The Miami Herald used to have a Sunday magazine, like the New York Times has. The Herald's magazine was called Tropic. Tropic launched some illustrious careers and provided many happy hours of intellectual stimulation for south Florida readers. The Herald stopped publishing Tropic in 1998, and I miss it. I found out that I could get the articles in digital format from the Broward County Library, so I started spending time at the library going through the files. I enjoyed reading the stories and I kept thinking I'd like to share them with other people. I emailed some, and then I emailed some more, and eventually I had the idea to construct a website. That turned into a project that I worked on in my spare time for several months, and now the site is set up and on line, and this is its official opening.
My totally unofficial Tropic fansite: www.tropicfan.com
I hope you enjoy it.
Sunday, May 28, 2006
Friday, May 26, 2006
It's All Sausage
On my way to work two days ago I saw a freshly-killed possum on the side of the road. Yuck. Then I immediately passed a convenience store that was apparently selling breakfast; the smell of sausage and toast wafted out the door. It made me think about how seeing a dead animal makes me lose my appetite. But I eat dead animals almost every day. I thought, maybe it is because when you come upon a dead animal it's not a good idea to eat it--better to kill it yourself because then you know it's fresh. Okay, but seeing a live rabbit or deer or even a cow or chicken doesn't make my mouth water. Contrast that with the sight of a strawberry or a plum, or even a pecan or a peanut. I'm becoming convinced that my basic nature is vegetarian.
Now, I have to say my friend Setsuko has told me that when she goes to an aquarium the fish look yummy to her; she always thinks about eating them. But she doesn't feel that way about cows or chickens.
We use sausage as a metaphor for many things: you may enjoy the end result, but you don't want to know the details of how it was made. I see now that that applies to meat products of various kinds. To kill the animal, skin it, take out its intestines, cut it up and cook it is not at all an attractive prospect to me. I'm relatively certain that if I had to do that myself, I would be a vegetarian. As it is, I guess I'm just a species of hypocrite.
Now, I have to say my friend Setsuko has told me that when she goes to an aquarium the fish look yummy to her; she always thinks about eating them. But she doesn't feel that way about cows or chickens.
We use sausage as a metaphor for many things: you may enjoy the end result, but you don't want to know the details of how it was made. I see now that that applies to meat products of various kinds. To kill the animal, skin it, take out its intestines, cut it up and cook it is not at all an attractive prospect to me. I'm relatively certain that if I had to do that myself, I would be a vegetarian. As it is, I guess I'm just a species of hypocrite.
Monday, May 08, 2006
Artist Alice Comes Home
Today marks the start of the Off-Season for ReadThinkLive. The original motivation was that our daughter, who had been the recipient of my wisdom daily for eighteen years, finally escaped my immediate vicinity and went off to college. I figured I would miss reading her passages from whatever I ran across that I thought she needed to know, or sharing my thoughts with her or giving her lectures about morals and values or whatever. So the blog would be an outlet for me and also a way for her to tune in at her convenience and find out what Mom was thinking about on any given day.
But tonight Artist Alice is coming home for the summer. The phone has already begun to ring with eager suitors. I had forgotten about that ringing phone; it's been peaceful these last months.
So for the forseeable future, I'll post when I have some burning issue to rant over or when I've read something that inspires me, but not every day.
Now, I must go clean the living room.
But tonight Artist Alice is coming home for the summer. The phone has already begun to ring with eager suitors. I had forgotten about that ringing phone; it's been peaceful these last months.
So for the forseeable future, I'll post when I have some burning issue to rant over or when I've read something that inspires me, but not every day.
Now, I must go clean the living room.
Saturday, May 06, 2006
F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896 - 1940)
"Show me a hero, and I'll write you a tragedy."
Today I watched an old movie, The Last Time I Saw Paris, starring Elizabeth Taylor and Van Johnson. It is based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and it made me remember that Fitzgerald is the most romantic literary figure I know. Somehow, the image of the young, handsome writer struggling with his demons to write stories of love and tragedy and tragic love is burned into my brain. He is the writer as tortured artist, one of those "too sensitive for this world" types. I know Lord Byron is the poster child for that, but Byron isn't as vivid to me. Plus, Fitzgerald is so American. I need to read some of his short stories again.
"Poetry is either something that lives like fire inside you -- like music to the musician or Marxism to the Communist -- or else it is nothing, an empty, formalized bore around which pedants can endlessly drone their notes and explanations."
--F. Scott Fitzgerald
Today I watched an old movie, The Last Time I Saw Paris, starring Elizabeth Taylor and Van Johnson. It is based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and it made me remember that Fitzgerald is the most romantic literary figure I know. Somehow, the image of the young, handsome writer struggling with his demons to write stories of love and tragedy and tragic love is burned into my brain. He is the writer as tortured artist, one of those "too sensitive for this world" types. I know Lord Byron is the poster child for that, but Byron isn't as vivid to me. Plus, Fitzgerald is so American. I need to read some of his short stories again.
"Poetry is either something that lives like fire inside you -- like music to the musician or Marxism to the Communist -- or else it is nothing, an empty, formalized bore around which pedants can endlessly drone their notes and explanations."
--F. Scott Fitzgerald
Friday, May 05, 2006
Crime and Punishment
In 1981, I was teaching fifth grade at a Navy base in Key West. The news of John Lennon's murder reached me early in the morning, and I arrived at work to find the other teachers discussing the event. I was sad about Lennon's death, and hopeful that I would find other people who were sharing my feelings. Instead, what I heard was anger, and people expressing their wish for the punishment of the murderer. The death penalty would be too good for him, someone said, and there was general agreement, as people expressed their opinions about how much punishment he deserved. I had been sad before, but hearing that conversation I was heart-broken. What kind of way was this to remember John, who had worked for peace and advocated love. It was a moment of supreme alienation for me.
