Dad

My father died Tuesday afternoon. He was 81 and had Parkinson's Disease. A year ago he and my mom moved in with my brother, and I'm certain my father was very happy during that time. My mother was with him when he died. Parkinson's had robbed him of his true self, and I'm not sure he even knew what was happening at the end. But I'm certain he knew his family loved him, and I take some comfort in that.

And I know he is now at peace. The pain will pass for me, as well. But right now, it's time to grieve, to comfort my mother and to try to ease some of my brother's burden.

"Be at peace and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations." --St. Francis de Sales

Reminders

This guy reminds me why I'm proud to be from Iowa.




And this lady reminds me why I'm happy I'm not living in Texas.

I Wonder

Do you think if I asked, would my employer "cut" my salary by increasing it 4 percent, like the proposed Dept. of Defense budget?

It's Obsolete Before It's Invented?

The progression of information technology. As a former college professor, I'm struck by the message that students today are being trained for jobs that don't yet exist, using technology that hasn't been created, to solve problems we are as yet unaware of.

The implications for those in higher education are mind boggling.

Grandmother Survives 2 Days Trapped in Quake Rubble

Out of tragedy, a brief smile:

Maria D'Antuono, a 98 year-old grandmother from the village of Tempera close to the city of L'Aquila, was lifted from her apartment after being trapped in it for two days. When she was asked on Italian television how she had passed the time, she simply replied that she had been keeping busy "knitting."

Elementary Punctuation

There's a new development on Scenic Ave. just south of Grand St. in Springfield, MO called Scenic Station.


I always thought one purchased/owned a condo, like a house. Why would anyone rent a condo? Doesn't that make them apartments?




Evidently, Scenic Station has just one condo, and it possesses something.

The Big Peach & The Demise of Newspapers

Poynter has posted an essay written by the late John Walter, a founding editor of USA Today, in which he blames three people for newspapers' demise. It's a good read by an intelligent writer. I'm not sure I agree with all of it, but Walter makes several salient points, which Charles Batchelor nicely summarizes in the comments section:

1) It's not wise to discount the product and then ask people to value it. People expect the price to the price.

2) Many newspaper publishers (& especially their ad staffs) in many one paper markets became "dull as dog poop" because they ere arrogant, greedy and lazy after the merger mania. (This did and continues to make the web even more appealing than it would have been otherwise.)

3) Features with pretty pictures are easier and more fun to do that hard news, but many newspapers will not invest in the creative talent to pull it off in a compelling way, and instead are "soft and squishy as hell."

4) Investors are looking for the best return, not just a good return. If one day brass widgets make more money than publishing, that will be the day "when Wall Street wasn't going to love" newspapers. Short term investors are a problem for every firm--including newspapers.

One of the people Walter blames is a layout editor at The (Louisville, Ky.) Courier-Journal. This also caught my eye:

And there was the San Francisco Chronicle, which had large headline type, too, and a sports section printed on green paper and a classified section printed on bright yellow paper.

When I was growing up, The Des Moines Register published its sports section on peach colored paper, at least on Sundays. It became known as the Big Peach. I did not know other papers did similar things. I don't recall seeing it an another paper. I'm really sorry they stopped.

And, just like that, newspapers started to abandon the ugly, hodgepodge look of their vertical columns and went into the magazine business.

They lost, thereby, a sense of urgency, and the thing that made them look like, well, newspapers. And it got worse; eventually layout editors were replaced by something called design directors, and design directors took to running pictures of large vegetables, first in black and white and later in color, and newspapering went all soft and squishy as hell.

I've long enjoyed looking at old newspapers on microfilm, mainly because their design seemed so much more "newsy" when stories weren't spread across multiple columns. Perhaps its just nostalgia, for that is the design I grew up with, even in my hometown daily. Of course, the newspaper page used to be much larger. I'm not speaking of tabloid format. No paper I read as a child through college published in that format.

