Friday Fhoto

Feel free to add a caption. The possibilities are endless.

Sean Taylor

The death of NFL star Sean Taylor has been a hot topic of discussion since he died early Tuesday morning in a Miami, FL hospital. But the news hasn’t been limited to ESPN or other sports networks. It’s seeping out of every media outlet imaginable. And in many instances, it’s gushing. (Ok, bad play on words.)

I feel for Sean, his girlfriend, 18 month old daughter, and his family. It’s a tragedy. No one deserves to die in the supposedly safe confines of their home. Not even athletes and celebrities.

But Taylor’s death is a glaring example of what’s wrong with today’s world and the media that covers our every move. Taylor was a stud athlete, on his way to becoming a Washington Redskins gridiron god perhaps. He gave his all every Sunday, and in some cases, he gave too much.

Yet many people are deeming him as a hero of sorts. Mounds of cards and flowers have been placed at Redskins Park in Ashburn, VA. There have been candlelight vigils for the slain man, and numerous other tributes.

While it’s sad that he has passed, Taylor didn’t fight on the front lines in Fallujah. He didn’t try to save children from burning house fires. He didn’t give a man dying from Liver failure a new organ.

He played a game.

Athletes and celebrities like Taylor play a vital role in today’s society. They give many of us an out; a way to keep our mind off of the struggles of everyday life. But the coverage of Taylor’s untimely death is absurd. And I guarantee their still talking about from the Beltway to Beantown.

Maybe I’m too close to the situation. No, I’m not a Redskins fan per se, but I do live in Redskins country – a country, up until Taylor’s death that was on the verge of civil unrest with a 5-6 record.

The bottom line is that we don’t mourn and grieve for the right people. That’s just the way it is. Sean Taylor was a heck of a football player, not a hero.

VA - The REAL Birthplace of Thanksgiving

Dubya was here yesterday! In a nice holiday publicity stunt (see White House Easter Egg Roll), President Bush made an appearance at a foodbank in Downtown Richmond and the historic Berkeley Plantation in Charles City County.

The speech at Berkeley was mainly focused on the Thanksgiving holiday, although the Commander in Chief did hint at the ongoing war in Iraq.

But the most interesting aspect of the speech dealt with the first Thanksgiving. The leader of the free world, in true politician form, didn’t hint at where it actually took place.

From the RTD:

He (Bush) noted Berkeley's claim to have been involved in the first Thanksgiving, two years before the more famous Pilgrims' event.

"As you can imagine, this version of events is not very popular up north," Bush said to laughter.

There is no historical record that Thanksgiving was held at the plantation in December 1619, though there is a written record directing the settlers to do so.

Even though not everyone does as they are told, even settlers probably, I’d like to think the first Turkey feast took place here in the Commonwealth. The folks in Massachusetts can have their pebble where the pilgrims landed.

Friday Fhoto - Toy Recall

Henrico Water Restrictions Becoming Comical

Rain, rain, don't go away! The sun is back out now, but earlier today it was raining buckets. And speaking of buckets, if you wan't to water your established lawn anytime soon, you'll need to do your best Jack and Jill impersonation and fetch a pail of water.

That's right. No garden hose, no sprinkler, a bucket of water.

Yesterday, the Henrico County Board of Supervisors revised the very tight water restrictions put in place on October 25.

From the RTD:

Henrico County has tweaked its water restrictions to allow residents to irrigate trees, shrubs and other plantings three times a week.

Officials say the changes clarify the mandatory restrictions that took effect Oct. 25 and say they are not expected to significantly increase demand because lawn-watering is still prohibited, except up to 5 gallons a day by bucket.

Residents with odd-numbered addresses can water on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Those with even-numbered addresses or with no number can water on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Watering by bucket is allowed anytime.

Phew...I was worried I'd have to put away all of the buckets I use to water my lawn on a regular basis. Seriously, who waters their rye, zoysia, fescue, or bluegrass with a bucket? Let alone adhere to the five gallon limit.

How does that work? You go to the spigot, fill up your bucket, and dump it on your grass. Now that's what I call a nice soaking. There's no way it will just run right off.

Mother Nature please help us so the Board of Supervisors can do something else besides revising water restrictions every two to three weeks.

It's a joke.

The Office Fax 11.15

Folks, this could be the last new “Office” for quite some time. Time to break out the DVD’s and watch reruns on TBS.


The Deposition

Corporate and legal complications hound Michael when Jan sues Dunder-Mifflin and he's summoned as a witness. Meanwhile, Darryl and Jim face off in a heated game of table tennis, with Kelly talking trash. Tune in tonight at 9:00 EST on NBC

A Free Pass for Hillary?

She’s the former First Lady of the United States and currently a Senator from New York. Yet Hillary Clinton has questions “planted” for her when it comes to talking to the American people.

