I read an article today about 1-day-old male chicks being routinely ground alive by some egg-producing companies. Another abomination driven by the greed of human beings, over-consumption and corporations that obviously have no belief in karma. Then we wonder why things are in such turmoil. Think how we treat lesser creatures, big and small, doesn't matter in the overall scheme? Do you think these acts are unrelated to corporate crime, unemployment, illnesses and just about anything else that ails human beings? Think again. We will never fully treat each other with care and respect if we can't even do right by animals and nature. We have to stop thinking that anything goes when it comes to putting that Denny's grand slam breakfast down our throats or that Outback's prime rib in our stomachs. We have to raise our awareness.
I wanted to read more about this topic of brutalizing baby chicks by the millions, so I went to The Humane Society of America's web site. I didn't find the information that I was looking for, but learned something new that the mainstream media never mentioned about Sen. Ted Kennedy, not even during the saturation coverage of his life and death last week. Ted was firmly in the corner of animal rights. With that, my opinion of the senator shifted favorably. Here is a paragraph from The Humane Society's story about Sen. Kennedy:
"His compassion extended far beyond his own family’s pets. He was a stalwart ally over the years on a wide range of legislation to protect companion animals, farm animals, animals in research, and wildlife. Measures he cosponsored and voted for included those to crack down on dogfighting and cockfighting, ban horse slaughter, curb abuses at puppy mills, end the slaughter of “downed” animals (those too sick or injured to stand and walk), limit federal subsidies for very large factory farms, condemn Canada’s commercial seal hunt, halt poaching of bears for their viscera, block oil and gas development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and restrict taxpayer funding for use of steel-jaw leghold traps on national wildlife refuges. Sen. Kennedy also consistently joined calls, beginning in 2001, for increased funding to ensure viable oversight and enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act, Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, and other key laws."
Steven Tyler, the 61-year-old singer of the rock band Aerosmith, fell off a stage in South Dakota a few weeks ago. See the video: http://www.tmz.com/2009/08/06/steven-tyler-aerosmith-falling-fall-stage-video/
Tyler had to be airlifted to the hospital with multiple injuries. Now this could have happened to anyone of any age, but the fact that it happened to an aging rocker, who tends to act a little silly for his years, made more than a few baby-boomer fans of the band cringe. We don't like to see our idols from our youth embarrassing themselves, let alone get injured or die. I am sure prior generations felt the same way about Elvis and even Sinatra. One became a drugged out caricature of himself (I am talking about Elvis, not Michael Jackson), and the other simply couldn't hit the notes that he once sang with a silky ease because of old age. Yet, there was a nostalgic factor that kept fans coming back for more. And I am sure most entertainers thrive on fan support like a CEO feeds upon rising stock prices.
I suppose it's hard for anyone to walk away from what they like to do. For an entertainer, and those who have been cheered for decades by audiences, it must be extra difficult to call it quits. Look at Willie Mays in baseball a few decades ago. A mega sports star whose final years on the field were painful to watch. Now we see Brett Favre in football not wanting to hang them up.
But it's not just entertainers. I haven't met too many men who truly want to retire. They might curse their place of employment every day, but I doubt many career guys honestly long for the shuffleboard courts of Boca Raton.
Women, however, seem to have an easier time walking away from jobs and careers. Their identities seem less connected to their occupations, which is probably why they are more grounded than men. Men tend to run around creating wars, committing crimes, leaving their children at an astonishingly higher rate than women.
Now don't get me wrong, some women will go to great lengths to hold onto their looks, personal or professional interests, and to their relevance in society. But by and large, it's men who go out and buy a new Corvette with each decade crisis and chase their secretaries around the office in order to feel good about themselves. The male ego is quite a force.
I snickered a bit when I heard of Tyler falling off the stage. In some ways, it was a nervous reaction on my behalf. I've tripped over more than my fair share of guitar cords in recent years -- bumped my head on microphones and strained muscles awkwardly lifting amplifiers. And I know that it's all related to being a bit more clumsy in my 50s than I was at 18. Of course, unlike Tyler, I am not coloring my hair and wearing uncomfortable shoes, while prancing around like it's 1975. In that way, I am aging more gracefully, I think. More accepting of where I am at.
Still, a man does feel pressure to do a lot of different things to try to stay in the game as they get older. There is always some young lion waiting to take you out. That pressure often leads us to do very dumb things. But the less fanciful among us usually just start blogging or joining Facebook to show we are current and still viable.
