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Super Committee Failure Not Surprising

In Business, Economy, Jobs, National News, Opinion, Politics, Uncategorized on November 22, 2011 at 12:42 am

By Gery L. Deer

Deer In Headlines

President Obama announced this week the abject failure of the so-called congressional Super Committee, which had originally supposed to hammer out a bi-partisan deal to cut the deficit by a whopping $1.2 trillion. Following the announcement, the president told reporters, “Despite the broad agreement that exists for such an approach, there are still too many Republicans in Congress that have refused to listen to the voices of reason and compromise that are coming from outside of Washington.”

Another typical Obama move; when in doubt, blame the other side. It seems the president has forgotten the definition of the word, “compromise,” wherein both sides need to give and take. They must not teach that concept at Harvard Law.

By definition, a committee is a group of people with differing ideas who are charged to work together towards a common goal. Whether it is made up of government officials or members of the local parent-teacher organization, committees generally produce more problems than they solve. Super-size the typical ineffectiveness of any committee, particularly one made up of bickering, self-aggrandizing members of congress, and the result is at minimum counterproductive and at most disastrous.

Given the poor history of compromise between the Democrats and Republicans in recent years, any attempt at a cooperative group was doomed to failure before it was commissioned. Unfortunately, congressional representatives are far more concerned with gaining political points and winning the day than solvingAmerica’s debt problems.

With the next election barely 11 months away, Republicans are firmly against pretty much anything the Democrats have proposed in the way of budget cuts, primarily because most plans involve tax increases. Conservative committee members insist that higher taxes will increase the burden on the average citizen and cause the country’s economy to backslide.

So what will happen next? Since the committee was unable to meet the deadline for the deficit reduction plan, programs like Medicare will experience automatic cuts in funding. Payments to Medicare providers, for example, will be cut by 2 percent across the board by 2013. Government sources state, however, that expenditures to beneficiaries of the program will be unaffected.

Additionally, the affect on general economic growth is, at this point, incalculable. As the country’s debt rises, it’s overall fiscal worth declines. As an example, as news of the super committee’s ineffectiveness spread over the last several days, Wall Street experienced general overall losses, with the Dow, down, 248 points on Monday.

Inaction on the part of the committee only serves to reinforce the idea that neither Congress nor the West Wing is up to current economic challenges. So far nothing has been done to even encourage long-term business and financial growth and spur job creation. Temporary fixes are not going to carry the country through a recession that is constantly on the verge of resurgence.

And, while the White House is responsible for pushing bad programs onto the Democrats in Congress and leveraging future cooperation to get them approved, it’s up to the legislature to determine the benefits, or the lack thereof, to their constituents. Apparently, common sense is not part of the job descriptions inWashington. Only those capable of double-dealing, back-room politics and cold-heartedness need apply.

Considering all of that, at the end of the day, each and every bad decision made by government officials are actually the final responsibility and fault of the American people because they were elected by the short-sighted, easily coerced voter. Winston Churchill said, “Democracy is the worst form of government; except for all the rest.”

He couldn’t have been more correct. A government by the people has a pitfall for every promise. As long as Americans keep sending the same kinds of self-serving, greedy, power-hungry people toWashington, positive change is highly unlikely.

Gery L. Deer is an independent business writer and columnist based in Jamestown, Ohio. Read more at http://www.deerinheadlines.com

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Occupy Wall Street Protests Lack Purpose

In Business, Economy, Jobs, National News, Opinion, Politics, State News, Uncategorized on October 12, 2011 at 11:40 am

By Gery L. Deer

Deer In Headlines

 

For the last couple of weeks I have been deflecting questions as to why I haven’t weighed in on the recent Wall Street protests. The main reason is pretty simple. While they might have a legitimate gripe with the government’s corporate bail out policies, I really didn’t want to give further publicity to their unbelievably socialistic agenda. But since this pointless movement seems to be spreading and shows no signs of weakening, here’s my take on it.

Taking a page from the Tea Party’s playbook, hoards of disgruntled citizens have gathered in protest of … what, exactly? The so-called “Occupy Wall Street, Boston, insert your favorite city here” groups have collected in more than 60 cities across the country. But for all their apparent numbers, they lack a common purpose and desired outcome.

