Friday, January 21, 2005

Just Observing: Just Observing

Just Observing: Just Observing

The roof. It's got to this. The subcontractor that Sears sent out 10 years ago to roof the house did one lousy job. Western Metal Roofing, the guys on the job now, are having one hell of a time. Everything they do leads to yet another disaster uncovered. In point of fact, they're damned near having to rebuild the entire roof.

Came home from breakfast this morn to find that I could see the sky from inside the two-car garage. What I mean, the roof is gone down to just the framing! It was in that bad a shape.

I now wait for the chimney of the fireplace to collapse. Sheesh!

Speaking of collapse....our media (TV, newspapers, radio, you name it) is in serious danger of collapsing from a free press with many voices into a propaganda machine with one voice. The FCC, with Michael Powell as Chair, has failed the citizens of this nation miserably. Where once we had many many owners of the media, and therefor many many opinions, many takes on the news, many great reporters, now we have what? five or six owners? And they all speak with a single voice, silencing diverse opinions. We are badly limited in the information we get now, compared to what we used to have access to.

Used to know who you trusted to give an honest and complete report on what's happening in our world. No more. BushCo, through these few media corporations, has put the fear of hell into them. We hear and see what they decide we hear and see...and no more.

So comes the news this morn that Michael Powell is resigning. That's a good. Then comes the question of who Bush will appoint to take his place. That is bad, given his history. Are we about to get a Rupert Murdock clone?

Just keep in mind that the public owns the damned airwaves! Keep in mind that media is given the right to use them, not own them. And they're supposed to use that right to serve the public. I see one hell of a lot of using and not much serving. Not when news is distorted, rumors and lies are treated as truths, and on and on.

The bottom line: Freedom of the press and freedom of speech are taking one hellacious beating.

We go on to the Rice and Gonzales confirmation hearings. Damned few of our Dem Senators are doing much of anything except bend over. Thus this site appears on the internet: www.backbone.org Even as I write, this group is in DC carrying with them a spine. Huge, it is. Balloons fashioned into a backbone. They wish to present it to our Senators in hope that they will all develop one. Those who don't stand up and represent us will get The Spineless Award. And they'll deserve it if they vote to confirm either Rice or Gonzales.

What I wouldn't give if the Founding Fathers of this nation could come back and see what the current state of our government is. I do believe we'd hear some very choice words. Very choice.
It's wrapped.

3 comments:

Travelcedric said...

I think that you have definately hit the nail on the head. If Ben Franklin could come back and see what has happened to the media, he would probably just keel over and die again.

Fortunately, living in Canada, we have the opportunity to be on the outside looking in. I myself see a poweder keg with only a slight bit of fuse showing. I also feel lucky that our media isn't as easily swayed as your media has become. I have seen CNN and FOX news, and I can easlily say, they are a joke. They don't tell you anything! Reality TV shows have more clout! I was lucky enough to meet a fine young gentleman in Canberra, Australia, who was travelling from Wyoming. Something that he was amazed with was how free the news was. No punches held, no lies told. Just the news. There are three news sources that I find reliable; and they will talk about the world news, as well as their countries news stories. They are: The Australian Broadcasting Corp., The British Broadcasting Corp, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. All you will get is the news. And, you might learn a thing or two.

Oh, and I didn't gain a title, I'm just an AME. (Aircraft Maintenance Engineer) A simple mechanic, with a lot of responsiblities.

Travelcedric said...

I think that you have definately hit the nail on the head. If Ben Franklin could come back and see what has happened to the media, he would probably just keel over and die again.

Fortunately, living in Canada, we have the opportunity to be on the outside looking in. I myself see a poweder keg with only a slight bit of fuse showing. I also feel lucky that our media isn't as easily swayed as your media has become. I have seen CNN and FOX news, and I can easlily say, they are a joke. They don't tell you anything! Reality TV shows have more clout! I was lucky enough to meet a fine young gentleman in Canberra, Australia, who was travelling from Wyoming. Something that he was amazed with was how free the news was. No punches held, no lies told. Just the news. There are three news sources that I find reliable; and they will talk about the world news, as well as their countries news stories. They are: The Australian Broadcasting Corp., The British Broadcasting Corp, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. All you will get is the news. And, you might learn a thing or two.

Oh, and I didn't gain a title, I'm just an AME. (Aircraft Maintenance Engineer) A simple mechanic, with a lot of responsiblities.

Watch 'n Wait said...

Hah! The work you do deserves a title, Rick, and medals as well. One cousin of mine is a Sr pilot, flies internationally for American Airlines. His brother was the head mechanic for United Airlines. The brother told me, "Fly United. We'll make sure you stay in the air and get where you're going." Without people like you, Rick, we'd get somewhere none of us ever want to be. So I thank you, big time!