The Last of the Greats

I no longer watch TV, not because i am a complete holier-than-thou douche, not because TV is complete shit, but because it was wasted expense for me. The only thing i ended up watching were syndicated shows (re-runs), so what's the point--i mean i've already seen e-v-e-r-y episode of I Love Lucy, Friends, Seinfeld  and the like. There are a lot of excellent new shows every season in comedy and drama that i quite enjoy--all great ART.  I usually ended up watching them online though.


I did, however, even before canceling TV service, make a point of NOT watching local network news anymore because it irritated me. When i was younger, news was serious and professional.  It was ALL very serious--which i believe it should be.  I do remember one time, i think i was like 10 or so, watching KNBC 4 (Los Angeles, CA, USA) news with my grandma.  There was a report on a murder and when the anchor finished the report, she smiled in the segue to stay tuned after the commercial break.  I asked my grandma, how she could report on something so tragic, then immediately smile.  She said, "if they never smile, then no one would watch."  While i understood what she meant, i wasn't sure i could completely agreed with that then. I can understand now though, because i've a better understanding of human psychology.


I must say the local newscasts now-a-days disgust me so.  They all--whether they be in the morning, mid-day or evening--seem to be in competition with sit-coms and reality shows.  It is sickening.  It would be so good if news were separate, above and beyond the dregs of TV broadcasting and ratings.  Like if all outlets could just agree on a "blocked hour or two in which we all showed news, only news--no competition with talk shows or comedies or reality shows and the like.  News should be free and available for all--unbiased, uncensored with no competition because it its unbiased. That is me living in a dream world, though, right?  That would be asking the human race for too much, right?  Some things humans cannot deliver.  FOX news is passed of as "fair and balanced"--yeah right! (so i've now just outed myself as a liberal, huh?).  Then again, right wingers would say the same "yeah right" of CNN or MSNBC, but even i find them questionable. I digress, i am supposed to be speaking of local news.


The whole point of me writing this [now run-away-] blog is to honor my local broadcast news heroes.  This all prompted by yesterday's announcement of the retiring of one, Mr Stan Chambers.

Stan Chambers (11 Aug 23 - )

Stan Chambers is a Los Angeles news veteran.  The ULTIMATE news veteran.  Stan (and i'll refer to him as "Stan," because he is as familiar and as big as part of our [Angeleno] lives, that we might be on 'familiar' terms with him) began working for KTLA-channel 5, from its inception as the first commercially licensed TV station in the west[ern US] in 1947.  Though he did not start out as a reporter or anchor, he rose quickly to a station of prominence.  For 63 years--let me spell it out: for SIXTY-THREE YEARS, he was employed by the same entity!  Talk about dedication.  In a world where people, even newspeople, change employers every few years, this man was not only so dedicated to--, but also much loved by--, the same station.  I only knew of Stan in his later days, let's say the 90s through now, but Stan has reported on EVERY significant event in LA history since 1947.  The Kathy Fiscus baby lost in a well coverage changed the face of television in Los Angeles.  He also reported on such things as the Bel Air fires, the testing of atomic bombs, the Baldwin Hills Reservoir dam break, the assassination of RFK, the LA riots of '67 and '92. HE was the one who broke the story of the Rodney King beating by receiving the video tape from the by-stander who trusted Stan so much as to give it to HIM.  In his last days, his 80s(!!!), he was still in the field--IN THE FIELD--IN HIS EIGHTIES--reporting, in the wind, in the rain, in the heat of fire or the heat of politics, he continued his job.  The consummate reporter. He even got to co-anchor the 10PM evening news with the late, great Hal Fishman, which was always a delight!
My dear, Mr Stan Chambers, your presence on broadcast TV will be missed greatly.  May you have great success and love in your retirement with your wife, Gigi and the rest of your loving family!






There have been a few great newsmen in Los Angeles TV broadcast history, most notably George Putnum, Bill Welsh, Jerry Dunphy, i remember most fondly KTLA's Larry McCormick and Hal Fishman.