In fact, protestors are insisting that a unifying cause or message is not required. Every movement must have a message. Surprisingly, this particular cause has dozens of different messages and that will likely be their downfall.

If anything, these self-aggrandizing rejects from the Tea Party movement see themselves as future folk heroes standing up for the “common man.” Sorry folks but we common men have to spend our time finding work and paying bills. We can’t spend weeks on end camping out with our hippy brethren in a public park.

Don’t be fooled. This is not a protest for civil rights or freedom from tyranny. Instead it’s a protest against success and achievement and nothing short of a demand for the adoption of socialism. Yep, you read that right – socialism.

According to the dictionary definition, socialists advocate the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution of land, capital, etc., into the community as a whole. In plain English, they want to take what you have worked hard to earn and divide it up amongst the rest of the population so that others don’t have to work or pull their weight. I think there’s something strangely ironic about a group that is pushing a socialist mentality which has no real community goals.

If the utter lack of a unifying purpose isn’t enough to label this movement ridiculous, the list of pseudo-celebrities who are lending their voices to the cause certainly does. On the off chance that participants of these occupations are reading this, I’ll let you in on a little secret.

Giving Al Sharpton or Sarah Palin a soap box and free publicity will do nothing for your absent cause. You’re allowing millionaires to use you like so much left over bacon grease and they’re just getting richer at your expense.

Speaking of expense, no one has considered the financial harm these gatherings are doing. At a time when city governments are struggling to balance budgets they now have to spend millions of dollars for extra security and maintenance that would not have otherwise been required.

In short, if these people don’t get a handle on exactly what they want they’ll never get it.  All I can say to this is that they have far too much time on their hands. Maybe they would do better to redirect some energy from whining and complaining to taking a shower and finding a job.

In any case, some of the anger demonstrated by the protesters should be directed away from corporateAmericaand pointed at President Obama. After all, he’s the guy you want to blame for the bail outs, and, by the way, he’s a multi-millionaire too and a self-admitted socialist. Interesting how he has done nothing to unburden himself from his top-heavy bank account.

People take up causes when they’re convenient or only after something bad has happened to them or someone they know. Without a meaningful goal, however, the Occupy movement will start fizzling out fairly soon, especially in the east, once the cold weather arrives. It will die out because there is no unifying message. In the meantime, the rest of us will keep working and trying to provide for our families so those people can continue to play in the park – on the tax payer’s dollar.

 

Gery L. Deer is a freelance business writer based in Jamestown, Ohio. Read more at http://www.deerinheadlines.com.

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Amanda Knox Conviction Overturned

In National News, Politics, State News, Uncategorized on October 3, 2011 at 3:02 pm

American Amanda Knox to be freed immediately.

Perugia, Italy – 3:54PM ET – After four years the murder conviction of American exchange student Amanda Knox has been overturned by a Perugia, Italy court. Found guilty only of accusing an innocent party in the case, Knox has been credited for time served and will quickly leave the country with her family as soon as possible. Knox was arrested and convicted in 2007 for the killing of her roommate Meredith Kercher. During the course of the appeal, much of the evidence presented by the original prosecution was thrown out.

 

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Address Unknown: Saving the Postal Service

In Business, Economy, Jobs, Local News, National News, Opinion on September 20, 2011 at 7:03 am

By Gery L. Deer

Deer In Headlines

 

Cell phones, text messages, email, Facebook; the list of personal contact options is virtually endless and growing daily. Is it any wonder then that it seems like the only things mail carriers leave in the mailbox are bills and junk mail? And now the United States Postal Service is on the verge of shutdown.

In July, faced with a $5.5 billion health care bill owed to the federal government, Postal Service officials announced plans to stop Saturday deliveries, shut down some 3,600 service locations and lay off more than 200,000 employees. If the debt is not paid by September 30, 2011, the agency will be in default and forced to shut down.

On Monday, President Obama announced a plan to save the Postal Service and its employees from insolvency. In addition to other stipulations, the plan includes the previous idea of discontinuing Saturday mail delivery and also allows the U.S. Postal Service to use $7 billion from an overfunded pension account to avoid financial collapse.

Unnamed officials in the Obama administration have admitted that the president’s relief package, at best, would provide only short-term solutions.  So the question now is whether the Postal Service, as it exists today, should be saved at all?

