Some well deserved praise for the local media of New Orleans

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Before I talk about our media, I want to tell you about the moon this morning. I can't think of a more beautiful moon I have ever seen. I walked Bear dog before daylight and the skies were clearing from some heavy overnight rains. The full moon behind the clouds beautifully lit an ever-changing array of muted color. It was mesmerizing like a kaleidoscope and I stood staring transfixed at the beauty of it all. Then the clouds floated by and the full moon light cast its eerie glow on my predawn world. Had I been lying in bed, I would have missed it all, but I was there and it is another beautiful memory tucked away for me to savor whenever I choose to see it again.

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Local New Orleans Media
In the past, I have certainly pointed out flaws about various media practices, so I thought it only fair to dole out praise where it is deserved.

After Katrina, some of the television and radio stations were knocked completely off of the air. Eventually, the ones who got up and running again, did so by moving their operations to other cities. One station was in Baton Rouge and another in Jackson, Mississippi. The local newspaper, the Times Picayune had help publishing a small print newspaper, but kept their online news flowing.

Eventually, all of the stations were back on the air, and they broadcast hurricane information 24 hours a day. I don't remember when regular programming returned, but is wasn't for at least a month after the storm. No one missed the other shows. Most people did not have electricity, cable, or satellite anyway.

In my case, I got power back in two weeks. However, my DSL was working at the house, so with generator power, I was able to get online. I took care of my banking, registering with FEMA, and watched television on the computer.

The radio stations were united and they called themselves, "The United New Orleans Broadcasters." This was a cooperative effort between all of the stations. No matter what frequency you were on AM or FM, you heard the same program. The personalities from the stations worked shifts two at a time. So there were interesting personality mixes. It was always informative and entertaining. This was an excellent example of cooperation between competitors joined to meet a common need. This is what would happen in a nuclear war and it felt at times like I was in the movie "Red Dawn."

It was very useful having the local stations streaming on the web. Today, WWL 870 AM is still streaming on the web.

These folks realized that New Orlenians and other people in the region were scattered to the four winds and would want local information. They get an "A+" in my book for getting their signal out. WDSU Channel 6, for instance was broadcasting in Houston, Jackson, Mississippi, Baton Rouge, LA and New Orleans.

OK, so technically, these media sources stayed in business and got their signals out, but what about the content? They get an "A+" in that department too.

In this whole hurricane and aftermath, the local media has been the voice of reason. The national media has stayed on the sensational and majoring on the minor. Some of their reporting has been all about their ratings and not at all about the truth or understanding complex problems.

I have been proud of our local media. Norman Robinson the lead anchor for channel 6 has shown courage and integrity in his reporting. He asks questions to the point, without political correct tweaking. He is respectful, but thorough and does not give people free passes.

Our local and state politicians have shown poor leadership, but not all of them. The media has done well not to generalize, pile on, or focus on the blame game.

I know these media outlets are businesses. They depend on ratings and dollars from advertisers, but you wouldn't know that by watching them. They are engaged in community projects. To name a few; reuniting people with pets, building houses with Habitat for Humanity, and calling attention to people with especially pressing needs. They have been a place to call for information or just a place to call and vent frustration.

The bottom line here is that when we needed what a television station or radio station could do in this kind of crisis, they did it and they did it in a way that exceeded my expectations.

I don't usually use the word praise and media in the same sentence, but the local New Orleans media has earned it. Good job folks.

Until the next time
John Strain

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Listen to Christmas is Coming

It was 40 years ago when "A Charlie Brown Christmas" aired the first time on CBS. Here is an interesting story about the program:

A HOLIDAY CLASSIC THAT WAS ALMOST NOT TO BE
What remains extraordinary about this project is that when the original rough cut was screened to CBS executives in 1965, they deemed this show a Disaster! They said it was awkward, depressing and completely inappropriate for a Christmas special.

Devastated, the creative team exited that meeting thinking that their instincts had utterly failed them. All that would change on December 9, 1965. when the show aired, America was SPELLBOUND and no one (including the suits who possessed not a SPECK of insight) could have imagined that this masterpiece would become an icon that announced the arrival of the Holiday season with a legacy spanning 40 years!

Vince Guaraldi's soundtrack is critical to this enigmatic and one-of-a-kind success story. Bravo to all!
-Comment at the iTunes Music Store

It wouldn't seem like Christmas without watching Charlie Brown and hearing that music. Those sounds and images are burned into my mind. When I see and hear them now, they make me feel good.

The story above makes me wonder about how many good programs we never got to see because of the smoke filled room of executives who think they know so much.

I have been thinking about the general lack of creativity or maybe it is laziness in the entertainment industry. The remakes and song covers are being churned out like rancid butter.

