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Sunday, April 29, 2012
Friday, April 27, 2012
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Listening Heads, an essay > On the art of the television interview
As an admitted news junkie, I watch a lot of news; probably more than I should for my blood pressure & good humor.
And at least three times this week, I watched 'talking heads' answer questions put to them by anchors, only to be asked a follow up question they've just answered.
Not only did I find this annoyingly stupid but it clearly pointed to an age-old problem: we don't listen to each other. It's not good for business, it doesn't foster good friendships or personal relations, it's bad for politics but there's no excuse for it in the television news interview.
Those who have been employed in television know it works in the background:
A producer/associate producer/writer will pre-interview a booked guest before they appear on the set for their live, spontaneous, probing Q & A with the anchor. In this way the interview is focused & the guest is sort of rehearsed.
The member of the production staff assigned to this pre-interview, takes notes, hones the Q & A to fit the time allotted for the segment & then provides those notes -- probably in bullet form -- to the anchor who will read down the list (usually while you can't see them because the camera is focused on the guest who is answering the previous question).
Sometimes one of the bullet points is a follow up question -- which may have already been answered by the guest -- but guess what? The anchor asks the question anyway.
And if you watch carefully, you will see in the eyes of the 'talking head', a glint of anger, frustration and the question:
"Didn't you hear what I just said?" which, of course, they can't say out loud so they labor to repeat what they just said in a different form, wasting both their time & mine as the viewer.
Like a lawyer who should never ask a question without first knowing the answer, the television pre-interview is a form of TV homework.
And this kind of preparation is also used for entertainment shows. Craig Ferguson (Late Night with Craig Ferguson) makes a point of ripping up his interview notes & cavalierly throwing them away whenever a guest sits down on his sofa & his interviews suffer for it.
But the best of the entertainment or news anchors and interviewers use the notes as -- exactly that -- but LISTEN to what their guests have to say. Then they may ask a meaningful follow up which can take the interview into an entirely different, un-rehearsed & possibly news-making direction.
Finally, we see the following all too often:
Interviewer: Did you kill Mr.'X'?
Interviewee: Yes, I did.
Interviewer: We've run out of time. Thank you very much for sharing your story. (Turning to audience) Coming up: 'the clown who ate his nose'. Please stay tuned for that!
Music & dissolve to an animated graphic with a clip showing the clown eat his nose, leaving me to wonder why I should hang around.
Channel click.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Does the RACIAL JUSTICE ACT have to become a political matter?
The Trevon Martin / George Zimmerman case starting me thinking about the Racial Justice Act. Will this law be reduced to politics or can it be discussed as a matter of conscience? What do you think? Comment below.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
What Vegetables Can Dogs Eat? by Katelyn Lynn, eHow Contributor
Pet nutritionists, Pat McKay, Anitra Frazier and Celeste Yarnall, believe that giving your dog vegetables as part of his daily diet can help prevent certain diseases. Vegetables contain many essential vitamins and minerals that dogs need for a long, healthy life.
Significance
Your dog will benefit from a diet that includes vegetables rich in digestible fiber, which helps maintain healthy weight, and phytochemcials, which help to prevent disease. Most modern-day kibble and canned dog foods lack the nutrients your dog needs.
Misconceptions
Dr. Ian Billinghurst, the co-counder of BARF (biologically active raw food), suggests that for good health a dog must eat as closely to a natural diet as possible, especially one that includes lots of vegetables. Commercial pet foods are often prepared from meats that are deemed "not fit for human consumption," and highly processed and cooked commercial dog foods often lack many necessary nutrients.
Portions
Generally, you should include about 20 percent vegetables in your dog's total daily food intake. Pet nutritionists suggest starting out slowly. Introduce raw vegetables into your dog's diet by mixing them with his standard food, which will prevent gastrointestinal problems.
Types
A good rule of thumb is any vegetable that can be grated, chopped, sliced or pureed can fed to your dog. But low-glycemic vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, green beans and Brussel spouts are a good choice because they give her the benefits of vegetables without adding unnecessary sugars.
Preparation
Vegetable matter may be difficult for your dog to digest, unless properly prepared. Dr. Ian Billinghurst suggests making vegetables into a nutritious pulp and adding it to your dog's diet to make it easier to digest.
Caution
Some vegetables, like garlic or onions, can have a toxic affect on your dog.
Resources OnLine CLICK HERE
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Friday, April 13, 2012
On the Passing of Mike Wallace > Ridgefield Press 04/12/12
I cried on Sunday morning.
Mike Wallace had died overnight and I sat watching his obit prepared by Morley Safer some time ago. Morley asked Mike if he planned on retiring so he could sit back and contemplate. Mike's response: contemplate what? What is there to contemplate about? It was vintage Mike.
But I did contemplate Mike's passing and what it meant to me.
Did I know Mike? Sure. Had I had worked with him? Yes. Sad as his passing was, it also represented the passing of a very important part in my life.
For the last decade or so it has been like watching a rose lose its petals one by one and there are very, very few petals left.
Already gone were Harry (Reasoner), Don (Hewitt), Ed (Bradley), Richard Threlkeld , Walter (Cronkite), Richard C. Hotlett, Les (Midgley), Fred Friendly, Dick (Salant), Zeke (Segal), Ralph (Paskman), Bud (Benjamin), Charles Collingwood, Andy (Rooney), Charlie (Kuralt), Eric Sevaraid and others.
Some were personal friends, others were hallway colleagues but all were seasoned journalists during a wondrous time who had taught me much about professional integrity and truths.