Tyler's real name is Steven Victor Tallarico. He is originally from Yonkers, N.Y. My full name is Michael John Calvacca. I guess we all, figuratively speaking, have a stage name or persona we carry with us through our careers and life itself.Dream on Mr. Tallarico.
For those who belong to LinkedIn.com, you know that there is a section on the home page that tells you how many people have looked at your profile. It changes every few days to reflect updated numbers, but reads like this:
"Your profile has been viewed by 11 people in the last 7 days. In the last 30 days, you have appeared in search results 11 times."
As a non-paying member, you aren't told exactly who has examined your profile. When you click through to the list, it will only show five or so various organizations or companies that these folks belong to, but won't name the exact people or show the complete, albeit vague, list of who took a peek at your stuff. So for instance, one of the people who might have viewed my profile will only be identified as "an editor at Gannett." Because there are hundreds of editors working at Gannett, that really doesn't tell me much. If the message says 15 people viewed my profile, it will still only list a handful of them and the organizations they are employed by or titles they hold. Still, it won't name them. Left to you to guess who the others might be associated with.
It's sometimes maddening because curiosity can get the best of you. Why is a "soccer coach in Brazil" or a "a health professional in Montana" looking at my profile? And who are these people? Long-lost roommates from college? Or might they have a job for me? Did they mistake me for another Mick Calvacca -- as if there are a lot of those in Loudoun County, Va. Most of the time you just don't know.
Still, LinkedIn is a good tool for networking professionals. It's better than most sites for job seekers looking to connect with folks in various industries. It will even suggest people you might want to have as a "connection" based on your profession and contacts you or they know. You can join different discussion groups, such as alumni associations, find former colleagues or connect with people who share similar occupational or educational interests. Despite the intentionally mysterious listing of who is checking you out, I would recommend this site to anyone who is seeking a job or is interested in keeping up with news from various companies or colleges. I would also suggest jumping into discussions now and then.
By the way, you can get a more complete list of the people who are looking at your profile by getting a paid membership. I haven't done that. I figure if someone wants to identify themselves and contact me, they know where to find me. My contact information, resume and references are on the site. I am very thankful to the nine former colleagues who posted their recommendations of me on LinkedIn. Having that capability is another nice feature. It allows potential employers to read what your former coworkers and ex-bosses have to say about you.
A video clip accompanies the following caption on a web site called Asylum.com:"We feel a bit guilty for laughing at this veteran reporter's unfortunate bee sting incident. Honestly though, is there anything quite as funny as seeing an old guy reel off a string of f-bombs?"
OK, so now a short clip of a TV reporter swatting a bee is news? It's funny, eh?I stumbled upon this web site, caption and video because it was one of the "news" items being promoted on my AOL home page this morning as I sipped my coffee. Apparently, the video originates from another web site called LiveLeak.com, I think. It's often hard to tell where or how video clips are being obtained.
A few things rubbed me the wrong way with this:1. Watching a guy get stung by a bee isn't compelling video, nor does it have any journalistic merit whatsoever. It's not even amusing in the least, in my opinion, and continues to contribute to the dumbing down of society that flocks to Olive Garden franchise restaurants while authentic, healthier mom-and-pop Italian eateries are driven out of business. At best, video clips like this provide a sense of mundane voyeurism, a cheap giggle, and put a few nickels in the pockets of those who are only concerned with making money and going viral.2. There is so much crap on the Internet just as there is in music, dining and theater. Makes one wonder how something that is such a technological marvel and provides so much good, so much useful information, connectivity and entertainment, can also be used in trivial and mindless ways. When the most ordinary mishaps become highly visible and promoted on sites that consider themselves mainstream, general information providers, I have to question the judgment of the people running the show at AOL.3. Asylum.com sells itself as a "weird news" provider for men (assuming they actually mean adolescent boys and college geeks), like the real news isn't weird enough these days. OK, at least it's not trying to compare itself with The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. However, what is so weird about a bee sting or how someone reacts to it? I and millions of others would probably react the same way. And why the snotty comment about the "old guy?" Who wrote the caption, a 15-year-old intern with authority issues?4. This should not be on AOL's home page carousel of top news. It's not so much offensive as it is insulting to my intelligence, like many other trite items and the trickery used to get us to interact with some sites. I don't need to be directed by AOL to go check out this video for idiots. I would not otherwise seek out a site like that or spend 10 seconds watching this kind of clip. I know that AOL, like many online entities, is trying to get people to click on things for financial reasons, but c'mon, there has to be some sort of judgment applied to a mainstream site that is attempting to appeal to a larger general audience since it became a free service recently.
