A great deal of what we read in newspapers, magazines, and books, and what we see in the movies and on TV is written and produced in New York City or Los Angeles. Much of the "political wisdom" comes from the PR machines of the White House, the Congress, and from the Washington media corps.
In short, one might conclude that all knowledge, wisdom, and wit are confined to those who inhabit New York City, Washington, DC, or Hollywood.
As I creep gingerly up on my 7th decade of life experience - which was gained in many cities in the U.S. and in about 30 foreign countries, I decided to put down some ongoing thoughts in a series I call "The View From the Outback." That experience has included the U.S. Marines, law school, the ATF, the CIA, Fortune 500 executive, writer, public speaker, educator, editor, and publisher - for openers. For over 20 years, I have written articles off and on for various magazines and newspapers. I've had an enormous number of letters published in major national publications. The Outback is the rural area in Northeast Texas where I have lived for the past 10 years. Each Monday I will attempt to post a new set of musings from the Outback.
The actress Sharon Stone is quoted as saying about Gov. George W. Bush "... But I do not feel that he is ready now" (for the presidency). This from a woman who is best known for exposing her genital area in a movie. I don't care how smart she is, it is hard for folks in the Outback to take her seriously. You are either a sexy star or a political pundit. The two do not mix well. Only one more week of this Hollywood drivel about the election.
I played some baseball, some as a pitcher, and had a chance to try out in the majors way back when they paid next-to-nothing. So, it seems to me that in the last game of the World Series that Bobby Valentine was saving his bullpen pitchers for spring training. Sure glad I taped what little I watched of the series. That way, you can view only the highlights and fast-forward past the commercials, glove tightening, and cap adjusting.
Professional baseball has become so boring. The batter should be required to stay in the batter's box unless he has to vomit - or his cell phone rings. And be allowed 10 seconds to read the signs from the coach. The Ump could hold up a sign that says WAIT! so the guy doesn't get beaned. During the World Series, an ump actually shoved a player out of the batter's box when he had his head down and the pitcher was about to deliver. See, they do have hearts. How can your gloves come loose after every pitch, even if you don't swing?. Make them wear gloves with laces and tape over the laces like on boxing gloves. Do something. Anything. Somehow I played baseball and softball for about 15 years without wearing gloves. I see no permanent damage to my hands as a result. Are these guys all planning on being concert pianists after they retire?
How the Federal Government Corrupts the Constitution to Intrude into Your Life
President Clinton has signed a law that imposes a new blood-alcohol level of .08 (31 states use .10) for Driving Under the Influence. That sound like a good idea. Crack down on drunk drivers. States that do not pass such a law will lose part of their Federal highway funding. For those who don't curl up with a copy of the Constitution each night, it is another instance of the incursion of the Federal government where the framers had intended none. It would not take you long to read the portion of the U.S. Constitution (it is everywhere online!) that spells out the specific powers of the Federal government. There are not all that many. The rest of the power to govern is "reserved to the states."
As a former Federal agent, I became aware early on how the Congress stretched the taxing and interstate-commerce powers to a ludicrous degree to pass a Federal law. Plus, I had a law professor who was once on a short list for the U.S. Supreme Court and one professor who had been a law-clerk for a Supreme-Court justice. Not only does the Congress inflict mortal wounds on the Constitution, but there is another level not much known by the lay public. It is called Administrative Law.
The Congress may stretch the Constitution to the fullest to pass, for instance, a gun law - possibly basing it on the "power to tax" (as was done with machineguns). In such a law, they usually say something like, "The Secretary of the Treasury shall make appropriate regulations pursuant to this legislation." There is the Pandoras's Box! The Treasury regulations may be irrational, borderline legal, etc., but it is hard to knock down an Administrative ruling. After all, the charter they were given was "appropriate." That is a blank check. And it is your bank account they are writing the checks against. Both literally and figuratively.
