A few days ago I wote a letter to the editor of the small town paper we have here in Kingman, Arizona. Kingman isn't the most intellectual of places, but what they lack in mental effort the more than make up for with judgemental attitudes and archaic idealism.
I don't know whether my letter got published, the paper can't seem to figure that out and I have no need to waste money on the (Ahem) publication. So I wanted to share it with you.
Tell me what you think. If you are of a like mind, perhaps you can help come up with a way to make it irrefutable that Palin as VP is insane, and McCain in general would represent another Executive Nightmare for all of us. Even those conned into believing they should vote Republican this time too! I agree 100% with Matt Damon! And no, it's not because I'm jealous of Sarah Silverman and Jimmy Kimmel...
(As submitted to The Kingman Daily Miner 9-5-08)
Dear Editor;
25 Years of Broadcast Journalism has taught me vital lessons. I know how to listen in ways most folks don't. I can discern slight prevarication in a speaker’s eye, or twitch of the lip. My intuition is a valuable barometer that assists me in everyday life, and has also made me an effective and consistently accurate reporter.
This is how I know that we have one chance to take ourselves out of the downward spiral we've been in for a number of years, and place common sense and true human compassion back in the White House. That can't happen with John McCain and Sarah Palin.
The true and accurate information is readily available. All you have to do to find the truth is listen to your own intuition.
Sarah Palin gave her much acclaimed speech at the GOP convention as any reporter would. It was written for her, by George Bush's speechwriter to be specific, and she read it off a teleprompter, as she did when she was an on camera sports reporter at a small market television station in Alaska. I saw no more personal attachment in her as she read her speech than I have in any other reporter just delivering the weather.
Additionally, She made it clear who she is. She would have you either believing in her brand of extreme conservatism and evangelistic fanaticism, or she'll try to force you by pushing laws through that are designed to limit your personal freedoms.
Pro Life is one thing, but making even contraception a target is the control of your sexuality by the government. Be clear on that and then imagine what other of your personal rights and freedoms could be affected by an over active morality guru.
There is nothing more un-American than living in a society that doesn't respect the views of people who think and believe differently than those in charge.
The end target, the Presidency, is so much the bottom line to the McCain campaign that they have done every spin, in and out of the book, to have people believe anything, everything that would get them elected, no matter what the tactic, even if it means saying things about their opponents that just aren’t true. Who does that sound like? Even if it means manufacturing this new dynamic running mate. Sarah Palin is the product of some very talented and savvy media people.
As has been reported by every reputable media source, here are the talking points-
*Palin recently said that the war in Iraq is "God's task."
*Palin has actively sought the support of the fringe Alaska Independence Party.
(She supports Alaska seceding from the lower 48!)
*Palin wants to teach creationism in public schools.
*Palin doesn't believe that humans contribute to global warming.
*Palin has close ties to Big Oil. (Her inauguration was even sponsored by BP.)
*Palin is extremely anti-choice. She doesn't even support abortion in the case of rape or incest. Incestuous conceptions are an extreme health issue.
*Palin opposes comprehensive sex-ed in public schools. Fact: The majority of kids get their first information about sex from friends, not their parents. Schools are sometimes the only source of accurate information on this subject available to many children.
*As mayor, Palin tried to ban books from the library. Try this one on for size!! You are aware of the book burnings of Nazi Germany aren't you? This is a frightening and serious thing. This is America. We do not limit a persons desire to learn. Period!
*She DID support the Bridge to Nowhere (before she opposed it). Which gets back to the spin. She has to say what's most popular at the time for her to say if she and McCain are going to realize their "bottom line"
And here is one last observation. Upon the announcement of Palin's daughter's pregnancy, and who is half responsible for her little girl being in that condition, the McCain campaign took down the 18-year-old boyfriend's "Face Book". The reason? He made reference in it of his propensity for partying and his slightly more than salacious tendencies. He also stated clearly that he did not want to marry any time in the near future. Boy, did HE walk into a pickle because he has been notified that in fact he WILL be getting married soon. I wasn't in the room when Bristol's Mom and Dad had that conversation with the boyfriend, but again, my "News Nose" tells me that the kid is not at this time in control of his immediate future. Talk about Bambi in the headlights!
Let's think this through very carefully this time. See through the spin. They are counting on what they think is a sub-educated, basically lazy citizenry to buy what they tell us. If we do, we give life to ineptitude and dishonesty for the next however many years he manages to stay in office.
I want to live with you in the America that made all of us feel proud and appreciated. This is the most wonderful country on Earth, I've been elsewhere, I know! We keep it that way by electing people who care about things larger than themselves. Not the one's who want themselves to be the largest thing about the election.
