TRHOF

Someone has nominated me for induction into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame this year.  What an honor!

Here's some background info that may be useful:

I came to Texas as news director/morning anchor at KLIF/KPLX in 1981.  GM Tom Donnelly had also hired a DJ out of Dayton named Terry Dorsey.  Later came a 2-year stint at WOAI before it was back to Dallas and KLIF/KPLX working news for the likes of Dorsey, Kevin McCarthy, and David Gold.  Then anchoring news for Ken Barnett and Larry Dixon at KVIL for three years.  Two years at Charlotte's WBT/WLNK led back to Dallas and KRLD and later, WBAP.  Folks like AP, UPI, RTNDA, the Press Club of Dallas, and the Dallas Bar Association have recognized my work over the years.  

It's a genuine honor to be nominated to the TRHOF, and I would appreciate your vote.

Harry Lives On

A FB Friend posted this, and it seemed suitable here.  -mw

https://www.facebook.com/will.giddens/posts/1810747328950819

President Trump

So, it begins.  

A blizzard of executive orders the first few weeks, a still-confounded press trying to do its job, and half the nation still in disbelief and anguish.  Many Democrats (and handsomely paid professional protesters and troublemakers) coalesce to incite violence and foment rebellion.

The average American is foundering in a flood of information and opinions on the Internet, much of it without context.  The news media have been outflanked by social media.  Problem is, most of the latter is not trustworthy.  Much of the former has been unmasked as biased.

We used to trust the traditional broadcast news media.  Then came guys like CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC, all with political agendas.  Conservative talk radio gave voice to tens of millions of listeners.  And the polls?  Tainted, if not rigged.

An informed electorate is vital to our survival.  We have homework to do.  We must get informed.and stay informed.  It takes time and effort, but it is our duty as U.S. citizens.  Therefore, choose your news sources wisely.  Some traditional, some non-traditional.  Read the stories, not just the Facebook or Twitter headlines.

So whom should we trust?  I asked some friends, and two came to mind: The Wall Street Journal and the BBC.  Personally, I would add CBS Radio News* and NPR, and certain folks on Twitter and Facebook.

* I worked news for CBS in the 2000s.

The Sad State of the Estate

Ted Koppel on the Fourth Estate with Charlie Rose 10-28-16: 

 "(Journalism) is a real disaster... 

"There was a day when people in our end of the business (broadcast journalism) genuinely felt that we had a mission out there to give the American public the news that it needed...  

"ABC, NBC, CBS -- among the three of them -- had more than a hundred correspondents forty years ago -- a hundred! -- based all around the world, gathering information. These days, I'd be surprised if they have twenty among the three of them... 

 "Listen to NPR in the morning and listen to the BBC for an hour. And just take note of how many important events are taking place around the world that are never covered on American radio and television.

 ---- 

I and my brethren have bemoaned the decline of journalism for many years. For me, this sense of woe is not so much about us as it is about Americans' growing disinterest in learning and keeping up on news and issues that matter, whether they realize it or not. 

Khrushchev once vowed to conquer the U.S. from within. Although he didn't live to see it happen, Americans' present madness of gossip, rumor, and titillation which permeates today's "news" is doing it for him.

EXACTING

Excessive use of the word, "exact," has watered down its meaning to near nothing.

They're looking for the (exact) cause of the fire.
They don't know the (exact) location of the bank robber.
Who do you think you are, exactly?!

Removing the unnecessary descriptors allows each sentence to stand on its own.

Same with a long list of embellishments the "news media" use to startle, unnerve, and rattle viewers and listeners, including:

devastating
deadly
massive
tragic

Consultants infected broadcast journalism many decades ago.  TV and radio stations hired these guys to recommend ways to improve ratings.  Based on those recommendations, management commanded reporters, editors, and writers to "Be more urgent!"  Make it sound exciting, they said.  And, oh, yeah, give the news department a sexy name:

"Eyewitness News"
"News Now"
"Action News"

Fox News caught on with very attractive anchors in short skirts.  High heels, shapely legs and exposed thighs racked up the ratings.  Hoo, boy!  Gimme that Fox News Alert!

CNN, which earned its reputation on breaking news, now overpaints everything.  The "Breaking News" banner never goes away, rendering the term meaningless.

