A Unique Discovery

 I was never one of the "cool" kids in school.   When Elvis became popular, I liked Pat Boone.  When my mother bought me some new fashion, (in one case, pedal pushers), I put them away until the other girls started wearing them.  I wasn't exactly shy, but I suppose I preferred to adhere to what was more traditional.  I gradually gained more confidence over the years, but even today I suppose I am fairly traditional in my tastes...like my love for history and traditional art.  

Tom Waits

That may explain why I missed out on Tom Waits.  My best friend from childhood has always been much 'cooler' than me.  So, it isn't surprising that she was the one to post a quote by Tom Waits on face book that I found interesting.  This is the quote:  We are buried beneath the weight of information, which is being confused with knowledge, quantity is being confused with abundance and wealth with happiness.  We are monkeys with money and guns.  Who is this guy? I asked myself.   And, in contradiction to Waits' dislike of 'the weight of information,' I looked him up on the internet.  

I found that he has called himself a Folk Singer, a Blues Singer, and a Jazz Singer.  He is described as a musician, a composer, a songwriter, and an actor.  Wall Street Journal critic, Jim Fusilli, described him in 2008 as having a library of work "comparable to any song writers in pop today,"   Adding that he is "a keen sensitive and sympathetic chronicler of the adrift and downtrodden ...[who] creates 3-dimensial characters, who even in their confusion and despair, are capable of insight and starting points of view.  Their stories are accompanied by music that's unlike any other pop history."

That made me even more curious, so I set out to gain more information, apparently breaking another rule of Tom Waits, according to this quote: "Everything is explained now.  We live in an age when you say casually to somebody 'What's the story on that?' and they run to the computer and tell you within 5 seconds.  That's fine, but sometimes I'd just as soon continue wondering.  We have a deficit of wonder right now."  

Only a little embarrassed about defying Waits's dislike of searching for information, I found a website  to listen to his singing.   I was impressed by his musical talent on the keyboard, but his voice sounded like he had been eating rocks all of his life, so gravelly that the words of the song came out like rubble.   But here is the bottom line.  I disagree with much of what he sings and writes.  Sometimes it seems not to make any sense.  But sometimes what he has to say opens a new perspective to consider.  For instance, "The way you do anything is the way you do everything."  Or how about "Memories are like a train...you can see it getting smaller as it goes away..."

Sometimes his words are lyrics in a song.  Sometimes they are simply statements.  Some are long and some are short.  He is a guy with a wife and three kids who likes to keep his personal life separate.  He is a guy who has been around for a long time and doesn't really care if people like him or have never heard of him.  

As for me, I am glad I finally discovered him.  I enjoy reading what he writes more than listening to his songs, and I doubt that I will spend much more time searching for what he has to say, although I might enjoy stumbling on to some of his words.  However, I will share something from Tom Waits that made a lot of sense to me...although I would not have described it as he did.  It may make more sense to some of you with a little gray in your hair.  

Here it is.  "They have removed the struggle to find anything.  And therefore, there is no genuine sense of discovery.  Struggle is the first thing we know, getting along the birth canal, out in the world.  That's pretty basic.  Book store owners and record store owners used to be oracles, in that way; you'd go in this dusty old place and they might point you toward something that would change your life.  All that's gone."

I know what he means...at least what it means to me.  We valued the search more when we had to work for it.  We collected things that we wanted to keep forever because the discovery was precious.  We worked hard for certain things--with study or training and discipline, so that when we won the blue ribbon or the silver cup, we genuinely felt the thrill of victory that told us we deserved it because we had earned it.  And when we did not get the silver cup, we understood that we had done our best but someone else had been better.  Blue ribbons and silver cups for everyone have cheated us of the thrill of knowing we did our best, have stolen the thrill of finding a dusty old book in the back of a store that we had been searching for a very long time, and have left us with a diminishing since of value.    

I'm not so sure about the 'birth canal stuff,' but thank you Tom Waits for sharing your unique way of helping us view the world from a different perspective. 

Are you fed up with TV ads?