Is it now considered bad business to maintain reasonable standards on the Web? Is the NewYorkTimes.com going to begin promoting videos of "old guys" cutting themselves while shaving because that's what attracts traffic to the site?
AOL, like Google and Yahoo and many others, wants to be many things to many people. And that's part of the problem. One of those things is to be a news provider. When AOL or others promote stuff like this as news or as being worthy of our attention, they lose all credibility and I feel compelled to use another e-mail provider or search engine for my home page.In the quest to make money and have a presence online, too many mainstream companies, like Time Warner, are losing sight of the fact that there is an audience that still prefers quality entertainment, smarter humor and satire (see theOnion.com) relevant news and information that sets the bar a little higher than bee-sting videos.
I think Google is a decent service and doesn't force stupidity down your throat. The silliness and raunchy material is there if you want to seek it out, but it doesn't greet you with your morning coffee. I am generally opposed to any kind of censorship, so I do believe the Internet should remain open to all forms of expression no matter how stupid I might think it is. I am simply asking those who make certain content decisions on the mainstream sites, particularly any that even hint of being a serious news provider, to be a bit more thoughtful in their choices.
My daughter is at the Yankee game in Baltimore tonight. Loyalty to the pinstripes runs deep on her father's side of the family. Last I checked, The Bronx Bombers were losing. But it's been a good year for the Yankees. Some of us New York fans were beginning to feel that the magic might have left with former manager Joe Torre. Now many fans are rooting for a Yankee showdown against Torre's L.A. Dodgers in the World Series, not to show up Joe (who is still beloved in his native New York), but to add some buzz to the "fall classic." Anything between New York and Los Angeles is good for sports. Living near D.C. for a decade and a half, I get a bit tired of all this Redskin-Cowboy rivalry talk.
My daughter grew up in Maryland, went to college at the University of Maryland, and generally, like her husband, is a supporter of all teams in Baltimore or College Park. Geez, her cat is named Lewis -- after Ray Lewis of the Ravens. The city has two wonderful venues to watch professional football and baseball. Charm City is dangerous as Hell, but I like going to games there and eating anything made with blue crabs. However, when it comes to the Yankees, well, Baltimore and the Orioles have to take a back seat with my daughter. I am glad I helped raise her right.
I like this year's edition of the Yankees. I like the personality of the team. Reminds me a bit of the championship teams of several years ago. Not sure the pitching is quite as good, but there is reason to believe that the Yankees will win the division and do well in the postseason. There is a vibe, a togetherness about this team that I haven't sensed since Bernie Williams retired. The players are having more fun and acting less corporate. Playing looser.
There is an informal poll on the right side of this blog that allows you to vote for your favorite Yankee player from the last five decades. There are nine players to choose from. I would have liked to have included Mickey Rivers, Goose Gossage, Sweet Lou and Catfish Hunter, as well as others, but there is only so much room down the rail of this Web page. Fans of all teams (with the exception of the Red Sox) are encouraged to vote.
Barbara Pelkey, a Wallingford, Conn., mom was brutally murdered in 1987 while working the late shift alone in a manufacturing plant in town. About two years later, a young man by the name of Kenneth Ireland Jr. was sentenced to 50 years for the murder of Mrs. Pelkey.Last week, Ireland, now 39, was released from prison. Recently discovered DNA evidence proved that Ireland was not the murderer. Quite a shocking revelation.The murder was big news in a small town. I won't get into the details, but the death of Pelkey was particularly gruesome. I know this because I was the bureau editor in Wallingford while working for the Meriden Record-Journal newspaper. I heard the stories about the crime scene from my reporters and from the local cops. There was a lot of pressure on the police to solve the crime. We published many stories about the homicide in the months of investigation that followed.You can imagine my reaction a couple weeks ago when, out of the blue, a former reporter of mine, Ralph Tomaselli, e-mailed to inform me of what was going on with Ireland and the new DNA evidence all these years later. As a side note, Tomaselli is now executive editor of that same newspaper in Connecticut.Not only was the freeing of Ireland an interesting new twist on an old story, it was also a reminder of the rewarding brand of journalism that we practiced in the bureau of the Record-Journal. The Pelkey murder wasn't the only big story we consistently scooped the competition on. The Hartford Courant, 30 miles to the north, was king of all media in Connecticut. Yet, we beat them to the punch on local breaking news and enterprise almost every time, and it paid dividends as our circulation in Wallingford increased.
