Pepper Haze and Shopping Daze

Image via WikipediaIn the months since the Occupy movement on Wall Street started, with people waving banners and repeating each others' words to a financial hierarchy too busy making money and influencing politicians to care much about what the "little people" think, the protests have spread to every city in America and overseas with varying degrees of success.

But the movement still hasn't been successful at getting its message out to the rest of the country, mainly because its list of grievances are all over the map and there's no figurehead.  Republican politicians and conservative commentators tell them to take a bath and get a job.  If you believe the poll numbers, most Americans are plain confused about what Occupy is and what they stand for.

City and government officials, initially tolerant of Occupy protesters camping out in local parks and college campuses as long as nobody got hurt, had finally decided enough was enough and started ordering crackdowns in the name of public safety and local commerce.  In New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg had bulldozers clear the park next to Wall Street.  In Los Angeles and Philadelphia, there have been orders of evictions to Occupiers that have so far not been enforced.

Then there are the incidents that make martyrs out of protesters and law enforcement resembling armed thugs.  In addition to the melee in Oakland, California that resulted in the direct hit of a tear-gas canister at one man, there were widely-publicized pepper spray attacks in Seattle and the University of California at Davis.

Pepper spray is normally used to foil attackers, and when sprayed it stings the eyes and burns the throat.  Women use it to ward off purse snatchers and potential sexual predators.  The police, who have access to the industrial-strength formula in bulk, spray it on people who exercise their First Amendment rights whether it's a sitting human chain or an 84-year old grandmother, as if they used to exterminate termites for a living.

For all the screaming about being the 99 percent, the Occupiers actually represent about one percent of the population (or maybe not that much).  Truth is, there are lots of other people who would love to take up arms against The Man.  But they have families to take care of, bills to pay and reputations to protect.  Besides, having a police record doesn't look good on a job application.

And there's this:  According to all accounts, Black Friday was one of the most successful in recent memory.  People were ready at the stroke of midnight to spend paper or plastic on cheap flat-panel TVs and the latest discounted video game.  That must have made Wall Street happy, because stocks soared the following Monday and economic pundits speculated that this may have been the long-awaited turning of the corner.

Oh, there was the woman who allegedly pepper-sprayed other customers at a Walmart in California so she could be the first to get a particular item.  And there was also the man who dropped dead at a Target store, and hardly anyone noticed.

So the moral of our story is:  When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping.  If the Occupy movement is to succeed with average Americans, this is the mentality they have to get past first.

The "Superdud Committee"

Months after arguments over raising the federal deficit ceiling caused the United States' bond rating to be lowered by one agency, the Congressional "supercommittee" of six Democrats and six Republicans failed to pass a plan to cut $1.2 trillion off the budget for the next decade.

Unless Congress acts in the next month, those spending cuts automatically go into effect starting in 2013.  They will take a big bite out of the military and domestic programs such as Medicare--$600 billion each, which is not what either party wants for its own reasons.

There are two basic reasons why the "supercommittee" became a super dud.  The first is that there were only 12 members, which meant that there was no deciding vote should there have been a deadlock.  Or was it because they were superstitious in avoiding a 13th?

The other was the same old partisanship that's been paralyzing Washington for who knows how long.  Democrats wanted to raise taxes to pay for the cuts, and the Republicans are too beholden to Grover Norquist to change their anti-tax stance.  Compromise?  Are you kidding?  It's like six Clark Kents going up against six Lex Luthors, with no caped avenger on hand to stand for Truth, Justice and the American Way.

It's not like the public has been holding out for a hero.  In a recent poll, those who replied thought politicians had a lower reputation than Wall Street bankers.  So it doesn't come as much of a surprise that the "super-committee" failed to do its job.  Now Congress needs a miracle to pass a bill that will avert potential economic disaster.  Don't hold your breath.

WCCO-TV: Lost In Translation

Image via WikipediaWCCO (Channel 4) is the Number One TV station in Minnesota.  Just ask them if you don't believe us.  They like to brag about WCCO being watched by more people than anyone else, and that this is not a coincidence.  Of course, having CBS' prime time schedule helps a bit.