 Many years ago, as I was nearing Law School graduation from Baylor University, the President of the University came to our class to discuss the ethical responsibilities we would be assuming as lawyers.  Among the topics he mentioned was the strict limitations on advertising.  A simple ad in the phone book was allowed, but advertising as if you were a merchant was absolutely forbidden.  What I specifically remember was the prohibition against sending a professional greeting card to existing clients, thanking them for their business.  Even what might have been intended as a courtesy was not approved.

A reminder of what ads were allowed years ago.

Boy! have times ever changed!!  I am personally embarrassed by the advertisements of lawyers soliciting business on television, on both local and national channels, from small firms with a few attorneys to law firms with offices in many places.  'Were you injured or sickened by somebody?  Lucky you!  Hire us and we will make you rich.'  Maybe they aren't that obvious, but some of them are close.  It isn't that people with legitimate claims shouldn't bring lawsuits, but some of the ads sound more like carnival hucksters than professional attorneys.  Sadly, it isn't just the lawyers.  The drug companies, the insurance companies, the guys trying to buy your life insurance policies...and so many more are annoyingly common.

Can you believe this old ad?

Most evenings we watch the evening news, and recently we timed the commercials that interrupted the news.  We didn't use a stopwatch, but basically of the 30 minutes of "news," programming, less than 20 minutes was news, with advertisements and promotion of the local news station consuming about a third of the programing.  That evening, there were 17 different commercials plus the local station promotion.  That particular network chose to deliver uninterrupted news for the first 15 minutes, and then bombarded us with commercials and 3 short news briefs jammed between commercials during the remaining time.  The first fifteen minutes without interruption were appreciated, but the number of commercials during the closing minutes was beyond annoying.

When I become annoyed with the current state of commercials on television, I remind myself of the talking stomach advertising Pepto-Bismol and the brasier ad showing a closeup of a woman's chest with the company's bra displayed over her sweater.  Perhaps those of you who remember commercials in the 50s remember some of those ads.  Television ads have always included some that were annoying or ridiculous, but I don't recall the extent of interruptions being as numerous in the past.

Had you forgotten old liquor and cigarette Ads?

Here is the problem.  The places to advertise are disappearing.  Lawyers may still advertise in phone books, but most of us have cell phones and rarely look at a phone book.  Newspapers and magazines are struggling to stay alive because they have diminishing subscribers.  Television is now the best place to advertise.  Advertising pricing is based on the number of people watching, and the price of an ad for the Super Bowl is huge, but other programing is less expensive.  National news has more viewers than local news, but even that is declining. According to the web site, Science Daily, "Nearly a 1/3 of TV ads play to empty rooms."  If you have a business or a product to sell, television is about your best choice, and if short ads on less watched stations are cheaper, repeating the ads to catch the viewers who left the room or hit mute may be your best advertising option.

According to Science Daily, older viewers are more likely to change channels during commercials, while younger viewers just leave the room.  We keep the remote control handy and mute the commercials.  However, from the perspective of businesses, what are they to do, with the decline in newspapers and magazines?  Science Daily says the commercials that viewers are most likely to watch are recreational products, like beer and video games, and the least likely to be watched are drug ads, particularly for treating serious conditions.

Unless you record programs and delete the ads quickly as you watch or you buy ad-free programming, most of us are going to endure way too many ads!  Thank goodness Lady Bird kept our highway bilbords restricted!

Edward R. Murrow, an interesting look back in time

 

Edward R. Murrow

 

 

 

    A few years ago, a local library was selling books it no   longer felt it had room for in their collection.  I bought   Prime Time, The Life of Edward R. Murrow, by Alexander   Kendrick.  At the time, I was busy with the publication of   Prairie Bachelor, and I put the 548-page book aside to read   later, when I had more time.  Recently, I made time to read   it, and once I started, I could not put it down. 

As you may remember, Murrow was a newsman who first made his reputation on radio, particularly during W.W. II, but returned as a newsman for CBS when television was joining radio as a source of entertainment and news.  Some of you may recall his radio news reporting, but others, like me, may recall watching him on our small screen televisions.  He was a highly respected and admired newsman.  

