The Chicago Daily Tribune famously called the 1948 Presidential election … and got it wrong. In print.
The quality of journalism is declining in our society. Or is it?
That’s precisely the question that the Pew Research Center’s annual report on News Media tries to answer … and pundits have had a strikingly divergent reaction to this year’s report. I’ve linked a couple, below, along with Pew’s report. Slate says that journalism has never been better; Newspaper Death Watch has a slightly less optimistic view. Here’s what Pew said:
“News organizations are less equipped to question what is coming to them or to uncover the stories themselves, and interest groups are better equipped and have more technological tools than ever.”
The reality is that employment in journalism is down below 40,000 now, lower than it was in 1978. However, the growth of citizen journalists and, of course, the internet, has resulted in an EXPLOSION in the amount of coverage generated daily, and a veritable tsunami of information has resulted from the daily deluge being supplemented by the easy accessibility of seemingly all written thought on the ‘net.
It is fascinating to me that corporations have found it easier to control their message through public relations (PR) and “new media” than they have found ways to effectively advertise it. The result is spectacular growth in PR jobs, even as the number of journalists who can properly interpret the corporate speak has been dropping. Publishers have an increasing pressure on their bottom line, and this has resulted in an increase in sponsored news, or advertorials. The lack of journalistic resources apparently even impacted the Presidential campaign, as Pew said:
“Only about a quarter of statements in the media about the character and records of the presidential candidates originated with journalists, while twice that many came from political partisans.”
Do you really trust political partisans – even if they are YOUR political partisans – to tell you the truth all of the time? I’ve explored that before; read about the lying liars here.
These days, everybody has a blog, it seems (HA. Humor. Coming at you.). I don’t do this to make money (note the lack of advertising and subscription cost). And, ultimately, that’s the problem with journalism these days. I can do this blog easily. And cheaply, believe me. And when you’re reading this, you’re not reading the thoughts of some smart journalist working for the LA Times. Or St Louis Post Dispatch. Or even your local community newspaper.
I’ve worked at home full-time since April 15, 2009. Here are a few tips to help if you should ever be fortunate enough to work at home.
1. Get a water cooler. If you don’t talk while standing around the water cooler, you’re missing a great cultural cliché.
2. Don’t have any hobbies. Those will only distract you from work.
3. Do leave your house occasionally. I go to the post office on Fridays, which is my weekly treat.
4. Don’t tell anyone you know that you’re working at home, or they’ll borrow your car.
5. Every week, send your boss an email at 2am. Because you’re always working.
6. Have an office. Have a door. Post a sign on the outside: “If I needed your help, the door would be open.”
Sisyphus, condemned by Zeus to endlessly carry his burden to the top of a mountain through all eternity. Painting by Titian, 1549, from the Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain
7. Have a dedicated workspace, and don’t do anything else in that space. Dear IRS: this is what I do.
8. Develop a close working relationship with your new best friends: the Fed Ex guy and the UPS guy. (Note: I’m not sexist. They are always guys.)
9. Make sure you always answer your cellphone. Even though your family KNOWS you are at home and they KNOW you are working, they’ll not forgive you if you don’t respond to text messages quickly.
10. Consider dropping your cellphone service.
11. Remember having an IT person that you can just call to fix your computer? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
12. Every week, call the boss at 6am your time. Because you’re always working.
13. Don’t eat lunch in the kitchen. That will only encourage you to do the dishes. No one does household chores during business hours.
14. Invest in comfy sweats and socks with gripper bottoms. You don’t have time to dress before you go to work. At 6am. Every day.
15. Do shower regularly. Do not shower at expected times. Showers at 3pm are invigorating.
16. Do not encourage the cats, or they’ll become needy when you’re on the phone. Which is fine, really, but you don’t want your client to KNOW you’re petting the cat while giving the client 100% of your attention.
17. Buy a wireless headset for your telephone. Wear it constantly, and conduct conference calls walking around the house. Insist the kids turn off all TVs & music because you are WORKING.
18. If you’re wearing the headset you’re on the phone. As far as they know.
19. Never answer the phone when the boss calls. Because you’re always on the phone with a client.
20. Do buy tickets to afternoon movies & baseball games. It’s really the only way to relieve the intense stress of working at home.
Here’s the upside down picnic table in its original wood stain, circa 1988.
The conversation went something like this.
Me: There’s no hope here.
She: What. Do. You. Mean?
Me: There’s nothing I can do. I can’t save it.
She: But I like it. There has to be something you can do.
Me: No, there’s nothing left. There’s nothing to fix.
She: Can’t you nail it or bolt it or something?