Larry McCormick (31 Feb 33 - 27 Aug 04)

Larry McCormick, co-anchored the KTLA evening news at 10PM for years.  He was one of my favorites.  He had been with KTLA channel 5 (Los Angeles) since 1971 until his death in 2004.  Before that he was a radio DJ and for a couple years with KCOP channel 13.  Larry was one of the first Black reporters in the country.  For years, Blacks could look to their televisions and garner hope and aspire to be what could, in fact, be done--be a successful African-American out of an emerging racist society.  Larry, was not successful because of his race.  Larry was successful because he was a great man.  Larry was as professional as they came.  A newsman of the highest caliber.  He was also involved in the community--and beloved for it. In my time, he was the serious and admirable anchorman who, in a changing news-world, kept his professionalism till the end.  He will be missed. RIP, dear Larry.

Hal Fishman (28 Aug 31 - 7 Aug 07)

Hal Fishman is Los Angeles' greatest, most professional anchorman.  Mr Fishman was a political science professor before becoming part of the KCOP-channel 13 station in 1960.  Five years later he would become a part of KTLA-channel 5 and remain until his death in 2007.  He was the longest serving news anchor in television history.  He was even part of the inspiration for the Simpsons' character, Kent Brockman.  In mine--and others'--opinion, Mr Fishman was THE ultimate pinnacle of professional news broadcasting.  He was for me during the years i was privileged enough to have seen and heard him on KTLA-Channel 5 (LA) the epitome of an anchorman.  Always level-headed, straight-forward, honest, human, honorable, respectable..., trustworthy. For years-on-end he was the the paradigm of great news reporting. When local broadcast news clashed heavily with late night talk shows and prime-time sit-coms and dramas, Mr Fishman held back his station's urge to change the evening news to compete with this new found aggression against the once sacred news.  No one dared challenge his commitment to news reporting integrity.  He kept the local-late-night news broadcast respectable.  The newsroom at KTLA is now named for him, and rightfully so.  RIP, Hal Fishman.

Both Stan and Mr Fishman have stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  Stan, Larry and Mr Fishman are/were all celebrities--and rightfully so--in this town.  They are true heroes--forever.  True professionals till the end.  <3

Indeed, nothing on TV is sacred anymore, is it?  Every minute is a competition.  Even our beloved local network news.  For something that a free society REQUIRES SO DESPERATELY, network news has now become totally subject to the economic whims and forces of a capitalist market.  We've come to the point where the news--something SO ESSENTIAL TO A FREE SOCIETY; must now compete for ratings with sit-coms; prime-time, hour-long dramas and (worst of all) stupid reality shows.  In its need to compete, local news-casts have become amateur stand-up acts at best and circus or dare-devil acts at the worst. 

Watch our local network news and see how many jokes they crack, how many times they laugh at absolute BS.  I'm telling you, the stories on which they report are not usually something to laugh about. No, they talk about personal shit between stories.  Ridiculous!!!  I once respected, greatly, a man named Mark Thompson.  I absolutely considered him a professional, even if he was only a weather man.  To me he was the best thing on the KTTV-(FOX)-channel 11 news at 10PM after the former regular anchor, John Beard.  Now-a-days, the very professional John Beard has been let go and Mark Thompson "dances" to the latest hits during his 10 o'clock weather report.  Mind you he is like 40 and the songs are like 1 month to a couple years old.  It's not pretty, even in an amusing way. This used to be the news.  This used to be something we ought to respect.  This used to be our serious source of information on our city and our nation and our world. Now it is nothing more than a gosh-damn side show!  It sickens me. 

At least we've the internet--for now.  The internet is where i get my news from.  Now though, even the internet is being threatened.  If Google and Verizon have their way, the users of the internet will be divided in to first and second class citizens.  It just goes to show, that the one thing we thought capitalism would have too much of a hard time to touch..., well, it found its way to have its oppressive claws on it.  NOTHING is safe and NOTHING is sacred from capitalism!  

