Bill's Big Diamond Blog

Another Reason to Love NY

Here's yet another reason I love NY.

UPDATE:  Here's video of the rescue effort... FURTHER UPDATE:  By the way, lots of people talking about what an amazing turn of events took place there, as I sit here in a terminal bar and grill at the airport in San Diego, ready to come home to NYC.

Goodbye to 2008— and Good Riddance to an Era

As we come to the end of 2008 and also to the end of the 1972-2008 period of conservative America, I’m feeling increasingly disconnected from our popular culture and from our pulpy national headlines—and feeling just a little hopeful that the future might bring a small renaissance of earnest thought.  Maybe 2009 will usher in a new era that values ideals America once stood for, at least in the eyes of those who thought we lived in a nation founded on democratic principles.

 It would be pleasant to turn on the television and once again see debates between popular thinkers, wouldn’t it?  As children of the 1960’s, we were treated to Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley on the tube, slugging out the meaning of the Chicago convention in primetime and to Dick Cavett interviewing writers, directors, actors, and politicians with some time on the show actually reserved for their ideas.  Try doing that on any but the most obscure cable channel or public television today—and see how fast your show will be cancelled.

 I’d prefer to think that we’d be better off learning about the history of Palestine than the haircut of Governor Blagojevich this morning, when we’re faced with a choice of whether the continuing carnage in Gaza or show time at the Illinois Governor’s mansion gets top news billing.  I know… it’s depressing to think about massive rocket attacks using our weapons, focused on people without an escape.  It’s more diverting to get irritated at a psycho Governor who’s facing indictment, toughing out his final days.

 But it’s the way that novelty and kitsch almost totally trumps reality in our news (and in our entertainment— since they are now one and the same) that makes the increasing vapidity in our culture feel so hopelessly dominant.  Is it any wonder that celebrity Caroline Kennedy scores more New York Times headlines than any of several congressional candidates for a Senate seat appointment that could as easily go to a veteran legislator like Carolyn Maloney or Nita Lowey as to a political novice who’s touring her own state for the first time—with national paparazzi in tow?

 Well, here’s to 2009.  Let’s hope it brings some grey matter back into our daily news over our morning coffee.  We’ll certainly need it if we’re going to crawl out of the poorhouse and bring something of value back into a world that our financiers and politicians have spent so much time pulling apart.  It would be a small pleasure at the end of another year to think we were making some headway towards reminding our children that America once stood for creating something more worthwhile than CDO’s and “Survivor.”  

***

(See Memorandum for discussion)

Help Burmese Cyclone Victims

The Burmese monks are in a unique position to be able to work around the despots who run Burma and get aid to those who most desperately need it in the wake of the cyclone there. Please help.

Randy Pausch- Last Lecture

Here’s a video that’s not about politics or film or journalism (or is it?), but I watched it when a friend who has survived cancer sent it to me. I think it’s worth eleven or twelve minutes…

I'll Be On "The Blog Bunker" Sirius Radio 110-Indy Talk at 5 PM ET

This afternoon at 5-5:30 PM ET, I’ll be on Sirius satellite radio, on “The Blog Bunker” Indy Talk (channel 110).

If you have a chance to listen or call in, please do.

I’m hoping we’ll discuss what happened to the pledge the Democrats made to prioritize the situation of the almost 90 million Americans who now live at or near the poverty line. We’ll also talk about the usual political topics of the day— and hopefully plug “Brick by Brick by Brick: A Civil Rights Story,” my film about one city’s struggle for fair housing and integrated education.

If you don't have Sirius Radio, you can listen online at: www.sirius.com Indy Talk

KPBS Google Map of San Diego Blazes

My God…the KPBS Google map of the San Diego fires gives a frightening picture of how bad things are out there. For anyone who hasn't followed the story over the past few days, it's an eyeful to see the areas of the blaze grow as the map loads.

Maybe This Would Explain Some of the World's Troubles...

The GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of the poorest 48 nations (i.e. a quarter of the world’s countries) is less than the wealth of the world’s three richest people combined.

One Last Ride— Take Me To Harlem!

It’s been a week for dying.

However, one story out of the sad news makes a body feel lighter. Link to Steve Guillard and a Daily News story about James Brown’s driver taking his friend from Georgia up to Harlem without a murmur of complaint. How could he refuse one last long ride for the hardest working man in show business?

Underreported: Homelessness on the Rise

As the election draws nearer, news headlines will inevitably focus more on the horserace and handicapping the parties’ chances of winning or retaining a majority. The underlying issues that lie in wait for us all will fade till after Election Day in favor of the ‘gotcha’ questions. This might be a good time to look at just one issue that’s not on the mainstream radar at all. Maybe we can raise a question or two to the candidates on our own.

Each year, Project Censored puts out a list of 25 censored stories. This year’s list includes a story about how homelessness and food aid requests are on the rise throughout the country—and have been for decades. You probably didn’t know this was the case— I know I didn’t.

The US Conference of Mayors, who would know, issued a report on it at the end of last year. Their study showed a clear increase, nationwide. Not only was 2005 showing an increase, but the trend has be towards increasing demand since the Conference of Mayors started counting these numbers in 1982.

An enterprising labor reporter, Brendan Coyne, who writes for “The New Standard,” a non-profit news source, did what few other reporters have: he read the report and wrote a piece on it. Apparently, the Conference of Mayor’s report found a number of disturbing figures on the rise. Coyne reported:

In addition, a majority of cities included in the survey
said the average amount of time people were
homeless increased over the past year to seven
months.

Aid-seekers cited a number of causes for their
situation, the report noted, including lack of
affordable housing, mental illness, protracted
joblessness, drug addiction, domestic disputes and
re-entering society after incarceration.

The Mayors came up with their figures, in part, by using data from the US Census and Department of Labor, as well as from their own local sources. So what has the Bush Administration done about this growing problem? Attempted to eliminate the reports that collect this data.

Ever wonder why we don’t talk about the most serious issues in our political campaigns?

Vituperative? ...Well, Sometimes... But Still Hopeful

Why we blog…

As usual, few say it better than Will Bumch. With apologies to David Broder, who I once admired as well.