Finding Inspiration

This is the first time I've returned to this blog since August of last year.

I'm not sure why I stopped. I have some ideas.

A new job. A new job with really difficult hours. A wedding proposal. A wedding that needs planned. Projects around the house. Other social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter taking up too much time.

Life in general seems to have run me over like a steamroller.

My poor blog isn't alone in it's neglect. My DVR has about 60-70 shows recorded that I most likely will never see.

I think something else has kept me away as well.

The plain and simple fact is, I really wasn't sure what to write about anymore. I don't want this to be an outlet for rants. Nor do I want to expose too much of my "real" life here.

I've also been promising to come back. Yet, that hasn't seemed to happen.

Well, I'm going to give it an honest effort. Probably more of an effort than I ever have before.

Why?

Well, I found some inspiration. And it came in the form of a major league baseball player, of all things.

Dirk Hayhurst is currently a pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays.

He grew up in Stark County, like me. He went to Kent State, like me.

But, that's where our similarities end. I washed out of baseball in high school, Dirk is a big leaguer.

But, Dirk isn't necessarily famous, nor has he ever been what you might call a "prospect." He was an 8th round pick, who, I discovered, was on the verge of quitting the game when he finally got called up to the big leagues.

But, if Dirk didn't make the majors, he had a plan. He began writing down his fears, his doubts, and all those tales of life in the minor leagues.

He blogged on a regular basis. His column was called the "Non-Prospect Diary." This is where I first ran across Dirk Hayhurst.

If you haven't read his work, Dirk is no dumb jock trying to ape Shakespeare. Hayhurst has a gift for the written word, his columns are funny and honest. And now and again, they make you think.

They were so good, in fact, that a publisher asked Dirk to write a book about his experiences. An auto-biography. At the age of 28.

Well, that book is being published in March. It's called the Bullpen Gospels. And, Dirk Hayhurst is getting noticed now more than ever.

Keith Olbermann has written a glowing review of the book. Say what you will about Olbermann's politics, but he's always been a gifted writer. And a baseball nut, to boot.

And he's not alone in saying good things. Bob Costas has given the book a thumbs up. So have other notable sports writers.

With this in mind, I recently made contact with Dirk, to see if he'd like to appear on a news program I work for. He leaped at the opportunity.

As I spoke to him before and after his interview, I couldn't have been more impressed. Dirk is a funny, outgoing, humble guy. A guy who, as a co-worker told me afterward, you would have no idea is a big-leaguer. A guy who you feel like you've known for 10 years, after talking to him for 10 minutes.

He's a person who now feels like he can take the world by the horns, after struggling for so long in his chosen profession. He has big plans, big goals, big dreams.

I really treasured my short time with Dirk, not because he's a baseball player, but because he's a heckuva human being.

So, I thought about it some more. No more excuses. I'm going to write. And hopefully write a lot.

I doubt I have Dirk's talent for the written word. And I know I don't have his talent for throwing a curveball. But, if something so simple can make such a profound change in his life, why can't it make mine a little brighter as well?

And all it takes is a few words here, and a few words there.

So, I'm back. My reason for being here still isn't clear. But, maybe that will come.

Oh, and one other thing. Dirk just had arm surgery. He'll miss at least half of the upcoming season, perhaps more. But, nothing can get Dirk Hayhurst down these days.

So, do me a favor. And do Dirk a favor. If you like baseball, buy his book. If you don't like baseball, buy it anyways. Because I'm told it's not just a sports story, it's a life story.

I know that seems like a commercial, but for inspiring me to make things happen, it's the least I can do for him.

(By the way, here's Dirk's interview)

Not-So-Handyman

I can't believe I actually promised to do a daily post ... and it's taken me like 2 weeks to fall off the horse altogether.

Well, at least I have a small reason.

You see, I've undertaken a small renovation project in my home.

Well, actually it was forced upon me.

A week or so back, I woke up to the sound of dripping in my downstairs bathroom.

Upon further inspection, I discovered water pouring from the area around the fan.

Uh oh. That can only mean one thing. My hot water tank (which is on the 2nd floor) had given up the ghost.

No problem. I get the tank replaced. Life is good.

Except now, I have to re-do the ceiling in the bathroom. Which is fine.

But, that leads to me tearing down the crown molding.

Which leads to me tearing down the wallpaper.

Which leads to vanity and chair rails being removed.

Which, in the end, becomes a near-total bathroom renovation.

Again, it's a small bathroom, so it's not a big deal right?

Well, it's time for my confession.

I suck at this kind of stuff.

You see, I'm no Bob Vila. I'm not even Tim Taylor. I'm not handy at all.

When it comes to simple things, like painting and such, I'm just fine.

But, when drywall and other items enter the picture, I'm completely lost.

I know, being un-handy takes points off my "man" card. So does the failure to change my own oil. Or worshipping football.

So, I'm muddling through. Learning as I go. Asking for advice and borrowing tools all the time.

We'll see how this turns out ... it's either going to look pretty good ... or be a complete disaster.

There will be no in-between.

How "Not" To Sell Papers

So, in these days of declining subscriptions and revenue, newspapers are doing all they can to get readers.

Which makes this sales call from the Cleveland Plain Dealer (to yours truly) almost inexplicable.

Let me recreate as best I can:

RING

Me: Hello?

PD Saleswoman: Hi, I'm calling from the Plain Dealer. (laughs). Before you hang up ...

Me: (laughs). OK.

PD Saleswoman: We're just calling to see if you're interested in subscribing to the Plain Dealer.

Me: No, I'm really not interested.

