ in Amherst, Massachusetts. Early on, the University of Massachusetts had liberal "university without walls" standards. Mr. Cosby could actually use some of his television programming as part of his PhD thesis material.  That is as it should be. It was so educationally about appropriate family and parenting values, and the television venue ensured it was mass marketed in a way that other educational material would not be received.

I do not know if Mr. Cosby was influential in the filming of these new movies.  If he was, I think Franklin County owes him a thank you, at least.  If not, well coincidences  are not always as coincidental as we believe.

So, now, I have another movie for which I have to anticipate the release.

Constitution USA

I am a fan of "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" so it stands to reason I am a fan of the host, Peter Sagal http://petersagal.com/. And, so I am.  I knew he was doing a new series on PBS called "Constitution USA" http://www.pbs.org/tpt/constitution-usa-peter-sagal/home/ and it started tonight. I vaguely thought about if I wanted to watch it. But it did not seem to be a priority.

I was other wise occupied at 8 PM, when the show was being aired locally.  The friend that went to the "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" cinecast last week sent me a text reminding me about the show. So, a few minutes after 8 PM, I tuned to KTTZ TV http://www.kttz.org/ and watched the show.  I am glad I did. It was very interesting. This will have to become scheduled watching for the duration of the series.

Setting My Schedules

It is easy to set my schedule according to the national broadcasts of my favorite sports teams:  the Yankees, the Red Sox, http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/broadcasts/national.jsp?tcid=mm_mlb_schedule and the Boston Celtics http://www.nba.com/celtics/2012-13-boston-celtics-schedule. Their websites have a listing called "national broadcasts" so I just add the information to my calendar, with reminders.

National Public Radio

I really enjoy the Saturday morning line of our local National Public Radio http://www.npr.org/ station, KTTZ http://www.kttz.org/about-us. They broadcast three shows I expecially enjoy:  Car Talk, Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, and From the Top.

I first heard Car Talk http://www.cartalk.com/ about 10 years ago. This show is hilarious. The premise is the Tappet brothers anwer questions about automobiles.  The questions are not limited to repair information, but include questions about driving styles, makes and models of cars and of course, a there is a weekly puzzler. Even the introduction and credits are funny, especially if you like puns.  And it helps that the show originates in Boston.  While I do not have, and never did have a strong Boston accent, I like to listen to the Tappet brothers talk.

I do not know when KTTZ started airing Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me http://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/, but it obviously has been around a long time. It is a news quiz show that,too, is very funny. It has done what it is supposed to do for me, it has made me start to pay closer attention to the news, especially some of the odd stories. It makes followiong the news much more enjoyable.

From the Top http://www.fromthetop.org/ has been around a long time, too.  It is an excellent show that features young musical performers from around the world. Some become eligible for a Jack Kent Cooke Foundation  http://www.jkcf.org/ scholarship or a New England Conservatory http://www.necmusic.edu/ scholarship. Some return to the show as older teenagers or young adults for special encores.

I regret that when From the Top has taped in Lubbock, I have not gone.  I believe if they ever come back, I will make a concerted effort to attend the performance.

I really like NPR for another reason.  When Mack was alive and we traveled, he liked listening to the radio, and to NPR especially.  And if the station became staticky, he would nose the car radio and snuffle, to get it to play better, I guess. The was my clue that it was time to look for another radio station.

I support National Public Radio, and well as the Public Broadcasting Service http://www.pbs.org/.  Both of these are aired in connection with Texas Tech, and mostly recently adopted the same call letters:  KTTZ. http://www.kttz.org/.  The sad part about KTTZ-TV is that although they have a few good series throughout the year, their best programming occurs only during their fundraisers.  I understand the economics of that, but it is still sad.

PBS

I am a supporter of PBS http://www.pbs.org/ and have been for a very long time.  The quality of programing has always improved when they were doing their fundraising shows.  But recently, the local PBS station KTTZ http://www.kttz.org/ seems to have improved the quality of the programming even when it is not a time of fundraising. I appreciate this very much.  I believe we should receive quality programming throughout the broadcast year.  I understand that is a matter of financial availability, so I hope it means that KTTZ is being well supported by the viewers of the South Plains.

Pledging

Years ago, I pledged financial support to the local PBS TV and NPR Radio stations.  But, then I decided I did not need to pledge, because I was going to provide financial support to these stations, whether or not I received a pledge gift.  One year, I even tried to return my pledge gift, and the boxes were returned to me as "undeliverable."