Constant rate increases and regular customer service complaints add to the already tarnished reputation of the USPS. Sometime in the 1990’s, postal mail became known as, “snail mail,” for the agonizingly slow rate at which a letter travels compared to electronic correspondence. Sending letters or parcels overseas or through priority service can often require complicated and confusing forms and fees, any of which can change without notice.

However, while the Internet has caused the decline in overall postal traffic, it has also helped the Postal Service – and the consumer. Priority and Express mail, as well as flat-rate shipping, are far less expensive than competitive services through UPS or FedEx making it easier for online stores and auction sellers to deliver their products to customers.

Unfortunately, low cost shipping services have done little to shore up declining sales of first class stamps. As with most other government services that are hopelessly mismanaged and over budget, the Postal Service has continued to operate outside its means, and now the mortgage, so to speak, is in foreclosure.

As much as they politicize the idea and protest against it, each blaming the other for badly spent tax revenue, Congress and the White House continue to pour cash into failing programs and badly managed agencies filled with waste and redundancy. The Postal Service is no different. But what can be done?

It seems as though it would be impractical to completely eliminate a federal postal service, but perhaps the time has come to scale it back and adjust to the times. But even if a trimming of the fat occurs in time, it will still mean more unemployed workers and perhaps an increase in the cost of postage.

Besides USPS employees, millions of other workers would be affected if the Postal Service were to be shut down. Mail room employees, print shop and direct mail workers, delivery drivers and mechanics would all be out of work.

Losing mail service would also have a harsh effect on the elderly and the poor inAmericabecause of limited internet access and education. Many of senior citizens still pay all of their bills by mail and send hand-written correspondence to family and friends. Plus, alternate methods would need to be found for inviting guests to weddings and other formal events and paper greeting cards would eventually become a thing of the past.

Rather than looking for a complete solution to the Postal Service budget issue, government officials are too busy running for office. Politicians – including President Obama – desperate to keep their government jobs in 2012 have done little to directly address deficit problems at the post office. Instead, it has been thrown into tax reduction plans and budget talks as what can only be referred to as an afterthought.

The time to make a decision about the fate of the Postal Service is now. If congress does nothing, the agency will go bankrupt. In the meantime, the clock is ticking and Americans really don’t want to have to pay for another bail out.

 

Gery L. Deer is an independent columnist based in Jamestown. Read more at http://www.deerinheadlines.com

 

 

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9/11: Oh, the humanity.

In Media, National News, Opinion, Politics on September 5, 2011 at 6:52 am

By Gery L. Deer

Deer In Headlines

I don’t know which is harder to believe; that it has been ten years or that it really did happen. Unprecedented in the history of the United States, the events of September 11, 2001 changed lives around the world.

The savage, heart wrenching images of that morning are forever emblazoned into the collective memories of a generation. A horrible tragedy set against the clear, blue sky of Manhattan. Those of us watching from other parts of the country felt it right along with New Yorkers; the tragedy, the helplessness, the pain, the destruction, the hot, debris-filled wind that would sweep over our nation and rock us to our very core.

The day before the attacks, I had returned to Ohio from a week-long trip in Las Vegas. A co-worker heard on the radio that there had been some kind of bombing in New York City and was frantically trying to find information about it on the Internet. But CNN’s website would not come up, neither would CBS nor NBC. In fact, none of the major news sites were available. Millions of hits at once knocked down the websites before any of us could find out what had happened.

Retrieving a 3-inch color television from my truck, several of my colleagues huddled around my desk trying to get a look at the replay of the first plane flying into one of the World Trade Center towers when the unthinkable happened. A second plane ripped through the remaining tower and it too burst into flames. Shock and silence settled over the motley crew of engineers and technicians gathered around the tiny screen.

Ten years later, we’ve all seen those images over and over again, from virtually every angle. We’ve been deluged time and again with eye-witness interviews and video of the brave emergency response teams trying desperately to save as many lives as they could in the midst of utter chaos and destruction.

Many of the morning television news programs originating from New York had instant coverage of the disaster. Reminiscent of Herbert Morrison’s anguished report from the site of the Hindenburg crash, live broadcast reporters were overwhelmed by pure emotion, moved to tears by the terror they witnessed. Morrison was the radio announcer on the scene in Lakehurst, New Jersey that day in 1937 as the great Zeppelin exploded and crashed to the ground.