Now, the trend has extended to extortion. "You in the states pass a law that does what we want or we will withhold funds for roads, education - or whatever. That is, we will not let you have back some of your own tax money in your area if you don't do what we tell you to do." If you look hard, you can find dozens of bills that are passed each year that are clearly a violation of the "powers reserved to the states." I have seen the trend escalate over the last 50 years. It is a way of life in Washington, and the Federal courts go along with it most of the time.
So, when a candidate tells you he wants to appoint judges who will strictly enforce the Constitution, what he or she means is that those judges would strike down all of the incursions by the Federal government into the "powers reserved to the states." And that, very simply, is one important way you get "smaller government" or "less government." If you like the Federal government meddling into the smallest details of your life, vote Democrat. If you would like to regain some of your already-lost freedoms, vote for a Republican, a Libertarian, an Independent, or a Reform Party candidate - or just about anybody who can read, write, and can think logically. Stop chanting "A Conservative court will overturn Roe versus Wade." There is a lot more at stake than that. Women had abortions, almost at will, before Roe versus Wade. But, by getting lost in the abortion smokescreen, several other fundamental individual liberties will be lost with a Liberal court.
Upgrade to Windows ME?
Windows ME has generally received a lukewarm reception from the technical reviewers. The consensus seems to be that if you buy a new machine and it comes on it, you have little choice, and it will probably work okay. Most suggest that you don't try an upgrade over Windows 98 (SE). I installed an OEM version (the full version of ME) on a new computer I built, which has all top-notch components; the Intel 815E chipset, an 800 MHz P III processor, ATA 100 IBM 30 Gig hard drive, 128MB of top-of-the-line RAM, Sound Blaster Platinum audio card, Matrox G400 video card, HP CD-R, LS-120 floppy, 1.44MB floppy, and so on.
First, you will have to upgrade your Norton System Works, Norton Anti-Virus, Norton Internet Security (or comparable programs) et al., to work on Windows ME. Many, many shareware programs, even long-established ones, go squirrely on ME. There is no fix in sight for some of them. Even a brand new scanner I purchased from HP this week did not come with all the correct Windows ME drivers, although there are some fixes available for download.
The story of Flight Simulator 2000 Pro is too gruesome to tell to the squeamish. Suffice it to say that when I installed the program and then the latest upgrade, all the scenery went away. It took a long time to get the program to recognize the Microsoft Sidewinder Precision Pro Joystick. Getting FS 2000 to work is low on my priority list.
Now, my Quick Launch icons on the System Tray often loose their mind and show only the properties when I click on them. Early into the process of loading a modest number of normally stable name-brand software onto the machine, the computer would no longer Restart from the Start Menu. Fortunately, I have the old Reboot button on this computer, so I can salvage a reboot this way. One of these days, I will find which program(s) is causing it, but I am real busy just trying to get everything to work.
Maybe when Windows ME Second Edition comes out, it will be a reasonably stable program and most of the vendors will have the correct drivers and needed updates to their code. In the meantime, install it and hold your breath. It is like talking to a brick wall, but it would help if Microsoft would produce an Operating System, and let us add the functions such as video editing, music players, etc. Instead, we get this twelve-headed monster whose various heads are constantly trying to eat each other.
There is no "A" in Dimetapp, but There is PPA
I correspond with two young ladies in Siberia who are studying English (my Russian counterparts in the "Outback"). I edit their letters for correctness, at their request. But, how is anybody supposed to learn English? People make up bizarre spellings of words. We have such gems as "Sellebrate at our July 4th blowout,"" Krazy Glue," etc.) And they make up pronunciations on a whim. On TV, you hear ads for "Dime A Tap." It is Dimetapp. There is no "A" in that word!
Now, we learn that Dimetapp, and many other over-the-counter concoctions, contain phenylpropanolamine (PPA). The FDA estimates that PPA is responsible for about 200 to 500 strokes a year. It will likely ban the substance from non-prescription medicines.