I have resisted the efforts of these channels to succumb to a pledge. I have even received a pledge card in the mail, when I have not made a pledge.  I have sent an ugly letter back to the station that I did not pledge, and if they persisted in sending me pledge cards that I did not sign up for, they would lose my financial support.

Last night, I was listening and watching KTTZ-TV as they presented a retrospective of music from the 50's, 60's and some 70's:  Moments to Remember The pop music of the late 1950s and early '60s is recalled via turns by the DeCastro Sisters, Four Aces, Four Freshman, Four Lads, Frankie Laine, Julius LaRosa, the Platters, Lenny Welch and Roger Williams. Also: archival footage of Rosemary Clooney.

This is the music I like. There was a donor gift available of this music: 7 CDs.  The donations level was $30 above what I normally will donate, but about $20 less than what these CDs might go for retail. So, I pledged. And requested the CD gift. I even authorized the shipping charge so the station would not have to pay for it.  I am a sucker. I know that.  I authorized the entire amount, so now will not send a monthly donation to KTTZ-TV, although I will continue donating regularly to KTTZ-FM. 

PBS and NPR

I am and have been a supporter or PBS http://www.pbs.org/ and NPR http://www.npr.org/ for years. I used to pledge, but at some point in time, I decided I did not care about the gifts I received from pledging.  One year, I even tried to return the pledge gifts that I did not particularly care about, but they were returned to me by the post office as "return to sender."

For many, many years, I have sent in a donation for both the PBS and NPR stations in Lubbock regularly.  I have even told them, when they sent pledge cards to me, that if they did that again, I would stop donating.

But tonight, I listened to a wonderful music program on PBS.  For just $30 more than I would normally donate, I would be eligible for some wonderful CDs of old time music that I really enjoy.  For just $30 more than I would normally donate, I would receive 7 CDs of some wonderful 40s, 50s, and 60s music.  So, I donated.

I believe in support of PBS and NPR. 

More Peanuts and Beer

TBS http://www.tbs.com/ is carrying most of the post-season Major League Baseball  http://mlb.mlb.com/index.jspgames games at this time. Some are being aired on the MLB network http://mlb.mlb.com/network/.  Several times already, during this season, the first game has been extended either due to weather delays, or tied scores.

So it is tonight. Another channel in the TBS system is TNT www.tntdrama.com/. This channel airs the later game of the series until the first game is finished, and then the telecast is transferred to TBS.  This is not an ideal situation, if you are a fan that wants to watch the end of the first game before the second game starts.  Of course, electronics like TIVO or Hopper are there to record and help us.  But really MLB, there is another solution. 

Instead of scheduling the games so close together, give each game at least 3.5 or 4 hours.  I know, MLB wants the televised games to last between 2.5 to 3 hours. But is that real?  I know when the Yankees or Red Sox are playing, most games last 3 or more hours. If the Yankees and Red Sox are playing each other, the games can easily last 4 hours or more.  Get real. 

I think MLB officials want to speed up the game and make it go faster. Frankly, I do not like a faster game.  I like it when the players can play at the pace that is comfortable for them.  And, if that is a longer, slower game, I am happy.  More peanuts and beer!

The Infield Fly Rule

I like baseball, and I have enjoyed it since I was very young.  I remember, years ago, asking my father what the infield fly rule was and why they had it.  I remember my father giving me an answer, but I do not recall what it was, or understanding it. If you are not familiar with the rule, http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/definition_terms_2.jsp I would suggest you read it.

Tonight, I was watching the first ever Major League Baseball wild card game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Atlanta Braves. During the eight inning, there was a controversial use of the Infield fly rule http://espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs/2012/story/_/id/8467263/st-louis-cardinals-atlanta-braves-nl-wild-card-game-halted-fans-protest-infield-fly-call .   Understandably the home town fans were upset, and stopped the game by throwing debris.  The Braves manager, Fredi Gonzales lodged a protest, and there is some question, but ostensibly, the game was finished under protest.  According to the television announcers, Major League Baseball had officials on sight and would try to resolve the matter as soon as possible.  And rightly so.  It is said that baseball is a game of series, but this year, the wild card was just one game, although I understand that in the future it will be a series.  But since there is only one game, any protest needs to be resolved ASAP as the winning team needs to prepare for the next game, on Sunday as part of the National League Division Series.

