The latest news in the business of radio broadcasting comes to us from Cumulus Media.
On January 6, talk show hosts with the corporation were directed to stop talking about the recent presidential election....or else. (1)
"We need to help induce calm NOW, and will not tolerate any suggestion that the election has not ended...if you transgress this policy, you can expect to separate from the company immediately"
-- Brian Phillips, Executive Vice President of Content, Cumulus Media
Basically, the company has said to its many conservative hosts, "we know you think the election was not legitimately conducted. Shut up about it, or you're fired".
This directive has raised an important question, one involving free speech. Can a media corporation such as Cumulus, or any company for that matter, tell its employees what they can and cannot say? As long as the company isn't a government entity, then yes, they can. There's nothing in the Constitution that says you must work for a particular company. If you disagree with company policy, you're free to seek employment with another company that you agree with, policy-wise.
Perhaps the more pressing question is whether the action of Cumulus is ethically correct. I am of the opinion that it is not. Company policy aside, if someone has an opinion that things are a bit shady, they should be able to express that opinion without fear of losing their job. The fact that employees of Cumulus Media cannot do as such is disturbing to me...but maybe I worry too much. (2)
What's this idea that we all have certain rights about? Seriously, we don't have any "God-given rights". Rather, we have government-granted permissions.
There is no right to free speech or free press, there is only permission to speak, and express ideas that the government approves of. There is no right to free assembly, or free association. There is no right to worship or not worship as you choose and believe, or to gather with others in such worship. And you absolutely do not have the right to free and fair elections. Those can be rigged as the government finds necessary.
Let's be real; we all know Joe Biden did not legally win the presidency. It doesn't matter, because he came up with the most votes, right? The thing that really matters is the opinion of those who count the votes. If they say Biden has been elected, it must be so, for it could not be otherwise. All who believe differently are said to be either lying, deluded, "racist", or stupid (thanks in part to the left's media partners).
Even so, there still seems to be this lingering notion that our government's purpose is to protect our rights, and that it will stand up for those rights when they are threatened. Uh, no....if you STILL think anyone in Washington cares about you, think again. The only things that many of them care about is power, control, and their own self-interests. One need only look as far as the last Joint Session to figure that out.
That includes people like Senator Richard Blumenthal. I could be standing on top of the tallest building in Hartford, waving a sign saying "I've got a question" and my phone number; he still wouldn't give me even the time of day. And yes, this has been recently proven, to some extent.
If they cared about the average citizen, they would have the spine to stand up and object to not just the election, but to ever-increasing attacks on our liberty. If he cared, vice president Mike Pence would've used his lawful authority to not recognize fraudulent votes and procedures. If they cared, they would realize that they govern by the consent of "we the people", and that we DID NOT CONSENT/DO NOT CONSENT to Joe Biden as president.
And yes liberals, Donald Trump is indeed the president...for ten more days. You can wait ten days for him to leave office; frankly, conservatives waited eight years for Obama to do the same.
Anyways, I'm not done. If they cared, our so-called "representatives" would understand that when they do not protect our rights, the people have a right and duty to rise up and say "NO" (this includes civil disobedience to unjust laws). Wanton acts of violence aside, we have the right to say "I WILL NOT COMPLY". When we the people are left with no other choice, this can and likely will happen. That is the reality we have been driven to.
The simple fact is that politicians in Washington do not understand this, nor do many of them care. I've had it up to here with that attitude; it is straight out of "Nineteen Eighty-Four" (the book, not the year). "This is what you must believe; and we have ways of making you believe it"....forget that!
I'm putting everyone who purports to represent us, whether in Hartford or in Washington, on notice. For not just me, but many others as well, "the gloves are off". If you think I was confrontational before, then as the song says, "you ain't seen nothin' yet". I have, and will continue to, call out both acts of tyranny and those that commit them. I will not stand by as the "American dream" becomes the "American nightmare" (as it has seemingly become already)....
....no more "Mr. Nice Guy"!
