Youngsters Have It So Good

If you are a fan of my writings, you are well aware of where I work. Part of their morning show involves what is known as the Watercooler Question of the Day.

A recent question asked viewers about a plan for the government to ban spanking. While I won't go into that insane prospect (it reminds me of a "plan" to abolish all laws except for the 10 Commandments -- how do you enforce "Honor your father and your mother"?), some of the answers received talked about how they got spanked as children and they turned out as good, law-abiding citizens.

It reminded me of an e-mail I received about why people over 30 should all be dead anyway. And since some of my friends are soon to reach that age -- or whizzing past it -- I thought I would share it with you.

This is the e-mail:

People over 30 should be dead and here's why:

Our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paint.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets. (Not to mention the risks we took hitchhiking.)

As children, we would ride in cars with no seatbelts or air bags.

Riding in the back of a pickup truck on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle.

We ate cupcakes, bread and butter, and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we were never overweight because we were always outside playing.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle, and no one actually died from this.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then rode down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes.

After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the street lights came on. No one was able to reach us all day -- NO CELL PHONES!!!!!

We had friends! We went outside and found them.

We played dodge ball, and sometimes, the ball would really hurt. We fell out of trees, got cut and broke bones and teeth, and there were no lawsuits from these accidents because they were just accidents.

No one was to blame but us.

We had fights and punched each other and got black and blue and learned to get over it.

We made up games with sticks and tennis balls and ate worms, and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes, nor did the worms live inside us forever.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's home and knocked on the door, or rang the bell or just walked in and talked to them.

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment.

Some students weren't as smart as others, so they failed a grade and were held back to repeat the same grade.

Our actions were our own. Consequences were expected.

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke a law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law.

This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers and problem solvers and inventors, ever. The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all.

People under 30 are WIMPS !

Thus endeth the e-mail.

I can honestly say I did most of those things when I was a kid. I didn't eat the worms though and I'm glad that some of those things will never happen to children again.

It was a different world back then … better in some ways, but today is just as great. You just have to be able to adapt.

I told my wife that I'm a 42-year-old guy with the mileage of an 85-year-old man.. and the mentality of a 12-year-old. She agreed with me. I was trying to be sarcastic! Oh, boy. Do I need to take better care of my body or "age" my personality? Nah. I think I'll continue to push the envelope and giggle as I do it. And how many grown men do you know that will admit to giggling? I'm not normal! "The girl on the seesaw is laughing/4 love is the color/This place imparts"

Touch 'em all with me, whether you agree with me or criticize me. I like the way you think! Tell me your opinion. Add a comment below and tell me what you think or write to me if you want to join the ever-growing e-mail list to have my column delivered right to your inbox.

The Force Is Strong With This One

I know this is a day late, but I had to wait to write about today's topic.

I was 14 years old when it first appeared on the big screen. I saw it then.

I am 42 when it appeared on the big screen for the final (?) time. And I saw it now.

In between, I always believed that the original "Star Wars" was the best -- without equal to the others. Now, I think "Revenge of the Sith" is right on par with the original.

I promise not to give away important details to the movie. I just want to chat about how this grand series impressed legions of fans -- including myself.

George Lucas had a vision and the final (no. 3) installment fulfills the dream completely. For me, the series indeed has come full circle and now I wait for all of it on DVD.

"Sith" hit all my emotions -- anger, amusement, fear, joy, -- and that is the mark of a good movie. I did notice some women were crying by the end and some children were scared.

It was not the greatest movie ever (that title goes to Monty Python and the Holy Grail), but it ranks in my top 10 of all time.

Everyone knows how it ends -- Anakin becomes Darth Vadar, Luke and Leia are born, Yoda and Obi-Wan go off to their respective planets -- but how it got to that point is better than any ending.

It was nearly 30 years in the making, but it was worth it. All the remaining mysteries were solved and questions were answered.

Can I gush anymore? Probably, but I've erased several sentences already because I promised no spoilers. Darn my sense of fair play!

I knew this summer was going to be full of movies. There are too many out there that I want to see. I've already seen "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" and "Sith". "Batman Begins", "Mr. and Mrs. Smith", "Fantastic Four", and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" all are beckoning to me.

I can't remember a time when so many good flicks were hitting the screen at the same time. But topping "Sith" will be very difficult indeed.

Ok. One spoiler: C3PO gets the final word in "Sith". He also got the first word in "Star Wars". A bit of geek trivia for you. Has this series jumped the shark? Or does it continue as another addition to a cultural icon that will endure? And where do we go from here? "I have a bad feeling about this."

Touch 'em all with me, whether you agree with me or criticize me. I like the way you think! Tell me your opinion. Add a comment below and tell me what you think or write to me if you want to join the ever-growing e-mail list to have my column delivered right to your inbox.

It Doesn't Have To Be An Idiot Box

I like my job in news. I like knowing what's going on before anyone else.

I also like taking on the responsibility of passing along that information as accurately and quickly as possible to the general public. So, it pains me greatly when others in my business take liberties and erode the trust that I've worked so hard to build up.