Now Zacarias Moussaoui has been sentenced to life in a super-maximum security prison and Americans of all kinds are expressing their sense of satisfaction that he will be denied martyrdom and instead subjected to a lifetime of harsh conditions, isolation and sensory deprivation. I am disheartened by the sentiments expressed by the people I live and work among.
From my viewpoint, the supermax prison concept might be justifiable if the total population was around 100. The 100 most dangerous criminals alive at any given moment. The unibomber, Charles Manson, people like that. But it's nothing like that. Prison construction and administration is a growth industry, and the United States has the highest per capita incarceration rate in the world. The supermax prisons are home for thousands of individuals, and many of them are not serving life sentences. That means that one day they will be out in society. The brutal conditions of solitary confinement do not produce people who can successfully rejoin the world and cope with the requirements of civilization.
I would like to see Americans let go of the idea of punishment. To lose one's freedom is punishment enough; it should be viewed as a necessary evil. We need a return to the concept of rehabilitation, education, and training for useful jobs. We need to find a way to allow inmates to remain connected to the social fabric, their families and communities. Humans are social animals. In isolation, we can never be fully human. We require communication, interaction with other people. Maybe what has gone wrong is that Americans have convinced themselves that inmates are not, in fact, people.
Now Zacarias Moussaoui has been sentenced to life in a super-maximum security prison and Americans of all kinds are expressing their sense of satisfaction that he will be denied martyrdom and instead subjected to a lifetime of harsh conditions, isolation and sensory deprivation. I am disheartened by the sentiments expressed by the people I live and work among.
From my viewpoint, the supermax prison concept might be justifiable if the total population was around 100. The 100 most dangerous criminals alive at any given moment. The unibomber, Charles Manson, people like that. But it's nothing like that. Prison construction and administration is a growth industry, and the United States has the highest per capita incarceration rate in the world. The supermax prisons are home for thousands of individuals, and many of them are not serving life sentences. That means that one day they will be out in society. The brutal conditions of solitary confinement do not produce people who can successfully rejoin the world and cope with the requirements of civilization.
I would like to see Americans let go of the idea of punishment. To lose one's freedom is punishment enough; it should be viewed as a necessary evil. We need a return to the concept of rehabilitation, education, and training for useful jobs. We need to find a way to allow inmates to remain connected to the social fabric, their families and communities. Humans are social animals. In isolation, we can never be fully human. We require communication, interaction with other people. Maybe what has gone wrong is that Americans have convinced themselves that inmates are not, in fact, people.
Thursday, May 04, 2006
The Big Read
In conjunction with the National Endowment for the Arts, some local educational and literary organizations are sponsoring this community event: The Big Read. The idea is to choose one book for "everybody" to read and discuss.This is a national program, and the NEA selected four books for the local committees to decide among. Florida's selection is Farenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury.
Ray Bradbury was one of my favorite authors when I was young. His books, especially Dandelion Wine, Something Wicked This Way Comes, and The Illustrated Man provide some of my most vivid reading memories. For example, in Dandelion Wine, there's a scene in which three children encounter an elderly woman. She buys them ice cream, they sit on her porch, and during the course of conversation she tries to convince them that she was once young. They find the idea ludicrous. When I read the book, I was the age of those children, and the idea was as new to me as it was to them. I remain loyal to authors who introduce entirely new ideas to me.
I put Bradbury on my list of authors that everyone should read before they get too old--for most people who read, I'd say by age 25 you are likely to be too worldly, too jaded to be able to appreciate the work. I know I am. The books are almost irritating to me now--I tried to read Farenheit 451 last year when my daughter was reading it for English class, and I didn't get through it.
Other authors who share space on the read-'em-while-you're-young list include Taylor Caldwell, Ayn Rand, Howard Fast and C.S. Lewis. There are, on the other hand, some authors of "children's books" whose work I would recommend to anyone of any age. That list includes E.B. White, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and A.A. Milne.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Realage.com
Internet quizzes can be fun, but this is a seriously useful site, where you fill out a questionnaire about your characteristics and lifestyle and it tells you your "real age"--a backwards way of saying, your life expectancy.
What is most useful is that it is totally specific about what answers caused the number to go up or down, so you can adjust your lifestyle to see what effect that has on your "real age." I get the email newsletters--they are tailored to my specific profile, and they have been quite useful. I know enquiring minds want to know, so I'll report: my chronological age is 48.2; my "real age" is 43.2. I have healthy habits and good genes, but I could improve by eating more vegetables and whole grains. If I also started eating soy products regularly, I might live forever. Tofu burgers! I don't think I'm quite ready for that.
What is most useful is that it is totally specific about what answers caused the number to go up or down, so you can adjust your lifestyle to see what effect that has on your "real age." I get the email newsletters--they are tailored to my specific profile, and they have been quite useful. I know enquiring minds want to know, so I'll report: my chronological age is 48.2; my "real age" is 43.2. I have healthy habits and good genes, but I could improve by eating more vegetables and whole grains. If I also started eating soy products regularly, I might live forever. Tofu burgers! I don't think I'm quite ready for that.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Ishmael, by Daniel Quinn
A young colleague from work gave me this book with a strong recommendation. The full title is Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit. A blurb on the cover quotes Jim Britell of the Whole Earth Review: "From now on I will divide the books I have read into two categories--the ones I read before Ishmael and those read after."
A telepathic gorilla is the main character. Our narrator is a young, self-styled "seeker." The book is an exposition of a philosophy that is offered as an antidote to the destructive worldview currently prevailing.