"Politicians are put there to give you the idea that you have freedom of choice. You don't...you have no choice. You have owners. They own you. They own everything...they own all the big media companies, so they control just about all of the news and information you get to hear. They don't give a...about you. They don't give a...about you! They don't care about you...at all, at all, at all!"
- George Carlin (1937-2008)
Just been thinking about this song today.
<walks over to the jukebox>
:: PLINK ::
“She's All I Ever Had”
Originally recorded by Ricky Martin
Written by George Noriega, Jon Secada, & Draco Rosa (1)
Here I am
Broken wings.To hold my hand.
She's all, she's all I ever had
She's the air I breathe.
She's all, she's all I ever had.
CHORUS:
It's the way she makes me feel
It's the only thing that's real.
It's the way she understands
She's my lover, she's my friend.
When I look into her eyes
It's the way I feel inside.
Like the man I want to be
She's all I ever need.
So much time
So much pain, (but)
There's one thing
That still remains (it's the)
The way she cared
The love we shared.
And through it all
She's always been there.
She's all, she's all I ever had
In a world so cold, so empty
She's all, she's all I ever had
(CHORUS)
She's all, she's all I ever had
I love to make her see.
She's all, she's all I ever had.
(CHORUS 2X)
Here I am.
It sounds like a scenario out of the "Twilight Zone". "Imagine, if you will"...that an organization purporting to oversee high school sports in the state of Connecticut allows competition based on "gender identity". That is, a male can compete as a female (and vice-versa) simply by saying that they are a female (1).
Incredible as it sounds, this idea doesn't come from a science fiction novel; it is the actual policy of the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC). Logic and actual results dictate that this pushes actual females to the side; a biological female will never be able to compete with a biological male (see author's note). Yet this doesn't seem to matter to leadership of the Conference. Nor does it matter that opportunities are being taken away from biological females. CIAC claims that "Connecticut law is clear", and that they are in compliance with it (2).
Nevertheless, on the issue at hand, the United States Department of Education (supported by the Department of Justice) disagrees. Following a complaint and subsequent investigation, the Department (on May 15, 2020) issued a "Letter of Impending Action" to the Conference. The letter declared that CIAC policy is in violation of the federal law known as "Title IX", and gave the Conference until June 4 2020 to remedy the problem, else risk the loss of federal funds (3). CIAC's response was to double-down, and utterly refuse to negotiate a solution.
CIAC Executive Director Glenn Lungarini knows that the Conference is not only violating Title IX, but pushing it backward thirty years. The whole point of the law is not to deny opportunities, but to give females a chance to succeed where they have traditionally been unable to. And perhaps I'm wrong, but I'm under the impression that you can't just ignore a federal law, states' rights or no. There is a reason (see above) for Title IX, and the law that goes along with it (4).
So why won't CIAC obey the "laws of the land"? Perhaps they believe that federal law doesn't apply to them, and that they are above such laws? That's the same attitude that many in the south's "good-ol-boy network" took towards segregation and injustice. "I can run my city/county/state the way I want to; the law means nothing to me". This was the wrong idea then, and it's the wrong idea now.
In any event, I suggest that if CIAC will not obey the laws of our nation, maybe it's time to rethink this "one state, one conference" thing. Perhaps it's time to found a new organization that intends to obey the law, rather than maintain membership in one that has no such intent.
Author's Note: In the words of professional wrestler "Eli Drake", "that's not an insult, that is just a fact of life".
About a week ago, I was feeling very frustrated; I wanted this year to be over and done with. Since then, I have found myself to be in a better mood. Somehow, I have finally gotten into the holiday spirit.
This notwithstanding, it is unbeknownst to me how I arrived at these good feelings. Maybe it's the snow on the ground that has brightened my mood. Perhaps it's the good vibes that my friends have been sending out recently. Or maybe it's simply that I've had time to think, and contemplate.
Whatever the reason may be, I am clearly happier now than I was just seven days ago.