As television gained viewership, and found profitability in selling shows to advertisers, Murrow became increasingly concerned about the direction television was taking, and with his fame as a reputable deliverer of the news, he felt the responsibility to speak out concerning the importance of providing viewers the news.   From the perspective of those deciding how broadcasting time was to be allocated, the revenue received from advertisers of the news was insignificant compared to the money advertisers were willing to pay for Westerns, game shows, and other entertainment.  Their response to Murrow's concern was to tell him that the programing he belittled was what paid for the in-depth news specials he hosted.

The public respect for Murrow did give him some protection to speak out against Senator McCarthy of Wisconsin in the years following W.W. II, as the Senator used television to destroy opponents and gain an audience, although many were afraid to speak out.  Murrow delivered his criticism without the bombastic slanders of McCarthy, but saying, "The line between investigating and persecution is a very fine one, and the junior Senator from Wisconsin has stepped over it repeatedly." Ultimately, Murrow stated his concern clearly enough that it could not be ignored.  "His [McCarthy's] weapon was fear.  He was a politically unsophisticated man with a flair for publicity, and he was powerfully aided by the silence of timid men who feared to be the subject of his unfounded accusations.  He polluted the channels of communication, and every radio and television network, every newspaper and magazine publishers who did not speak out against him, contributed to his evil work and must share responsibility for what he did, not only to our fellow citizens but to our self-respect...The timidity of television in dealing with this man when he was spreading fear throughout the land is not something to which this art of communication can ever point with pride."

He was not the only television executive to speak out.  NBC President Silvestor Weaver said, "You can't really have in your hands the power that television has in this time of crisis, and be agreeable to salving the problem by letting it become a jukebox in the corner of the room to keep the kids quiet, and just pile on one crime or Western or game show after another."  

Murrow agreed, and he went public with his concerns when he received the Albert Einstein Award, saying, "If television and radio are to be used for the entertainment of all of the people all of the time, we have come perilously close to discovering the real opiate of the people."

Today, we do have many sources for receiving news.  Murrow had believed that Americans were suspicious of propaganda, and that suspicion would protect them from the harm of people like Wisconsin Senator McCarthy.  He believed that newsmen only needed: "To be persuasive, we must be believable.  To be believable we must be credible.  To be credible, we must be truthful.  It is as simple as that."  Murrow trusted the American people to eventually sort through the nonsense and fabrication and arrive at the truth,  

For those of us with gray in our hair, we may know W.W. II history only from textbooks, and although we might have been old enough to pay attention to Senator McCarthy's humiliation, we probably had our minds on something else at the time.  I am so glad that I finally read Prime Time, The Life of Edward R. Murrow.  I do remember him, although more from his visits with famous people in their homes than with his news reporting.   I do remember the trail of smoke that constantly rose from the cigarette in his hand.  I did not remember so many other things he did in his amazing life until reading this book.  If you are intrigued by this remarkable American, you can still find this book online for a few dollars.  Used hardcover books are more expensive, and mine is not for sale!

P.S.  As a measure of his credibility as a reporter, the man who was almost never seen without a cigarette in his hand did a special news report on the dangers of smoking as research revealed its serious risks, cementing his determination for telling the truth, even about something he was known to enjoy.  He died of cancer, but it was of the brain rather than of the throat.  One lung had previously been removed, but after his death it was found that the remaining lung was clear.  His brain had been riddled with cancer, but it could not be determined whether the brain cancers had traveled from the earlier removed lung.    

Humor from a 19th Century Vice-president

    John Nance Garner was the 32nd Vice-president of the United States.  When asked what he thought of serving in that esteemed office, he is said to have replied that it was "Not worth a bucket of spit."  (Some references suggest that he might have used a cruder word than spit.)

To explain his opinion more specifically shortly after leaving office, he said, "Worst damnfool mistake I ever made was letting myself be elected Vice President of the United States.  Should have stuck with my old chores as Speaker of the House.  I gave up the second most important job in the Government for one that didn't amount to a hill of beans.  I spent eight long years as Mr. Roosevelt's spare tire."

