see . hear . feel

The Art & Wisdom of Baltasar Gracián

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Huckabee) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 03:20:00 +0000

Found a file on my computer dated September 18, 2006, when I first learned of Baltasar Gracián. Wanted to share it for the Holidays; thought you might like to print it and place it in your powder room for guests.

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From The Art of Worldly Wisdom, 1637, by Baltasar Gracián, a Spanish Jesuit priest:

1. Be common in nothing.
2. Make people depend on you.
3. Cultivate relationships with those who can teach you.
4. Post yourself in the center of things.
5. Knowledge has a purpose.
6. Know how to take a hint.
7. Be a person of integrity.
8. Have a reputation for being gracious.
9. Know how to withdraw.
10. Know your strongest quality.
11. Think things over, especially those that are most important.
12. Gain people’s goodwill.
13. Never exaggerate.
14. Use, but do not abuse, cunning.
15. Never lose your self-respect.
16. Never be upset.
17. Look into the interior of things.
18. See to it that things end well.
19. Know how to say “no.”
20. Do not vacillate.
21. Do not be unapproachable.
22. Do not always be joking.
23. Drain nothing to the dregs, neither good nor bad.
24. Keep expectations alive.
25. Obtain and preserve a reputation.
26. Do not parade your position.
27. Show no self satisfaction.
28. The shortest path to greatness is along with others.
29. Have the art of conversation.
30. Live practically.
31. Avoid affectation.
32. Get used to the failings of those around you.
33. Have friends.
34. Think beforehand.
35. Do and be seen doing.
36. Do not take payment in politeness.
37. Find the good in a thing at once.
38. Do not be a bore.
39. Be able to stomach big slices of luck.
40. Be a person without illusions.
41. Do not wait till you are a setting sun.
42. Make yourself sought after.
43. Do not hold your views too firmly.
44. Do not be a slave of first impressions.
45. Always act as if others were watching.
46. Know how to get your price for things.
47. Do not believe, or like, lightly.
48. Select your friends.
49. Do not make mistakes about character.
50. Be careful in speaking.
51. Know your pet faults.
52. Distinguish people of words from people of deeds.
53. Know how to relay on yourself.
54. Act sometimes on second thought, sometimes on first impulse.
55. In all things, keep something in reserve.
56. Never contend with someone who has something to lose.
57. Do not live in a hurry.
58. Have knowledge, or know those who do.
59. Trust your heart.
60. Reticence is the seal of capacity.
61. A grain of boldness is everything.
62. Do not carry fools on your back.
63. Recognize faults, however highly placed.
64. Be the bearer of praise.
65. Find consolation of all things.
66. Adapt yourself to those around you.
67. A peaceful life is a long life.
68. Watch out for people who begin with another’s concern to end with their own.
69. Have reasonable views of yourself and your affairs.
70. Know how to appreciate.
71. Do not waste influence.
72. Know how to transplant yourself.
73. Find your proper place by merit, not by presumption.
74. Leave something to wish for.
75. Words and deeds make the perfect person.
76. Know the great people of your age.
77. Attempt easy tasks as if they were difficult and difficult as if they were easy.
78. Do not turn one blunder into two.
79. Be expressive.
80. Never act from obstinacy but from knowledge.
81. Do not seize occasions to embarrass yourself or others.
82. Reserve is proof of prudence.
83. Do not be inaccessible.
84. Plan out your life wisely.
85. Open your eyes early.
86. Never let things be seen half-finished.
87. Know how to ask.
88. Have original and out-of-the-way views.
89. Know a little more, live a little less.
90. Do not explain too much.
91. Do good a little at a time, but often.
92. Go prepared.
93. Never let matters come to a breaking point.
94. Be able to forget.
95. Have no careless days.
96. Set difficult tasks for those under you.
97. Know how to renew you character, both with nature and with art.
98. Find favor with people of good sense.
99. Have the gift of discovery.
100. Know how to test people.
101. In times of prosperity, prepare for adversity.

An Impressive 7 Seconds

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Huckabee) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:29:00 +0000

Can You Do This 1 ? - Click here for more amazing videos

Glee - "Say A Little Prayer For You"

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Huckabee) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 04:26:00 +0000

This features les girls, including Heather Elizabeth Morris on the right.

Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Huckabee) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:34:00 +0000

Wow. What a terrible day. In all my life, I've never idolized anyone more than I did Michael Jackson when I was a kid, nor have I ever lusted after anyone more than I lusted after Farrah Fawcett when I was little more than a kid. Today we lost them both.

A lot can be said of Jackson's eccentricity, but I've never seen anyone work harder. I had the honor of serving him and his dedicated music production team in the mid-90s during a fevered recording stint as he attempted to hold on to a greatness that eventually eluded him. The result of that effort was the album "HIStory," a two-disc set of greatest hits and new material that became a footnote in the greater history of a man who was once the biggest star in the world.

As for Farrah, it was all about the poster. I had one. There was one in almost every dorm room at my boarding school. It hung on the backs of doors, on walls, inside closets and on ceilings above beds. The hair. The teeth. The nipples. Even the autograph. She taught me a lot, and I still have this Oedipus thing against Lee Majors.

Photos: Michale Jackson by Henry Ditz, Corbis; Farrah Fawcett by who knows.

Jay Leno Makes Fun of Wanda Sykes Making Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Huckabee) — Sat, 30 May 2009 20:47:00 +0000

Check out this clip. The story was on Wanda and what she had to say about Michelle Obama. To me, the story of this clip is Leno's reaction.

Better Neighbors

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Huckabee) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 13:57:00 +0000

CARIBOU ON EAST FRANKLIN ST., CHAPEL HILL, NC - “I didn’t come here to debate the past," said President Obama at a gathering of Western Hemisphere leaders on Friday. "I came here to deal with the future.”

I'm not sure why I find the picture so puzzling. Is it Obama's smile or Chavez's? Am I a victim of prior US propaganda against Venezuela, or an armchair policy maker with a friend who lives outside Caracas telling me things are so bad, folks there may soon start eating each other?

Obama's is a wry smile. He's moves ahead of Chavez on just how US relations with Venuzuela will go, from which he obviously derives comfort and confidence. Chaves has the beaming smile of a litter runt that says simply, "Thanks for the recognition!"

The New York Times reports an exchange of "warm words" between US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Cuba's leader, Raúl Castro, a clear sign that the US is placing an emphasis on straightening out relations with our close neighbors, particularly in an age when nuclear nonproliferation is declining and home sites for nuclear launch silos are all about location, location, location.

Perhaps Obama and Chavez are genuinely happy to meet each other and hope for a friendship of sorts that could lead to good things.

New York Times photo / Pool photo by Mariamma Kambon

What is a Tarheel, Anyway?

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Huckabee) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 20:49:00 +0000

Today, a Tarheel is a national champion. The Tarheels of UNC handily defeated the Michigan State Spartans for the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship in what was billed as talent vs. grit, with odds makers favoring talent by 7.5 points.

While last night's 89-72 win was a crowning moment for Roy Williams and the UNC program, imagine what it mean for Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Danny Green, and Wayne Ellington, all of whom decided to return for this very moment. As a friend said today, the character of these young men is inspirational.

There are many legendary explanations for the history of the term "tarheel": the ability to hold ground, reluctant secession, river fording. All were in play last night. The win ended one of the most dominant runs in NCAA tournament history, with an average victory of over 20 points per game. No more rivers to ford, and the feet are fine, thanks. As for the ability to hold ground and reluctant secession, well, Tarheel fans owe those returning players a debt of gratitude for giving them this moment.

Photo from the New York Times by Paul Sancya/Associated Press

VIDEO: TIMELAPSE SHOT OF VICTORY CELEBRATION ON CHAPEL HILL'S FRANKLIN STREET:

Timelapse: Franklin Street after the victory from The Daily Tar Heel on Vimeo.

President Barack Obama talks with Jay Leno

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Huckabee) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:24:00 +0000

He was poised, confident and inspiring, and he gave viewers the feeling that while we have a lot of hard work to do, we'll make it through and our country will be as strong as ever. It's a message you'd expect coming out of the White House, but you'd never expect its messenger, the president himself, to give it on a late-night talk show.

On the topic of the economy, and specifically AIG, it's the dirty little secret that President Obama so candidly stated that seems to get overlooked most. “Most of the stuff that got us into trouble was perfectly legal," he reminded Leno. "And that is a sign of how much we’ve got to change our laws.” He went on to explain in a simplified manner how credit default swaps brought down the house of cards for AIG and others, and he spoke of his short-term and long-term policies that he feels will put us on the right road to recovery.