I was about to have a stroke over the way they pronounce Dimetapp on TV. Thank goodness I never took any of the stuff.
Gays on TV
For the record, I am not a gay basher. I have had several gay friends in the writing and publishing world, for example. I once had a lesbian literary agent, and I visited in her home many times. No problem for me. A gay writer friend invited me to a Christmas dinner and seated me next to a beautiful young lady. Everything was going well until I started to hit on the lady next to me. My friend took me into the kitchen and explained that the lady had a girlfriend, seated across from her. I was the only straight person there. Not fair! You can't tell the players without a program.
Years ago, my lady love was the senior fashion buyer at Neiman-Marcus. When she went to NYC on buying trips, I would babysit her two daughters. One Sunday she called us and said she was drinking a Scotch and looking out over Central Park. When I asked who she was with, she said she would explain when she got home. Her friend was a gay executive in the fashion biz in NYC. They went to dinner, dancing, and she hung out at his fashionable apartment overlooking Central Park. She said he was intelligent, a good cook, etc., and she never had to worry about him making a move on her. Sounded logical to me. Eventually, her gay friend visited Dallas and he prepared us a fabulous meal at home. We had a good laugh about him "dating" my girlfriend. There are many more stories in my life of basically pleasant contacts with gays and lesbians.
It is fascinating how much political muscle gays and lesbians have. The best estimate I can find is that they represent about 2-3% of the U.S. population, although they tend to pump up the numbers to add to their clout. The often bandied-about figure of 10% is usually based on a 1940s Kinsey report, in which the questions posed were much too broad to identify one as a practicing gay or lesbian. And again, that report was issued in the late 1940s.
Gays are highly organized. Other minority factions could learn from them. For example, this small fraction of our population was able to bring Dr. Laura to her knees for her anti-gay stance. The gay "lobby" is now at war with the Boy Scouts, because the scouts won't allow gay leaders. Already, they have gotten governments and organizations to deny scouts access to facilities and funding that they have always enjoyed. The gays will not be happy until little gay boys are allowed to sleep in two "man" pup-tents on campouts. They are making significant progress in getting companies to grant health benefits to gay couples, and making progress in getting gay marriages and the adopting of children recognized under the law.
They are very active in pushing "hate crime" legislation. As a law graduate and former Federal agent, I am concerned that such laws will start us down the path of criminal sanctions for what we think. As George Bush said of the men who dragged a black man to death in Texas, "What more can we do to them after we execute them" (Two of the three were sentenced to death, the third to life in prison).
The assault on the Boy Scouts bothers me. A private organization ought to be able to set any kind of qualifications it chooses. Boys are not allowed in the Girl Scouts, yet there may be some transvestite boys who would like to join. Sorry, not in the charter. There will be a "pat-down" at the door.
Here is what really bugs me: TV shows that feature gay characters and gay lifestyles. As I said at the outset, I have no basic quarrel with gays doing their thing. I do object to having them - or their lifestyle - crammed down my throat on TV. We had the Ellen Degeneres show, which I never watched. Now, "Will and Grace" is an award-winning show, which I don't watch. Next, we are going to be treated to the oafish and corpulent John Goodman (who is a very good actor) portraying a gay man in "Normal, Ohio." I read on a web site that CBS is considering a show called "Kiss Me Guido," with a gay theme, as far as is known.
Wait! We are not through. There is Carter, the gay black guy on "Spin City," and whatever-his- name-was (John?), the gay administrative assistant on NYPD Blue, Josh on "Veronica's Closet," and Ross the gay violin teacher on "Party of Five," (he was actually gay). There was Paul's lesbian sister on "Mad About You, and her lover Joan. And the wife of Ross on "Friends" who discovered she was a lesbian and divorced him to take up with a woman. Newly minted "Bette" has a piano accompanist, Oscar, who is gay. Richard Simmons is a frequent guest on late-night talk shows. He is always good for some gay banter and smirking about his proclivities.