PD Saleswoman: Well, we've made a lot of changes. We've added a lot of new sections ...

Me: Sorry, I'm really not interested at this time.

PD Saleswoman: CLICK. Dial Tone.

That's right ... the PD saleswoman hung up on ME when I turned her down.

There was no "Well, thanks for letting me take a few minutes of your time."

There was no "Sorry to have disturbed you this evening."

There was no "Well, if you reconsider, just log on to Cleveland.com or call this number and we can hook you up."

It may actually have been the first time in my life that a telemarketer hung up on me. I was actually the nice one in this relationship.

Hey, Plain Dealer, if this woman works in-house, it might be time for a discussion.

And if she's outsourced through a call center, you might want to find a new provider.

A dying industry shouldn't rely on rudeness to sell papers.

Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word

Well, he's gone and done it again.

I'm talking about Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic, who, even when he tried to keep a lower profile, always seems to end up making front-page headlines.

The latest stems from his actions this weekend, related to a downtown Akron fight, and the police response.

I won't recap the entire story, you can certainly get the best coverage here and here.

Now, let me preface the following remarks by saying something.

I've always liked Plusquellic. He's one of the strongest mayors in the state. Yet, as I've stated before, he does have quite a bit of the "high school bully" in him.

I even spoke out (wrote out?) in defense of the Mayor during his recent recall battle.

But, this latest episode reeks of poor City Hall spin to me.

Look, I'm not naive enough to think everything that comes out of downtown Akron is legitimate and trustworthy. The Mayor is a politician, and there probably needs to be a certain amount of spin-doctoring in order to forward his ideas and agendas, not to mention fund his re-election campaigns.

But, in this case, it's gotten out of hand.

First off, the 911 tapes were officially released by City Hall, not the police department. As a longtime member of the Akron media, I know that this almost NEVER happens.

Usually, you call the PD, ask for the tapes, and they provide them to you, warts and all.

In this case, however, the city released three calls, all of which, I'm going to assume, have been heavily edited and sanitized to help the Mayor's side of the story.

Why do I believe this to be the case? Well, if you listen to "Call 1", as it's listed on the city website, Plusquellic clearly states that this is not the first call he's made to operators.

You can bet there's going to be an ugly fight, that will perhaps head into court, to get the full 911 tapes from that evening.

The second part of this that feels like "spin" is the following quote from the Mayor, courtesy ohio.com.

"What I did was vitally important to cracking this case"

I'm sure the Mayor actually believes this. But, this isn't a Scooby-Doo mystery and Mayor Plusquellic wasn't wearing an ascot (to my knowledge.)

Leave the police work to the police, Mr. Mayor. I get that you have a background in criminal law, I really do, but getting involved in a police investigation after having a few drinks isn't in your, or their, best interests.

In other words, if the police tell you to butt out, butt out!

Look, I'm not going to rush to judgment here. It wouldn't be out of the question that a gung-ho police officer decided to flex his muscles a little too much. And certainly, the head of the police union loves to make mountains out of molehills.

But, would it really be so bad for Plusquellic to simply say "I'm sorry"?

What's wrong in admitting you're human ... you had a few too many ... and that clouded your decision-making ability. Then, follow that apology with a sit-down with those your cussed out, and give them a heartfelt "sorry" as well.

Maybe it would be political suicide for a Mayor to admit he was a little drunk. My opinion, and this is just me, is that he's still a human being, and should be able to enjoy a night out as much as the next guy (as long as he's not driving).

But, I'll tell you one thing, an apology would win a lot more points with this blogger, than a transparent attempt to spin your actions into "Don Plusquellic, super-hero gumshoe of South Main Street."

But, as we've seen time and time again, sorry really does seem to be the hardest word for elected officials.

Reunited?

This weekend, my high school class will celebrate out 20th anniversary of graduation ... otherwise known as a reunion.

I will not be there.

I wrestled with the decision, but ultimately decided to pass.

Why? Well, bear with me here ... I'm going to try and state my case in a way that doesn't make me sound like a complete jerk. But, I might fail.

The town where I grew up was small, quiet, rural, overall a decent place to raise kids. But, it was also a town where everyone seemed to know everyone else. And if you didn't have the correct last name, it was hard to get ahead in athletics or, sometimes, socially.

Despite that, my high school experience was a good one ... I wasn't "cool" ... nor was I a "loser" ... but was happily tucked into the netherworld in between.

However, when college beckoned, something inside me was happy to leave, and not look back.

For some reason, I fell out of contact with most of the folks I graduated high school with, even my closest friends.

Why did this happen? Well, it seems my specific group all had big goals and big ambitions, and those seemed to come before old high school friendships.

I made new friends in college, many of whom I am close to today, then began my travels to pursue a career.

That path caused me to move several times, and any chance I had at re-connecting with high school classmates, disappeared.

It also caused a new cast of characters to enter my life ... folks I consider my closest friends right now.

Oh sure, there were random meetings with the high school gang ... maybe at an Akron bar, maybe inside a mall, but most were fleeting.

That's why, a decade ago, it didn't surprise me when my mother called, and told me I was listed as "missing" as the Class of 1989 was organizing it's 10-year reunion.

(By the way, this is how the old hometown works. I was discovered to be "missing" when my name was printed in the local, once-a-week community newspaper, read by an old neighbor, who proceeded to call my mother.)

So, I got in contact with the reunion organizers, and attended.

It was honestly nice to see some of the folks, including a couple old baseball teammates and some old friends.

But, some of my closest pals chose not to attend.