"You hear this fifty times a day. You can turn on the radio or the television and hear it every hour. Man is conquering the deserts, man is conquering the oceans, man is conquering the atom, man is conquering the elements, man is conquering outer space...and given a story to enact in which the world is a foe to be conquered, they will conquer it like a foe, and one day, inevitably, their foe will lie bleeding to death at their feet, as the world is now." (p.73, p.84)
There were no brand new ideas in the book for me, but it helped me organize some of the ideas I got from East of Eden. The content is more important than the style, but it is well-organized and engaging.
If you are interested in a quick philosophical novel about ecology, you could do worse.
A telepathic gorilla is the main character. Our narrator is a young, self-styled "seeker." The book is an exposition of a philosophy that is offered as an antidote to the destructive worldview currently prevailing.
"You hear this fifty times a day. You can turn on the radio or the television and hear it every hour. Man is conquering the deserts, man is conquering the oceans, man is conquering the atom, man is conquering the elements, man is conquering outer space...and given a story to enact in which the world is a foe to be conquered, they will conquer it like a foe, and one day, inevitably, their foe will lie bleeding to death at their feet, as the world is now." (p.73, p.84)
There were no brand new ideas in the book for me, but it helped me organize some of the ideas I got from East of Eden. The content is more important than the style, but it is well-organized and engaging.
If you are interested in a quick philosophical novel about ecology, you could do worse.
Monday, May 01, 2006
Communism and Christianity
Happy May Day!
Of course, May Day is a traditional spring festival in England, and probably other places too. But it is also International Labor Day, a day to celebrate working people and support them in their attempts to improve their working conditions, everyplace except the United States of America. The U.S. has its own special Labor Day, in September, to differentiate ourselves from the Godless Communists. I say, the cold war is over now, and we should rejoin the international community and celebrate Labor Day the same day as everybody else. Then we could use September for another birthday holiday--well, Eugene Debs's birthday is November 5, maybe that's close enough.
I didn't have time to think about this blog today because I went straight from work to my Bible study group. I could think a long time and not come up with anything as good as this, from Paul's letter to the Hebrews, chapter 13, verse 1-3, labeled in the New International Bible as "Concluding Exhortations:"
Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
...Grace be with you all.
Of course, May Day is a traditional spring festival in England, and probably other places too. But it is also International Labor Day, a day to celebrate working people and support them in their attempts to improve their working conditions, everyplace except the United States of America. The U.S. has its own special Labor Day, in September, to differentiate ourselves from the Godless Communists. I say, the cold war is over now, and we should rejoin the international community and celebrate Labor Day the same day as everybody else. Then we could use September for another birthday holiday--well, Eugene Debs's birthday is November 5, maybe that's close enough.
I didn't have time to think about this blog today because I went straight from work to my Bible study group. I could think a long time and not come up with anything as good as this, from Paul's letter to the Hebrews, chapter 13, verse 1-3, labeled in the New International Bible as "Concluding Exhortations:"
Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
...Grace be with you all.
Sunday, April 30, 2006
TV Turn-Off Week, Part VI: The End of the Rant
TV Turn-Off Week ends today. I have had a very good time doing something I don't get many opportunities to do: denigrating a holy icon of American culture.
In the interest of full disclosure and total candor, I want to tell you that our living room contains a 27" television set. It is not hooked up to cable or an antenna, and so it does not deliver what I call "television" into my home. We do watch movies regularly, and I occasionally get dvd's of material that was originally produced for television. I watch them on my own schedule, without commercials. Some of the shows that I have liked enough to watch entire seasons' worth of: "Friends," "Six Feet Under," "The Office" (British version), " and "Arrested Development." ("Arrested Development"--NPR says I should like it, and I have tried to like it, but I often fall asleep watching it--I think I'm done with it.) The only broadcast show that I watch more or less religiously is the Academy Awards. I watch a videotaped version of it, usually the day after the broadcast. I fast-forward through the commercials.
Coming up this week: book reviews and who knows what else...
In the interest of full disclosure and total candor, I want to tell you that our living room contains a 27" television set. It is not hooked up to cable or an antenna, and so it does not deliver what I call "television" into my home. We do watch movies regularly, and I occasionally get dvd's of material that was originally produced for television. I watch them on my own schedule, without commercials. Some of the shows that I have liked enough to watch entire seasons' worth of: "Friends," "Six Feet Under," "The Office" (British version), " and "Arrested Development." ("Arrested Development"--NPR says I should like it, and I have tried to like it, but I often fall asleep watching it--I think I'm done with it.) The only broadcast show that I watch more or less religiously is the Academy Awards. I watch a videotaped version of it, usually the day after the broadcast. I fast-forward through the commercials.
Coming up this week: book reviews and who knows what else...
Saturday, April 29, 2006
TV Turn-Off Week, Part VI: TV Makes us Fat
If you are sitting on a comfortable chair, staring off into space, you aren't burning very many calories. But you are burning more calories than you would be if you were watching television. When we watch tv, we become very still and our metabolism slows down. That's what the studies show, and other studies have shown a direct correlation between obesity and the number of hours spent watching television.
In addition to slowing our metabolism as we watch, of course, tv time takes away from available time to play sports or take a walk or go to the gym.
And let's not forget that while we watch we will be bombarded with messages urging us to EAT MORE JUNK FOOD!!!
Here's Dave Barry: "Maybe you are wondering, 'Am I overweight?' Well, here's an easy test to determine whether you have a weight problem. Go to the nearest window. Look out. If you see America, then you are overweight" (paraphase--I'm sure it was funnier when he wrote it.)