Today's Springfield News-Leader looks much more like a small college paper or a small town weekly than a metro daily. I understand the economics behind the changes, and I suppose I should be happy fewer trees must be cut to make today's papers. But I wonder if these changes haven't weakened the metro newspapers' standing in their communities, and contributed to their demise.

The Newspaper Can't Be Saved?

Eric Etheridge has an interesting "Opinionater" piece (http://ping.fm/bRbXs) in Monday's "New York Times" on the "inevitable" demise of newspapers.

Etheridge notes that several "Internet enthusiasts" say it's time to stop trying to save the newspaper industry and get on with the revolution. "Instead, experiment with new ways of doing journalism in the digital era."

One possibility: “a hyperlocal news and information service.” Some of the "news" will be provided by bloggers. No discussion of what this might mean for the standards of journalism, but still worth a read."

What I'm Doing

In order to be as efficient as possible, I'm trying to use Ping.fm to update multiple services, namely Twitter, Facebook and Blogger. What you're reading should appear on my blog and as a note on my Facebook account, not on Twitter.

It's too long for Twitter, but should be fine on Blogger and Facebook. I just have to remember to input the proper code at the beginning of a post.

Trying Something New

I'm trying to use an alternative service for blogging that will upload posts automatically to multiple locations. It's supposed to work for blogger, but so far isn't. Fortunately, I'm not the only one having this problem... so it's them, not me. I think.

Weekend Beagle Blogging

I got a new camera for my birthday this year. I wanted a digital SLR but couldn't justify the cost, especially for additional lenses. So I got something close: a 10 megapixel Olympus SP-570 ultra-zoom. It has the longest superzoom lens on a compact camera, covering the 35mm equivalent range of 26-520mm.

I've dabbled in 35mm photography since high school, even had my own black and white dark room for awhile. But I could no longer afford it as a true hobby. But since my new camera is digital and includes a 2gb memory card, I can "waste" as many shots as I want without spending any money except on batteries. I'm still figuring out all the settings and getting used to a fully automatic camera. I haven't grown out of the habit of wanting to manually focus, manually adjust the aperture and manually setting shutter speed. I CAN do all of that with this camera, but for now am just having fun composing and viewing the results on the 2.7-inch LCD screen.

All the above is to set up a Baxter photo of the boy looking intently out at the Finley River in Ozark.



Here's what he's looking at:



I've dubbed it the Finley River Monster, or Fermie. It raised up out of the water for only a few seconds and I hurriedly snapped a couple shots. Here's one a bit closer:



Fermie startled me so much I didn't really take time to compose or focus or adjust anything, hence the shaky, blurry photos. Could this be photographic evidence of some ancient elusive creature inhabiting the Finley River? You think anyone would give me a grant for further exploration?

Belated Beagle Blogging

I know, I know. I keep saying I'll have more to say more regularly and then don't follow through. Yes, I annoy me, too.

Chez DocLarryManor is a bit lonely this weekend. Mrs. DocLarry is up north visiting family, Baxter is at summer camp. So, here are a couple photos of the boy to tide you and me over until Wednesday.


Baxter enjoying the lush green grass of someone else's lawn. I can't ever get mine to look this good. Sigh.


Beagle on a mission...finished his patrol of the yard, now it's kibble time!

Et tu, Populus Quero?

I'll leave chastising John Edwards for having an adulterous affair with Rielle Hunter to others. Personally, I don't care that much. I think he did a very dumb thing while campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination and am disappointed for that reason. For everything else, it's none of my business.

But I do want to draw attention to the role of the National Enquirer in this, ahem, affair.

During the 1996 campaign, the National Enquirer broke the story that presidential candidate Bob Dole had a long-ago affair that began in 1968.

In 1999, Steve Coz, the National Enquirer's editor, said

any future extramarital exposé "depends a lot on the stance of that politician. If that politician is backed by Jerry Falwell and takes the family-values route, that gets pretty legitimate. But I don't see us pot-shotting extramarital affairs just because it's juicy copy."

Guess that policy must have died when Falwell did.