Because, just like politicians, the all members of the press get painted with the same brush when something goes wrong.

Two separate stories this week brought the media fully into the spotlight.

In Los Angeles (land of the highway chase), helicopters are routinely used to follow high-speed -- and sometimes, high drama -- police chases live as they happen. Yes, the number of viewers rises and, most of the time, it makes for interesting television.

This time, the bad guy pulled into a parking lot and jumped out of his vehicle with a weapon in his hand. Surrounded by police, the suspect stumbled, dropped his weapon -- then reached in his pocket and pulled out another weapon.

With cameras zoomed in on the suspect, police opened fire and killed the man -- on live television.

Recently, Newsweek magazine published an article claiming that interrogators at Guantanamo Bay flushed a Quran down the toilet to get inmates to talk. The story allegedly triggered riots in Afghanistan that ended in the deaths of 15 people.

In their explanation of the article, Newsweek said they used one source for the accusation and did not get confirmation on the flushing aspect of the story. But they published anyway "because a U.S. official said government investigators turned up this evidence."

Later, a Pentagon spokesman said they investigated the desecration charges and found them "not credible." Newsweek's original source also began backtracking about the alleged Quran incident.

It all comes down to the weighty responsibility we in the media have to provide accurate information and not sensationalize the news that is out there. I can't tell you how many e-mails from viewers I see about how the media is liberal, conservative, bias, slanted, you name it.

Everyone has an opinion and as long as people continue to accuse us of being on both ends of the spectrum, I guess we are doing a good job. I just wish others in my business would take the same tact as I do -- investigate, discover, verify, analyze and report.

Not every man in a speeding car needs to be on the air. And the need to be first doesn't have to take precedent.

Yeah, I wear a "J" on my chest -- and proud of it. I'm not saying I'm better at it that others. But I do think people in the news should reflect on the history -- and history makers -- of our industry. It would be a very intersting lesson indeed. Speaking of history, the "last" Star Wars opens this week. If anyone has a spare ticket...? "Yeah, and they'll probably kill it to death." (Thanks, Amy)

Touch 'em all with me, whether you agree with me or criticize me. I like the way you think! Tell me your opinion. Add a comment below and tell me what you think or write to me if you want to join the ever-growing e-mail list to have my column delivered right to your inbox.

Time Out

I'm taking a break this week. It is my birthday this week and there has been quite a lot going on.

I hope you don't mind. I promise to be back next week with more, but I just need to take some time off.

Do not despair. I leave you this week with this:

"The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be ... unnatural"

I can't wait!!!

Touch 'em all with me, whether you agree with me or criticize me. I like the way you think! Tell me your opinion. Add a comment below and tell me what you think or write to me if you want to join the ever-growing e-mail list to have my column delivered right to your inbox.

Stick Out Your Thumb

Never let someone else tell you what you should like.

For the past couple of weeks, I have been reading all these reviews of the new movie, "The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy". Nearly every critic was luke warm to downright frigid in their take on the film.

For the record, I own 1st printings of the Hitchhiker's trilogy. I also have recordings from the BBC radio program and a long time ago, I had a video game based on the books.

To say I'm a fan would be reasonable. So if anyone were going to blast the movie, you would think I would be first in line.

I'm here to tell the critics to bugger off.

Most of their problem was that the movie didn't follow along directly with the books. Some of the reviews also said the jokes were too subtle.

Bollocks, I say.

Sure, the movie wasn't a direct adaptation of the books, but the story was there and the additions and subtractions didn't detract from a very good movie. The screenplay was started by Douglas Adams, author of the trilogy, and admirably continued after his death.

The dialog was funny and the bits were hilarious. One of the funniest involved a sperm whale and its brief moments of existence -- much more comedic in movie form than in the books. Watch the movie and you'll see what I mean.

Every one is entitled to their own opinion. Mine is usually right here -- or you can just ask me and I'll give it to you. Remember, though, if you ask me a question, be sure you really want an answer.

The broader point here is don't let others tell you what to watch, what to do or what to say. Choose your own way and be responsible for the choices you make.

There are many instances in life when the path forks. Pick the path that is best for you and your future -- whether it be taking a new job or watching a new movie.

And above all, don't panic.

Doing The Heavy Lifting

Since you asked, I did have a stress test this past week.

And according to the cardiologist, I have "the heart of someone in their 20s" and no cardio problems whatsoever. Hurray for me!

Of course, this still doesn't answer the question of why I'm having chest pains, but at least I know it doesn't have anything to do with my heart. But I do know one answer -- 42 -- and I also know the question!

Speaking of movies, there are so many out this summer that if you can't reach me, I'm probably in a theater somewhere. The new Star Wars, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Four -- it is a veritable plethora of cinematic fun. Don't let me tell you what to watch. Your tastes may be different than mine and probably don't have the expressed, written consent of Major League Baseball. "Mostly harmless."

Touch 'em all with me, whether you agree with me or criticize me. I like the way you think! Tell me your opinion. Add a comment below and tell me what you think or write to me if you want to join the ever-growing e-mail list to have my column delivered right to your inbox.