Sunday, October 7, 2012

CALM Down

As my hearing continues to fade with age like a pair of cheap jeans, I’m heartened to read in the local gazette that the cable television industry is fighting a valiant rear-guard action to water down the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act.

CALM is due to kick in on December 13th, and the loudness it is intended to mitigate is that generated by TV commercials and promos which blaringly interrupt our viewing in order to better direct our attention to the goods being peddled by the sponsor, or to the merits of the next upcoming program; announcements which often well exceed the decibel level of the interrupted programming.

Were it not for such periodic ear-splitters, however, my nightly after-dinner snooze through prime time would go uninterrupted, leaving me bereft of any challenging water-cooler conversational gambits for the following morning, such as: “how about those Sox‽”

Hence, as a blogger, I resent this attempt by the FCC to deprive me of wide-awake access to subject matter as opportune for parody and ridicule as today’s television programs.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Debate Reflections

As an octogenarian survivor of the media game, I am saddened to note that Jim Lehrer’s ego has apparently gotten in the way of his crediting the old maxim, “get out while you’re ahead of the game”; an aphorism as true in the game of life as it is in poker.

While he clearly retains his cognitive mojo, cognition is only part of the skill set required to moderate a Presidential debate. The framing of his questions, his body language, and his inability to robustly police the traffic flow last night exemplified an aging performer who just won’t get off the stage.

Sorry, Jim, but it’s time for some tough love. You’ve had a lengthy and distinguished career, but you just can’t fly as close to the sun at age 78 as you did in your prime. Not on camera, anyway.

Time to unplug your mike, oil up your spinning reel, and take up blogging like the rest of us.