MIND GAMES
Following neural links of a writer's imagination could provide a blue print for a wild ride at Disneyland or Universal Studios.
The lights flickered, the computer and television stuttered and the phone blipped before we were inundated in darkness. The only illumination up here on the ridge were solar powered foot path lights. There was no wind, no rain and no logical explanation.
Someone hit a power pole? No sirens, no emergency wail. An earthquake? Nothing shook or trembled. A rolling brown out? Where and why? There had been no peak demand. News time on a Sunday evening and the world goes dark. A deliberate sabotage? Now the mind is off and racing as I scramble for flashlights and lanterns.
Being forcefully unplugged from the grid, mid sentence in an e-mail and mid story on the news and weird thoughts race into mind. The practical uptake was a stark reminder of the What If factor. How inconvenient, then how difficult and eventually how isolating it would be to have no lights, no power, no ability to know why all the while growing in helplessness. Heaven forbid any of us have to live through that, though there are places in the world where it's real.
ANOTHER EXERCISE IN WHAT IF
On break at tennis this morning we chatted about the
recent Woodward and Bernstein historical perspective on
how dangerous and how bad Watergate and the Nixon conspirators really were. The advantage of historical research and the emergence of recordings, data and records under girded their new accounting.
One of the foursome is a retired Wall Street Journal editor. He and I chortled over how when a group of journalism students were asked how would they uncover the Watergate scandal some replied they'd enter a Google search. Really!
As you get over that one, try out the idea, What if
Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee listened to some of his carping senior staff and refused to give young Woodward and Berstein freedom to pursue the investigation. And the big What If Nixon and his compatriot's lying and cover up were never exposed. We'll just let that one hang out there for a while. Could be the basis of a helluva screen play huh?
ENOUGH PARANOIA?
LET THIS SOOTHE YOU
A DAY BOOK VIDEO
See you down the trail
I like that video.
ReplyDeleteAs I shot it, I thought of your comment about how much you love the ocean.
DeleteThe video is very soothing and leaves me with a better feeling than when I think about Nixon getting away with his shenanigans.
ReplyDeleteAs you know, the Pacific is powerful and has a way of putting a lot of things into perspective.
DeleteYah, I am gonna play that surf view all night to calm myself.
ReplyDeleteEven tho the white words on white surf do not translate well.
I also watched Woodward and Bernstein together (for their first joint interview) on CBS' Face the Nation revive the knowledge of "dirty tricks" few thought possible at first. What if?
Some of the same dirty tricks were foisted on Indiana by Roger Ailes after he learned them with Nixon's campaign. I know, I was there and found Roger Ailes scowling at me from behind a blue curtain. He apparently did not want people to know he was behind the GOP "fun."
Tom knows, Bruce knows, we at WIBC then were often told by News Director Fred Heckman to "go out there and kill." That meant get the story (or maybe more). I have said "we killed" and the News Director did not like the smell. Eventually I was thrown out as Bureau Chief at the State House.
35 years later I was told by the WIBC General Manager he had understood (until that moment) that I quit. No, I was fired.
The News Director had lied to the GM and bowed to the pressure to eleminate the thorn in their GOP saddle.
Just recently I have been informed some Operatives for the GOP Governor sabotaged many of my efforts creating an air of doubt for my work. Just what they wanted. Just what Ailes had designed. What hath Roger wrought since? Look deep and deeper. -w-
To those who are not sure of what to make of this response, I don't hesitate in telling you -w- was one of the most tenacious and tireless state house correspondents ever. While covering the beat of state government, including being the lead in all legislative news, he ferreted out corruption in two state office holder's offices, was "thrown out" of the state house by a Governor (quickly over ruled by legal minds) and provided the most insightful coverage of intricate legislative issues in the state capitol. I was disappointed when he was fired. I later got the beat and took it as a badge of honor when some pol either praised or railed about -w-. One of a kind.
DeleteAs to Nixon, may he and his like be damned.
ReplyDeleteAs to the trembling and quaking of the grid, I suggest sleep.
I like your stuff, Tom