Sent by a Chicago radio station to cover the airship’s arrival, the recording of Morrison’s immortal delivery and genuine disgust for the disastrous scene before him became the prototype for how broadcasters would report tragedy and war for decades to come. I wonder, at times, how he might have described the scene that day in New York but I believe his most famous phrase is more than sufficient, “Oh the humanity.”

Actually, even after the hundreds of news stories about the terror attacks, it’s difficult to fathom what else could be said to describe one of the worst days in American history. I can say, though, that I believe the days that followed 9-11 brought about an amazing spirit of survival and determination in our country.

From unmitigated calamity arose an unparalleled sense of unity and patriotism. Americans had spent the last half-century bickering amongst themselves over political and social issues. For the first time since the Second World War, we had a common enemy, even if we were not yet sure who it was. What we did know, however, is that the United States would recover, as a people and a nation; and we did.

On the tenth anniversary of that fateful day, all Americans send thoughts, prayers and best wishes to the families and friends of those who perished in New York, at the Pentagon and in the fields of Stonycreek Township, Pennsylvania. Nothing can return their loved ones to them but they will be forever remembered by a nation.

Gery L. Deer is an independent columnist based in Jamestown, Ohio. Read more at http://www.deerinheadlines.com

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Political Autobiographies: Style Lacking Substance

In Entertainment, Local News, Media, National News, Opinion, Politics, State News on August 29, 2011 at 10:24 pm

By Gery L. Deer

Deer In Headlines

 

Between Joe Biden’s spray-on tan and Michele Bachmann’s fashion faux pas, the political stage has never been graced by such a ridiculous cast of insubstantial people. It’s amazing how many people of lackluster quality can gain the attention of so many Americans.

As the kings and queens of shameless self-promotion, each one spends most of his or her time in front of a camera criticizing the other guys for doing the same thing. Of course, that’s part of their job, but running for the highest office in the land should depend more on substance than style. Sadly, however, that’s just not how it works on modern politics. Today it’s all about marketing.

Getting the word out to the mush-brained masses requires use of every media trick in the book, old and new. All those 2012 Republican nomination hopefuls are jetting around the country doing television interviews and giving stump speeches in the hopes that they will be the next tenant at1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Seemingly in three places at once, these people maintain an almost inconceivable campaign schedule. One way to disseminate as much information as possible is by writing an autobiography.

Books are a great way to control what information is given out about a candidate, but they’re almost never written by the politician. When political heavyweights want to write a newspaper column or a book, they often use a ghost writer.

Ghost writers are authors who write material that is officially credited to someone else. The ghost writer does the research and develops the manuscript, sometimes with little or no  intervention on the part of the person whose name eventually ends up in the byline.

Some publishers will print only a limited run of political autobiographies to generate as much revenue as possible while the subjects are in the media headlights. With the help of reasonably good writers, political biographies can be interesting and informative, even though they’re just a 300-page brochure for the candidate. Unfortunately, there are times when the political figure has too much influence over a manuscript.

Here’s an example from Sarah Palin’s book, Going Rogue: An American Life. “I was sitting next to the stove, patching up little Gopher’s North Face jacket, when I got the call (to be John McCain’s running mate), and I figured, gosh-a-mighty, why not? Well, they scoot me down toDayton — and let me tell you, that place could use a new coat of paint…” And she goes on to say that theDayton reporters will, “Twist and turn my words so I look like an idjit.”

It gets worse from there. Did she actually use the word, idjit? Unless she was trying to get a part in a movie opposite Yosemite Sam, the reporters wouldn’t have needed to do much to make twist her words. In fact, it would take more effort to untwist them enough to understand exactly what it was she had said in the first place. Clearly, there are times when a ghost writer is not only an option, but a necessity.

Once released, political autobiographies have a short shelf life and quickly end up in the bargain rack.  Publishers do their best to cash in on these projects while there is still widespread demand for information.

Without question, there is a broad audience for this material and, at least initially, most of these books sell very well – some better than others. Barack Obama’s two books for example, Audacity of Hope (2006) and Dreams From My Father (1995), both of which he wrote before ascending to the presidency, have sold nearly a half-million copies.

In the past, a politician could only get a book published if he or she had made some significant contribution. Today, however, the trend seems to be in writing the book before ever doing anything and cashing in on 15 minutes of fame.