Me: There’s nothing to bolt to, that’s the problem. It’s rotten. It’s done.
She: But I like it.
Me: I know you do, but it’s done.
She: Can’t you put a brick under it? It will help with the aesthetics.
Me: You’re using the word “aesthetics” when talking about displaying rotten wood? Really?
She: But I like it.
It’s been a part of the family for 25 years. Longer than our daughter.
I built it in the garage with nothing but a power drill, a circular saw and a jig saw. I used 2″ pine stock because we couldn’t afford the recommended redwood for this picnic table/bench/sideboard outdoor set. I built it with Christopher’s help, as you can see. When we moved to our new home in 1989, it came with us. When the finish didn’t fit with our new & improved vision of outdoor living … after a long discussion, it got a coat of gray paint. It got a few coats over the years … I believe in thick paint as protection against the elements. The benches lived in the garage for the Cub Scout Den Meetings we hosted. The sideboard stayed on the patio, and was the only serving surface we had until we did the outdoor kitchen….
That was in 2006. It was clear the end was near … we bought a new table and chairs for the patio. I built two new sideboards in 2011. The old picnic set got in the way, but we could NOT throw it away.
Velda liked it.
Eventually, the table moved to behind the pizza oven. The sideboard got demoted to the side yard, behind the fence where no one could see it. Velda took it as a gardening center, and seedlings, pots and hand rakes called it home.
All was fine until I needed to move it to make room for the new outbuilding that will hold the lawnmower. The sideboard had to move about 5′ to the right. And then it happened. The side board of the sideboard fell off.
25 years ago, this carriage bolt connected the right side of the sideboard to the bottom shelf. It fell to the concrete when I moved the sideboard, and I knew we were in trouble.
The cleats had literally dissolved into mush. Both the top and bottom cleats had failed, the bolts fell out, and the side fell off. Oh, the sideboard can still be propped up. It may even last through this growing season.
But it’s just about gone.
I told Velda the good news was that I could build her a new gardening center that was just what she wanted it to be.
She didn’t seem to care. You see, we were losing the sideboard.
Here we are on a day hike at Yosemite in 2007. Yes, we carry the Ten Essentials!
Spring is upon us … and it’s time to go tromping into the back country.
I’ll never forget the time a group of boys & Dads from our church decided to do the Half Dome trek in Yosemite National Park as a day hike. (note to self: don’t do THAT again). It’s a 20+ mile hike, and the technical term for this hike is that it’s a butt kicker. Many, many people do this hike in season; it’s one of those “gotta do it” hikes in California.
While on the trail, our group caught up to a young boy, about 13 years old … and his parents had sent him alone on this trail with a bottle of water and a peanut butter sandwich. I often think about that young man. I don’t know how close he got to Half Dome, but I know his parents failed in their responsibility that day.
Hiking is something that the Boy Scouts do very well, and so it’s timely to consider the Ten Essentials that Boy Scouts take on every hike. You should do the same thing … they just might save your life.
A Pocket Knife: You don’t need a weapon, but a small folding knife can help you do many things … including opening that tough bag of beef jerky you will want to bring. I prefer a Swiss army knife. Some like lock blades or multi-tools. Your mileage may vary.
A First Aid Kit: You just don’t know when you’ll need this. Moleskin is great for ill-fitting hiking boots that rub you the wrong way … duct tape can do in a pinch as well.
Extra Clothing: It’s a pain, I know, but you need to layer up. It gets cold at altitude, even in the summer.
Rain Gear: You need a poncho. You need a poncho. You need a poncho. See # 3. A sudden cloud burst, you’re cold and wet and you will not be having fun – especially if you have whining kids that you haven’t done a good job preparing for the trail.
A Flashlight: I used to swear by Mini Maglights, but now I prefer LED headlamps. And yes, take extra batteries.
Food: Nothing tastes better than a good meal in the back country. And if you burn enough calories, you can eat trail mix without gaining weight (something you can NEVER do sitting on the couch).
Water: Some like Nalgene bottles, others prefer Camelbacks … which can provide the little backpack you need to carry everything. If you’re out for any length of time, you need 2 quarts of water. If it’s hot, plan appropriately.
Matches: Don’t start a fire unless you have a permit.
Sun Protection: The sun is fierce if you’re hiking at altitude.
Map & Compass: You need to know where you are and how to get to where you’re going. A GPS is great, of course, as long as you know how to use it, and have extra batteries. And it doesn’t fall in a creek.
Half Dome is one of the most beautiful sites in California.
You may also want to carry
Insect repellent
Sunglasses
A camera & lenses, up to the amount of weight you want to carry!