Vice-president Garner does not seem to mind meeting
these Azalea Beauty Queens!

Having discovered John Nance Garner's quotes, I decided to explore a bit of information about former vice-presidents.  The following is what I found:

15 Vice-presidents have become Presidents

8 seceded because of the death of the President

6 were elected after having been the Vice-president

One became President because the former President resigned 

Only one President served as Vice-President & President, 

although he was never elected to either post.

I hope you enjoyed this little bit of Vice-presidential history.  Maybe some of you can even take the challenge of filling in the missing information about just who the 15 Vice-presidents who became President were (or are).  I suspect most of you know who the man was who filled both of the Office of Vice-president and President without being elected to either office.

In earlier years, the role of Vice-president was fairly limited.  Nelson Rockefeller was quoted as saying, "I go to funerals.  I go to earthquakes."  Obviously, judging from Garner's picture, sometimes they got to meet pretty girls!  However, in more recent times, Vice-presidents are generally given more responsibilities.  Perhaps modern Vice-presidents might not agree with Vice-president Garner's description of the job.

Have We Forgotten History?

Recently, a friend sent me an article he thought I would enjoy.  The author of the article is Hugh Hewitt, and his premise is that by neglecting knowledge of history we are unable to make informed judgements about what is happening in present time.  Naturally, since I am a history buff, I was intrigued by his premise.  

Hewitt directed his attention toward young people's knowledge of history, citing recent test results, showing "alarming declines in eighth graders' understanding of history and civics."  His suggestion was to encourage kids to read historical fiction as a way to entice them to enjoy learning history.  I like the idea, if he means reading books with fictional characters but accurate historical references.  As an example, he suggested Herman Wouk's "The Winds of War" and "War and Remembrance," pointing out that while Wouk may have invented characters, he told the historical account of W.W. II with accuracy.

I also chose to tell history in my book, Prairie Bachelor, The Story of a Kansas Homesteader and the Populist Movement, using what I considered narrative nonfiction, telling history as a story with real people and real events.  I researched extensively and included foot notes and a bibliography, but I wrote in the style of a story rather than a textbook.  Both Wouk's books and mine were written for general readers, but we shared history as accurately as possible.  Several people who read Prairie Bachelor told me that they were not aware of the populist movement before reading my book. 

Hewitt focused on teaching history to young students, but I fear that both young and old are lacking in historic knowledge.   I enjoy reading history, but there is a lot of history that I do not know, and I certainly agree with Hewitt's statement that, "Without the sense of scale that even a decent grasp of history provides, it is simply not possible to appreciate the difference between what, today, might seem to be a deeply dangerous divided country [without being aware of ] the violent social upheaval of the 1960s, much less of the pre-civil War era."  

However, while his conclusion that awareness of history can show us that we have survived threats in the past, helping us keep current problems in perspective, we must not assume that just because "things worked out then" we need not be concerned about today's problems.   Germany did not have nuclear weapons in W.W. II, and how different the war might have been if Hitler would have had that weapon first. 

A reminder found in Philadelphia 

It is true that every generation will face challenges, and America has survived severe situations.  Yet, just because we survived difficult times in the past must not make us assume that today's threats will eventually be resolved wisely.  Nuclear weapons, global warming, and AI capabilities are obvious examples of things past generations did not confront. 

Hewitt's emphasis on the lessons history has to teach is valid.  I agree.  Ways to teach history to young people are extremely important, but we adults also need to reflect on the lessons to be learned from the past.  Perhaps, instead of a debate, prospective political candidates should participate in a quiz show, answering questions about American history.   It seems reasonable that we voters should take better notice of how well schooled in history and the American Constitution the people we send to State Capitals and to Washington, D.C. really are.  But, of course, before we can judge their answers, all of us may need to brush up a little on our own awareness of history.

Thanks to my friend who suggest that I read Hugh Hewitt's article.