On the personal side, his charm won the day. He finds flying on Air Force One pretty "cool," and particularly likes it when the flight crew gives him "that jacket with the little seal."

His comedic timing was impeccable. On the topic of pick-up basketball games at the White House, Leno wanted to know if they let him win. "Do they throw the game?" he asked.

President Obama gave an incredulous look and a studied pause, which brought a roar of laughter from the crowd. "I don' think I get the hard fouls I used to," he said.

He picks the UNC Tarheels to win the NCAA tournament. When Leno pointed out that North Carolina was a swing state, Obama implied that all of his Final Four picks come from swing states.

And finally, Leno's burning question: "What about the dog?"

The dog is coming soon, Obama said, most definitely. Then added, "They say if you want a friend in Washngton, get a dog."

WATCH OBAMA WITH LENO (NBC):

Photo Credit: Gerald Herbert/Associated Press

Bernanke on the AIG Bonuses on 60 Minutes

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Huckabee) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:12:00 +0000

It's a mess. Attitudes are changing, and I'm sure that the stress test the Treasury is putting the banks through has an analog in the halls of Congress. As for the bonuses, it's as much media driven as it is a political smoke screen. Think about it: it's a sensational representation of greed at the top and corruption within the system. But for politicians, it's a different thing altogether.

Everyone knows there's as much accountability in government as there is among the CEOs and their minions. And I hear politicians - Chuck Schumer, Barney Frank, John Boehner, Dodd, and even Obama - blaming politicians, some of them even themselves, every day. And they're starting to look back not 8 years but 12 years or more as they stop using this "what we inherited" crap.

I was in corporate America for several years and I understand the nature of these compensation contracts. But their very legality points to the unconscionable nature of the greater crisis: Our laws don't reflect our values.

My prediction: some of the as yet unnamed bonus recipients (but not many) will return their bonuses; Liddy, the CEO of AIG, who is a piece of milk toast standing behind not only the legality of the contracts but his company's policy guideline that these bonuses are necessary to retain good people (are you kidding me?!), will be pushed to the brink of obstruction of justice when he appears before Congress, but he will cave and Cuomo and the Feds will get the names and info they requested; and finally, the bonus money that isn't returned will instead be added to AIG's bill to the American people. It's the best we can hope for. That, and that the government doesn't allow AIG to fail.

If you can, catch the U.S. governement's publicity piece on 60 Minutes from Sunday. Bernanke gave the first-ever Fed Chairman interview, scared out of his skull, but had some interesting things to say. He is one of the country's foremost authorities on the Great Depression.

WATCH 60 MINUTES (CBS, MARCH 15, 2009):

Why the Eve Carson Story Matters

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Huckabee) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 15:48:00 +0000

A friend asked recently about my fascination with the Eve Carson story. I had never heard of Eve until the story of her murder broke. But once I saw the effect her loss had on the campus of UNC at Chapel Hill and began to dig into the details, I realize that this is a very significant story.

Eve was the student body president of the University of North Carolina. With only weeks to go before her graduation, she was abducted from her apartment very early one morning and a short time later brutally murdered.

At lunch the day it happened, I heard that there had been a murder. A scream and gunshots reported by a friend who lived in the neighborhood. A murder scene. But there were no details. What unfolded has captivated me ever since.

I'm an alumnus, class of 1984, and I live in Chapel Hill, which would explain my initial interest. But what makes this story so compelling is that on any continuum, it shows us everything: what is right in this world and what is wrong, our strengths and our weaknesses, the hope which can be fostered and the destruction of neglect.

By looking at the individuals - Eve and her murderers, Demario James Atwater and Laurence Alvin Lovette Jr. - we see good and evil, the hopeful and the hopeless, the privileged and the abandoned. And when we look at the "system", that unaccountable void to which we too often point a finger, it's easy to see what's been placed on display and what's been swept under the carpet.

We need the display. We needed Eve Carson and we need more like her. The tragic irony is that had she lived, she was just the sort of person who would have helped clean what's under the carpet.