"Kong" is coming out for at least the third time. Other recent remakes were "The Longest Yard," "Oceans Eleven," "The Parent Trap," and "Shaft."

Here is an article about upcoming remakes and another more exhaustive list:
Movie Remake List.

So here's to those brave souls who have the gumption to be different; to stand behind what their creative juices conjure up. There is a certain safety in the familiar, but the "wow factor" only comes with the new. Do you remember how you felt the first time you saw "Star Wars?" "Battlestar Galactica" didn't quite do the same thing did it?

Enjoy your day and like Charlie Brown did, I hope you discover the true meaning of Christmas.

Until the next time
John Strain

The Sunday Paper

Our local paper is the Times Picayune. It is interesting how Katrina finds her way into many news stories and advertisements. Here are some examples of what I am talking about.

New Orleasn Marchers Demand Action (Full Story)

These protests are a joke, but don't take my word for it. Read the words and try to follow the logic of the protest's spokesman:

"This government left us here to starve and to die," local activist Malcolm Suber told a crowd outside of City Hall. "We are here to stand up and fight to ensure we get what we deserve."

Suber urged the crowd not to rely on politicians to fix the devastated region, or welcome them back to New Orleans. Instead, he said, the 300,000 people displaced from the New Orleans region need to come home and spur the government to action. He blasted politicians as uncaring, saying none were invited Saturday on purpose.

"This damn government don't give a damn about poor people, the working class, and especially don't give a damn about black people," Suber said. "Rich folks who live Uptown don't like black people."

I don't know where to start.
1. What do you folks want?
2. You are blaming the government for the weather.
3. You want the government to help, but you did not invite any government officials to your protest.
4. You are racists calling other people racists.
5. A lot more would have been accomplished if, instead of marching, you began gutting each other's homes.

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On the flip side of this sort of story, there is a group of students down here from Ohio State University. They are working with Habitat for Humanity building houses. It is amazing. People all over the country are pre fabbing homes and sending them down the Mississippi in containers. Once here, they are taken to sites for assembly.

Moral of the story, stop bitching and pitch in to help.

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Another story came from the Mississippi Gulf Coast. It sems two young men living in FEMA financed hotel space were running a meth lab. Those boys are in trouble. (Full Story)

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Advertisements
Here are a couple of Katrina related advertisements. Both ads have to do with house demolition. Many ads mention Katrina in some way. Other ads deal with employers looking for workers, doctors announcing they are back in their office, car dealers offering hurricane rebates, tree removal companies, and much more.

No matter how disrupted things may be, one thing remains unchanged and normal.

Thank goodness, I can still get firearms and knives. It would take a lot more than a hurricane to impact that market.

If you would like to see more, visit NOLA.COM.

Until the next time
John Strain

It's a dog's life

by Bear

Hi everyone, Bear here. How do you like my picture? Daddy said Lee in New York wanted to see a picture of me writing a post. So here it is Lee. I think this photo makes me look thoughtful.

Now on to the weekend news.

This is a picture of me sitting by our Christmas tree wearing a new Christmas collar. My mama got it at work from her secret Santa. I don't know what a secret Santa is, but I like my collar. It has bells all over it and when I flop my ears, I scare myself. Daddy takes it off of me at night, because he says it makes to darn much racket. Actually, he uses other words, but mama doesn't want me writing them out. She says people might think I am a bad dog.

I got to play some ball on Saturday and Sunday. Here is a photo of me playing ball and wearing my new collar.

Daddy took some pictures of me doing different poses. The first picture is me trying to look happy. The other picture is me trying to look serious. I think I did pretty good, don't you?

On Saturday, mama and daddy took me for a long walk. People liked to see me with my new collar. People would drive by in cars and point at me. I felt like a ceLABrity, hehehe.

Look at these pictures. The first one my daddy took in September. Look at the trees on the house, it was really smashed. The next two pictures shows a big yellow machine tearing the house down. The last picture is the house piled up out by the street. I guess they will build a new house. There sure has been a lot going on here since the big storm.

Oh, I meant to remind you to click the little pictures if you want to see a big picture. Daddy says, they call the little pictures thumbnails. That sounds painful.

It is getting late so I will finish this for now and see if my dad will take me for one last walk before we all go to bed.

I hope you had fun this weekend too.

Until the next time
Bear

Comin' atcha

Last week, I was doing this. Do you see John in the background wearing gray taking my picture? Here is the picture he took:

Now that I have had a week of relative rest, it is time to start training for the January 14th Mississippi Marathon.

Next week in Baton Rouge I am running in a 10 mile race. The distance isn't so bad, but it is the day after our company Christmas Party.

I think Bear may write something this weekend. He has been asking to get on the computer. He wants to show everyone some of his new Christmas fashion, the ham.

Gotta run.

Until the next time
John Strain