Vote for Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
Jim Boxley
Former News Director KAAA/KZZZ
Monday, September 15, 2008
Friday, September 12, 2008
More Than The 1200 Alotted...
About me:
Born in Monterey Park, CA. Raised in El Monte. Unpopular with schoolmates and most of my family. Pretty good at singing, went to Europe with high school choir to do Bach in 1974. Father of a gorgeous girl in 1975. Her mother divorced me. Did Hollywood, and everyone else, during the late '70s and early 80's. Began radio in '85. Did some TV, brushed with famous people. Some of them liked it! Oh what I have seen!! Married the most unlikely and screwed up woman under the most unlikely and convoluted of circumstances and produced the most incredible and wonderful human being, my beloved son. GOD had hold of this one for me. Jimmy is meant to accomplish something here for all of us. I dunno, he might be Jesus, or maybe Jesus' slightly more tarnished 1st cousin. Eh, we all have issues. He too has had to endure things most have not. His mother deserted and left us with no money just as I became disabled. I divorced her. My son and I have been alone together for a number of years now and have developed the most wonderful friendship. We really like each other, and then there’s that neat Dad/Son thing. I have become a poster child for chronic pain and I've had to quit working. So I have a bunch of time to whine and bitch. MS, Arthritis and Fibromyalgia. I feel like hell, and that makes me a lot less apt to waste time. At least as I interpret wasting time. I am ferociously honest. I don't care how upset it might make you OR me, I WILL be honest. It's my only defense against people who think they know me well enough to try to manipulate me. I learned this by being the most malleable in the room. I see life as this huge spectrum of ideas, types, ways, beliefs and all the rest that we humans do. One end is as different from the other as they can be. In between are all the shades of life, all the history that’s been created and all the answers that exist. This spectrum is how we can better understand and work with each other. In all the differences, we see how we are all the same, too. I find myself agreeing often with opposite views at the same time. (Psychotropic drugs help that…) I want to use my ability to see clearly this spectrum, with all the comfortable and not so comfortable within, to encourage sincere thought sharing and to help promote the secure feeling one gets when he shares his ideas and knows that even the ones who disagree, still respect and love him because although their points clash, that’s only one thing they differ in.
Born in Monterey Park, CA. Raised in El Monte. Unpopular with schoolmates and most of my family. Pretty good at singing, went to Europe with high school choir to do Bach in 1974. Father of a gorgeous girl in 1975. Her mother divorced me. Did Hollywood, and everyone else, during the late '70s and early 80's. Began radio in '85. Did some TV, brushed with famous people. Some of them liked it! Oh what I have seen!! Married the most unlikely and screwed up woman under the most unlikely and convoluted of circumstances and produced the most incredible and wonderful human being, my beloved son. GOD had hold of this one for me. Jimmy is meant to accomplish something here for all of us. I dunno, he might be Jesus, or maybe Jesus' slightly more tarnished 1st cousin. Eh, we all have issues. He too has had to endure things most have not. His mother deserted and left us with no money just as I became disabled. I divorced her. My son and I have been alone together for a number of years now and have developed the most wonderful friendship. We really like each other, and then there’s that neat Dad/Son thing. I have become a poster child for chronic pain and I've had to quit working. So I have a bunch of time to whine and bitch. MS, Arthritis and Fibromyalgia. I feel like hell, and that makes me a lot less apt to waste time. At least as I interpret wasting time. I am ferociously honest. I don't care how upset it might make you OR me, I WILL be honest. It's my only defense against people who think they know me well enough to try to manipulate me. I learned this by being the most malleable in the room. I see life as this huge spectrum of ideas, types, ways, beliefs and all the rest that we humans do. One end is as different from the other as they can be. In between are all the shades of life, all the history that’s been created and all the answers that exist. This spectrum is how we can better understand and work with each other. In all the differences, we see how we are all the same, too. I find myself agreeing often with opposite views at the same time. (Psychotropic drugs help that…) I want to use my ability to see clearly this spectrum, with all the comfortable and not so comfortable within, to encourage sincere thought sharing and to help promote the secure feeling one gets when he shares his ideas and knows that even the ones who disagree, still respect and love him because although their points clash, that’s only one thing they differ in.
It's Just Over There, Ya Know...
Okay, I get it. The McCain/Palin ticket is really a new kind of comedy vehicle. I mean, it was a joke when Sarah Palin told Charlie Gibson on ABC news last night something to the effect of; 'Oh, yeah... I'm very acquainted with international affairs. In fact, you can SEE Russia from Alaska, ya know, umm hmmm...'. Egads, boys and girls! That's good stuff!