WATCH THE VIDEO (ATW ORIGINAL):

Humanitarian Crisis Still Plaguing Zimbabwe

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Huckabee) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 14:53:00 +0000

The plight of Zimbabweans continues. An estimated 3 million have fled the economic collapse and deplorable humanitarian conditions of their homeland, risking their lives as they cross into bordering states, notably South Africa, seeking asylum papers. They all prefer sleeping on the dirt in refugee areas instead of under their own roofs in Zimbabwe.

Matt Damon, the Hollywood actor, is appalled at what he has seen and heard during his time in South Africa. He is a member of the human rights group, Not On Our Watch, founded by Hollywood celebs to draw attention to the crisis.

"I have spoken to so many people who went through so much to get to this point. It is testament to the situation across the border in Zimbabwe," Damon said to The Associated Press in an exclusive interview. He went on to tell stories of groups of people bravely swimming across the Limpopo River, which is infested with crocodiles and hippos. One woman did this with her baby on her back. Of the thirteen people she swam with, only five made it across.

Particularly disturbing is the sexual violence against women. Once out of the river, the trail to the the refugee camps is littered with bandits, Damon said, who lure or simply drag women away and rape them. He said he had yet to speak with a woman who hadn't been raped.

The U.S. Department of State has issued this statement: "The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has agreed to join a unity government with Robert Mugabe under the conditions called for in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) January 27 Communiqué. The success or failure of such a government will depend on credible and inclusive power sharing by Robert Mugabe and his ZANU-PF party. The international community must remain engaged and continue to scrutinize actions by Mr. Mugabe to ensure adherence to the letter and spirit of this agreement, including respect for human rights and the rule of law. We urge SADC to fulfill its obligation to guarantee that Mr. Mugabe proceeds on a new path toward reconciliation and genuine partnership with the MDC.

"The U.S. will only consider new development assistance and easing of targeted sanctions when we have seen evidence of true power sharing as well as inclusive and effective governance. We will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to the Zimbabwean people in their time of suffering."

Photo: AP Photo/Jerome Delay

Things change.

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Huckabee) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 03:14:00 +0000

He's doing what he said he would. Politico reports he's doing it with aplomb, citing six reasons why he "went big" on the budget: mojo, negotiating position, leadership, his odds, his leverage, and because he promised. I call it chivalry.

Tommie Smith and John Carlos

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Huckabee) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 12:49:00 +0000

FROM OUR ARCHIVES - Here are Tommie Smith and John Carlos on election night, 2008. You'll remember them from the 1968 Olympics in Mexico as the pair who helped take the civil rights movement global.

In July of 2008, they each accepted the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage for the stand they took that night in Mexico. Their actions brought greater attention to the movement, selflessly overshadowing their own personal achievements that day on the track. A statue of them with their raised, black-gloved fists exists on the campus of San Jose State University.

North Carolina Museum of Art

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Huckabee) — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 17:38:00 +0000

The museum expansion is on schedule and the new building is slated to open in April 2010. Staffers move in earlier as they oversee the relocation of the museum's permanent collection of over 5000 items and pester the IT/MIS guys until all their computers are up and running.

The 127,000 square foot building was designed by noted architect Thomas Phifer of Thomas Phifer and Partners, New York. The museum's 164-acre campus is the nation's largest museum park with walking paths, bike trails, ecological projects conceived with artists, and site-specific commissioned works in a rolling green landscape. For more info, check out the North Carolina Museum of Art's website.

A Thousand Words under review

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Huckabee) — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 17:26:00 +0000

In the spirit of change, A Thousand Words will experience some design improvements in 2009. We'll be introducing some of Dreamweaver's Spry widgets, combining javascript and XHTML. I know: thrilling! Stay close; we're hoping for a feast for the eyes and ears. And if you're wondering if we can do it for your site, just remember: yes we can!

SNL Biden Palin Debate Parody

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Huckabee) — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 20:16:00 +0000

050702_0001 (or K9)

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Huckabee) — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 21:42:00 +0000

050702_0001 (or K9)
Originally uploaded by iconoblast.

Now that's a face.

Onion Dog ... WHOOOF!