English is a wonderful language.  She is also a moody, demanding mistress.  But play by her rules and treat her with respect, and she will shower you with clarity, verve and beauty

THEY'RE COMING

I recently retired after more than 40 years in major-market radio news.  My wife and I moved to a place with a population one-tenth the population of the big-city suburb we came from.  Here, there are mountains, trees, lakes, wildlife, a slower pace, and -- most important -- good, gentle people.

A major highway runs right through the place.  It's just four lanes, and there are several stop lights along the way.  No big deal to us, but it's a pain in the butt to folks just passing through.  And to commuters.  A few miles down the road lies a handful of small cities that are home to some very big corporations.  Some of those people people live here and commute to there.  They are busy, on a schedule, and important.  Many of the folks here were once busy, on schedules, and important.  Today, they are just folks, many of them busy in more enjoyable ways.

Our little town is growing like crazy as word spreads about how nice it is here.  The future is coming like a runaway freight train, and some people here are very, very worried about the impact.

For what it's worth, I witnessed a similar change in the suburb I left in North Texas.  The townspeople didn't want city folks moving in, spoiling the peace and quiet and small town neighborhoods, and bringing their fancy cars, their kids, and their busy-ness.  The city fathers wrung their hands, examined their options, and designed a plan.  It went something like this:

Whether we like it or not, these people are coming.  We cannot stop them.  But they're also bringing their disposable incomes, so let's be smart and get ahead of the game.  They'll need good streets, grocery stores, doctors, schools, parks, and Lord knows what else.  Let's expand as much as we can before they get here.  Let's at least begin putting down infrastructure: streets, power, water and sewer.

Because they're coming.

And the city fathers did just that.  With hundreds of millions of dollars in bond money, mile after mile of brand new streets extended beyond the town, right out into what were dirt roads in farmland.  It was a sight to behold, and the townsfolk drooled over four- and six-lane concrete boulevards where there was nothing else.  Still more bonds went to schools, police and fire, etc.

And sure enough, the people came.  And they loved it.  They spent their money there, sent their kids to the new schools, attended churches, got their cars washed and their lawns mowed.  Multinational corporations moved their headquarters from out of state, bringing thousands and thousands of jobs.  Driving schools popped up for transplanted Yankees who didn't know how to drive because they'd never needed cars.

So, how did things work out for that once-small town?  There were the expected growing pains, but the word "success" applied for many, many years.  Today, it's a city of a quarter-million residents.  It has some of the attendant pains of a city that size, but fewer than most.  Now, more distant suburbs are the hip addresses in the market.  They, and the suburb I used to live in, are all part of the largest MSA in the South: more than seven million people in 13 counties.

My new address is in a beautiful little town founded in the early 20th century, and then only for people 55 and over.

But "they" are coming.  I know, because I am a "they."  I love this place and her people.  Sure, there are problems and rascals that I haven't learned of yet and yes, I miss some big-city conveniences.

This village is indeed a little slice of heaven.  It can retain its charm if our city leaders govern wisely and prudent.

Because they're coming.

Spell It

Have you noticed the prevalence of given names with unconventional spellings?  A waitress spells her name Cheyann.  Another pronounces her name, Sara, as "SAH-dah."  A man spells his name Byll.  They're like ants: they're everywhere.

Whenever a waiter or waitress comes to our table at a restaurant, my wife tries to shush me from asking.  Not only do I ask for the spelling, but also for the story behind it.  It's often an interesting tale.  One woman proudly explained that her mama was a hippie.  Another paid tribute to her redneck father.

Then there are the foreign names.  One East Asian's first name required two full lines of letters across her ID badge.  "Just call me Randy," she said.

Introductions sometimes catch me off guard, too.  If the person mumbles his or her name, I miss it.

Say again?

Jeff.

Jeff?  Spell it for me.  (Some shorten the British Geoffrey to Geoff.)

D-e-a-f.

Deaf?

Yeah.  Are you deaf??

Finding Fitz

We went straight to DefCon One.  Fitzgerald, Lord of Hessle House, was a fugitive.

We plastered Facebook with his picture and a BOLO, calling for "Eyes On!" and listing our personal cellphone numbers.  We didn't know what to expect.

Patty called soon after Fitz took off to say that she'd seen him 'way over on the west side of Bella Vista, not far from Lake Windsor.  She even photographed him.  We raced over there, thinking that someone had stolen him here and dumped him over there.  People sometimes do things like that in big cities like the Dallas area, where we are from.