The folks in Iowa deserve the right to have their questions answered in an honest way. That’s why Muriel Gallo-Chasanoff, a 19-year-old sophomore at Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa decided to tell her story.

And from CNN:

Gallo-Chasanoff, whose story was first reported in the campus newspaper, said what happened was really pretty simple: She says a senior Clinton staffer asked if she'd like to ask the senator a question after an energy speech the Democratic presidential hopeful gave in Newton, Iowa, on November 6.

"I sort of thought about it, and I said 'Yeah, can I ask how her energy plan compares to the other candidates' energy plans?'" Gallo-Chasanoff said Monday night.

"'I don't think that's a good idea," the staffer said, according to Gallo-Chasanoff, "because I don't know how familiar she is with their plans."

He then opened a binder to a page that, according to Gallo-Chasanoff, had about eight questions on it.

"The top one was planned specifically for a college student," she added. “It said 'college student' in brackets and then the question."



But the softballs don’t stop coming. Drudge reports that the Clinton campaign warned CNN to take it easy in tomorrow night’s debate:

CNN's Wolf Blitzer has been warned not to focus Thursday's Dem debate on Hillary. 'This campaign is about issues, not on who we can bring down and destroy,' top Clinton insider explains. 'Blitzer should not go down to the levels of character attack and pull 'a Russert.'' Blitzer is set to moderate debate from Vegas, with questions also being posed by Suzanne Malveaux..

No word on if questions concerning her fake smile or her husband’s cigar obsession will be covered.

Local TV Gets New Ownership

In the world of local television, owners come and go. Now it's happened again. It was announced yesterday that WWBT-Channel 12, Richmond's NBC affiliate, will be getting a new owner in Raycom Media.

Raycom Media is acquiring WWBT from the Lincoln Financial Group in a $583 million deal. Raycom already owns WTVR -Channel 6, the CBS affiliate. But under the federal regulations, they can't own both NBC 12 and CBS 6.

Any idea which station will be sold? You got, CBS 6. Richmond's oldest television station. It's really a no-brainer. NBC dominates the local television scene every year and Raycom obviously knows this.

While the change in power might not seem significant, the results could be. Will the same anchors remain in Richmond? And what about WRLH FOX 35, which uses NBC for it's news and weather on the FOX News at 10?

The deal isn't expected to be completed until the second quarter of 2008.

Read the entire article in today's RTD here.

The Game

Ok, so it’s not exactly Michigan vs. Ohio State, or Virginia vs. Virginia Tech, but it is Hampden-Sydney vs. Randolph-Macon. And while it might not be for the Commonwealth Cup, the game tomorrow in Ashland has major bowl, err, playoff implications.

Tomorrow marks the 113th meeting of “The Game” between the two long-time rivals. The Tigers of Hampden-Sydney have won the last six meetings.

But this is a different RMC team. Head Coach Pedro Arruza has turned the program around. The Yellow Jackets enter the contest 8-1 overall and 5-0 in the ODAC, while the Tigers travel to The Center of the Universe with a 7-2, 5-1 résumé. The winner of the game earns the ODAC title and the league’s automatic qualifier into the NCAA tournament.

I’d say it’s a pretty big game at Day Field tomorrow at 1:00pm.

I think ESPN College Gameday picked the wrong DIII matchup this weekend.

Go Jackets.

Friday Fhoto

The Office Fax 11.8

“Survivor Man”

Great Scott, Michael Scott is snubbed yet again. New chieftain and young gun Ryan organizes a woodsy corporate retreat — but excludes Michael. Never to be outdone, Michael enters the wilderness for his very own survival adventure. But remember, this is a man who can't see the forest for the trees, so it's doubtful he'll outwit, outplay or outlast Mother Nature. Meanwhile, Jim tries to put a new spin on office birthday parties. NBC continues the “Green is Universal” theme tonight at 9:00et.


On the strike front from United Hollywood:

Additionally, I've been told that Steve Carell informed NBC he is unable to report to work because he is suffering from “enlarged balls.” Not just enlarged, I'd say, but brass ones. The source on this one adds, "We wish him a happy, slow recovery."

Read more about the WGA Strike here.

First Ladies Men

The presidency is more than one person. It's comprised of a family - with all respect to James Buchanan. We've seen the potential candidates for the White House in 2008 for some time now. But have you seen their significant others? Let's examine two hopefuls from each party.

Take for example, Dennis Kucinich (D). His wife Elizabeth is a mere 31 years younger than the statesman from Ohio. Could she be a first lady? The real question is would anyone really care what Dennis was doing? Unfortunately (well, fortunately) we don't have to worry about Big D shackin up on Pennsylvania Ave.