Married co-anchors Frank Vascellaro and Ameila Santaniello (who we like to call Mr. and Mrs. News) have picked up where Dave Moore, Don Shelby and Pat Miles (among others) left off, anchoring a news-free 10 p.m. broadcast that looks more like a late-night video lifestyle magazine.  For sweeps month (do they still call it that?), Mrs. News went to Washington and scored interviews with President Barack Obama and members of the White House staff.  Not to be outdone, Mr. News was seen driving a tank and profiling bodyguards who protect celebrities.

Beat reporters such as Jason DeRusha and Esme Murphy get the star treatment, having their faces plastered on every needless graphic per newscast.  And recent hires Aristea Brady, Holly Wagner and meteorologist Lauren Casey might as well be called the 'CCO Blonde Patrol, for obvious reasons.

But there's one thing WCCO isn't bragging about, coincidence or not.  It's about a story they did on Halloween night concerning a Minnesota dog breeder.  The station claimed that this woman sold dogs to a market in New York's Chinatown, which were to be used as meat for human consumption.  That's frightening stuff for animal lovers if it were true.

Except that it's not.  Ducks, not dogs, are part of the menu at this particular market.  WCCO's reporter had apparently misunderstood the employee of the market he had contacted in New York, hearing the word "dog" instead of "duck".

Apparently fearing legal action, WCCO's parent company CBS ordered all traces of the story (video included) off its website.  The only explanation they've given is an internal memo from management (David Brauer of MinnPost has a much more detailed description of all this, along with the memo in question, on his blog.  See it at www.minnpost.com/braublog.).  No disclipinary action that we know of has been made on the reporter, his producer, and anyone else associated with the story.

This is the kind of story that gives news departments migraines, and could cost WCCO and CBS millions of dollars in legal fees and damages.  It's one thing to deliver a hard-hitting news report with the facts clearly on your side.  It's quite another to manipulate the facts for the sake of ratings.

WCCO used to have a strong reputation for journalistic excellence, as the number of awards on its mantle will attest.  That may not be as important these days, with many a newsroom having faced the corporate budget axe.  When you get a story wrong, all the married-couple news anchors and eye candy reporters can't make up for the hit the station's reputation just took.  Coincidence?  You decide.

The Runners Stumble

Image via WikipediaOK, folks.  Time for your once-in-awhile update on how some of the Republican presidential candidates are doing in this, the silly season before the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary. 

Herman Cain  Still fighting back charges of sexual harassment made over a decade ago by four women, Cain's stock depressed further when--in a video made by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel newspaper--he was seen having to think real hard about a question concerning President Obama's handling of Muammar Gadhafi's ouster in Libya, then gave a rambling answer.  Voters might have to think real hard themselves about where Cain stands on foreign policy.

Rick Perry  The Governor of Texas tried to atone for his notorious gaffe at a CNBC debate.--You've all seen it.  It's the one where Perry forgets to name the three federal departments he'd like to eliminate.--by going on nearly every TV show the next day (including being the subject of a David Letterman Top 10 list) to explain himself.  Maybe Perry was right when he said that there's too many debates, and that he'd like to skip some of them.  Next time, Governor, take some notes so you (and we) know what you're talking about.

Michele Bachmann   The Minnesota congresswoman's poll numbers have been barely showing a pulse since Perry emerged as the Tea Party's favorite.  She's also been wondering why she's not getting asked as many questions as the other candidates at the debates.  That is, until somebody leaked an e-mail from a CBS producer directing that those with the best poll numbers get the most questions, which prompted Bachmann to charge liberal bias against the network.  At the CBS debate, which was held on Saturday in South Carolina, the congresswoman voiced her approval of waterboarding, and thought the United States should be "less socialist" and more like China (Huh?).  But just in case this presidential thing doesn't pan out, she can always promote her new book.