Patty's photo sure looked like our cat, so we searched and searched, and called and called -- totally disrupting an otherwise peaceful Bella Vista neighborhood more than once.  Even at night we or our son and granddaughter were hiking through back yards, into brush and down ravines.  At length, we rented an animal trap from the shelter and parked it on their porch.  Days went by.  Nada.

Then we got a sighting report from here in the Lake Ann area.  Hopes raised again.  Scramble, search, call out to him, disturb more peaceful neighborhoods.  Our son caught sight of him, but not enough to confirm the cat's identity.  Nada.

Hopes up, hopes down.  It was awful.

Turns out that the west side cat belonged to a couple who own Bengals that run free.
The east side cat was a grey, ownership undetermined.  Things were looking grim.

I prayed.

Then Tena called with multiple recent sightings off Lake Ann.  Confidence was high, and neighbors concurred.  Fitz was living in the woods, up a hill in a pile of brush and fallen trees.  And probably hiding in a nearby drainage pipe when it rained.  Roger set his animal trap with a can of tuna, and the very next afternoon, the fugitive Fitzgerald, Lord of Hessle House, was in custody.

I delivered the good news to the multitude of Fitz followers on Facebook.  The response was stunning: nearly 600 likes and comments, if my lousy math is right.  That is entirely a testament to the wonderful people who live in this town with the beautiful view.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

A Republican Obama

Eight years ago, the U.S. economy was hemorrhaging.  The housing bubble had burst; millions of jobs were disappearing; the banking system neared collapse; certain Wall Streeters had defrauded and robbed Americans of trillions of dollars, and none of the perpetrators was going to prison.  The public was and still is really, really pissed.

In desperation, voters in 2008 sent to The White House Barrack Obama, a young, charismatic junior senator who had vowed to "change Washington" and unite Congress.  Despite staffing his cabinet with some well-qualified people, the new Democratic President was immediately overwhelmed.  The GOP swore to oppose Mr. Obama at every turn and make him a one-term President.

Today, another junior senator is vying for the job, and Republican voters are once again drawn to him.  But as we saw with Obama, experience counts -- more specifically, experience making hard decisions and answering for them.  That experience arises from owning, running and/or managing business(es), or from senior government experience and accountability.

The 2016 GOP candidates (as of this writing) who have such experience are John Kasich and Donald Trump.

No President can "change Washington" in ways that candidates promise.  Only voters can do that.  It starts with replacing both the President, and members of Congress.  And there is only one place to do that: in the voting booth.

So if you want another Obama, elect the right-wing version: elect Ted Cruz.

Politics and Monkeys

During a classroom discussion about bullying, an elementary school kid was quoted as saying that he doesn't like Donald Trump because he is a bully.  The child eventually explained that he doesn't like Trump because his parents don't like Trump.

This underscores the fact that children copy what we do, what we say, and how we behave.  Monkey see, monkey do.

The teacher was bemoaning children's lack of respect for teachers, and lack of respect for adults in general.  She said it's worse than ever.  Social media have a lot to do with that.  Kids can be mean, especially online.  We've all heard stories about bullied kids committing suicide.

There are lots of reasons why so many adults are drawn to Trump's fiery politics, not the least of which is Americans' frustration over their lot in life and anger at how their government is run.  They blame the President, Congress and all things government.  That flows to children, who conclude that dissing authority is accepted.

These next few months leading to the nominating conventions -- and especially the months afterward -- promise bitter, scorched-earth politicking.  Civility and respect will be the first casualties.

How you and I conduct ourselves directly affects what kind of people our children become.

Monkey see, monkey do.

What You Didn't See on 9/11

Not everyone in this country was glued to their TVs on 9/11.  Some foreigners ignored it.  I saw this in person.

I was vacationing in Las Vegas that morning.  My son called and woke me up.  "Dad, turn on the TV."  I left my hotel room and went downstairs to the casino to gauge reaction.  I expected to find everyone crowded around the bars, watching the coverage.

Many -- all from other countries -- ignored it, playing their slot machines.

I asked one player why she wasn't watching the news.  In broken English, she said something like, "Now you Americans know what it's like."  She was from Indonesia.  I sensed no compassion in her.  I asked another player.  "Al Qaeda kills people everywhere," he said.  He said he was from Lebanon.  He shrugged, and again, no compassion.