And, to top that off, the entire evening felt, well, awkward to me.

You see, in the time since high school, I had lived on a college campus that was 5 times the size of my hometown, in Illinois' second largest city, and in a pair of Ohio's largest metro areas.

I was working in the media, and was employed next to the television anchors and reporters who were beamed into local homes every night.

I had traveled extensively with friends from college and work.

And now here I was, back in the same small-town, with a group of people I didn't feel especially close to, reliving days that, while they were enjoyable, were certainly not the highlights of my life, nor anything I think about all that often.

To top it off, all of our "bios" were published in a pamphlet for other classmates to read. These included our jobs.

There was a strange feeling of "hero worship" directed towards me, because of my role as an Executive Producer. In fact, one former classmate said "Wow, you pretty much own that station don't you?"

My response was "No, you don't realize how far down the ladder I really am."

This reaction was extremely uncomfortable for me. Many of my classmates were accountants, pharmacists, architects, all very good jobs. Yet for some reason, working at a tv station made me a sensation.

When a former baseball teammate saw that I lived in a Cleveland suburb, he asked if I attended a lot of Indians games.

When I said that I made it to 6-8 a year, his jaw fell open.

And that's when it hit me in a wave. The small town feeling. My former classmates weren't used to living in the shadow of a large city. They weren't used to knowing people who worked in television. They weren't used to seeing live trucks driving around ... or a 10-minute drive to see the Cleveland Indians.

And I don't fault them for this. They're good people, living good lives. They stayed in the area of the old hometown because that's where their families still live. And there's nothing wrong with any of that.

It just wasn't for me anymore. I don't think I'm better than any other graduate, mind you, I'm just a different person, in a different place.

Flash-forward to today, and the 20-year reunion.

A decade has brought a lot of change. The Internet has allowed me (through this blog, and especially, Facebook) to reconnect with a few of the high school classmates that I was closest with.

It's the same group that did not attend the 10-year reunion, and will not be attending the 20-year, either.

These are the people I want to see, the people I want to catch up with. And if our travels allow that to happen, you can bet I will take advantage.

So, to the rest of the Class of '89 ... I wish you best on this reunion weekend.

To those attending that might have a desire to catch up, and don't think I'm a colossal jerk for writing this, drop me a line.

As for me, I'll spend the weekend looking forward to the future, instead of reliving the past.

Off A Cliff

Anyone who's read this blog for a regular basis knows I'm a pretty big baseball fan (despite being a fairly lousy baseball player.)

And, most of you also know the Cleveland Indians were/are/and will ever be my team.

Some of you may also know I've been a little disenfranchised this season with the front office, and business office, and just about any single one of the Tribe's other offices.

So, I feel like I should add my two cents on the Cliff Lee trade.

You see, while I'm a baseball fan, I'm also a realist.

The economic structure of the game is such that the Tribe will always be stuck developing players, only to watch them walk away for greener pastures.

I'm ok with that.

That means teams like the Tribe must be strong in another area, player procurement and development. Namely ... scouting, drafting, and coaching.

This is where I feel the Mark Shapiro regime as General Manager has come up short.

When you have to trade the Sabathias and Lees of the world, you're not doing it to restock the farm system, you're doing it to plug holes in the dam from where that system has failed.

Which brings us to the Lee trade.

Unlike 95% of the other fans out there, I'm not upset Lee was dealt. It was the prudent thing to do, faced with a ball club that's likely going to be as bad next year as it is this year.

It's the return that has me fuming a bit.

You see, the Tribe's largest area of need is upper level, high-impact pitchers. This deal netted exactly one of those.

It also landed the Tribe a teenager, with huge amounts of "upside." Which is fine.

But, as any fan knows, a lot can happen to a player between the time he's 18 ... and the time he might be ready for the bigs.

But again, you have to trade for this type of player, because you've failed to acquire many of them on your own through the draft.

It's the last two components of the deal that downright baffles me.

Mark Shapiro decided to buy low on a pair of players ... to acquire a catcher and a shortstop.

Now, keep in mind, even if the team trades Victor Martinez, they still have four ... yes four ... catchers between AA and the majors who seem capable enough.

As for the shortstop, well he's going to be next year's utility infielder, since ownership won't allow any new expenditures.

So, in my opinion, Mark Shapiro traded one of the ten, best starters in the majors for a starting pitcher (because he's failed to develop them), a high-upside kid (because he hasn't drafted many of them), and two players who can "fill out" the 2010 roster cheaply.

As a Tribe fan, I hope deep down that this deal will work.

I mean, if Mark Shapiro has one talent, it's the acquisition of good players in deadline deals.

It's too bad he has to use that ability more than any Indians fan could ever hope.

Wither Ethics?

I have to say that the past couple of weeks have great fodder if I were teaching a journalism class (Mr. Strukel, you out there?).

And it really makes me question where journalism is going.

The first big moment, for me, was during the Michael Jackson death coverage.

TMZ.com apparently became the "go-to" source for much of the breaking developments.

There's one small problem, though. You see, TMZ holds its website to different ethical standards than the mainstream media.

They can report something and just say "we're told" ... without ever having that 2nd or 3rd level confirmation.

But, what's really disturbing to me, is when local television stations use TMZ as a source for their own stories in the evening news.

At least one station in this market does that on a regular basis. Perhaps they feel it's acceptable, given their "tabloid" format.

I happen to know they prefer to "push the envelope" when it comes to journalism.

But, at what point is the line crossed ... at what point do you stop trying to confirm anything (even if it's "celebrity news"), and just go with what you think is correct?