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Huckabee) — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 02:37:00 +0000

Waiting for Abramoff

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Huckabee) — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 16:59:00 +0000

Jack Abramoff pleads guilty and America waits. Josh Marshall (Talking Points Memo) is following this one and has posted an interesting corollary: Abscam. He’s also posted a copy of the indictment if you care to plunge into some less than fascinating legal literature. This could be the beginning of the end for many in Congress, or it could be quickly swept under the benches. America waits.

Ducks in a Roe

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Huckabee) — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 17:04:00 +0000

The Roberts appointment to Chief Justice and whomever fills O’Connor’s seat raises little concern for me with regard to Roe v. Wade. In fact, one pro-choice theory has it that the best thing that could happen for abortion rights is for Roe to be overturned. If you dig into this, you’ll see that it’s one of the most tenuous decisions ever handed down by the court. It’s hanging by a very thin thread of a shredding black robe, if you don’t mind a sloppy stab at a little metaphor.

First of all, if overturned, abortion laws would bounce down to the state level. Of the 21 states that would likely ban abortion, seven have democratic governors. But here’s the kicker: What Republican congressmen and senators throughout Washington know and fear is that much of their constituencies are indeed a silent majority who favor abortion rights in spite of a very vocal and active few who protest against them. I think what we’ll see on social issues in the near future will be much more blue than red.

Congress will shit itself if Roe v. Wade is overturned because all of their protestations and posturing will not be backed by their constituencies. And they’ll all look like vote-grabbing politicians when their voters force them to reverse their position and pass abortion rights legislation. Point is, Congress doesn’t want this burden; they want it to remain in the judicial branch, which, unfortunately because of the weak “right to privacy” argument made in Roe, is not where it currently belongs. (See these links:

http://writ.news.findlaw.com/lazarus/20021003.html
http://writ.news.findlaw.com/lazarus/20030123.html
http://writ.news.findlaw.com/lazarus/20040916.html)

We need a stronger argument than Roe. And I don’t think the court, whomever comprises it, will take on a case any time soon that doesn’t preserve the Roe decision. It’s not the right time, and it is political.

(To post a comment, click “Comments” just below.)

Beam me up, FEMA. Please!

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Huckabee) — Mon, 12 Sep 2005 13:00:00 +0000

If you mention Bill Cooper’s name to anyone in intelligence, you’ll get a chuckle or you’ll see their eyes roll. Cooper was a former United States Naval Intelligence briefing team member who went AWOL in the early 1970s after claiming to have learned that the Office of Naval Intelligence had participated in the assassination of President Kennedy. He returned to duty after an unnoticeable amount of time and was able to glean several other very interesting pieces of information from the Navy. He learned that the primary task of the NSA is alien communication and other extraterrestrial projects, that the CIA controls most of the world’s illegal drug markets, and that a Polish chemist, who manufactured cyanide and sold it to the Nazis for use in Auschwitz, later became the pope, Pope John Paul II.

Before Cooper was killed - as much by his own paranoia as by the Apache County Sheriff’s office in Phoenix, who shot him dead on his own front lawn when he used a small hand gun to resist arrest - he posited conspiracy theories so complex, so threaded and so convincing that even today they quickly turn chuckles and rolling eyes into tight lips.

Cooper had a theory on FEMA. He believed that FEMA was created in advance of the New World Order which is to emerge on some apocalyptic day to handle alien beings and the nasty little threat they may pose to the public. While FEMA was established to take control of local, state and federal government in the case of a national emergency, Cooper believed there was more to it. He believed the alien threat was just an excuse by the ruling elite to set up the agency; their real intention, he said, is to use the agency as a means to suspend the constitution and seize world power.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency was the twinkle in President Kennedy’s eye when, in 1962, he signed Executive Order 11051 establishing national preparedness for “war,” “general war,” and “eminent attack”. Then in 1969, what would later become FEMA was actually conceived when President Nixon signed Executive Order 11490, an order that superseded Kennedy’s by replacing the phrases “war,” “general war,” and “eminent attack” with the clause “during any emergency that might conceivably occur.” In 1979, when Carter signed Executive Order 12148, effectively combining several government agencies that had been acting independently to protect the public from many types of disasters, FEMA was born.

Cooper’s reasoning was simple: because FEMA will assume control of all levels of government during a national disaster, it will act outside the constructs of the US constitution. The president would declare a national state of emergency and FEMA would take over. The constitution would have to be suspended and martial law declared. In with the ruling elite, and bring on them aliens!