The next day, in an empty employee parking lot, I spotted an old car right in the middle, parked sideways.  It had been hastily painted red, white, and blue.  Spray painted along the side in big block letters was the sentiment all Americans felt: "Bomb the Fuckers."

I was executive producer at WBT in Charlotte at the time, and missing the biggest story since Pearl Harbor.  In those first hours, I was certain that the terrorists also would strike Sin City.  I filed reports from Las Vegas until commercial air traffic resumed days later and we could leave.  I had a great crew in Charlotte, and they performed masterfully under uniquely trying conditions.

Two images I remember vividly about that weekend are the disinterested foreigners, and that painted car out back of the hotel.

USA, pal.  USA.

Younger and Better Looking

Remember back in school finding out that someone in your class of thirty or so kids had the same birthday?  Even less likely was discovering another kid anywhere in your school with the same name as yours.

The first time it happened to me was in 6th grade, and it was a shock: There were two of me!  The other kid, however, was younger and better looking.  As an adult, I found a guy in my city with the same name.  He was younger, better looking, and made more money.  Years later in another city there was a black guy with my name.  He was younger, better looking, and made more money.

All of these fellows had different middle initials, different middle names.

Today, I live in a small town.  What are the odds?  One hundred percent, apparently.  There's a guy here with the same first name, same middle initial, AND the same last name.  He's younger, better looking and probably makes more money.

Our surname goes 'way back to at least the Middle Ages, mostly in what is now the U.K.  Over the centuries, we've had our share of lawyers, artists, horse thieves and rascals.

All of whom, no doubt, were younger and better looking.

Flight School Part Two

Awhile back I wrote of the bird flight school in our back yard.  We have since opened a restaurant for the young pilots and their families.  A bird feeder hangs off the main deck at the rear of our house.  It's about 25-30 feet above grade, which allows for a perfect view of the birds' approach patterns through the trees.

Proper procedure seems to be thus: a bird will fly to a particular tree on the edge of the property, then to another that's a little closer, and so forth.  When the tower (wherever that is) has cleared him to land, here he comes, dead centerline right up to the gate, and it's chow time!

Naturally, there are jet jockeys who butt in line.  One that I call Loudmouth flies straight in, regardless of who's lined up ahead of him.  He announces himself good and loud at the outer marker, then rushes in.  He aims for some occupied gate, frightening away the smaller bird already feeding there.  I watched a big male cardinal swoop in once and run him off.  Maybe the cardinal was with the Avian FAA. 

I have no idea what species these little birds are.  A Peterson's Field Guide suggests that they are wrens, nuthatches, and I forget what all.  There are little bitty blue birds, and dusky reds.  Some are bright yellow, and some have black wing stripes that bring to mind a '68 Camaro.

I have no intention of becoming an expert in such matters -- only to enjoy this part of retirem... Oh, look! There's a hummingbird!

Police Shootings

I've had enough of the increasing media assault on police officers.  More to the point, I'm fed up with the secular press increasingly focusing on the "victim."

(Full disclosure: I've known many police officers in many cities during my career, and I've seen what they deal with professionally and personally.)

The most recent fatal police encounter (as of this writing) occurred at an auto dealership in Arlington, Texas.  If that thug had not been there, trespassing and destroying property, he would not have been shot by a police officer, rookie or otherwise.  

This is not rocket science, people: never, ever argue with or disobey a policeman's commands, and for God's sake, never EVER make a move against him.  Doesn't matter who you are, do not resist.  If he's out of line, go after him later in court or through other legal means.  

You may or may not win, but you will be alive.

The Show

The press has been having some fun with Donald Trump, but in my opinion, the "controversy" is shameful.  I like to hold politicians' feet to the fire.  They should be queried, and hard, but this Trump thing is crap.  Fox's little show in early August was just that: a show.  Fox's storyboard for that show was,  "Watch us 'get' Trump."

Trump is an egoist and a narcissist, among other things.  (Oh, yeah: in case you haven't heard, he's also bombastic.). He is a multi-billionaire who knows how to get things done in the rarified air of the movers and shakers in his sphere.  He does what he wants, he does it his way, and screw anyone who takes offense.  "I don't have time for political correctness," he says.  "And neither does this country."

