Amidst Media Inanity, R.I.P. Ted Kennedy

Wearing my talk radio hat, I was lucky enough to shake hands with Ted Kennedy a few years ago, just before he got sick. (No pictures, alas.) Digesting the media obituaries regarding the late, great Senior Senator from Massachusetts, I am consistently amazed at the editorial choices which were made while covering the great man's life:

• How many personal demons would you possess if you'd suffered the family tragedies that he did, all while under the gaze of the public eye, much of which was directed at him because of those tragedies?

• How easy is it for people to take one tragedy out of a man's life -- now, almost forty years gone -- and demonize that person for it? I'm looking at you, Christian conservatives, who seemingly would never forgive Kennedy for anything -- but was it for his actions, or just leverage for their hating his politics? Must be politics, because their memories and lack of forgiveness regarding similar acts do seem party-sensitive.

• Amidst all the thousands of hours of wasting television "news" coverage of OJ, the Buttafucos, John and Kate and all such similarly inane crap, why did we never know Kennedy was such good friends with Republicans, like Orrin Hatch? All sorts of talking heads know enough to speak glowingly of it, but why wasn't that personal behavior covered over the years decades that our politics have become so polarized? Why couldn't that be role modeling for kids to observe on TV, instead of types like the Gosselins and the Hiltons?

• Finally, Joe Scarborough keeps suggesting this one particular 1990 GQ takeout story on Kennedy as being a turning point in his life. Perhaps, but, Joe, was that the only magazine article you've ever read?
  

And, now, what a wonderful (totally memorized) coda to a great life:

Word of the Day: "Homicide" is a Medical Term?

Continuing in the "words have meaning" theme from yesterday, it has been ruled that the unfortunate death of Michael Jackson was a homicide.

Interesting, but looking up the word "homicide" on the Internets gives every indication that it is a word indigenous to the practice of law, not medicine, let alone forensics. I thought medical examiners determined what killed someone, and that it was up to the legal system to determine who, for instance, put deady chemicals into the body of a the deceased.

I have friends who are prosecutors and judges who I love dearly, but this is a teeny-tiny shift in, if not the legal burden of proof, then the war for public opinion.

I just realized why the Farrah Fawcett had such an impact. . .

. . . on males of a certain age, such as myself, with her poster.

Because we didn't know, prior to then, that women's nipples could do that.

Dear Chicago: A great city shouldn't have to steal another city's historical, trademarked nickname

Reading up on the Blackhawks' recent whining / rationalizing, I noticed the Chicago Tribune has been using "Hawkey Town" as a play off [pun not intentional] the Red Wing's "Hockeytown." I can't find the logo header used amongst the editorial anymore -- perhaps they re-thought its propriety in light of the weekend's results -- but it is still available for irony-fueled wallpaper usage.

"There is no such thing as bad press."

Despite writing for so long, I've never really enjoyed being written about. When I wrote, I had the deadlines of a feature writer, combined with the goal of accuracy that my lawyering instilled in me. So there would typically be things in articles that I was in which could be aggravating.

The profile about me in today's Detroit Legal News, however, is great, and much appreciated. Geez, in the dead tree version, there's pics and pull-quotes and sidebars all over my own page -- the entire back page! Extremely cool. So thanks to ace newby reporter and fellow Michigan Daily alum (though she did infinitely more there than me) Taryn Hartman for the nice work.

My mother will be so proud.

(Above:) "Hey, look, it's Sir Graves' suit double."

The Only Joint In this Operating Agreement is the One They're Smoking If They Think This is Going to Work

As someone who actually cared about getting the JOA approved in 1989 between the Free Press and News, and who is obsessive enough to notice that they've been breaking the law when joint publishing on holidays (instead of only on weekends), and had friends on both sides of the strike, and who was offended by Gannett basically thumbing its nose at the industry, the market and the law by buying out Knight Ridder, today's announcement that the Freep and the News are going to be home delivered only three days a week would've been a stake in my heart. . . if they hadn't already broken it into a million pieces.

Yes, the CSM is going online only, and Entertainment Weekly is reportedly thinking about it, but living in the first major metropolitan area without a daily newspaper delivery? Oy.

I'd say that they last person leaving Detroit should turn out the lights, but the bulb's been foreclosed on.

It Sucks When Great Writers Stop Writing . . .

. . . especially when it's because they've died.

So, a bit belatedly, RIP:

* Studs Terkel, the personification of both Chicago and the Greatest Generation;

* Michael Crichton, who became a purveyor of great content either because of, or in spite of, his medical training and tallness; and

* John Leonard, whose fusing of media and cultural criticism was unique and compelling, and who I still miss from a show I love, CBS Sunday Morning.