So Americans watch more and more television, and get more and more overweight. Of course television is not the entire cause of the obesity epidemic, but I really believe that the more tv people watch, the less inclined they are to take charge of their own lives.
Tomorrow: Full Disclosure and Disclaimers, and we say farewell to TV Turn-Off Week.
In addition to slowing our metabolism as we watch, of course, tv time takes away from available time to play sports or take a walk or go to the gym.
And let's not forget that while we watch we will be bombarded with messages urging us to EAT MORE JUNK FOOD!!!
Here's Dave Barry: "Maybe you are wondering, 'Am I overweight?' Well, here's an easy test to determine whether you have a weight problem. Go to the nearest window. Look out. If you see America, then you are overweight" (paraphase--I'm sure it was funnier when he wrote it.)
So Americans watch more and more television, and get more and more overweight. Of course television is not the entire cause of the obesity epidemic, but I really believe that the more tv people watch, the less inclined they are to take charge of their own lives.
Tomorrow: Full Disclosure and Disclaimers, and we say farewell to TV Turn-Off Week.
Friday, April 28, 2006
TV Turn-Off Week, Part V: Television is BAD FOR KIDS!
One time about twelve years ago, a neighbor I didn't know very well asked me to babysit her six-month old baby. When I arrived at the house, she gave me the usual run-down: the bottle is here, the diapers are there, and she said, the baby is in the bedroom. Just leave the television on and she'll be fine. Then the mom left.
I went into the bedroom to find the baby propped up in an infant seat, facing the tv, about four feet away from it. The program that happened to be on as I entered the room was some kind of lurid drama, with people yelling and threatening each other. I can't report any details about it because of course I turned it off immediately. I picked up the baby and cuddled with her while she had her bottle and went to sleep. When the mom came home, she expressed some irritation that the television wasn't on. I didn't babysit that child again, but I'll never forget that experience.
That's not an illustration of my point, just an introduction to the rant.
Television is bad for kids. The time they spend watching tv would literally be better spent making mud pies. Watching cloud formations. Playing fetch with the dog. Fishing. Building forts. Talking to a friend. Daydreaming. Drawing. ANYTHING!!
Commercials are bad for kids. They have no defense when they are young, and by the time they get a clue, their minds are already formed with a background of advertising propaganda.
TV news is bad for kids. It is violent and frightening.
Television teaches children that they have a right to be entertained. That is a direct cause of boredom. My daughter has never known boredom, and it's partly because we never had television. She had books and art supplies. She could create a whole world with sticks and leaves. As a high school student she laughed when she told me that when new friends found out she didn't have tv, they would say, "What do you do?"--presumably they couldn't imagine how they would fill all the empty hours that would result if they didn't watch television.
I was pleased when I heard Alice say something about Levi jeans, pronouncing the brand like "levee." At age 17, she had never seen a jean commercial on television. Result: she didn't "know" that she needed to spend extra money for a brand name. She decided for herself what clothes she liked to wear, what jeans were comfortable.
American parents don't agree with me. Most kids have television in their bedrooms. Toddlers have their own specially designed remote controls, and their own specially produced shows and movies. American children spend more time in front of the tube than they spend in school. I'm crazy, out of touch with reality. But I'm very glad I raised my daughter without television, and what is more, she is glad, too.
I went into the bedroom to find the baby propped up in an infant seat, facing the tv, about four feet away from it. The program that happened to be on as I entered the room was some kind of lurid drama, with people yelling and threatening each other. I can't report any details about it because of course I turned it off immediately. I picked up the baby and cuddled with her while she had her bottle and went to sleep. When the mom came home, she expressed some irritation that the television wasn't on. I didn't babysit that child again, but I'll never forget that experience.
That's not an illustration of my point, just an introduction to the rant.
Television is bad for kids. The time they spend watching tv would literally be better spent making mud pies. Watching cloud formations. Playing fetch with the dog. Fishing. Building forts. Talking to a friend. Daydreaming. Drawing. ANYTHING!!
Commercials are bad for kids. They have no defense when they are young, and by the time they get a clue, their minds are already formed with a background of advertising propaganda.
TV news is bad for kids. It is violent and frightening.
Television teaches children that they have a right to be entertained. That is a direct cause of boredom. My daughter has never known boredom, and it's partly because we never had television. She had books and art supplies. She could create a whole world with sticks and leaves. As a high school student she laughed when she told me that when new friends found out she didn't have tv, they would say, "What do you do?"--presumably they couldn't imagine how they would fill all the empty hours that would result if they didn't watch television.
I was pleased when I heard Alice say something about Levi jeans, pronouncing the brand like "levee." At age 17, she had never seen a jean commercial on television. Result: she didn't "know" that she needed to spend extra money for a brand name. She decided for herself what clothes she liked to wear, what jeans were comfortable.
American parents don't agree with me. Most kids have television in their bedrooms. Toddlers have their own specially designed remote controls, and their own specially produced shows and movies. American children spend more time in front of the tube than they spend in school. I'm crazy, out of touch with reality. But I'm very glad I raised my daughter without television, and what is more, she is glad, too.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
TV Turn-Off Week, Part IV: TV News--Purveyor of Information or Corporate Shill?
Occasionally, reading the newspaper, you will run across a "news item" with a headline like "New Weight-Loss Pill Works Wonders!" and the crap detector goes off, and if you have experience with newspapers, you will look at the top of the page--sure enough, there's the small print: "Paid Advertisement." I don't know if it's a law or if it's just journalistic ethics, but it's pretty consistent. Well, guess what, television news is apparently lacking either a law or an ethic that would require the producers to notify the public when they are watching a "news item" that is actually produced by a corporation, for the benefit of that corporation. I'm assuming that it is because no money changes hands--it's a barter, the corporation gets free air time and the tv station gets free, professionally produced video that passes for news.