As I watched Mike's obit, I recalled Morley, the young corespondent with the Canadian passport, who had returned from Vietnam with a story titled "The Burning of the Village of Cam Ne". Today almost 50 years later, I can still see the opening frames: the closeup of a U.S. soldier's hand, holding a lit Zippo lighter, touching the edge of a thatched hut, setting it ablaze to deny refuge to the Vietcong and their sympathizers.
I contemplated whether Morley saw himself too far behind Mike. And whether Mike was the last rose petal, representing that special time when I had the privilege to work amongst this greatest generation of colorful, talented, dedicated group of journalists.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Sophie > Diary of A Southern Belle 6
Well it's been three months since I came to Ridgefield, Sophie might say if she could speak English.But she doesn't. Instead she talks dog and does it quite often with little provocation, thinking she is really communicating with us. In fact, I can actually hold a conversation with her. It goes something like this:
Are you a good girl? “Woof”.
Do you really think so? “Woof, Woof”
Do you want a biscuit? “Woof, Woof, Woof”
Wanna go for a walk? “Woof, Woof, Woof, Woof, Woof, Woof, Woof, Woof, Woof” (accompanied by extreme butt wiggling and jumping around).
Well, I may not understand her words but I sure understand the sentiment.
We've settled into routine and our own understandings about who's who and what's what. I get to go out the door first, Stella gets to eat in peace, I can doze a little longer by saying “later”, I don't get whacked with a paw for another chest scratch if I say “no more”.
We have watching the gate at about 5am to make sure the newspaper delivery car drives away. We have the sunrise's bubbly greeting when we appear for breakfast (actually that's usually Carol). Then there's nap time in one of several spots: the sofa, the pomegranate Sherpa bed, a rug, the window seat or the hard wood floor (I haven't figured that one out yet).
After my 2nd cup of coffee, an offer for a trip to the cottage / office is time for some enthusiasm because it means a small biscuit for her and Stella. Of course the office is only 300 feet away from the house but no matter, in the course of that trip, there are several stops to see if there are any really stupid squirrels waiting to be had.
Nope. OK.... I'm coming, I'm coming..... and we all troop into the office for more Bouv naps while I twiddle away at my computer.
But Sophie does checks the property periodically through the picture window next to her bed. And if she spots anything, she follows it from window to window until I let her out for a quick & futile chase. But, boy, can she move fast.
It is funny to watch Sophie & Stella moving in concert. Sophie moves like a fully extending race horse, thundering down the track while Stella trundles along on those stubby little legs of hers. Nevertheless, Sophie keeps an eye on Stella.
Before coming into the house, Sophie will invariably turn around to see if Stella is following. And I noticed something really interesting at the dog park a few days ago.
(At this juncture, let me just say I don't really like dog parks but I have been taking Sophie (and Stella) there to observe Sophie's interaction with other canines.)
If I stand in one place, Sophie protects that territory so her only interaction is “Get away from my space!” which she expresses quite convincingly with a very hard, un-blinking stare just ooozing tough karma. Next a growl if that doesn't work & finally a limited chase to clear the area – the minimum to accomplish what it takes.
But you see, Stella never shares our space. She occupies her own space at a respectable distance from us so I watched, with some bemusement the other day, as Sophie kept an eye on Stella's space too, chasing off 'anyone' who got near her sister. It was very sweet.
Otherwise, Sophie is not into “playing” with the other dogs. Though attentive, she won't run with the pack. She won't chase a ball but she does hang out, sitting or lying before me. And she doesn't cause trouble unless trouble comes to her first. But, in all cases so far, I'm able to control her behavior with very slight modifications to my voice. (Generally, I only whisper commands). It is, however, clear to me that her priority is to guard me.
This became even more evident, by contrast, when I arrived to the Dog Park one day when no one else was there. And to my surprise, both Sophie & Stella quickly left my side, spread out and did a complete tour of the park's perimeter, turning only occasionally to see what I was up to.
On the other hand, riding in the back of my little beemer is a different story. It's quite confining. Stella (my autistic Bouv) MUST lie down in the back seat. Sophie, every alert, likes to sit so she can stick her head out the window or simply watch all the passing 'stuff'. Admittedly my car is NOT the car to transport two Bouvs in for long distances but it can be made to work for short distances & I've let the girls figure out how to manage the limited space.
So this morning, with Stella was in a particularly stubborn mood on her way to the body maintenance salon, she decided to stretch across the entire back seat. Poor, uncomplaining, Sophie was left to stand gingerly on the edge of the seat as I carefully drove to our rendezvous. But half way there, Sophie had had enough so she sat down on Stella. There was no skirmish or outburst but Stella got the message & sat up to give Sophie room. Ahhhh, the girls. I love the way they interact with each other.
One other quick observation that has nothing to do with anything. Truman was our food vacuum cleaner. Stella couldn't care less. But Sophie is our bowl cleaner. She licks ALL bowls clean and I do mean clean. They look like they've come out of the dish washer. And sometimes after dinner, I put our soup or dinner plate on the floor so Sophie can polish off what little is left. (These are not really fattening left overs as we eat very healthy.)
To end this edition of Sophie's Diary the way it began -- that is with communication -- I must relate the following:
We had finished eating dinner, had placed the plates on the counter & had left the kitchen to do something. When Carol returned to the kitchen, Sophie was sitting, staring at the counter where the plates were. As Carol walked in, the Soph let out a loud bark, still looking directly at the dinner plates. Only a real dummy could have misconstrued that message. And so it goes.....
Y'all come back now, ya heah!
Saturday, April 07, 2012
Wednesday, April 04, 2012
Monday, April 02, 2012
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