Then there is star of the big screen, Fred Thompson (R). The big man from Tennessee has "volunteered" his services at least twice to wife Jeri. She's 41. Freddy is 65. It's his second wife. Kucinich wins the age difference battle, hands down. But if beauty is in the eye of the voter, Thompson might as well take his seat in the oval office now.



And while it's interesting to look deeper into the lives of these candidates, it's also disheartening. Kucinich's wife is 30 years younger! C'mon man. Mike Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones think that's ridiculous.

But Thompson takes the cake. He's 65. His children are four and one year old. It's really not fair to his kids. While they'll probably be well off, they'll have to help take care of their father during their childhood.

It just shows, there's always more going on than what you see on CNN, FOX or MSNBC.

Writers Block

Get ready to dramatically change your TV schedule. Say goodbye to late night, daytime and prime time viewing. Reruns and reality TV will be our reality.

Yesterday was the first day of battle in the Writers Strike 2008. In one corner you have the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. In the other corner, it’s the Writers Guild of America.

The screen writers want a share of the revenue that comes from DVD sales, the internet, cell phones, your new Touch iPod, and other forms of technology that will continue to substantially grow in the coming years.

The producers and executives claim that it is still too early to determine how much money will be made off of the new technologies in the entertainment industry.

One thing is for sure, viewers like you and I will eventually have nothing left to TiVO and DVR if this strike goes on for weeks or months. Writers have not gone on strike since 1988, when the walkout lasted 22 weeks and cost the industry more than $500 million.

So, how will you be affected?

• Immediately: Late-night talk shows, which depend on topical material, will go to reruns
• In about one month: Daytime soap operas will go to reruns
• By January-February: Current prime-time shows will likely run out of fresh episodes
• Reality shows unaffected: Fox, with fewer hours to program and powerhouse "American Idol" returning in January, in best shape if strike continues, according to The Hollywood Reporter
• ABC has stockpiled several new shows, could put them on in midseason if strike persists
• TV networks have stockpiled TV movies - Movie studios in decent shape for now
  Sources: Forbes.com, The Hollywood Reporter

As a creative writer myself, I’d have to join the picket lines. The money-grubbing producers make ridiculous amounts of cash. If it wasn’t for the creativity of the writers, you wouldn’t laugh, cry or scream on a nightly basis.

The push to add multimedia content to your PDA or my iPod isn’t a fad. It’s here to stay. Writers should reap the benefits of this change just as much as the producers.

An Afternoon Appt with the Doc

The drive home from work has significantly changed in recent weeks. I’m beginning to feel like I’m 55, not 25. Not because of work burnout, but the fact that AM radio has taken over my car radio.

I get in the car around 5:30, and tune in to AM 1140 WRVA. I always hope I hop in before I hear the Voice of the South “covers the news in Central Virginia, after Fox News covers the world.”

Pathetic.

I realize it. It’s so pathetic that I can time when the absurdly-long commercial breaks will take place. Or the fact I can time the stoplights on the ride home.

Worthless.

In the past few weeks, my conservative radio home has been inundated with prospective elephant anchors, after Mac Watson jumped ship to head to Phoenix, AZ. I liked Mac. Yeah he was annoying at times, but he always came back to his conservative points, and his disdain for big government. There’s a reason Watson filled in on the Glen Beck show, because he can handle a nationally syndicated broadcast. I’m surprised his stay in Richmond wasn’t shorter.

This past Monday, WRVA introduced us to the new afternoon drive guy, Doc Thompson. Learn more about Doc here. I like Doc’s tryout a few weeks back, and knew he was fit for the gig. It might take him a bit to get used to the madness at Richmond City Council and the rare bird that soars over Richmond, Doug Wilder, but he’ll nail it eventually.

I realize most of the local radio personalities that sail into Richmond, only drop their anchor for a short period of time. I guess it’s a good/bad deal. If they’re good, like Mac, you’re sorry to see them leave for greener pastures. If they’re bad, you know they’ll get the boot to another mid-market station.

Only a few more hours at work and then I can act like I’m 55 again. It’ll be my fourth appointment with Doc. (God help me if I get XM in my car)

The Office Fax 11.1

“Branch Wars”

Welcome Back Kotter? Well not exactly. More like Welcome Back Karen, as in Karen Filipelli. When she tries to woo Stanley-bo-banley away from Scranton, Michael fights back, dragging her ex BF, Jim, into his war to keep Dunder Mifflin’s downer on the payroll. Meanwhile, the existence of a “Finer Things Club” further disturbs the company’s calm.

Tonight’s episode is directed by Mindy Kaling, who stars as the very dramatic Kelly Kapour.

And if you haven't had the chance to check out the RTD article about "the Office" in Monday's Metro Business section, it's worth a read.

Good work Jeffrey G.