I wrote most this on Thursday. That night on "Friends" Rachel hired a cute new male assistant. In order to keep the other gals in the office at bay, she told them he was gay (which he was not). Later, he asked Rachel about the possibility of him dating Phoebe. Rachel told him Phoebe was gay.
This was followed by a new show, "Cursed." The boss said, "I've had my eye on you." To which the male employee said something like, "Not outside the office, I hope." And later there was some chatter between two apparently straight male roommates with gay overtones. It seems that writers may get brownie points if they can work in the word "gay" or insert a gay allusion or reference. Why would they do that? My guess is that it is part of the ongoing plan to get people more comfortable with just hearing the word "gay" or thinking it is okay for two men to have more than fraternal feelings for each other- with the hope that the word gay and the concept will become more acceptable. They even throw in a "queer" or "fag" now and then - to defuse those terms, I suppose.
This year we had a gay megastar surface on "Survivor, " Richard Hatch, who won the $1 million. He is now popping up everywhere, most recently with a small part on "Becker," which he did very well, I thought. Ellen Degeneres says she may be coming back to TV with a new show. I watched her HBO Special and it was very good. But, she finally launched into her lesbian routine and I tuned out. And of course, there was the granddaddy of them all, Billy Crystal as the gay guy on "Soap."
There are, or were, many other gay portrayals on series TV, but I don't watch half of the shows on the schedule. There is a web site (http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~wyatt/tv-characters.html ) where a rather long list of "gay" shows and characters is chronicled. There is a long bibliography, including a book devoted entirely to the portrayal of gays on TV. I also found one web site that lists gay writers, directors, and producers, for example. And those are just a few of the ones we know about. (http://homepages.go.com/~cinerhama/stars/directors.html) There is a link, among others, to gay and lesbian movies and movie characters. Yet another subject one could ponder. Same theme in a different venue.
There is a question of fairness and equal representation. If gays represent 2-3% of the population, and we have 20 half-hour primetime slots on ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX (Mon-Fri), it is possible that three of those 20 slots will be filled with gay-theme programs. That is about 15% of the prime-time shows! If you add in all the recurring gay roles in shows not devoted entirely to gay themes, you see a gross over-representation of gays on TV. Is the 97% heterosexual community clamoring for more gay-oriented shows? And more salacious gay banter? I don't think so.
In the beginning, there was a rationale for watching a show with a gay character or a gay theme. It would make us all more tolerant. But, those days are long gone. Now, we have a concerted effort by those who finance, write, produce, and direct TV shows to promote the gay lifestyle and gay agenda. Very simply, it is a conspiracy. Trust me. As a former Federal agent and a CIA agent, I know a conspiracy when I see one.
We need more shows with Hispanic actors and Hispanic-family themes. We have probably gotten ahead of the curve on black-oriented shows, where once they were neglected. But, we do not need any more gay shows or gay characters!
I am of the school that believes that being gay is in one's genes, that it is not learned behavior, or something that can be unlearned - and not a disease. It just is. DNA research may shed some light on this in the near future.
If the PC crowd wants to do it right, produce a TV show about a lesbian Native American, who is blind, in a wheelchair, and has a lisp. The premise of the show would be that she crusades against using mice and monkeys in laboratories, against logging that displaces a single June Bug from its habitat, against whaling, eating meat or Lobsters, wearing fur, citizens owning guns, right-to- lifers, and giving the finger to New York cab drivers. The show could be called "Abnormal, USA."
COPYRIGHT 2000 Richard C. Rhodes
You are welcome to quote sections from this page - or the whole page, as long as the source URL is included. Of course, I would be flattered if anyone linked to this page. It is very hard to be the writer, editor, fact checker, copy editor, and publisher of anything. So, I welcome corrections of fact, notes of misspelled words, and so on.
Richard C. Rhodes
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