O/T: I Vent My Spleen

[Robatoy]

Yabbut you hafta gimme a hint as to how long it took you to go through highschool, Lew..

[loutent]

A couple of years back I really got into some of the "Old Time Radio" web sites. There is a lot of public domain stuff that you can download and relive your childhood.

I got a kick out of The Shadow.

Oh yeah - you can get the on Usenet too.

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"Who knows what evil lurks...."

Today, I think it's JT!!!

Lou

[Mark & Juanita]

One thing that hasn't been addressed yet is how the news media took and ran with this story, apparently without bothering to attempt to get official confirmation. After all, that confirmation might have taken them

15 to 20 minutes and lost them the scoop. Not only did the families of those miners suffer such an agonizing let-down because someone at the scene thought they heard something and just couldn't wait to get on the phone to someone else, since the news media (the professional reporters) really stepped on their d!*&$s rushing to be the first to report the story, the rest of us who had been praying for a successful rescue similar to the last accident were also affected -- albeit by orders of magnitude less than the families. This was then one of those cases where the company was then caught in a no-win situation -- they did not immediately know all of the facts either, so what were they to do, tell people to stop celebrating, or wait until they had all the facts? +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

[Mark & Juanita]

During college, since I commuted from home, I would eat lunch in my car. KOA radio played old radio shows during the noon hour. Those were great fun, George and Gracie ("Say goodnight Gracie"), Fibber McGee and Molly, The Great Gildersleeves -- that really was a golden art. Funny without being crude.

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

[Edwin Pawlowski]

I was wondering about that too. Or was the "official" confirmation screwed up too? This story is far from over.

[Fly-by-Night CC]

I'm c. 1961.

One of my favorites as a youngster in LA area around '65 was Bozo the Clown. When I see clips of the show now, I'm struck by how creepy the characters are. Otherwise, it was Gumby & Pokey, Hercules and Sinbad cartoons.

A few short years ago my 7 year old watched Teletubbies - now _that's_ one weird show. One of my favorites for our kid is Jakers on PBS weekends - it's a great show and all the adults I've run into who know it, love it and watch it as well.

[Charles Self]

I seem to recall some official or company type getting a garbled message and leaping to conclusions here. How the media got a hold if, I don't know, but IIRC, the families did NOT find out from the media, but from someone closer to the situation.

[Odinn]

At 40, you're one of the younger in here. I'm 45 and feel like a youngin in here, altho in the computer chats and newsgroups, I'm one of the olduns.

I know I'm not a babe magnet in the "pretty boy" sense, but I do attract those looking for that "bad boy" image. 5 kids ranging from 11 to 27, 3 grandkids and one on the way. In the 32 years I've been in the workforce, I've worked in construction, both residential and commercial, been a software developer and an admin, been both a short order chef and a dishwasher, been a pizza delivery driver, a minister, an auto mechanic, a steam turbine operator/mechanic, and almost a nuclear power plant operator.

[Mark & Juanita]

Seems there were two information paths stemming from a single event. The first, someone at the command center (who was not an official spokesperson) heard a message, "we found them!", took that to mean they had found them alive and rushed to call the relatives based upon that incomplete set of information. This set off a round of celebrations and church bell ringing that got the attention of reporters. In the two accounts I read, the reporters heard the celebration and saw people running in the street shouting, "they found them alive! (or only 1 dead, the accounts I read varied on that detail)". That is what the reporters then broadcast live rather than as they should have done, contacting the company officials to get the real story. Now, this was based on stories written immediately folowing the event. That can be both good and bad, on the good side, nobody had yet had a chance to come up with a story to cover themselves, on the negative side, it was based upon preliminary impressions that may or may not have been accurate.

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

[squarei4dtoolguy]

?!

I believe that's a relative question. In reality it should be said, "someday I'm going to realize what I am (or was) now that I've grown old." It's just too early for us to determine right now.

Tom in KY, 40 year old kid ;-D

[Robatoy]

[snipped an excellent synopsis of what transpired live on CNN due to brevity]

Chicken/egg, dog wagging tail etc... what I saw was that Anderson Cooper (AC) was approached by a very excited chum of one of the miners who told AC that they found "twelve alive, twelve alive". AC wanted to find out where he got the info. Then he heard the jubilation and reported the events as they unfolded. At no time did CNN state categorically that they were found alive, they always prefaced any comments with "we are told" "Story has" "people are saying". I'm no Cooper fan, but I found him very guarded and reserved until the 'buzz' became so overwhelming That it "must be true". On several occasions did he mention that he was awaiting official confirmation.

It was very unfortunate that the rumour flared up like it did, but to try the pin all that on the media, in this case, is unfair. I said; "In This Case."...because quite often they are bloodsucking vultures who don't give a rat's ass about people's feelings.

They reported the rumour. They did not start the rumour. This time.

r

[Edwin Pawlowski]

I'm 60 and still a babe magnet. How do I know? I get email all the time stating that young women want to meet me and even marry me. Just this morning, I got a note from "large breasted woman" that wants to contact me. I think I'm going to give her my credit card number so she can buy a ticket to come here for a dinner meeting.

[Mark & Juanita]

Hey, wait a minute, I'm getting the same e-mails, don't tell me she's two-timing? Ah, man, I'm devastated. :-(

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

[todd]

Jakers is quite funny and is one of those cartoons that sometimes operates on different levels. I always thought Foghorn Leghorn was the same way. Other current cartoons that are watchable for adults IMHO are Stanley and Lazy Town. On the flip side are Teletubbies, Boobah, and Caillou. I forbid Caillou to be shown in our house. My little ones already know how to whine without it being reinforced on TV.

todd

[Fly-by-Night CC]

I don't mind Caillou anywhere near as much as Teletubbies and Boobah (ugh I had forgotten about that oddity). I mean, I like passing gas just as much as the next guy, but when Tinky, LaLa or whoever does it on Tubbies squeaks one out, it just rubs me the wrong way.

[todd]

I almost forgot...if you get this PBS Sprout channel, there is a cartoon that pops up now and then called James the Cat. My only explanation for this show is that the writers write this show stoned.

todd