Wednesday, February 26, 2014

The FCC and Other National Disasters


First above all, profound best wishes to Glenn Beck, journalism in general and attorneys currently in pursuit of allegedly outrageous activities involving the State of Massachusetts, its judicial system, Child and Family Protective Services, Boston Children's Hospital and, by nature of its affiliation, Harvard University.  What's portrayed as happening to just one child and her family in a now extensively reported and possibly convoluted medical mismanagement mess almost reads like something out of the Nazi medical experimentation era.  We predict, based upon distant observations alone, that state officials, physicians, nurses and other medical personnel will be nailed to the wall when real justice at last prevails.  Those of you who may have seen the old documentary film, Titticut Follies in college, regarding abuse at a state mental institution, may find parallels to the Boston story as various news sources offer updates.  It's easy for me to speculate, but by all means watch this story as it evolves, for this is a keg filled with potentially negligent, if not criminal, explosives. Everything that shouldn't happen in America.  Governor D. Patrick, sounds like you should be ashamed of yourself, presiding over this endless indignation.

Speaking of Glenn Beck, I spent many an occasion attempting to dismiss Beck's work, but eventually realized what a national treasure he and his staff are.  I LOVE writing this in a blog because the blog world seems to be frequented by an abundance of crazy-ass hyped up progressive types (whom, other than government operatives, may or may not be blogging in a basement, peeing in their underwear under the stress of consistently inventing new fabrications) who haven't a clue what's happening to their own country under the current "leadership" at all levels.  Further, oh! how bonkers those folks must have been this week when the top two guys at Google actually respectfully complimented Beck on another show by virtually proclaiming him a unique visionary whose success and ability to build what he has to date -- as it continues -- is without equal.  Bloggers lie or distort all the time about what occurs on Beck's radio and TV programs, but that practice says far more about their own intellectual shortcomings or misdirected political agendas.  And they are weasels.  Wait, make that weenies.  Sorry.  Not.

I only caught a portion of a news report about that new supersonic jet aircraft due to be unveiled in 2018, the one absent of windows.  Sort of like the fuselage on that old prop job in the fifties movie, This Island Earth, where a scientist is transported via a windowless (and pilotless) airplane.  My concern?  How will passengers observe and report approaching UFOs?  How will passengers see drones and other airborne objects which may be of interest?  How will they know when "turbulence" may be caused by something indeed enigmatic?  Aren't there inherent dangers in not being able to see what's "out there" among the frequent flyer class or aircraft occupants who might need to see outside in case of an emergency?  This -- this, in addition to pilots and crew predestined not to tell passengers anything as silence prevails and journalists know not.  Supposedly, the aircraft is faster and more aerodynamically stable without the burden of windows -- good for the manufacturer, but bad for those who fly vision-clueless at supersonic speeds in this high-tech, windowless cattle car.  Mooooo.

On cutting U.S. military personnel back to levels preceding World War II:  This is nutty and stupid enough, but it would also put more military personnel in harm's way with more deaths proportionately.  The Obama bunch waxes idiotic and nationally dangerous every week, but this one takes the cake.  For those who think this is a great idea  I hope they harbor the same opinion someday in the future if/when young members of their families are suddenly drafted into the military because extra bodies are urgently required.  (Having once been one of those young folk, I can attest to the instant emotional toll.)

The Federal Communications Commission and Internal Revenue Service apparently vie for creepy government institution award of the era.  We already know enough about the IRS to either cower in fear or demand investigations, but the national nightmares never stop and authoritarian weeds of darkness never cease depleting resources and nourishment essential to the growth of beautiful alternatives.  Once again, the not so venerable FCC, which should have remained nothing more than the issuer of radio frequencies that it once was, has placed political interests ahead of the public interest -- this time, attempting to innocently Trojan-horse its fifth column into not only TV and radio station newsrooms, but into newspaper newsrooms (where the FCC has absolutely no business entering whatsoever) as well!  Oh yes, it all looked so benign, hooking up with a couple of universities to place "monitors" into newsrooms to ask questions and report back to a higher command -- which ultimately is the federal government, always ready these days to manage the news.  Monitors?  Why not bring in monitor lizards?  At least you know in advance that they're coming to eat you alive.  For now, the project has been pulled, thanks to one -- one -- concerned FCC commissioner with a conscience (he deserves a medal).  But don't despair -- Washington will be back another day to do something about the news.

(I will confess an appreciation for one project question about "news philosophy" and whether reporters ever found a story with "critical information" rejected by higher-ups  -- and I think back to recent years when a TV reporter, known to me, who presented a well-received story about UFO activity was flat-out instructed by management not to do another.  For my money, his UFO reporting was critical information.)

Interesting, too, that a recent poll finds the United States 47th in freedom of the press among the world's nations!  We've dropped an incredible 27 points just in the last 12 months, probably attributable to so many arrests of journalists.  America the beautiful, America the free. . .who will save us?  Will we not?

Don'cha love that university senior, the woman who wrote in a paper that freedom of speech has to go away so liberalism can progress?  Yeah, otherwise that freak show is doomed, in her opinion.  Bet she got an "A" -- how could she not, when the inmates run an institution of higher learning the asylum?  Intellectual freedom can apparently be a mighty dangerous thing, especially among these folks.  And to think that in a younger year I embraced the ideas of these idiots as if they were warm and fuzzy puppies.

Let the warnings be with you:  Hope you saw that news story about law professor and Big Obama Supporter Jonathan Turley, who warns that Obama's has become the imperial presidency, and he's doing everything President Nixon wished he could have done.  Doesn't sound much like a compliment from a B.O. supporter.