Water purification system – you need to stay hydrated, and if you’re not carrying enough water to drink until your safe return, then you’re in trouble without pure water
A walking stick or trekking poles (which can double as a monopod for the camera) – which will ease the pressure on your knees. But please, please, do not use unprotected metal tips on rocky trails, as they will mark the rocks
Nylon cord (great for rigging a shade structure with your poncho)
A watch
Any medications you are to take, if they’re not in your first aid kit
Extra socks – if you are blister prone, it’s wise to be careful
Swimsuit – If you like to swim in the wilderness, you need to wear a swimsuit
TP & a trowel
A whistle
Everyone should carry their own gear! Adults, you do not carry the gear for the kids. They get to be responsible for their gear – it saves you the weight, and teaches them something about hiking.
Remember … take nothing but pictures, and leave nothing but footprints!
We’ve had some, uh, spirited conversations around the dinner table this week about CPR.
I was shocked by two ideas.
1. Assisted living facilities, such as the one in Bakersfield that is the subject of national news this week, often have corporate policies that preclude employees from offering potentially life-saving aid.
They don’t want their clients to die, really, but they REALLY don’t want to be sued.
We don’t really know what happened at the facility in full detail … it is certain that a woman called 911 from the facility, and then she refused to render aid when prompted by the emergency dispatcher. She stated this was against policy.
Not a human policy, a corporate policy. Not a law, a corporate policy.
I have read the caller was a certified nurse of some kind, but working in a non-nursing role at this facility. I have read that the patient had a “DNR” (do not resuscitate) on file, and I’ve read that she didn’t have one on file. Don’t know … and ultimately, I don’t care. The facility employee didn’t have her ethics working properly this day, and the corporation that employed her doesn’t have a heart. Clearly.
2. School districts in California often have policies that preclude teachers from offering potentially life-saving aid. Teachers cannot do CPR, even if trained (in fact, they must be trained, and then often are told not to use that skill by District rule). EpiPens cannot be administered by a teacher in a classroom, even if the student is choking from a bee sting or other allergic reaction.
Schools don’t want their students to die, really, but they REALLY don’t want to be sued.
I find this an offensive situation. School teachers should be trained in first aid. School teachers with special needs kids in their rooms (such as those requiring EpiPens) should have advanced training. And then they should be authorized to use that training when required.
It’s the human thing to do.
I was not shocked by a third idea.
3. CPR does not work all of the time … and it seldom works with old, infirm people.
Read the Alabama ER Doc’s opinion on this one (link is below). Personally, I know that emergency CPR doesn’t work all of the time … but if it’s the best first aid we have available, don’t you think we should use it, assuming it is consistent with the patient’s wishes?
Liability?
From CNN.com:
Dr. Graham Nichol, a professor of medicine at the University of Washington, said he was shocked by what happened (at the Bakersfield assisted living facility).
CPR doubles survival odds, he said.
“If liability was a concern,” Nichol said. “I would suspect there is a greater liability if someone dies.”
Actually, I’m not sure that’s true. But I do know what the human thing to do would be.
Most states have “Good Samaritan Laws” that protect citizens that act in a reasonable way, consistent with their training, to help other people in emergency situations. Because we are such a litigious society, those laws are often tested in court, and good samaritans are still sometimes sued because they attempted to render aid. There was a famous 2009 case in California, where a woman dragged a victim from the victim’s car after an accident … and the victim was then a paraplegic after the accident. The California Supreme Court found that the “aid” given by this samaritan was inappropriate, and resulted in injury to the victim. Clearly, “good” samaritans can do too much, and too much is not “good.”
It’s also true that you can be sued at any time for doing anything, or for doing nothing. Good samaritan laws are intended to protect citizens, and encourage them to help one another. Those laws are intended to be a legal shield for people like soccer coaches or Scout leaders who help the young people in their charge when they are injured.
Doesn’t that sound like a good idea?
What You Should Do
Are you CPR certified? Your local Red Cross probably offers first aid and CPR training. Get certified, and then you’ll know how to properly deal with emergency situations within your family and in the workplace. You should know what to do, shouldn’t you?
Make sure your wishes are known for how you want care administered in situations where you are incapacitated. This is particularly important for people in extended families, having distant relatives, or in unique living situations. If you don’t make your wishes known, then your next of kin WILL make those decisions for you if they are REQUIRED to do so by circumstances out of everyone’s control. Note that health care professionals do NOT make these decisions. Family members do: not life-long companions or really good friends. And, if there are multiple children disagreeing about what to do when their parent is gravely ill … then that parent may not be treated the way they would wish to be treated.