Even CNN got into the act during the early hours of the Jackson coverage.

They actually ran a graphic over their coverage that used the phrase "unconfirmed reports." Isn't their job actually to confirm those reports before passing them along?

But, what really caught my eye about the downfall of ethics occurred yesterday.

And this time, it wasn't at a broadcast station ... it was in a newspaper (and on their website.)

The NY Post (another "tabloid" outfit) reported on the Erin Andrews/peephole video story.

It's certainly salacious. A beautiful ESPN sideline reporter is surreptitiously video taped naked through a peephole drilled into her hotel room wall.

Most mainstream papers and websites picked up on this.

But, the NY Post took things to the next level. You know, instead of just running the file photo of Erin Andrews like everyone else (including me here), the Post actually used screen captures FROM THE ILLEGAL VIDEO.

Yes, they put black bars over what Monty Python famously called the "naughty bits."

But, essentially, this means someone at the Post either downloaded or viewed the illegal tape, which by that point in time had actually been yanked from its originating website under threat of lawsuit by ESPN and Andrews' lawyer.

Now, nothing disappears in the Internet forever ... reading comments on the Andrews story on various sites, commenters have made clear that the video is still available on various peer-to-peer torrenting sites out there.

But, here the point. The video was captured illegally. It was distributed illegally.

So, why on Earth would a newspaper actually use photos from that "illegal" video?

Simple ... to sell papers. And to flush journalism right down the pipes.

It's telling that those photos ran within days of the death of Walter Cronkite.

I'm sure he's looking down from above ... shaking his head at what his business has become.

Poll Dancing

Imagine my surprise today when I opened my mail, to find that I have a new polling location for upcoming elections.

And the new site is somewhat surprising to me.

You see, instead of voting at the quaint little church right down the hill ... instead, I'll be casting my ballot at a local "alternative" school.

I find this interesting on a couple of levels.

First, the church seems to me to be the perfect spot for polling. Quiet, empty on Tuesdays, ample parking, etc.

Secondly, there's been a recent trend to get schools OUT of the polling process, because of concerns over security and traffic.

Add to the fact that the new location is an "alternative" school ... and it's even stranger.

You see, these types of schools are set up for students who, for one reason or another, seem to fail in the traditional school environment.

Even its mission statement states that learning "will be accomplished by emphasizing the development of both academic and social skills."

So, here my question: Will these students benefit from the disruption of their daily routine, by a parade of strangers entering and exiting their parking lot and building.

Perhaps they will. Perhaps it will serve as a real-life lesson in democracy.

Or, it just might cause such a distraction, that learning on that particular day will become even more difficult.

I happen to know for a fact that neighbors of the school weren't really happy when it opened, probably because of the influx of "non-traditional" student in their neighborhood.

I wonder how they feel now ... knowing the congestion that voters will bring to the area.

Boss Time!

I'm a happy boy today.

You see, as a huge Bruce Springsteen fan, I've been waiting patiently for a tour date in Cleveland.

Today, we got one ... set for November at the Q.

It will be Bruce and the E Street Band's first trip to the Rock and Roll capitol in almost two years.

And what a two years it's been.

Bruce and the band lost longtime keyboardist Danny Federici to cancer, wrapped up a second leg of the "Magic" tour, released a new album, and toured the world again in support of "Working On A Dream."

There were some fears for me, at least, that perhaps the rust belt would be skipped because of the economy, but Bruce will follow-up on a Super Bowl promise and return to town.

What makes this even more exciting for me, is that the Cleveland stop will be the 3rd to the last show of the tour (at least right now.)

Usually, Cleveland is early in the tour itinerary, before the band has completely put it together.

The shows are good, but not as loose as they are towards the end of tours.

Factor in the idea that this could be the last appearance of the E Street Band for some time, and I'm really crossing my fingers for a special evening.

At least I can hope Bruce will break out "Rosalita" ... one of my all-time favorites, and a song that's been skipped in recent Cleveland tour stops.

Now all I have to do is get some tickets!

(By the way, if you want to play "Where's Waldo" with the photo included in this entry, it is a fabulous picture of me and the Boss!)

The "South of 480" Bias

I hate to continue to critique my former industry (and former colleagues) ... but its stuff like this that really gets my blood boiling.

When I worked in television news, we always joked about the existence of a "south of 480" bias.

In other words, news crews only traveled into Summit County and beyond for stories related to crime, death and destruction.

For some reason, reporters would gladly drive to Put-In-Bay or Ashtabula to cover a story, but hated driving to Akron ... even though Akron is closer than either of those other locations (making for an easier day.)

You see, here's a dirty little secret of tv news. "Smart" stations cover stories where the ratings boxes are located.

I seem to remember one year, when there was a sudden spike in the number of Nielsen families in Richland County.

Well, you know what that meant ... suddenly Mansfield became a much more important area to cover.

Why do they do this? Well, the higher the ratings the more you can charge for ads.

Well, when the full-fledged advent of delivering news online through websites arrived, I for one was glad.

This was surely something that would break down regional barriers, right?

I mean, while you want Nielsen families to tune in to your broadcasts, you want everyone to use your website.

Sadly, that still isn't happening.

A check of my former employer's website finds the following stories as the top news items south of I-480.

An July 4th attack that might be a hate crime. Gunshot victim in Barberton. Texas dog found roaming the streets of Brunswick (debatable whether this should be an "Akron-Canton" story). Man found hanging in Stow playground. Canton shooting victim mourned. 1200 arrests in "Operation Falcon." 7th child enticement in Stow.