A study just came out from the Center for Media & Democracy called "Fake TV News: Widespread and Undisclosed," that details the ways that tv stations throughout the country, in both large and small markets, spoonfeed prepackaged information to their audiences, using various ruses to make it seem as if the station produced the segment even though they didn't even check the facts presented.
Here's the link: read it and weep.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
TV Turn-Off Week, Part III: The News
My daughter reported this exchange in her 12th grade American Government class: Teacher: "You guys should read the news more." Student (amid laughter and agreement from others): "You can't read 'The News'"(!) (unstated intent: "The News" is a tv show, as in "The Six-O'Clock News" or "Fox News" or "CBS Evening News.")
Way too many Americans get all of their news from television. The main problem I see is the underlying message of all television news programs: that it is possible to learn everything you need to know about what's happening in the world in 15 minutes a day. A corollary is that paid professionals can be trusted to sift through the day's events and bring to your attention those items that are necessary for you to know.
Of course, the paid professionals are sifting through the day's news with quite another objective. Their objective is to get you to watch their show. They watch each other's content and viewer numbers and adjust their programming accordingly. The result: "If it bleeds, it leads." Plus, copious amounts of time devoted to weather and sports. All the actual news stories are reduced to sound bites. The result of all this: a person who forms his worldview from watching tv news tends to be a fearful, pessimistic individual. And not well-informed, either. I feel certain that the Americans--there are millions of them--who still believe that Saddam Hussein was somehow responsible for the 9/11 terrorist attacks, mainly get their information from television.
Again, the passive nature of the television experience also works against it. You have the evening news, I have a newspaper. You have to sit and wait to see what they want to tell you, pause for commercials, listen to what they choose to present in the order they choose to deliver it to you. If the phone rings, you miss part of the story.
With my newspaper, I can scan the headlines, and decide for myself what I want to find out about, based on my interests and what I consider important. I can turn directly to the celebrity news, or the business section, or local news. I can read the entire story about a high school basketball game, and skip the Olympics altogether. I can read faster if I just want the general idea, or slower to get the details of a complicated story. If my daughter wants to have a conversation, I can put the paper aside until later. I can clip a story to share or file for future reference. I can read different viewpoints from columnists, op-ed writers, editors and letter-writers. In the same time it takes you to sit through one news program, I can get 100 times as much information, tailored to my specific interests.
Tune in tomorrow, when we tie together parts II and III and explain "How Television News and Commercials Overlap."
Way too many Americans get all of their news from television. The main problem I see is the underlying message of all television news programs: that it is possible to learn everything you need to know about what's happening in the world in 15 minutes a day. A corollary is that paid professionals can be trusted to sift through the day's events and bring to your attention those items that are necessary for you to know.
Of course, the paid professionals are sifting through the day's news with quite another objective. Their objective is to get you to watch their show. They watch each other's content and viewer numbers and adjust their programming accordingly. The result: "If it bleeds, it leads." Plus, copious amounts of time devoted to weather and sports. All the actual news stories are reduced to sound bites. The result of all this: a person who forms his worldview from watching tv news tends to be a fearful, pessimistic individual. And not well-informed, either. I feel certain that the Americans--there are millions of them--who still believe that Saddam Hussein was somehow responsible for the 9/11 terrorist attacks, mainly get their information from television.
Again, the passive nature of the television experience also works against it. You have the evening news, I have a newspaper. You have to sit and wait to see what they want to tell you, pause for commercials, listen to what they choose to present in the order they choose to deliver it to you. If the phone rings, you miss part of the story.
With my newspaper, I can scan the headlines, and decide for myself what I want to find out about, based on my interests and what I consider important. I can turn directly to the celebrity news, or the business section, or local news. I can read the entire story about a high school basketball game, and skip the Olympics altogether. I can read faster if I just want the general idea, or slower to get the details of a complicated story. If my daughter wants to have a conversation, I can put the paper aside until later. I can clip a story to share or file for future reference. I can read different viewpoints from columnists, op-ed writers, editors and letter-writers. In the same time it takes you to sit through one news program, I can get 100 times as much information, tailored to my specific interests.
Tune in tomorrow, when we tie together parts II and III and explain "How Television News and Commercials Overlap."
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
TV Turn-Off Week, Part II: Commercials
"I like commercials," a co-worker once told me. "Without commercials, I wouldn't know what to buy!"
===========
The number one reason I don't have television in my house is: commercials.
We live submerged in a sea of commercial speech--advertising, marketing, images designed to catch our eyes, tunes designed to stay in our heads all day. So why is television advertising especially bad?
First of all, no other form of advertising commands our attention so totally. We are watching a show, being entertained. Maybe we are laughing, relaxed, or maybe engrossed in a mystery or on the edge of our seat with suspense. We are tuned in. And here comes a commercial. Maybe we get up during the commercial break to get a drink of water or let the dog in, but not always. And the advertising message that is presented to eyes and ears at that vulnerable time is very likely to get through.
Now, I know you think you are an adult human being with free will. You laugh at the commercials, and at the idea that they could influence your behavior. Besides, at the worst, it's only costing you money if you buy the products they sell. Right?
Not.
First of all, as a Robert Heinlein character says, "Man is not a rational animal; he is a rationalizing animal." We don't know why we do things. We do them and then we make up explanations that make sense to us in the context of our beliefs.