We did our best to follow the Pelkey-Ireland story and there was little reason for us to believe that the police were off base on the arrest. But I still believe this underscores the importance of watchdog journalism.The latest news on this case stirred my journalistic instincts. I found myself wanting to get back into a newsroom as soon as possible. A million questions ran through my mind about Ireland and what I would ask him if I could get an interview with him.This bit of news that fell from the sky a couple weeks ago reminded me that local journalism will always be important to small-town America. People will read the news if the news is relevant and timely. They still want to know what is going on in their towns. The exploits of Britney Spears is of little concern to most folks who are community minded. No matter how much certain segments of society and even the fringe media want to dumb down the culture, people will always want to be informed through credible reporting via newsprint, computer screens, Kindles and whatever other devices are invented in the future.
The dentist office called early this morning. Twice. There was some confusion on their behalf about my new insurance. The confusion stemmed from their not being aware that I am now on my wife's plan. For the first time in the 14 years that I have gone to this dentist, I do not have my own plan because I am not employed. I guess it was an easy mistake for them to assume that my new plan was connected to my employer.OK, so you might be saying, what's the big deal?Here's the problem. Almost every day there are the tiniest reminders of the "abnormality" of unemployment. Little things that chip away at one's spirit and sense of worth. I always provided for myself, before and after I was married. For 29 years, I was self-sufficient. Prided myself on being independent. Had my ups and downs, financially speaking, but always had a job. Always had my own medical and dental insurance. That ended when I was laid off by USA TODAY last December.No matter how many people join the ranks of the unemployed, there is still a feeling in the air that being without a job is rare and even looked down upon a tad by society as a whole. After all, in the county where I live in Northern Virginia, over 90 percent of the people are working. So, at least statistically, I am an oddity. Sometimes I think I might feel better about myself if I lived in Detroit, where unemployment has skyrocketed. At least there, maybe the dentist office might be able to figure out why they can't match up my insurance with my employer without having to hit another nerve over the phone.Everyone sees the dramatic stories on TV and in the newspapers about the foreclosures and the tent cities that have resulted from the loss of jobs during this recession. But no one, other than the unemployed, feels the little tragedies that occur each and every day. Would be nice if there was a novacaine for the soul.
"I look around for the friends that I used to turn to to pull me through.
Looking into their eyes I see them running too."
We saw Jackson Browne perform recently at a concert outside of Washington, D.C. The audience rose in unison when he played "Running on Empty." It was a crowd made up of mostly 50somethings. Browne, like many classic rockers, is in his 60s. Of course, this tune was one of his hits back in the day when he recorded it at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Md. But it still resonated with people in 2009. I wondered whether it was the music or the lyrics that most inspired people. I am guessing it was a bit of both.
Just when we boomers thought these would be the grounded, calm years, many of us find ourselves running again. Running from fears of job loss. Running from worries about retirement. Running from divorce, foreclosures and the loss of old or ailing friends. Running from hair loss and liver spots.
Some folks run to things, too. Can be equally draining to try to remain relevant in the eyes of our colleagues, family and friends. Especially when they also have their troubles to contend with.
Some want to run towards youthfulness. Plastic surgery is very alive and well in the pricier Northern Virginia suburbs. Boob jobs and lasik procedures abound. I am guessing as the job market starts getting even tighter, so will the faces of men and women with the money to look more youthful to potential employers. Just another thing to compete against.
But for one night at the Wolf Trap concert grounds, none of us felt like we were running on empty. Eyes were bright. Smiles were real and wide. Plenty of fuel left in the tank in the geezers on the lawn and in the box seats. There was a collective sense that, hey, here we are...a few more wrinkles but still kicking. Still appreciating great music, fresh air and a glass or two of wine. My wife and I were particularly grateful for the free tickets her employer gave to us.
Browne's band performed flawlessly. His new music was melodic. Yes, he's still writing songs. His old tunes, like "Take It Easy," were played with new energy aided by soulful backup vocalists. For a couple hours, we could stop running and just enjoy the moment or take an easy trip down memory lane. The power of music never fails to amaze me.
I read an article today about 1-day-old male chicks being routinely ground alive by some egg-producing companies. Another abomination driven by the greed of human beings, over-consumption and corporations that obviously have no belief in karma. Then we wonder why things are in such turmoil. Think how we treat lesser creatures, big and small, doesn't matter in the overall scheme? Do you think these acts are unrelated to corporate crime, unemployment, illnesses and just about anything else that ails human beings? Think again. We will never fully treat each other with care and respect if we can't even do right by animals and nature. We have to stop thinking that anything goes when it comes to putting that Denny's grand slam breakfast down our throats or that Outback's prime rib in our stomachs. We have to raise our awareness.