Whew. It seems like the "south of 480" area is a horrible place to live.

Now, these stories SHOULD be here, don't get me wrong. People want to know when bad things happen in their neighborhoods.

But, they also want to know the GOOD things that happen there as well.

Looking at my former employer's news for the area north of 480 ... you see stories on free health care, Cuyahoga County reform, a setback for a Chagrin Valley church, a dentist paying patients to come to their appointments, a new ethics policy for Cleveland city workers, and local businesses using social networking for marketing.

To top it off, that section features "previews" of 4 weekend events: the unveiling of the rebuilt Superman house in Cleveland, the city's Ingenuityfest, a church rummage sale, and the Cain Park Arts Festival.

Notice the difference?

The "south of 480" area of the website is filled solely with crime. The north of 480 is almost devoid of crime.

Why? Well crime is easy to cover. Easy to pull out of newspapers. Easy to get via press releases. Easy to acquire through beat calls. Easy to show a "presence" in the Akron-Canton area, even though that "presence" is entirely bad news.

And the weekend previews really, really get to me.

You see, this weekend, downtown Akron happened to host an Italian-American Festival. It was the 62nd year for this event, but its first since moving downtown. There were 70 vendors, 2 music stages, games, great food, and much more.

I was in attendance last night ... and on Friday night alone, THOUSANDS of people packed into the downtown area to experience the fun. Akron was alive. It was a wonderful event.

So here's a question. If the station/website listed above can take so much time to write weekend previews of great events in Cuyahoga County, why not take 10 more minutes and post a few words about a great event in Summit County? An event that likely will draw crowds larger than that rummage sale, and equal to the other events.

My theory ... it's because very few of the website contributors live in Summit County. They write about the events they go to, and not about the ones they pass on. Which is fascinating to me.

I once sat in a morning meeting, where a corporate news guru pointed out that the meeting participants were very homogenized.

All were white, many were single, there weren't a lot of men, and there weren't a lot of parents in the room.

He concluded that our story selection might be biased, because we were determining our coverage based on what we were interested in, but not necessarily what the general public thought was important.

It was a fascinating lesson.

Well guess what, these stations have cured that problem, but now suffer from a regional bias.

There aren't a lot of people who live south of 480 who can make their voices heard. Even if it's for something simple, like writing a preview of an Italian-American Festival.

So, as a consumer who lives south of 480, and likes living south of 480, I urge you to keep supporting you local newspapers, radio stations and their websites. Places like akronnewsnow.com, ohio.com, and cantonrep.com.

Otherwise a news void could turn into a news vacuum for those of us living in the undiscovered country.

Catching Up

Well, my post-a-day promise has gone by the wayside ... but I'm still here!

It's funny how a visit from your folks combined with a holiday weekend will keep you from writing.

Anyways, not a whole lot to add today ... other than a reiteration of how much I love living in modern times.

I've added some words here before about using Facebook to reconnect with old friends who I've lost touch with in the days since high school.

Well, another one has come out of the woodwork ... after Googling my name and being led right to this blog!

I know that a lot of people argue that the Internet makes the world a lot less personal, and that can be true.

But, it can make the world a lot more personal as well.

I think the key is this ... if you're young, you can't live on a computer.

Get outside, breathe some air, cause trouble with your friends.

Laugh, dance, have fun.

But, when you get to be a little older ... and you've lost contact with the people who you laughed and danced with in the first place .. this is a great tool to reconnect, share some memories, and relive the old days. Even if they weren't necessarily the GOOD old days.

Not only that, I discovered that he's a blogger as well!

Well, his blog is now part of my blog, joining the honor roll on the right ... and I look forward to reading his thoughts and words as well.

So anyways, to my old/new friend, welcome aboard, and I'm glad you found me!

Hopefully, the modern world will keep us in touch.

Michael & Me

Let me clarify something before I dive into the meat of this post.

I killed Michael Jackson.

Yes, you heard me.

I'll say it again.

I killed Michael Jackson.

Well, not literally, of course.

But, I was talking to a friend on her drive home from work yesterday, and she commented on the death of Farrah Fawcett.

I off-handedly said something along the lines of, "Well, that wasn't too shocking, since Farrah launched an entire media campaign surrounding her illness. But, what would be surprising is someone relatively young and unexpected passing away."

Before the conversation was over, Twitter was abuzz with the news that the King of Pop had suffered a cardiac arrest and "wasn't doing well."

So, to the Jackson family ... I'm sorry. I promised to use my superpowers for good and not evil, and apparently failed.

Seriously, the only online comment I made about Michael was this: "Yes, I owned Thriller. Yes, it was on vinyl. Yes, I'm old."

Here's the weird thing, I don't really consider myself much of a Michael Jackson fan.

I acknowledge his creative genius, and his place of inspiration for other artists, but I just wasn't a huge fan.

So, it kind of surprised me when I realized that Thriller was not just one of the few, actual, you-know, RECORDS, I owned ... it may have been the first one I EVER bought.

See, that's where those of you too young to remember America in 1982, probably don't truly understand how 0ff-the-charts (and on), unbelievably, impossibly huge this guy was.

He was so gigantic, that an 11-year-old white kid from a cow town in Ohio bought Thriller as his first foray into music.

Why? Well, first of all, at 11, you're always trying to be cool.

And you couldn't be cool if you didn't have Thriller. That's how big of a record it was, literally everyone had it.

Secondly, why a record? Well, believe it or not, boom boxes were just starting to come into vogue, and I would have one soon enough, but not before buying an actual album or 2 (the other was Def Leppard's "Pyromania".