Second, when we follow the directions we receive from the commercials, we end up much worse off. I can't prove the extent to which television has contributed to the problems our society is facing, but I believe that there is a connection between the billions of collective hours spent passively absorbing strong, coercive messages and the collective tendency of Americans to flock together in actions that are harmful to us as individuals and as a society. Overeating, SUV's, McMansions, war, the widening gap between rich and poor, the widespread pursuit of happiness through consumerism--these are just a few examples.
It is a cycle, too, because one of the main products TV advertises is itself.
Tune in tomorrow for more ranting...
===========
The number one reason I don't have television in my house is: commercials.
We live submerged in a sea of commercial speech--advertising, marketing, images designed to catch our eyes, tunes designed to stay in our heads all day. So why is television advertising especially bad?
First of all, no other form of advertising commands our attention so totally. We are watching a show, being entertained. Maybe we are laughing, relaxed, or maybe engrossed in a mystery or on the edge of our seat with suspense. We are tuned in. And here comes a commercial. Maybe we get up during the commercial break to get a drink of water or let the dog in, but not always. And the advertising message that is presented to eyes and ears at that vulnerable time is very likely to get through.
Now, I know you think you are an adult human being with free will. You laugh at the commercials, and at the idea that they could influence your behavior. Besides, at the worst, it's only costing you money if you buy the products they sell. Right?
Not.
First of all, as a Robert Heinlein character says, "Man is not a rational animal; he is a rationalizing animal." We don't know why we do things. We do them and then we make up explanations that make sense to us in the context of our beliefs.
Second, when we follow the directions we receive from the commercials, we end up much worse off. I can't prove the extent to which television has contributed to the problems our society is facing, but I believe that there is a connection between the billions of collective hours spent passively absorbing strong, coercive messages and the collective tendency of Americans to flock together in actions that are harmful to us as individuals and as a society. Overeating, SUV's, McMansions, war, the widening gap between rich and poor, the widespread pursuit of happiness through consumerism--these are just a few examples.
It is a cycle, too, because one of the main products TV advertises is itself.
Tune in tomorrow for more ranting...
Monday, April 24, 2006
TV Turn-Off Week, Part I
April 24-30 is TV Turn-Off Week, and we are celebrating it here at Read-Think-Live.
This week, I also celebrate having my own blog, because I know from experience that anti-television sentiments don't go over well on even liberal-leaning blogs. I've been chastised every time I've expressed my television opinion in an open forum.
So here we are, I can say whatever I want, so "stay tuned" as they say. This week will be a veritable orgy of tv-bashing. It will be the virtual equivalent of what they did to the photocopy machine in Office Space.
Feel free to visit the official website. These people are even more radical than I am!
I'm actually not in a ranting mood this evening, and I'm going to let John Prine kick off the week for me, with a little song that goes something like this:
Spanish Pipe Dream
by John Prine
She was a level-headed dancer
on the road to alcohol
And I was just a soldier
on my way to Montreal
Well she pressed her chest against me
About the time the juke box broke
Yeah, she gave me a peck on the back of the neck
And these are the words she spoke
Chorus:
Blow up your T.V.
throw away your paper
Go to the country,
build you a home
Plant a little garden,
eat a lot of peaches
Try and find Jesus
on your own
Well, I sat there at the table
and I acted real naive
For I knew that topless lady
had something up her sleeve
Well, she danced around the bar room
and she did the hoochy-coo
Yeah she sang her song all night long,
tellin' me what to do
Repeat chorus:
Well, I was young and hungry
and about to leave that place
When just as I was goin',
well she looked me in the face
I said "You must know the answer."
She said, "No but I'll give it a try."
And to this day we've been livin' our way
And here is the reason why
We blew up our T.V.
threw away our paper
Went to the country,
built us a home
Had a lot of children,
fed 'em on peaches
They all found Jesus
on their own
(Woo-hoo!)
This week, I also celebrate having my own blog, because I know from experience that anti-television sentiments don't go over well on even liberal-leaning blogs. I've been chastised every time I've expressed my television opinion in an open forum.
So here we are, I can say whatever I want, so "stay tuned" as they say. This week will be a veritable orgy of tv-bashing. It will be the virtual equivalent of what they did to the photocopy machine in Office Space.
Feel free to visit the official website. These people are even more radical than I am!
I'm actually not in a ranting mood this evening, and I'm going to let John Prine kick off the week for me, with a little song that goes something like this:
Spanish Pipe Dream
by John Prine
She was a level-headed dancer
on the road to alcohol
And I was just a soldier
on my way to Montreal
Well she pressed her chest against me
About the time the juke box broke
Yeah, she gave me a peck on the back of the neck
And these are the words she spoke
Chorus:
Blow up your T.V.
throw away your paper
Go to the country,
build you a home
Plant a little garden,
eat a lot of peaches
Try and find Jesus
on your own
Well, I sat there at the table
and I acted real naive
For I knew that topless lady
had something up her sleeve
Well, she danced around the bar room
and she did the hoochy-coo
Yeah she sang her song all night long,
tellin' me what to do
Repeat chorus:
Well, I was young and hungry
and about to leave that place
When just as I was goin',
well she looked me in the face
I said "You must know the answer."
She said, "No but I'll give it a try."
And to this day we've been livin' our way
And here is the reason why
We blew up our T.V.
threw away our paper
Went to the country,
built us a home
Had a lot of children,
fed 'em on peaches
They all found Jesus
on their own
(Woo-hoo!)
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Henry Flagler and the Overseas Railroad
I've been burning the midnight oil, finishing Last Train to Paradise, an account of Henry Flagler's greatest project, the railroad to Key West.