Vicarious Travel Fun

Kids of all ages enjoy watching an odometer turn to a bunch of zeros all in a row. That can be a fun part of summer travel. But with skyrocketing gas prices and an economy in the tank, many families won't be making those long trips.

Never fear...thanks to YouTube you can enjoy an odometer turning over to 200,000 miles (hell, it might be the only time you EVER get to see that!) without leaving home.

But wait! There's more! You'll also see the trip odometer simultaneously turn over to 200!

So gather the kids around the screen and click the play button:

Disappointing Democrat

I helped elect Claire McCaskill in 2006 because I thought she would better represent Missourians. Now, I'm not so sure. Two recent actions are feeding my disappointment in the first-term senator.

McCaskill Urges Anheuser-Busch Board to Reject Offer in which the senator informs us she "sent [a] letter to the Anheuser-Busch board of directors urging them to reject InBev’s offer to purchase the company."

Anheuser-Busch is a big company and can easily make its own business decisions. A U.S. Senator has more important issues to tackle than whether a Belgium brewer is able to buy an American brewer.

Should the government really be involved in this at all?

Then there's this:

Senate passes Bill to educate public on the transition to digital televsion
McCaskill co-sponsors legislation to increase funding for consumer education efforts
With the end of the transition to digital television (DTV) less than eight months away, the United States Senate unanimously passed legislation to invest as much as $9 million on consumer education. The bill, co-sponsored by U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, would ensure that more Missourians are prepared for the switch to DTV by providing funding for consumer education and assistance, as well as technological upgrades for smaller television stations.

[snip]

The DTV Transition Assistance Act, which McCaskill co-sponsored, would allow the National Telecommunication and Information Agency (NTIA) to partner with, and provide grants to, non-profit organizations or public interests groups, for consumer education and technical assistance efforts that target vulnerable populations such as senior citizens, individuals residing in rural areas, and minorities. The legislation has been sent to the House of Representatives where McCaskill hopes it will be quickly approved and sent to the President for his signature. In 2006, Congress dedicated $5 million for consumer education about the DTV transition converter box coupon program.

(I'd love to provide a link, but McCaskill doesn't have this news release on her web site yet.)

Nine million dollars is a drop in the bucket of the U.S. budget. But this $9 million is a complete waste.

In February, Reuters reported:

Consumer awareness of the transition to digital television (DTV) grew 80 percent since 2006, according to new market research released today by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA(R)).

The event featured Commerce Secretary Carols M. Gutierrez, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Kevin Martin, and executives from CEA, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NCTA), and Best Buy, each discussing their efforts to educate consumers about the transition.

"The digital television transition is on time, on track and consumers understand that it is coming next year," said Jason Oxman, vice president, communications and member relations, CEA. "Our survey results show the joint educational efforts of government and the private sector are working, and the digital television transition will be a success. CEA's research revealed that the top sources consumers are using to learn about the transition include television (72%), family and friends (39%) and the Internet (26%)."

Note the above group includes two government agencies, three industry trade groups, and a big box retailer, all saying consumer awareness of the digital transition is way up. So why does McCaskill want to spend another $9 million of taxpayer dollars to solve a problem two government agencies, three trade groups and a big box retailer all say doesn't exist?

The National Association of Broadcasters released its own survey results in January (pdf):

Consumer awareness of the federally-mandated transition to digital television (DTV) has grown substantially over the past year, reaching 79 percent according to a survey commissioned by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB).

The survey, which was conducted in January 2008, includes a national sample of television households including those that rely solely on over-the-air television signals. Seventy-nine percent of respondents reported that they have “seen, read or heard something about the February 17, 2009 transition to digital television.”

Awareness was even greater among exclusively over-the-air households, where 83 percent of respondents reported they are aware of the transition. Overall, consumer awareness has more than doubled since January 2007 when an NAB survey asking the same question found that only 38 percent of consumers were aware of the transition.

At its annual convention, NAB's president said "every household in America would be hit with 642 messages on the digital TV transition and what it means, by the time Feb. 18 of next year arrives."