And the third reason consisted of 3 little letters ... MTV. Yes, it was a network that, back then, actually played music videos.

Michael Jackson and MTV grew up in the early-80's together, and you could argue that Michael was the artist who pushed the network into super stardom.

The Thriller video wasn't some cheap, throwaway promotional ad shot in front of a white wall, like so many others.

Michael sunk big time money into it. Making a mini-movie, and hiring a big name director to shoot it. It was 14 minutes long, and MTV ran it twice an hour to meet demand.

(Oddly enough, I didn't realize until Jackson passed away yesterday that MTV initially refused to play his videos, and he really opened the door for African-Americans on the network.)

And the last reason for owning Thriller ... well, it was good. I mean, really, really, really good.

Jackson could have likely released almost every song on the record, and had a hit. As it was, he did release 7 of the 9 tracks.

It was laced with guest stars, from legendary producer Quincy Jones, to a duet with Paul McCartney, to the signature guitar lick of Beat It, courtesy one Eddie Van Halen.

Oddly enough, I never bought another Michael Jackson record (or tape, or CD, or digital download for that matter.)

Why? I don't really know.

Thriller was probably too perfect ... a combination of time, and place, and age, and tastes.

Jackson's death yesterday was certainly sad, but it probably didn't hit me as hard as the passing of founding E Street Band member Danny Federici last year.

For me, Springsteen's music was much more of a soundtrack to my life than Jackson's.

But, Jackson's influence is undeniable. His reach was long, despite his erratic behavior over the last 15 years or so.

And somewhere, deep down, that 11-year-old kid from Ohio, will miss him.

Diminishing Returns?

A funny thing happened on the way to the ballot box yesterday.

The local media, with one exception, stopped using social media to deliver me the news.

As a former media member, I'm watching with great interest from outside the industry, as stations adapt to using Facebook, Twitter, and other sources to deliver their content. In fact, I've written about this before.

Last night was particularly interesting to me, as there was a special election you might have heard about ... as Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic battled to avoid recall.

This issue has been dominating the discussion in Summit County ... with mayors from Hudson to Green chiming in on the effort.

So, needless to say, I watched with great interest as the returns came in.

Now, I'm smart enough to know where to get the results myself, but I thought I would keep an eye on the social media sites to see how the local media would deliver me the numbers.

To my surprise, outside of the fine folks over at Akron News Now (who also delivered a live video feed from their newsroom, which unfortunately, I missed), they didn't.

So, I started delivering the results myself ... on both Facebook and Twitter, sometimes even getting the numbers up faster than the folks at ANN (but not by much.)

Interestingly, one television station (who shall remain nameless), had an assignment editor "tweeting" the results under her Twitter account, but only after she received a call from the reporter in the field.

In other words, by the time they were "tweeted" they were already behind.

Here's what confuses me. Why not just have the reporter tweet them himself?

The old ways of delivering results are dead, folks.

The social media world, and its consumers, want their news hand-delivered, and they want it fresh.

It absolutely floors me that television stations and newspapers that tweet on a regular basis didn't bother to offer the results through social media.

So, when it came to getting the results yesterday the quickest, Akron area consumers basically had three options.

1. The Board of Elections website.

2. Akron News Now.

3. Me -- a guy sitting in his office delivering the numbers while listening to a Tribe game.

The fact that there are at least 7 or 8 other news organizations that I, personally, defeated last night should be of GREAT concern to them.

Because, if private citizens like me can take journalism into their own hands, what use will we have for those who actually get paid to deliver the news?

PS: To every news outlet who wants me to be their "Facebook Friend of the Day" ... stop pandering. Don't lip service social media ... either go all in, as ANN did, or face the consequences.

On The Recall

My post-a-day promise rolls right along ... with politics!

It's not something I write about very often, but this is an issue that I feel pretty strongly about ... so here goes.

I believe the effort to recall Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic is wrong, and should be soundly rejected by voters tomorrow.

Before I go further, a little bit of disclosure. First, I don't live in Akron, so I will not be casting a ballot. Secondly, I've met the Mayor on a few occasions, but I wouldn't consider myself a friend or a crony. Third, I've had a number of interactions with the Mayor's Office ... some good, some bad, some ugly.

Most of my reasons for opposing this effort to recall Plusquellic have already been written by others, but I'm going to state them in my words.

Mainly, I'm against the idea because the arguments and accusations leveled against the Mayor are issues that should be contested and debated during a primary/general election cycle, not a recall.

To me, recalls should be used like those oxygen masks on airplanes ... only when the worst is about to happen.

In the case of politics, that should be when the incumbent is charged criminally ... or responsible for the most heinous acts of disregard for his office.

Now, those opposing Plusquellic are acting within the boundaries of the city charter. So, I can't blame them for them for taking action. The charter makes it too simple to recall an elected official, and no matter the outcome of tomorrow's vote, you can bet it will be changed.

But, just because the recall is legal ... it doesn't mean it's right.

Look, I'll be the first one to say that over the past several years, Plusquellic's manner has grown more brusque and bully-like. Opponents often point to the fact that the Mayor "tells it like it is", even if it offends many.

But, honestly, in this day and age where every politician, athlete, news anchor, and head of industry sanitizes their words to save themselves from the PC police ... isn't it somewhat refreshing to have a leader who says what's on his mind?

I mean, the President just took heat for killing a fly, for God's sake.

I want a leader like Plusquellic. I want a leader who says what he thinks, even if it ruffles a few feathers.

He's earned the right to say some of those things by his performance. Sure, city debt is high. Sure, Akron isn't immune to things like the foreclosure crisis.