We are all doomed.  The world may not end in Y/OUR life time, but just think of your children and theirs.  It's NOT going to be pretty.  If you think everything will be okay with the direction we are going, i must say, you're either delusional or you've been sufficiently brainwashed. Or are those pretty much the same thing?

We are all doomed!

I am crying. [no, literally.]  :'(


-ry


x

Lamb of the Media

Ryan Nelson

http://media.nbcmiami.com/images/410*410/Psalm+t-shirts.jpg

Is This T-Shirt Praying for Obama's Assassination?
from: www.nbcmiami.com



The shirt is yellow with the following printed:
“Pray for Obama: Psalm 109:8”
and an image of two hands clasped in prayer
which is interpreted as hastening president's demise.


Dusted off my Bible (cough, cough).
Psalm 109:8 reads, "Let his days be few; and let another take his office."
If you stop here, the message on the shirt might seem somewhat innocuous. In a literal sense then, there is not much wrong with the shirt. What if you continue reading?
Psalm 109:9, Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
109:10, Let his children continually be vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desperate places.
109:11, Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour.
109:12, Let their be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children.
109:13 Let his prosperity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out.

I presume that the further verses refer to the same "his"/"him." Now the message on the shirt may be interpreted as problematic. What if the message on the shirt read, "Pray for Bush?" Would people who bought the Obama shirt be outraged?

Religion and its documents are problematic. I quoted from the King James version of the Bible which contains archaic grammar, syntax and words. When interpreting from Early Modern English into Modern English, one may come across problems. Now take into account that before King James, there were other versions of English, which were translated from Latin, of which some translations came through versions of ancient Greek, which may have been translated from any number of dialects as the Bible is a collection of stories by many authors spread over countless years. To know the original meaning or intent is quite problematic.

So should we then, just keep our religion to ourselves and interpret it as we see fit without pushing it on others? Is the shirt even really pushing it on others? No. Probably not. It certainly falls under freedom of religion and expression. Does it advocate hate or homicidal demise? Again, up for interpretation. Is it distasteful? Probably--if you are an Obama supporter.

My conclusion, then, is that the shirt has a right to exist and people the right to wear it. I have a right to dislike it.

I wish religion were kept private. I wish religion could just be kept between like-minded people: the congregation, the preacher-type person and one's god(s). Religion is too vulnerable for it may be interpreted in a myriad of ways so as to support both good and evil. It is problematic. Use it for yourself, but golly, i wish it were not used to spread hate or war.

---

Post Conclusion and warning: This is what i wrote in an initial response to the post and visiting the associated link:

"Fucking outrageous, but not surprising. How many of these fucks do you think also say that Islam is an evil religion? If the shirt read, "Pray for Bush," you'd bet they'd be crying terrorism and deriding the twisting of the Word of the Bible! Hypocrites! The human race is despicable! What would Jesus do concerning Obama? Would they follow Jesus' advice on Obama? Or would they rather grab Obama, a rope and find the nearest bough??! Won't the yellow shirt clash with their white hoods? Or their black souls?"

Which just leads me to say how dumb i was to have a knee-jerk reaction to a subject that was puffed up and skewed. I didn't even consult my own Bible first. Don't let yourself be blindly brainwashed and lead astray from logic, responsibility and reason. Research your incoming information as much as possible. Don't get it all from KTLA 5 or CNN or FoxNews or MSNBC or what-have-you. Don't get it all from American outlets. Follow the BBC, The National, Al Jazeera, DeutscheWelle, Univision. See how the same story is told through Ha'aretz and the Electronic Intifada; HuffPo and Fox; the LA Times and the Daily News.

Don't let one media outlet or network of outlets lead you as so much cattle. Cattle eventually get slaughtered and served to the status quo. Be responsible denizens of the internet and television land. Get a second opinion! Or research yourself. Don't be led astray. That's how they keep you complacent and mask the truth!

OK, now i sound like some crazy conspiracy theorist. Let me stop. Just be careful out there people. No one is altruistic. Not even the Pope or Obama or Bush or FoxNews.