-30-

Political Adventures in Fashion Magazines

You find nice insight in the most unexpected places.

Check out Robert Draper's blogging about the campaign's stretch run at GQ.

Good stuff.

Another Toy If You're Obsessing About the Electoral College

Like I am:



The bigger version's here.

Unfortunately, I Was Probably Right

Gramps has been trying to make hay about Biden's comment that the country would be tested at the beginning of an Obama administration, and he says, no, that he's mere presence would prevent that crisis prompt him to pro-actively create one.

Last week, I said that not to prepare for the worst is stupd, based on the challenges faced at the beginning of the last two administrations.

And, now, grown-ups paid to figure this stuff out say, I was right.

Yea!

I think.

Gramps' Circular Firing Squad Is Taking Aim

The rats are abandoning the SS Angry Old Clueless White Guy, according to Politico.

And NYT takes the first long look at the anatomy of a train snow machine wreck.

Meanwhile, Barack is on a "red state tour."

If Obama wins, he better remember to send flowers to Howard Dean who had the vision and balls to push the Fifty State Strategy.

MSNBC In The Tank? There Must Be Dual Tanks

Anyone who says that liberal MSM enormous defense contractor GE's cable news network MSNBC, with Olbermann and Maddow, is "in the tank" for Barack Obama, please remind said person to shake off their pork rind hangover and get their butts up for former wingnut Republican congressman Joe Scarborough's morning drive show.

How he can speak with that teeny, tiny piehole, I have no idea.

Are you Ready for some Playoff Baseball?

Pro: No appreciable Rally Monkey action in Anaheim.

Con: Hating TBS cobbling together enough chemistry-less announcing crews to handle the most important games seasons, instead of, say, ESPN.

Net: way negative.

My punishment: wishing upon Bud Selig a Milwaukee - Tampa Bay World Series, which would be so low-rated that fetuses would escape wombs in order to turn the channel on the TV.

McCain's Suspension Must Mean Hosiery Support

Suspension?

Suspension?

Suspension?

I'm not buying it. Letterman didn't and still doesn't.

Gramps just didn't want to spend any more money buying ads while his world was flipping.

In Gramps' world, suspension is what he wears over his socks.

Governance by spasm is no way to run a campaign the country.

Gramps & VPILF Aren't Laughing with Chris Matthews, They're Laughig at Him

Boehlert does a fine job at MM, and calls the public yawn over the MSM calling out the candidates -- especially Gramps -- "post-press."

A kissing cousin to post-intellectual, but close enough to raise alarm.

An Open Letter: "Where You Been?" Edition

Dear Wall Street World,

Welcome to our party.

You're about seven years late.

Kisses,

Michigan

Non Sequitur of the Day: Wall Street Edition.

"Schadenfreude"

When Oliver Stone had Gordon Gekko say, "Greed is good," it was supposed to be ironic! A cautionary tale! He was named after a lizard, for God's sake!

But, then, nothing new: "Wall Street," say hello to "Born In the USA."

Moose Mom Mania: Princess Di Redux

VPILF's "Oooh, Shiny"-ness seems to be dimming, at least a bit.

The whole spasm of emotion on her emergence-- both pro and con -- reminds me of Princess Di's life and death.

Like, "It felt right at the time, but, gee, perhaps we should've been a bit more rational."

Well, when reality intrudes, ya think?

Ahh, to yearn for the simple times of vital national debate regarding porcine make-up.

This Would Be "The McCain Mutiny" if Anyone Could Still Afford Ball Bearings

Have the Wingnut Chattering Class just now realized that VPILF Moose Mom is unqualified to be a heartbeat away? Or are they just getting ahead of the fallout?

In the meantime, one good throwing-under-the-bus deserves another. Carly, you've been downsized.

And the Turd Blossom jumps ship, too (as if he would know what 100% 1% truth would look like). Behold:

Ex-Pageant Girl VPILF Fails Civics, Doesn't Want World Peace

Any student taking a foreign affairs political science test in college high school middle school would need to explain the Bush Doctrine in order to get a passing grade.

Apparently, the standards for one heartbeat away from the Leader of the Free World are a wee bit lower.

By any standard, she has received an irredeemable flunking grade.

However, behold her technique:



A pause, a re-group, and a vague request for re-phrasing to buy a moment to think.

Know where that comes from?

Miss Wasilla, First Runner-up.

That is straight-up pageant interview technique. Behold.



Wonder how that would work with Putin -- he's right next door, she's got him down.

Right?