We’ve learned recently how ill-prepared FEMA is for rescue and relief. I too roll my eyes at Cooper’s theories, but after such a display of ineptitude on the part of FEMA and initial apathy on the part of President Bush, I'm beginning to wonder if we wouldn't be better off with the aliens. On the face of it, FEMA is the same type of towering and teetering layer cake covered with icing that our intelligence community proved to be after 9/11: many agencies, very little coordination and a lot of cover-up.

At its outset, FEMA absorbed many agencies and activities, including the Federal Preparedness Agency of the General Services Administration, the National Fire Prevention and Control Administration, the Federal Insurance Administration, the Federal Disaster Assistance Administration activities from HUD, the National Weather Service Community Preparedness Program, and the civil defense responsibilities from the Defense Department's Defense Civil Preparedness Agency. What a mess!

In 1993, President Clinton put James Witt in charge of FEMA. He was the first director of the agency with state emergency experience. Witt implemented sweeping reforms for disaster relief and recovery operations and re-focused the agency on preparedness and mitigation. According to the FEMA website, the end of the Cold War allowed Witt to redirect agency resources from civil defense to disaster relief. Witt tried to do the right thing, shaped it up, made FEMA what he thought it needed to be. Piece of cake.

But let me beat this metaphor to death. In March of 2003, FEMA was rolled in with 22 other federal agencies and organizations to become part of the Department of Homeland Security. Can you imagine the size of this layer cake? And given that it was set up by the same administration who brought us WMD and the promise of a cheap and easy war, can you imagine how much icing is needed to cover this whole thing up?

Bill Cooper would tell us the creation of the Department of Homeland Security is yet another step toward the formation of the New World Order, that it’s part of a finely crafted plan being put in place to stage a national or perhaps a world disaster that will call for the suspension of the constitution and the declaration of martial law. A “secret” government will come forward, a single world government, coordinated and commanding, protective and demanding. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, well, we’d just take their word for it that they’ve got us covered.

I don’t share Bill Cooper’s belief in the clandestine abilities of our current government. They can’t punch themselves out of a wet paper security briefing folder. I suppose Cooper would tell us that the Katrina rescue and recovery is proof that his theory is right, that all of FEMA’s and the DHS’s funding and planning have gone not into handling little hurricanes, but into what the ruling elite consider a real threat.

Bring on the aliens! Maybe they’ll save us from ourselves.

(To post a comment, please click “Comments” just below.)

Get over yourself, CNN.

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Huckabee) — Mon, 05 Sep 2005 06:01:00 +0000

The news media needs to get over itself. Particularly CNN, who we've come to count on for getting the complete and true story out. Dispense with this "business better than usual" bullshit (we've seen too many of them - from Larry King to Paula Zahn - holding back smiles as they report on the greatest story of their careers) and start using their crews on the ground to facilitate communication.

And this goes out to major televised news media outlets everywhere: stop the reporting; it's been the same crap for days and it's old and no longer useful. Be useful. Start by taking the two-man camera crew away from Dr. Phil, for crying out loud, and send them into the Astro Dome to give as many refugees as possible the chance to get their faces on camera and show loved ones they're alive. Who cares what Dr. Phil has to say at this point in the tragedy. Damn! Want people glued to your channel? Broadcast only interviews with the victims. Give them 30 seconds each starting today!

What are you guys thinking about???

(To post a comment, click "Comments" just below.)

Is it time for a change?

noreply@blogger.com (Ian Huckabee) — Sun, 04 Sep 2005 06:31:00 +0000

I was surprised by how few people thought so prior to Katrina. She stripped away the rouge and mascara to show how unattractive it really is underneath: layers of class distinctions and layer upon layer of government that has failed us all.

Who's responsible? Any one who didn't care quite enough. Which, of course, means all of us - survivors, victims, the unaffected. Ask yourself each day:

What am I buying into?
Why do I have so little time to make it better?
Why aren't donations enough?
Have I ever really been called to action, or have I only ever been simply lulled into submission?
Is there a levee in my back yard?

Real leadership couldn't have stopped Katrina, but it would have been the proper escort for many of her victims. There is a levee in your back yard. Choose your escort now.

Forget the old icons. Make new ones.

(To post a comment, click "Comments" just below.)