Essentially, Flagler was the architect of modern-day Florida. He built railroads and hotels, and towns grew up around them. Key West was the exception--it was the most developed city in Florida at the time Flagler first discovered St. Augustine and decided to embark on his development projects. But Key West could only be reached by boat, and Flagler conceived of an extension of the East Coast Railroad to connect the Southernmost City with the mainland.
It took seven years and $30 million to construct. Hundreds of workers died in the process. The effort was comparable to a contemporary engineering feat, the construction of the Panama Canal. But when it was finished, in 1912 a passenger could board a train at Pennsylvania Station in Manhattan, and three days later step off the train in Key West.
Hurricanes plagued the project in its construction phase, and in the end the devastating Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 destroyed the railroad. The Overseas Highway was able to use many of the bridges and the foundation that was created for the railroad.
Standiford's book is fascinating reading for many reasons. The narrative follows the route south from Homestead, detailing the history of the Keys and the adventures and challenges of the railroad project. My friend, Marilyn, who gave me this book, told me, "you'll never see the drive to Key West the same way after you read this." She is certainly right. It's easy to take the road for granted since I can't remember a time when it wasn't there. But now I have a greater appreciation for the effort and ingenuity that went into creating the route.
Essentially, Flagler was the architect of modern-day Florida. He built railroads and hotels, and towns grew up around them. Key West was the exception--it was the most developed city in Florida at the time Flagler first discovered St. Augustine and decided to embark on his development projects. But Key West could only be reached by boat, and Flagler conceived of an extension of the East Coast Railroad to connect the Southernmost City with the mainland.
It took seven years and $30 million to construct. Hundreds of workers died in the process. The effort was comparable to a contemporary engineering feat, the construction of the Panama Canal. But when it was finished, in 1912 a passenger could board a train at Pennsylvania Station in Manhattan, and three days later step off the train in Key West.
Hurricanes plagued the project in its construction phase, and in the end the devastating Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 destroyed the railroad. The Overseas Highway was able to use many of the bridges and the foundation that was created for the railroad.
Standiford's book is fascinating reading for many reasons. The narrative follows the route south from Homestead, detailing the history of the Keys and the adventures and challenges of the railroad project. My friend, Marilyn, who gave me this book, told me, "you'll never see the drive to Key West the same way after you read this." She is certainly right. It's easy to take the road for granted since I can't remember a time when it wasn't there. But now I have a greater appreciation for the effort and ingenuity that went into creating the route.
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Saturday, Saturday
I had a very nice day today, out and about.
About nine this morning I rode my bike to the bank and then to the bike shop. It needed a new back wheel. I left it at the shop and took the bus to Fort Lauderdale.
Beautiful weather, in the 80's, slightly overcast early, clearing by ten o'clock.
On the bus, first a woman got on with hospital bracelets and all her personal effects in plastic bags. Another passenger asked her if she had been in for an operation and she answered, no, she had been in the psychiatric ward. Slightly awkward pause, then the other person asked whether it was a nice hospital and they chatted for a few minutes. I helped her with her bus route planning--she needed to get off at Oakland Park Blvd. and change to the 72, I gave her a route map and showed her where the 72 goes.
Then, a homeless guy behind me went up and had an earnest conversation with the driver; when he came back he asked for a dollar from the woman who had been chatting with the mental patient. She told him no. He sat back down. I turned around and gave him a dollar. Then he was my new best friend. Shook my hand about four times, gave me some advice about my hairstyle. Wished me good health and long life, and so on. Meanwhile, a German tourist across the aisle was worried about missing the stop for Galeria Mall, so I advised her, and so did the homeless guy. He told her where to get off to walk to the mall, but the bus driver told her to stay on. He took her farther away to a place where she could connect with another bus to take her to the mall. It was a judgment call. I think, being German and in good health, she would have preferred to walk rather than wait for another bus. It's what I would have done and it's what the homeless guy would have done. Who knows.
I went to the library, was very efficient in finding the exact article I wanted for my Tropic magazine website (still a work in progress).
Walked down Las Olas, had lunch at The Floridian Restaurant (known by those "in the know" as "The Flo'"). Sat next to a family with three kids. The parents ordered healthy food for themselves (turkey wrap, turkey platter) but for the kids, hot dog, grilled cheese, chocolate milkshake, ack! I am horrified by this aspect of American culture.
Continued down Las Olas, caught the #11 bus, which goes along the beach. I felt like I was on vacation, looking out the window at the waves and sand and all the relaxed sunbathers.
Picked up my bike, pedaled home. Great day.
About nine this morning I rode my bike to the bank and then to the bike shop. It needed a new back wheel. I left it at the shop and took the bus to Fort Lauderdale.
Beautiful weather, in the 80's, slightly overcast early, clearing by ten o'clock.
On the bus, first a woman got on with hospital bracelets and all her personal effects in plastic bags. Another passenger asked her if she had been in for an operation and she answered, no, she had been in the psychiatric ward. Slightly awkward pause, then the other person asked whether it was a nice hospital and they chatted for a few minutes. I helped her with her bus route planning--she needed to get off at Oakland Park Blvd. and change to the 72, I gave her a route map and showed her where the 72 goes.
Then, a homeless guy behind me went up and had an earnest conversation with the driver; when he came back he asked for a dollar from the woman who had been chatting with the mental patient. She told him no. He sat back down. I turned around and gave him a dollar. Then he was my new best friend. Shook my hand about four times, gave me some advice about my hairstyle. Wished me good health and long life, and so on. Meanwhile, a German tourist across the aisle was worried about missing the stop for Galeria Mall, so I advised her, and so did the homeless guy. He told her where to get off to walk to the mall, but the bus driver told her to stay on. He took her farther away to a place where she could connect with another bus to take her to the mall. It was a judgment call. I think, being German and in good health, she would have preferred to walk rather than wait for another bus. It's what I would have done and it's what the homeless guy would have done. Who knows.