If you want to make sure your wishes are carried out, you need a POLST. Note that different states have different forms, but here’s the link for California:
“They’re ruthless killers and they’ll stop at nothing!”
If you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m a fan of the BBC’s Doctor Who show. It’s the best Science Fiction television show currently being broadcast. THE BEST. You can catch the show on BBC America, or on DVD. Highly recommended!
Doctor Who is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and bringing back several actors and characters from the show’s past, to the delight of Whovians around the world.
Prior to this return, the Ice Warriors had the distinction of appearing in the most episodes of the classic show (which originally ran 1963 – 1989, before being successfully re-booted in 2005). They appeared in four stories with the 2nd and 3rd Doctors, Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee.
The Ice Warriors spoke with a rather reptilian lisp back in the 60s. They are from Marsssss … and should return to earth in 2013’s 3rd episode, expected in April. They’ll meet Matt Smith’s 11th Doctor – in a submarine!
Ice Warriors also appeared with a related character, the Ice Lords.
Patrick Traughton, the 2nd Doctor, with the original version of the Ice Warriors.
At its best, a university becomes a community that supports its members. And that’s exactly what UCLA has done with an event put on by the Student Alumni Association called Dinner For 12 Strangers. UCLA alumni – worldwide – are asked to host dinners for fellow Bruins.
Dinners can be hosted for other alumni, or for students. Last year, UCLA alumni, including Velda, hosted nearly 400 dinners over 3 weekends.
This year, Velda partnered with Debi, her fellow UCLA alumna, good friend, co-worker, and former student (!) to co-host a Dinner. I knew we were in trouble when Debi and Martin, her husband, began unloading their car to deliver their culinary creations to our home, and they brought in serving dishes bigger than I’d ever seen.
WHAT? Bigger serving pieces than Velda uses. We were in trouble.
Velda never met a recipe she couldn’t make bigger and better. Debi and her sous chef Martin apparently subscribe to the same philosophy.
I try and keep Velda under control by helping her as little as possible. I mean, she’s only got 2 hands, right? As long as I’m not in the kitchen, she can’t reach things on the top shelves, and can’t open tightly sealed containers. If I was more available to her in the kitchen, heaven only knows how much more food she would be preparing for our clan.
Martin never got that memo, apparently. And doesn’t he know that using larger dishes only encourages Debi to fill them? Martin, I have so much to teach you.
But back to our wonderful Dinner.
8 students braved the LA freeways to find our home, and settled in to meet new friends and enjoy a casual dinner. They should have all brought a bunch of classmates … the buffet was overflowing the kitchen. Those big dishes were everywhere, it seems, and they were never empty. It was a great meal, obviously! The ladies even collaborated on a dessert that was an homage to a Westwood favorite, Diddy Riese. The meal was complete.
It was a largely medical crowd (something Velda requested), so there were post-dinner discussions of brain dissections, body fluids and what wild cats do in the dark. I just may have to publish my rules for family dinner conversation next time around….
Did we do the 8-clap? OF COURSE.
I can’t wait for 2014. Rumor has it the ladies will team up at Debi’s house next time. That’s great … unless Velda demands bigger serving dishes to keep up.
Discussion of underwear (I also had to ban “u-wear” after the girls thought they would get creative)
Discussion of body fluids (I’m married to a nurse, after all)
Hats (unless we’re outside)
Dark glasses (unless we’re outside in the sun)
Food not prepared/approved for the meal by the cook
Reading material
Homework (less of a problem with us today; we only have one student in the family right now!)
Puzzles
Doodling
Bad language
Blue humor
Shameless double entendres
Toilet humor
Those are the rules. Electronics get put away before food is passed.
What happens if discussion turns in a way unacceptable to me? I clang on my glass with a fork until it stops (which has now become a cliché, but it works!).
Problems have changed … electronics were an issue back in junior high, but not now with the twenty-somethings in the family. Language is an increasing problem, however, as it often is when that age. Unfortunately.
We sit down together, we eat together. And it is a very good thing.
Andy Griffith, graduated with a Bachelor in Music from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill in 1949. He recorded this classic comic monologue in 1953. It was a commercial success, and catapulted Griffith’s career forward to Broadway, and, eventually, Hollywood.
The text for the monologue was combined with cartoons drawn by George Woodbridge, which were published in the July 1958 MAD Magazine. This video will give you a new perspective on what everybody’s cheering for.
Andy Griffith, Tony Award-nominated and Emmy Award-nominated American actor, producer, writer, director and Grammy Award-winning southern gospel singer. Image taken as President George W. Bush presents him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. White House photo by Paul Morse.