You've heard the Trump quote about Megyn Kelly.  For overly sensitive women and those who claim to speak for them, he implied that Kelly was being bitchy because she was on her period.  He didn't say that, and he claims that he didn't mean that.

"Who would say that?" Trump told CNN the following Sunday.  "Do you think I'd make a statement like that? Who would make a statement like that? Only a sick person would even think about that."  

His denials, however, are being buried so that the story line continues to morph.  As a result, the press continues to pound its fist over a non-existent slight.

True, Trump's candidacy may eventually implode.  His political adviser, Roger Stone, either was sacked or quit the campaign after the GOP presidential debate.  He claims that he quit.  

If Trump's campaign eventually implodes, I hope that it's because of Trump, not some manufactured controversy.  It's a show, people, performed for your entertainment, and the news media's ratings.  Oh, wait: did I just imply that Fox News practices journalism?

Attention Dot-Coms

Hey, webmasters -- What is up with these overloaded Web sites?  You go to a known, reliable Internet source, and the page twitches and spazzes while dozens of goofball ads load on the page.  The result?  The customer (that would be me, in this case) must wait until the gyrations cease before reading the article that now occupies less than half the screen.

If I have to wait 45 seconds for a page to load, that's too long, people.  Aren't you all about speed, and customer satisfaction, and click-throughs and stuff?

And no, the problem is not with my tablet.  I have the fastest, baddest they make, so don't say that I'm just not fast enough.  And my Internet connection is blinding fast.

I'm all for successful monetization and Internet success, but figure it out, guys*.  I'm willing to wait, but not for long.

--------

* Can refer to males or females.

The Tip

I was well into my teens before I heard about tipping.  At first, the idea seemed ludicrous: why should I pay a waitress extra for doing her job?

I finally asked a girl about this.  Once she stopped chuckling at my naïveté she explained that waitresses don't get paid more than a couple of bucks an hour, so they depend on tips.  (Can you say Performance-based Compensation?)

Then there was the matter of how much to tip.  Ten percent of the bill?  Fifteen during the day, I was told; twenty for supper.  What if the food was subpar, or the meal came late or the service was lousy?

There are guidelines.  Here is one:

http://money.cnn.com/pf/features/lists/tipping/

I've never waited tables and wouldn't want to; I've witnessed far too many pain-in-the-ass customers.  For that reason alone, appropriate (nay, generous) tipping is warranted.

What do you think?

One

One of my best friends died unexpectedly.  We both had been in radio for more than forty years.  I retired in November, and he in December.  He died the following March.

Someone asked me to define "one of my best friends."

I like people, but few I consider friends.  He was one of my best.  Another was a doctor, who died by his own hand in his forties.  Another I had known since high school died of a heart attack, also in his forties.

Terry and I would go months without talking to each other, but that didn't matter to us.  We had a bond that withstood time.

He and I had been in radio for more than forty years.  The last 33 were in the Dallas market.  He became one of the nation's most celebrated country music DJs.  In the 80s, I was his news guy.  Then the competition across town hired him away.

I guess a best friend is a friend who knows all about you -- everything -- and still likes you.  In his case, I just plain loved Terry.  And while I pray that God will comfort Claudia and the family, I also ask Him to tell Terry for me, "Hi, Dorsey!" 

Flight School

Little did we know when we bought our new house that a flight school was out back.

They come early in the morning.  Young pilots with little experience can be seen flying carelessly through our back yard, somehow dodging trees and other obstacles.

These pilots are young birds.

Their parents soon arrive to corral the youngsters before they hurt themselves or someone else, or cause property damage.

The lessons begin, and once more the young finches are flying about.  I can't tell whether there is some form to this training, or whether the parents just watch and let the kids do their own thing.  I don't speak finch.

While my wife and I have become accustomed to the phenomenon, our cat is keenly interested, watching through a window and making those weird sounds that cats make when they see birds or other little animals.

Maybe he speaks finch.

O Canada!

When Toronto fans finished the U.S. national anthem after the singer's microphone crapped out before the Leafs' home game against Nashville, we were all impressed.  Oh, those classy Canadians!

Would American hockey fans have done that?  I'd like to think so, but do American hockey fans even know the lyrics to "O Canada"?

Just in case, here is the first stanza:

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

P.S.  When I first heard the Canadian national anthem, I swore that it sounded like, "We stand on God for thee."