She squirmed, and fidgeted and tried really hard to look in control, but what I saw was someone completely out of her league.
I've done a few on camera interviews for broadcast entities I've worked for. Janet Napolitano, (*By the way, she prefers "Nah-pawl-eh-taan-oh) now governor of Arizona, was running for Arizona State Attorney General when she sat down with me for an on camera interview. One of her first. She was a bit nervous, but often the on air folk are too, so that's not here nor there. She knew her stuff! She knew her positions, she had her talking points in hand and conducted herself with self assurance. For those reasons, she came off as grounded and sane.
Ol Sarah, here was a bit off her footing. She was intimidated and it was obvious. What was most obvious was why she was intimidated. She doesn't know what the hell she's talking about. She knows that, and she's deathly afraid, probably downright sure that you'll figure this out! Uh, Sarah.... Dear, we already have.
She'll appear again tonight on ABC WORLD NEWS w/CHARLES GIBSON. Check your local listings, oughta be a hoot... Ya know? Ummm hmmm.
She squirmed, and fidgeted and tried really hard to look in control, but what I saw was someone completely out of her league.
I've done a few on camera interviews for broadcast entities I've worked for. Janet Napolitano, (*By the way, she prefers "Nah-pawl-eh-taan-oh) now governor of Arizona, was running for Arizona State Attorney General when she sat down with me for an on camera interview. One of her first. She was a bit nervous, but often the on air folk are too, so that's not here nor there. She knew her stuff! She knew her positions, she had her talking points in hand and conducted herself with self assurance. For those reasons, she came off as grounded and sane.
Ol Sarah, here was a bit off her footing. She was intimidated and it was obvious. What was most obvious was why she was intimidated. She doesn't know what the hell she's talking about. She knows that, and she's deathly afraid, probably downright sure that you'll figure this out! Uh, Sarah.... Dear, we already have.
She'll appear again tonight on ABC WORLD NEWS w/CHARLES GIBSON. Check your local listings, oughta be a hoot... Ya know? Ummm hmmm.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
ex curia?
Ex Curia is the Latin term for "Out of Court". I thought this an appropriate title for a blog I might write because what occurs to me, what is important to me, what concerns me cannot be dragged before a "Jury of My Peers" or other entity that would be indifferent. I want to share with you our most human of thoughts, with the knowledge that those thoughts will be honored and respected.
I assure any reader that this is a collection of beliefs and opinions, just like any other blog. I also assure any reader that as long as respect is shown, all honest input will be respected and in fact celebrated!
Here's the reason. Are we going to Hell in a handbasket, or is what the world experiences these days "GOD's plan? Or, is a liberal approach the best one? Should we bring back the John Birchers? Do YOU know? Neither do I, but I think each of us has a better idea than we might be letting on. For us to openly share those popular, unpopular, disgusting, enlightening, rediculous or right on view points is a direct line to the want for change and happiness that regardless of creedo or conviction, we all share together.
Here, you don't have to belong because you already do. I don't know whether any one group has a real advantage over another, but I do know that I have never liked or disliked a fellow human based on anything other than his or her own merits. I've seen much in my young 52 years. I tend to be pretty accurate in my comments observations according to feedback from a number of independent and diverse sources. I think most of us experience that. I think the majority are very intelligent, intuitive and thoughtful people.
So let's share it all, right here. This is the place you talk about whatever is on your mind. It's the place where we will all have the opportunity to voice it and then read about it.
What are you thinking about today?
I assure any reader that this is a collection of beliefs and opinions, just like any other blog. I also assure any reader that as long as respect is shown, all honest input will be respected and in fact celebrated!
Here's the reason. Are we going to Hell in a handbasket, or is what the world experiences these days "GOD's plan? Or, is a liberal approach the best one? Should we bring back the John Birchers? Do YOU know? Neither do I, but I think each of us has a better idea than we might be letting on. For us to openly share those popular, unpopular, disgusting, enlightening, rediculous or right on view points is a direct line to the want for change and happiness that regardless of creedo or conviction, we all share together.
Here, you don't have to belong because you already do. I don't know whether any one group has a real advantage over another, but I do know that I have never liked or disliked a fellow human based on anything other than his or her own merits. I've seen much in my young 52 years. I tend to be pretty accurate in my comments observations according to feedback from a number of independent and diverse sources. I think most of us experience that. I think the majority are very intelligent, intuitive and thoughtful people.
So let's share it all, right here. This is the place you talk about whatever is on your mind. It's the place where we will all have the opportunity to voice it and then read about it.
What are you thinking about today?
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