So, finally, I was curious enough to wonder what is the purpose of the infield fly rule. I was surprised, but should not be: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infield_fly_rule . It basically keeps everyone safe and does not allow an intentional missed catch to allow an unfair advantage by the infielder over the runner.

The point is, that as ever, human beings will try to play the angles, figure how they can best the opposition by taking advantage of the rules in an unintended way.   I see it every day in my client population.  Why would I be surprised to see it in baseball. Especially when you learn about the early years of baseball.  There were a lot of cadgers and characters when the game was young.  So, the infield fly rule protected the game from players purposely missing a fly ball to get more outs than if they caught the ball!

Pre-Game Reality

I do not always listen to the Texas Tech football pre-game show.  I had especially stopped because the Tech announcers sometimes talk as if it is a foregone conclusion that the Tech team will win.  I was pleasantly surprised that their language included "we have to do this or else we will lose;" "let's hope this or that happens or doesn't happen;" "we were 3 and 0 last year at this time, and we know what happened last season;" "let's hope we don't see injuries like we had last year."

This is better. It is more realistic. There are times when the Tech announcers, in my opinion, spout so much braggadocios rhetoric it is sickening. It is okay to root for the home time.  It is okay to be supportive and encouraging and hopeful.  But to deny the facts and actually broadcast as if you assume the team is going to win is very bad journalism (if you can call radio sportscasting "journalism.")

Texas Tech football has taken a downturn since Mike Leach was dismissed as coach, and Tommy Tuberville was brought in.  There is less fan energy, and less overwhelming interest and local media coverage.  We road a big wave when Mike Leach was coach.  Having a winning season was not a certainty, but it sure felt like it was.  Now, we are back to reality.

A Strange Phenomenom

Earlier today, I had the television next to the computer turned to TNT while Law and Order was on, and I was perusing through the computer.  I frequently have the TV on when I am on the computer. 

All of a sudden, I thought the TV was talking to me.  This is a psychiatric symptom.  I do not think I am having a psychotic break.  At first I just disregarded this as inattention.  Then, I realized it was really happening.  The show was about half way when I turned it on.  I realized that the voice was describing action a person with a sight disability might not catch.  Hmmm.  I looked at the remote to see if there was a setting I could change (as in closed captioned or language) but could not figure it out. Hmmm.   TNT runs Law and Order back to back to back.  So, I watched another show while I messed around on the computer.  I was not planning to be on the computer that long, but the phenomenon disappeared with the third show.  I did not stay to watch it. 

Sports

I have spent some time watching the Summer Olympics http://www.london2012.com/. Last night, I was able to watch the New York Yankees http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=nyy play against the Detroit Tigers http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=det, and lose. After that game was finished, I switched to the Boston Red Sox http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=bos&tcid=mm_det_sitelist play and win against the Texas Rangers http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=tex&tcid=mm_bos_sitelist, in Boston.

Tonight, the Texas  Rangers at Fenway game is again televised in Lubbock.  I am enjoying the game, although the Rangers are winning.  I have to compliment the Rangers announcers http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/team/broadcasters.jsp?c_id=tex.  Whenever I watch the Rangers, which is usually when they play the Red Sox or the Yankees, they are always fair, complimentary, and positive about the opposing team.  It makes watching these games very enjoyable for me.  The quality of the announcers is so good. They are definitely home team announcers, but so PROFESSIONAL.

Sometimes, when I watch a national broadcast of baseball, the announcers are so negatively biased against a team, it makes the experience almost unpleasant.  Well, really, unpleasant, except I get to watch a team I care about. 

Go Red Sox!

Premature Self-Congratulations

Well, if you read resolve, you read how I congratulated myself for blogging even though I was distracted.  Big deal.  I did not blog last night!  So not matter how good my resolve was Wednesday, it was gone on Thursday.

Tonight there is a Celtics game on.  But I am able to do a little bit.

Resolve

I have decided to make myself work on a blog a day, and shut off all the extraneous distractions to be able to do so.

Well, today, the Celtics are playing the Heat early, and part way through that game, the time comes when the Yankees are playing the Angels.  So, I have two games I want to follow.

There goes my resolve, but the truth be known, I blogged, anyway!