Broadcasters, cable operators, and consumer electronics retailers all have an incentive to make sure every television user is aware of the transition to digital television. Additional taxpayer funding isn't necessary, no matter how much or how little the amount.

With these two actions, Claire McCaskill has confirmed the stereotype conservatives like to place upon Democrats: they want to tax and spend, and have the government insert itself into everything.

Missouri, and America, deserves better.

[cross-posted at Watching Those We Chose]

We Don't Know How Well-Off We Are

Found this over at Watching Those We Chose:
Conservative columnist George Will claims average Americans “are better off today than they were in 2000-2001.” This despite all evidence to the contrary.

Since Will is never wrong, this homeless veteran must be better off:

And so are these laid-off workers.

And the family who used to live in this house.

And certainly those in New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward are better off.

Every average American is certainly better off at the pump today than they were in 2000-2001.
So, quitchyerbitchin.

Summer Plans?

I'm sure the massive increase in the price of gas is having an impact on summer travel.

WASHINGTON (AFP) - More than half of Americans will not be taking a summer holiday this year, opting instead to stay home and save money as the US economy slumps, a survey published Wednesday showed.

What about you? How has the high price of fuel affected your plans? A certain news operation wants to know.

He's Not Dead Yet

I'm sorry Sen. Ted Kennedy has brain cancer. And yes, the story IS news. But the man is NOT dead yet. So could the media please stop eulogizing him?

BOSTON - After the Boston Red Sox's 86-year span without a World Series championship, perhaps the most familiar streak in Massachusetts is the half-century that a Kennedy has represented the state in the U.S. Senate.

Now, the news that Sen. Edward M. Kennedy has a cancerous brain tumor is forcing people to contemplate the day when he will no longer be there.

It can't be helping his morale.

Blue Girl has more.

More and Better Democrats

This is just...oh, I don't know. Embarrassing is too tame. Frustrating, certainly. Disgusting? Still not strong enough. Aggravating...

WASHINGTON - The House overwhelmingly rejected President Bush's veto Wednesday of a $290 billion farm bill, but what should have been a stinging defeat for the president became an embarrassment for Democrats.

Only hours before the House's 316-108 vote, Bush had vetoed the five-year measure, saying it was too expensive and gave too much money to wealthy farmers when farm incomes are high. The Senate then was expected to follow suit quickly.

Action stalled, however, after the discovery that Congress had omitted a 34-page section of the bill when lawmakers sent the massive measure to the White House.

That means Bush vetoed a different bill from the one Congress passed, raising questions that the eventual law would be unconstitutional. Republicans objected when Democrats proposed passing the missing section separately and sending that to Bush.

Bush has only used 10 vetoes, and Congress has only once been able to override a veto. Perhaps it's time to elect some new Democrats.

Circuit City Challenges FCC

This could prove interesting:

Big box electronics retailer, Circuit City, has filed papers with the Federal Communications Commission claiming the agency is working outside its jurisdiction over retail labeling. As part of the upcoming DTV transition next February, the FCC last May, adopted a rule requiring retailers to label TVs with only analog (NTSC) tuners as incompatible with digital television (DTV) broadcasts. Last month the FCC issued nearly $4 billion dollars in fines to various retailers across the US for failing apply the labels to their products. According to the retailer, Circuit City's share of the fines, which amount to $712,000 should be dismissed because the FCC doesn't have any jurisdiction to enforce the rule. According to the filing, "Circuit City made extensive and good faith efforts to comply with this unprecedented regulation despite lack of notice or baseline for compliance." The company claims that errors were made by regulators in assessing the fines. Circuit City also alleges the agency acted improperly by not asking for public comment prior to setting the policy, an area of law typically associated with the Federal Trade Commission. If the claims are rejected by FCC officials, the company could file a lawsuit to have the rule invalidated in federal court.

You don't suppose Circuit City didn't label those analog TVs properly on purpose, do you?