But, you'll notice when those lists of "declining cities" are issued ... Cleveland and Canton are always included, but Akron is mysteriously missing.

Under Plusquellic's leadership, Akron has new restaurants, a beautiful ballpark in which to watch baseball, a transformed university campus, new places to live, work and learn and a renewed commitment to the arts.

Have there been missteps? Sure. The Inventor's Hall Of Fame was and is a boondoggle. The aforementioned sewers plan was rushed to the ballot. Relations with safety forces could be better.

However, there have not been enough missteps to remove Plusquellic from office mid-term. If you don't like what he's done ... or what he's said ... run against him in either the primary or the general election.

If you beat Plusquellic then, well, the change you want will have occurred in the way it was intended.

Finally, you may ask why I care? I don't live in Akron. I don't work there. What does it matter to me?

My answer ... I believe Don Plusquellic is not just good for Akron ... he's good for the region. Like it or not, he has clout ... locally, statewide, and even nationally. And folks in the burbs may not like this, but what's good for Akron is good for it's neighbors.

I'd wager the jobs saved by retaining Goodyear and Firestone don't belong to folks who live exclusively within the city limits.

When Akron benefits, we all benefit.

And Don Plusquellic is a good leader, who's fighting for his political life, because of a bad idea.

And while I don't expect this post to sway a single person, I urge everyone who supports the Mayor to not take their votes for granted tomorrow ... if you want Plusquellic to stay in office, get out and vote.

PS: I have one other message, to those Akron City Council members who are considering a run for Mayor should Plusquellic be removed ... you are cowards. You would rather sit quietly under this Mayor then challenge him directly for the job. Anyone who runs for the sole reason that they no longer have to oppose Don Plusquellic should be sure to print their campaign signs in yellow.

Signal Strength?

I know most bloggers would probably use this space today to write something nice about their fathers.

I should too. Except I think that might violate the rules of my previous entry on TMI in the blogosphere/twitterscape/facebookland/online nation.

Instead, I want to write about something I noticed while driving around this weekend.

You see, I'm one of those types who think that the general rules of decorum have disappeared on the nation's highways and biways.

During my semi-annual migrations to the East, I've discovered that drivers in Maryland, for instance, have little regard for lane movement or speed limits.

Which is fine, it's something more simple that's bugging me.

And that's the complete and utter failure of 80% of drivers to use their turn signals.

And not just for when they're making turns, even for simple things like shifting lanes.

Now, when you speed and drive recklessly ... I get it ... that's a conscious decision to break the law.

But, not using a turn signal is just plain laziness, right?

I mean, if you drive with your hands at 10 and 2 (or even just 10), using your turn signal requires your left-hand to slide a whole 3-4 inches down the wheel ... and then you have to extend a couple of fingers to flip a lever.

And, most of the time, the car even turns the signal off FOR YOU!

So, I really gave it some thought ... and compiled a list of possible reasons why people may not be using their signals.

1. The above-mentioned laziness? Perhaps Ohioans are heading to Jabba The Hut-dom a lot quicker than we think.

2. Phobias? Perhaps right-handers are scared of using their left hands to signal. And it's just too darn hard to reach across with their natural hand.

3. Accidents? Is there a lost generation of Ohioans who lost their left-hands to wheat threshers as children? If so, I apologize for this post.

4. Distraction? Perhaps the blinking light on the dash, and it's corresponding sounds, are too distracting to drivers who are already on the road, on their phones, sending e-mail, doing their makeup, reading the paper, writing their thesis, and splitting the atom from the cockpit.

5. Electrical problems? Perhaps there has been 5-6 years of shoddy light bulb production in this country ... causing a mass blackout of turn signals!

Perhaps there's another theory I'm overlooking ... in any case, c'mon folks ... how hard is it to signal?

PS: An apology to any and all friends of mine who work in television and read this after looking at the title, and thinking I honestly had something to say about DTV.

Age of TMI

Keeping up with my post-a-day promise ... and with a busy day this one's coming early.

Today, I'm tackling Twitter.

Yes, I tweet.

And, yes, I see the value in it, both as a a way for organizations to market themselves, and as a way to keep in touch.

I think it has some other pretty cool uses.

Recently, I followed a Bruce Springsteen concert as it unfolded, when a concert-goer "tweeted" every song as it came up.

Pretty fun, right?

But, there's a down side to all of this.

TMI. Especially on the "personal" level.

I'm not sure I really want to know, or care to know, when some people are getting out of bed, what they're having for breakfast, what they're seeing when they open their eyes, or every movement they make.

In fact, I actually considered, as a joke, taking this to the extreme.

My idea, post a tweet every time I move. Literally. Tweet as I walk from my living room to the office. From there to my kitchen. From there to my bedroom.

Or, I could just post longitude and latitude and let people figure out the rest.

It's not that some stuff isn't fun to read, it's just that I really wonder whether I need to know EVERYTHING that's happening in someone's life.

It all comes back to an old Dennis Miller joke I remember hearing, when home video cameras were first hitting the market.

Miller quipped that he thought people should have to prove their lives are interesting enough to be taped before being allowed to purchase one.

I kind of feel the same way about personal tweets. Is your life REALLY interesting enough for me to learn of your EVERY move?

In fact, I see some people who scream bloody murder when Twitter goes down even for a short while.

I like to think that I could survive without a phone, TV, computer, Twitter, Facebook, etc., if any of them should be removed for a small period of time.

That's when I go outside. Read a book. Fiddle around with a hobby. Without tweeting about it.