I went to the library, was very efficient in finding the exact article I wanted for my Tropic magazine website (still a work in progress).
Walked down Las Olas, had lunch at The Floridian Restaurant (known by those "in the know" as "The Flo'"). Sat next to a family with three kids. The parents ordered healthy food for themselves (turkey wrap, turkey platter) but for the kids, hot dog, grilled cheese, chocolate milkshake, ack! I am horrified by this aspect of American culture.
Continued down Las Olas, caught the #11 bus, which goes along the beach. I felt like I was on vacation, looking out the window at the waves and sand and all the relaxed sunbathers.
Picked up my bike, pedaled home. Great day.
Friday, April 21, 2006
Fibonacci Poetry
It's catching on like wildfire, this new poetry form based on the Fibonacci sequence. In that sequence, each number is the sum of the two previous numbers. So: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144...
Any sequence that gets me to 144 is okay in my book.
The poems use the first seven numbers to designate the number of syllables in a seven-line poem. The first line has zero syllables, so it's invisible. I still count it, though, just to prove I am a geek.
The fact that Fibonacci is featured in The DaVinci Code shouldn't be enough to disqualify these poems from consideration. The fact that the form tends to attract math buffs might lead me to doubt that literary heights will be reached with this metaphorical ladder.
I just think it's fun that it spread over the internet, so I'm doing my part. I read about 35 "fibs" tonight and never found one better than the one the New York Times used to introduce its article:
Blogs
spread
gossip
and rumor
But how about a
Rare, geeky form of poetry?
That's by the originator, Gregory Pincus. He has plenty more on his website Gottabook.
Update 4/23/06: I've been corrected by the Fibber Himself--I'm honored--the fib I quoted above was apparently penned by Motoko Rich, the author of the New York Times article. That would have been clear to me if I had thought about it for a second. Sorry, Motoko. And thanks for stopping by, Gregory!
Any sequence that gets me to 144 is okay in my book.
The poems use the first seven numbers to designate the number of syllables in a seven-line poem. The first line has zero syllables, so it's invisible. I still count it, though, just to prove I am a geek.
The fact that Fibonacci is featured in The DaVinci Code shouldn't be enough to disqualify these poems from consideration. The fact that the form tends to attract math buffs might lead me to doubt that literary heights will be reached with this metaphorical ladder.
I just think it's fun that it spread over the internet, so I'm doing my part. I read about 35 "fibs" tonight and never found one better than the one the New York Times used to introduce its article:
Blogs
spread
gossip
and rumor
But how about a
Rare, geeky form of poetry?
That's by the originator, Gregory Pincus. He has plenty more on his website Gottabook.
Update 4/23/06: I've been corrected by the Fibber Himself--I'm honored--the fib I quoted above was apparently penned by Motoko Rich, the author of the New York Times article. That would have been clear to me if I had thought about it for a second. Sorry, Motoko. And thanks for stopping by, Gregory!
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Making Friends at Work
Portrait of alienation and affirmation via email:
----Original Message-----
From: Michelle
Sent: Thursday, April 20, 2006 12:27 PM
To: Jill; Karen
Subject: Because you are the two here who would understand why I have sent this.....
“Reduction of the ecological footprint of the consumer classes around the world is not just a matter of ecology, but also a matter of equity.”
=======================
From: Karen
Sent: Thursday, April 20, 2006 12:28 PM
To: Michelle
Subject: RE: Because you are the two here who would understand why I have sent this.....
Yep.
===================
From: Michelle
Sent: Thursday, April 20, 2006 2:18 PM
To: Jill; Karen
Subject: RE: RE: Because you are the two here who would understand why I have sent this.....
O.k. Jill's a little baffled….I’m glad you got it.
=================
Michelle's my new buddy at work. She studied linguistics in college and she likes to read actual books, imagine that. So we've traded some books and stories of books and some words and stories of words.
Michelle is also ecology-conscious, and she reformed me from my styrofoam cup habit. Now I use a mug to eat my lunchtime Special K cereal.
She's my evidence that the future is not entirely in the hands of clueless television zombies. (She's young: in her early 20's.)
This item is short and possibly lacking in interest, but I'm leaving the computer now to go read my book Last Train to Paradise, about Henry Flagler and the Overseas Railway. Report to follow.
----Original Message-----
From: Michelle
Sent: Thursday, April 20, 2006 12:27 PM
To: Jill; Karen
Subject: Because you are the two here who would understand why I have sent this.....
“Reduction of the ecological footprint of the consumer classes around the world is not just a matter of ecology, but also a matter of equity.”
=======================
From: Karen
Sent: Thursday, April 20, 2006 12:28 PM
To: Michelle
Subject: RE: Because you are the two here who would understand why I have sent this.....
Yep.
===================
From: Michelle
Sent: Thursday, April 20, 2006 2:18 PM
To: Jill; Karen
Subject: RE: RE: Because you are the two here who would understand why I have sent this.....
O.k. Jill's a little baffled….I’m glad you got it.
=================
Michelle's my new buddy at work. She studied linguistics in college and she likes to read actual books, imagine that. So we've traded some books and stories of books and some words and stories of words.
Michelle is also ecology-conscious, and she reformed me from my styrofoam cup habit. Now I use a mug to eat my lunchtime Special K cereal.
She's my evidence that the future is not entirely in the hands of clueless television zombies. (She's young: in her early 20's.)
This item is short and possibly lacking in interest, but I'm leaving the computer now to go read my book Last Train to Paradise, about Henry Flagler and the Overseas Railway. Report to follow.
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