Month: August 2005

My old nemesis, Mr. Insomnia, has been coming around in the early morning hours again recently. His visits leave me feeling as if I’ve been rode hard and put up wet. I decided to take an Ativan last night to keep Mr. I from visiting and in doing so, received a full 8 hours sleep. But I don’t feel any better with 8 hours sleep than with an interrupted 4 hours. How is that supposed to work?

Finding myself awake at 2 a.m. on Monday morning I somehow stumbled upon a government Web page that provides extensive oceanic navigation information. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA — the people who bring you weather)has some incredibly detailed information about all the warts and moles of our coastline. You can even pull up navigation charts online which is really fascinating in the wee hours.

I was reading about my local, Upper Texas Gulf Coast, in what is called “United States Coast Pilot.” These are a series of books that can be found online which include such information as:

” … channel descriptions, anchorages, bridge and cable clearances, currents, tide and water levels, prominent features, pilotage, towage, weather, ice conditions, wharf descriptions, dangers, routes, traffic separation schemes, small-craft facilities, and Federal regulations applicable to navigation.”

Chapter 5 of Coast Pilot covers the stretch of Gulf between Sabine Pass — about 30 miles south-southeast of where I live — to San Luis Pass on the western side of Galveston Island. It had some great information about local coastal waters, especially should I find myself piloting a vessel somewhere between 30,000-90,000 tons into the Sabine-Neches ship channel. Such as:

“(2)Above the Texaco Island intersection (29°49.5’N., 93°57.5’W.), vessels 85,000 deadweight tons or more will not meet vessels of either 30,000 deadweight tons or greater, or vessels with drafts of 25 feet or greater. (3) Above Buoys 29 and 30, vessels of 85,000 deadweight tons or greater will not meet any vessel of 30,000 deadweight tons or more with a draft of 30 feet or greater.(4) Vessels of 48,000 deadweight tons or more with a draft of 30 feet or greater will not meet above Buoys 29 and 30.(5) Vessels with a combined draft of 65 feet or more will not meet in the Neches River at night.”

That is all very good to know and I will give it a lot of thought next time I decide to take a big oil tanker out for a spin. In the meantime, I think I’m getting sleepy and it’s only 2 p.m.

Two very important American news media figures passed from the scene over the past several days.

Longtime ABC News anchor Peter Jennings has, of course, been extensively eulogized in the media since his death was announced Sunday. Because so much has been said about Jennings I will only say that I admired his work and his intellect. He was more than just another TV pretty face, he was a reporter and a damn good one.

John H. Johnson died Monday at age 87. Johnson took a $500 loan secured by his mother’s furniture to establish “Jet” and “Ebony” magazines, the largest and most successful publications aimed at a Black American audience.

Although I have probably read either Jet or Ebony less that a dozen times, Johnson’s death has a personal and probably a bit unusual meaning to me. Johnson, you see, watched me pass in review during my Navy boot camp graduation in September 1974. He didn’t come to watch just me pass in review, of course.

Occasions such as that boot camp graduation at Great Lakes Naval Training Center, just north of Chicago, usually include some guest of honor to watch the recruits who have completed training march past the reviewing stand. We were required to salute the reviewing officer and guest while marching by with an “eyes right.” Johnson was a VIP worthy of being asked to review the new recruits, so we gave him and the senior naval officer with him our respect.

I probably had never read or even looked closely at a Jet or Ebony until after that day. Later I realized that this gentleman who came to watch me graduate embodied the spirit of the American Dream. That is the spirit of achieving what is possible as opposed to the outcome of the Dream itself, although, Johnson surely must have enjoyed that outcome.

In his autobiography, “Succeeding Against the Odds,” Mr. Johnson said: “I believe that the only failure is failing to try…and if my life has meaning…it is because millions of Americans, Black and White, have proved through me that the Dream is still alive and well and working in America.”

We could use more folks with a can-do voice like John Johnson’s. I will always appreciate his presence that day watching Company 74-209 and the others graduate.

Some very sinister occurrences are taking place in newsrooms across the country, if you believe the likes of Katherine Harris and Bob Novak.

Remember Harris? She was the Florida secretary of state during the Election From Hell in 2000 and who looked rather … unique (If you can’t say something good about somebody …) Harris — now a congresswoman and who is running for U.S. Senate — said in a recent interview that newspapers “colorized” her photograph during those elections, which distorted her use of makeup. Those meanies!

I actually know what she is talking about. I used to write a newspaper column that was distributed nationally. I was not at all happy with the picture (below)that accompanied my column and suspect the mug was doctored.

Bob Novak, the conservative columnist who exploded the bullshit bomb last week on CNN, said his photo too had been altered. One might be dismissive of Novak’s claim because he is 120 years old. But alas, I did find a recent photo of Novak (below) and I am afraid it appears as if the newspapers might have done something to change the old man’s photograph.

When will it all end? Those liberal fools are messing with the one asset on which Harris, Novak (and I to a certain extent) have gotten by all these years, that being good looks. I can only say to you ruthless newspaper people out there, stop the madness, please!!!

If you’ve not seen this, then you are in for a treat. It is indeed the dullest blog in the world. It also is just so genius and funny! It’s minimalism friends and neighbors! Revel in it. Roll in it! Buy me a snow cone!!!!

This hay bale probably isn’t in Crawford, Texas. I don’t know where it is actually. But it is here to illustrate the illusion being perpetrated by the electronic news media. You see all those TV stand-ups from Crawford when President Bush visits his ranch? Well, those reporters are not out on the Rancho de Jorge W. They are not even on a ranch or a farm, they are out in back of Crawford Middle School. I’m sorry to break it to you. It’s kind of like no Santa Claus or Easter Rabbit. The old gymnasium at the school serves as the (Western) White House press center when GW is at his home about eight miles away.

But you see the reporters standing, nonetheless, before a hay bale and dilapidated barn and rusty farm implements. It looks, said Elizabeth Bumiller of The New York Times, “as if a cow might wander by any moment.” But these props are in fact just a couple of blocks from “downtown” Crawford, as much as a town of 700 can have a downtown.

I don’t know why the television networks persist in making it seem their reporters are Gucci-deep in meadow muffins. Granted, there aren’t a lot of sights to see in Crawford except for several gift shops and the Coffee Station Cafe, friendly as the town folks are there. Even if the correspondents stood up by the Western White House logo, which they have up inside the gym, it would be a little more honest than standing up before the pseudo Green Acres.

Well, I suppose TV has got to make it seem like something it’s not. Otherwise we would just get news and it would probably depress us even more. It’s probably a good thing they don’t do the report from the top of the water tower in Crawford, come to think of it.