Newt Gingrich   Your new #1 poll sitter, now that Cain's imploding and Republicans aren't real thrilled with Mitt Romney.  The former House Speaker doesn't offer much beyond the usual anti-Obama conservative rhetoric and his own baggage (his wife shops at Tiffanys, his self-destructive political career, and his authoring several alternative-history books), but what he is saying seems to be striking a chord among those who are weary of the other guys.  This week, anyway.

See what you're missing, Sarah Palin and Donald Trump?

Unhappy Valley, PA

Image via WikipediaBubbling under the surface of a successful athletic program at Penn State University lies a sordid tale of a longtime assistant football coach who allegedly had his way with a number of boys in a youth program he ran.  Those who were in a position to do something about the alleged abuse were either too slow, or looked the other way.

Now come the consequences.  The former assistant coach, Jerry Sandusky, was arrested Monday and charged with many counts of sexually assaulting eight boys in a 15-year period.  Two school officials were charged with perjury for allegedly covering up for Sandusky.  Wednesday, the university fired its president Graham Spanier and longtime head football coach Joe Paterno for improperly handling the situation. (For more on Paterno, please see Owljock Gazette at http://theowljockgazette.blogspot.com/.)

Penn State, a state-run academic institution based in State College, has now set itself up for lawsuits from the alleged victims and their families because of the school's negligence.  They are also at odds with their own students, some of whom rioted in the streets when Paterno's departure was announced.

While the charges against Sandusky may have been shocking and painful, and Paterno's exit becomes fodder for media saturation coverage, we are reminded that this isn't really about them.  It's about the boys.  But it's pretty hard to care about the alleged victims because, being juveniles by law, they're required to remain in the shadows.

When it comes to child sexual abuse, those in a position of authority (teachers, administrators, coaches, etc.) must report what they see to local law enforcement.  However, the protocol is so vague that there are some instances where doing the right thing isn't enough, ensnaring otherwise well-meaning people in a legal mess.

As the case unfolds and more victims may or may not turn up, it becomes a question of trust.  Are parents willing to trust their child to school programs and non-profit youth organizations, run by who they believe to be responsible adults?  If, God forbid, something terrible happens, can that child ever trust another adult?

UPDATE:  Paterno died January 22 at the age of 85 from lung cancer complications, which had kept him in and out of the hospital since the scandal broke.  Now it just made things a whole lot murkier.

Herman Cain: The Past Is Present

Image by Getty Images via @daylifeRepublican presidential candidate Herman Cain, who doesn't have much of a campaign organization (except for Smoking Man Mark Block) and no visible means of support (unless you count the Koch brothers), is nonetheless in a dead heat with former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, depending on which voter preference poll you believe.

But now Cain's campaign is threatened by allegations of sexual misconduct.  Four women have accused Cain of inappropriate remarks and actions during his tenure as president and CEO of the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s.  Two of those women were allegedly paid off by the organization in exchange for their silence.  The other two, Sharon Bialek and Karen Kraushaar, were willing to go public with graphic descriptions of what they remember.

Cain has denied all the charges, but this scandal has sucked the air out of his campaign along with the rest of the GOP field.  Who wants to hear about his 9-0-9 tax plan (formerly known as 9-9-9), when one of his alleged victims is on TV describing how he had touched her in a place he shouldn't have?

What's disturbing about all this is the racial overtones.  There's a feeling among some that African-Americans like Cain shouldn't be in positions of power.  Clarence Thomas was on his way to becoming Supreme Court justice until Anita Hill went before a Senate committee to say she was sexually harassed by him.  And remember when conservatives demanded proof that President Barack Obama was actually born in this country?

What's also disturbing is that, in spite of all the laws that have been passed to deal with sexual harassment in the workplace, the incidents keep happening.  Is it too much to ask for people to act in a professional manner on the job while keeping their hands to themselves?

Having said that, how can we believe someone who accuses a public figure of sexual misconduct in any form while hiding in the shadows?  Just going through it must be painful enough.

Herman Cain continued to deny the accusations against him at a news conference in Arizona Tuesday, and said he is not dropping out of the GOP race.  Cain even said he doesn't know Bialik, and went so far as to say she was lying.  His poll numbers have not been affected by the scandal so far, and he seems content to let the voters decide his fate in the upcoming primaries.  But how long will it be before his past finally catches up?