Frankly speaking, why shouldn't I be happy? I have a roof over my head, clothes to wear on my back, and a warm bed to sleep in. I have good food to eat and drink, and I am in good health. I have many friends, and a loving family. And I have been blessed with the greatest parents that I ever could've asked for. No, I don't have everything; yet I have everything I really need.
There is a certain 1980s song that says, "I'm heavenly blessed, and worldly wise" (1). This is how I look at my life. Indeed, God has richly blessed me, giving me (among other things) wisdom as I have grown older (this may be debatable in certain circles).
Thus, on this Christmas Eve, I find myself counting my blessings. I am not the best-looking guy, nor the strongest man or the richest man. Nevertheless, I am rich in spirit; the spirit of life.
The days of the year have rolled by, giving way to another Christmas and holiday season. Whatever holiday you celebrate, be it Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or "Festivus for the rest of us", I have one wish to pass along (2). It is for you and yours to have a fantastic holiday, wherever you may be.
May the new year bring you (as well as those you love) much prosperity, happiness, and good health.
"Merry Christmas (and happy holidays) to all, and to all a good night" (3).
In 1995, the direction of classical performances in Fairfield County was forever changed, as the "Fairfield County Children's Choir (FCCC)" was founded. On this, the group's twenty-fifth anniversary, I wish to share some memories of my time in this distinguished organization (1).
Just for chronological reference, let's look back at where we were twenty-five years ago.
In Washington, Bill Clinton was in the third year of his first term as president. Microsoft's "Windows 95" was brand new for the computer market, and the public internet was in its infancy (2). Personally, I was fourteen years old, and entering eighth grade at Fairfield's Tomlinson Middle School.
The first memory that I have of FCCC is the day of my audition. I remember my mother (who accompanied me on this occasion) driving me to what was then known as the Roger Ludlowe Community Center. There, I went into one of the first floor rooms, and met music director Jon Noyes.
Having earned my mother's enthusiastic endorsement, it was time for me to show what I could do. For the sake of brevity, I will simply say that Mr. Noyes seemed to be impressed. In short order, I found myself having membership in the very first ensemble of FCCC.
Other than weekly rehearsals, breathing exercises, and the tongue-in-cheek "theme song" of the group (don't ask), there isn't too much that I remember about the usual routine. Nevertheless, one memory has stayed with me; that of the choir's first big performance. This particular concert took place at Fairfield University's Regina Quick Center.
As I recall, when I walked into the concert venue, I was awed by the Center's size and setting. Having limited experience, I had never sung in such a large hall before. Looking back, it all seemed very surreal to a teenage boy.
Among the selections that my ensemble performed that day, there are a few that stand out in my mind.
I faintly remember singing a certain Bosnian folk song (this was about the time of the Bosnian War), the name and lyrics of which escape me (3). We also presented a rendition of a song entitled "Siyahamba". The composition's name is of Zulu origin; translated into English, it means "we are marching (in the light of God)" (4).
The final performance of the concert was one that, twenty-five years later, I still remember fondly. It was a piece called "Goin' Up Yonder", and it featured a female solo part. In my mind, I can still hear the voice of Amanda Weir (apologies for not knowing her married name) singing that song, and the rest of the choir as we joined in. Needless to say, the concert was a great success, and a key occasion in the history of the group.
It is important for me to mention not only the lasting legacy of FCCC, but what the organization means to me personally. FCCC helped me to grow into not simply an adult, but a man. I made many good friends as part of that first ensemble; some that I still keep in touch with. It's always enjoyable to remember those early times, and how the stage was set (so to speak) for later groups and events.
Over the last twenty-five years, FCCC has become a thriving part of the Fairfield County cultural scene. It has traveled all over the world, performing in places such as Carnegie Hall (see Author's Note). The positive impact that the choir has had is, in a word, immeasurable (5).
So saying, I salute the various groups of the Fairfield County Children's Choir, as well as their impeccable leaders. Here's to another quarter-century of outstanding performances...and memories.
Author's Note: Due to FCCC's age limits at the time, I missed this performance by one year...drat!