So, before you consider that brain implant that will upload your thoughts directly to Twitter ... ask yourself ... "is this really necessary?"

PS ... 2 other quick Twitter rants.

1. If you're going to tweet a lot, please spell correctly. I'm now to the point where I'm not ashamed to correct you.

2. Please, don't try to send too many tweets to celebrities (unless they ask for them) ... otherwise, you just look desperate (and a little stalkerish).

I'm Back Baby!

I just realized something ... today is the 1st anniversary of this blog.

I have to admit to both of my regular readers, I've been remiss in writing over the last few weeks.

The reason?

Well, first off, I just didn't feel like doing a lot of writing ... mainly because I didn't think I had anything interesting to say.

But, to celebrate my blog's 1st year of existence, I'm deciding to recommit to it.

My goal, a post a day ... about something.

Anything.

I'll need to put my thinking cap on, but it will come.

I hope.

So, anyways, happy birthday little blog ... and I promise not to be so neglectful as we head into Year 2!

A Quick Thank-You!

To both ABC and NBC for saving the two shows I wrote about below.

In an interesting twist, the Peacock Network said the outpouring of fan support is what saved "Chuck" (along with cash from Subway in return for what figures to be heavy product placement.)

Oddly enough, a pair of canceled shows "My Name is Earl" and "Medium" were apparently axed because fans didn't do enough.

As for "Better Off Ted" ... ABC apparently likes the critical buzz surrounding the show enough to give it another shot.

Now, do me a favor down the road and give them both a try!

Save My Shows!

I don't watch a ton of television ... and when I do ... it's usually some sort of sporting event.

That said, the networks are getting ready to announce their fall schedules ... and a pair of my favorite shows are on the bubble.

So, this is one man's plea to save them.

Let me make something clear as well.

I like shows that are inventive, clever, fun.

I get bored with crime and hospital procedural dramas.

I rarely think standard, 3-camera sitcoms (filmed in front of a live studio audience ... or not) are funny.

And, I don't watch a single reality show. Not saying they're bad, but my life is reality enough, and there's no cash prize at the end.

So, onto the shows that need saving.

The first airs on NBC. It's called "Chuck."

It's a very fun, light-hearted hour-long comedy ... with plenty of action and a splash of spy romance.

I just happen to think this show is well-written, well-acted, and well, just plain fun.

Unfortunately, it's on the ratings bubble ... and with Jay Leno taking over the 10 pm slot ... it may not make it.

NBC did not announce it's return today ... but is taking more time to ponder it.

Meantime, fans are launching a massive campaign to save the show ... including eating at Subway restaurants (which did some product placement) and sending "Nerds" candy to NBC.

Watch the show, and you'll understand why that is funny.

#2 on my list is a brand new show ... airing on ABC called "Better Off Ted."

I can't even begin to tell you how much I love the writing on this show, which satirizes life inside a major R & D company.

Now only is it well-written, it's another great cast.

And I love the fact that the main character breaks the fourth wall, and addresses the audience directly several times throughout each show.

Word on the street is that this show might get picked up, even though it's ratings are low ... mainly because the critics seem to love it.

"Ted" really reminds me of the last great half-hour comedy I fell in love with, "Arrested Development."

No laugh track, no 3-camera shoots, no silly setups and bad punchlines ... just strong writing and deep laughs.

So, do me a favor, go check them out (online at the links above, or, in Chuck's case, on DVD) ... maybe you'll like them as much as I do.

If you do, maybe they'll come back.

If you don't, well at least I did my part!

I was tagged ... again!

Lana over at Living It, Loving It tagged me in the latest internet sensation ... my ten favorite movie characters ...

Wow ... this isn't easy. I'm not sure these are my favorite characters of all-time, but they have delivered the best lines ever.

Here we go ... in no particular order.

1. Will Ferrell -- Ron Burgundy

Considering I worked in newsrooms for the last 15 years, this movie made me laugh on many, many, many different levels. Not that I knew any Burgundys. I never said that. Did I? :)



2. Graham Chapman -- King Arthur

I couldn't compile this list without a Monty Python sketch. And it was hard to choose between Chapman as Arthur ... and Chapman as Brian in "Life of Brian." But for me, he absolutely is the glue that holds "The Holy Grail" together ... even as a straight man.



3. Bill Murray -- Carl Spackler

C'mon ... no list is complete without this guy!!!



4. John Belushi -- John "Bluto" Blutarsky

How fun is it to say "Was it over when the Germans bombed Pealr Harbor?" Too bad I couldn't find the entire clip.



5. Peter Graves -- Captain Oveur

Again, how can you go wrong with this quote?



6. Leslie Nielsen -- Lt. Frank Drebin

I'm old enough to have loved "Police Squad" when it originally aired on television. Yup, all 5 episodes. Loved 'em. Suffice to say, when the series inexplicably moved to the big screen, I was thrilled.



7. Chevy Chase -- Clark Griswold

This scene kills me every time in a funny, funny film.



8. Bob Uecker -- Harry Doyle

Ruined "Just a bit outside" for Tom Hamilton forever. Have to go 3:30 into this clip to see some of Bob's brilliance ... "Yes, sir they love this club here in Cleveland."




9. Kevin Kline -- Otto

I was drawn to "A Fish Called Wanda" by the Monty Python connection, but Kline stole the show ... and earned an Oscar for his efforts.




10. Sylvester Stallone -- Rocky Balboa

As you can see, I prefer comedies. But let's end with a drama. This one speaks for itself. How can you watch this and not get fired up?