Andy Rooney: Writer First, Celebrity Second

Image by billypalooza via FlickrTo anyone who's been watching CBS on Sundays, you've gotten used to hearing the phrase "Those stories--and Andy Rooney--tonight on '60 Minutes'" at the beginning of the broadcast.  That phrase became shortened after Rooney delivered his last curmudgeonly commentary a few weeks ago.  He died Friday at age 92 of complications from minor surgery.

In his 62 years at CBS, Rooney worked on many news and entertainment programs, writing for the likes of Arthur Godfrey, Garry Moore and Harry Reasoner.  Before that, he was in the Army covering World War II for the service newspaper "Stars and Stripes".

Rooney didn't start doing his end-of-the-show essays for "60 Minutes" until 1979.  Since then, he delivered more than a thousand commentaries focusing mostly on the minutiae of life (with the occasional serious piece thrown in) from his cluttered little office.

Sometimes, what Rooney wrote got him into trouble.  In a 1990 syndicated newspaper column, he made some offensive comments about gays that got him suspended by CBS for three months.  Public pressure forced the network to reduce Rooney's sentence, and he was back on the air in one month.

What we liked about Rooney was not just his appeal as the voice of the everyday man and woman.  It was also because he considered himself a writer first and a TV personality second, and he said as much in his final broadcast. 

"60 Minutes" has been on the air since 1968, and probably will continue to be as long as there is television.  Eventually, CBS will find someone to do end-of-the-show essays just like Andy Rooney did, and maybe that person will be just as plainspoken and witty as he was.  Good luck with that.

OWS: Not a Matter of LIfe and Death

Image by david_shankbone via FlickrThe Occupy Wall Street movement has branched out as the seasons change and the weather turns colder.  There are chapters popping up all over the country like McDonalds franchises, with varying degrees of success.  The message remains the same:  fighting for economic justice against the Wall Street bankers and corporations who have (more or less) taken over our government and our way of life.

The public seems to be on OWS' side so far, with a number of polls indicating a good chunk of support among those willing to be interviewed.

One small victory has already been achieved:  Bank of America and other financial institutions have dropped its controversial monthly fees for debit cards, which doesn't mean they won't bring it back in some other form when nobody's looking.

However, the OWS movement is being threatened by how unruly it's becoming.  While most demonstrations have been peaceful, local officials' efforts to shut down the parks used by the Occupiers for health and safety reasons have resulted in arrests and violent clashes with police in some cities.  In other places, such as Minneapolis, the Occupiers' numbers are dwindling and are being routinely ignored.

Conservatives are doing their best to counter the Occupiers by charging them with anti-Semitism (did you know that most Wall Street financiers tend to be Jewish?), referring to them as spoiled brats who think they're entitled and don't have anything better to do, and predicting their ultimate doom.  Of course, that's what people said about the Tea Party, except for the racism part in which African-Americans are substituted for Jewish people.

President Barack Obama and the Democrats would love to embrace the Occupiers, but there's a small problem.  The Occupiers don't think much of either the Democrats or the Republicans, because both parties' inaction in Washington is what contributed to their taking to the streets in the first place.  Then there's the fact that both parties will need corporate cash to help fund their 2012 election campaigns.  And if there's a public backlash against the Occupiers, the GOP will take over Congress and the White House.

In a previous post, we said that the OWS protest are nothing like the ones in 1968.  Let us explain. 

Not being able to find a job is not the same as getting drafted into the army, then being told to kill as many North Vietnamese (who looked remarkably like the South Vietnamese they were trying to defend) as possible.  Having your home foreclosed and your car repossessed isn't the same as African-Americans who lived in the Jim Crow South, intimidated from voting and forced to use separate facilities from white people.  And not being able to pay off your credit cards or student loans is nothing compared to the threat of nuclear war.

In other words, folks, whatever the Occupiers on Wall Street or Podunk, Nebraska are protesting against is not a matter of life or death.  It's retaining some semblance of what we used to call the American Way of Life.