 

Gery L. Deer is an independent columnist based inJamestown. Read more at http://www.deerinheadlines.com.

 

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Local writer, entrepreneur to speak at Columbus fiction conference

In Entertainment, Local News, Media, National News on August 17, 2011 at 9:21 am

The Jamestown Comet.com editor Gery L. Deer will speak at this year's Context fiction conference in Columbus.

JAMESTOWN – Local writer and entrepreneur Gery L. Deer of Jamestown will be sharing his expertise with aspiring writers as a panelist during the 24th Annual Context Speculative Fiction Conference in Columbus, August 26-28. At 10AM on Saturday August 27, Deer will host a session on the business of freelance writing and serve on several other discussion panels during the course of the weekend.

Speculative fiction is more commonly known as science fiction and encompasses a wide range of material including manga, anime, science fiction, fantasy, or horror. Context is a convention focused on speculative literary works and related games, comics, television and films. Throughout the weekend, aspiring writers, artists and graphic novelists attend workshops and panel discussions hosted by working authors and related experts.

Gery L. Deer is best known for his self-syndicated editorial series, Deer In Headlines, but also writes for various other regional and national publications. As a professional business writer with GLD Enterprises Commercial Writing, he provides on-demand copywriting and marketing services to business clients and self-publishing authors, providing editorial and promotional services.

“Literary science fiction events like Context are not the Star Trek conventions people might imagine,” Deer explained. “Conferences like this are geared more towards aspiring writers of science fiction and fantasy and provide the opportunity to meet and talk with well-known writers, agents and publishers.”

Deer will also be attending the conference to promote a new book by a client author. “Images Old and New,” byOhiowriter Sarah Seymour-Winfield, is a scholarly book about Christian Mysticism written from the intellectual and spiritual viewpoint of its reclusive author.

According to reviews, the book offers the reader ground-breaking new viewpoints on religious imagery in Judeo Christian canon. Released in May, it has already been chosen as a supplemental textbook for one religion class at theUniversityofDayton. Science fiction and fantasy authors are making use of the book’s unique perspective when developing new storylines based on biblical concepts.

“The publishing industry is changing rapidly, particularly with regard to electronic press, and authors need guidance during the process,” says Deer, who has published three books exclusively for the Amazon Kindle eReader. “Those dusty manuscripts in the bottom of your desk drawer may get a new breath of life and our job at the conference is to help the author go from idea to publication.”

In addition to his commercial endeavors, Deer serves as the director for the Western Ohio Writers Association and serves on the advisory board of theFairbornCommunity Center. He speaks at schools, civic groups, university business schools and literary conferences around theMidwest. In 2010, he was nominated for the Ohio Public Image Network Award in Media and considered for a Pulitzer Prize in journalism for a Xenia Daily Gazette series on mental health services.

Opening ceremonies for Context 24 begin at 7PM on Friday, August 26th at the Doubletree Hotel,175 Hutchinson Rd.,Columbus. Gery L. Deer will be speaking during the following sessions:

Fri 9pm
Wake Up and Smell 2011 – Self-publishing in Today’s Market

Sat 10am
Freelance Writing To Fund Your Novel Writing  –  presenting this one alone

Sat 2pm
Agents – The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

Sun 11am
Anthologies are for Beginners, Too

 

More information is available at http://www.contextsf.org.

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Martin Arrest Typifies Bad Judgment of Politicians

In Local News, National News, Opinion, Politics, State News on August 2, 2011 at 8:57 am

By Gery L. Deer

Deer In Headlines

Representative Jarrod Martin (R-Beavercreek)

Republican State Representative Jarrod Martin of Beavercreek is facing drunken driving and child endangerment charges following a July 22nd traffic stop inJacksonCounty. Martin was pulled over after swerving over the center line while pulling a trailer without a tail light.

He then allegedly refused a sobriety test claiming that he was embarrassed to be seen on the cruiser’s dashcam. Two other adults and two children were in the vehicle as well.

According to police records, just over a year ago, Martin was found in the early hours of the morning drunk and slumped over a Chevy Suburban that belonged to State Representative William Batchelder, R-Medina, who had left his car in the garage.

State patrol logs indicate that officers tried, unsuccessfully, for more than 20 minutes to wake Martin until medics arrived. He was released to House Republican campaign director Mike Dittoe.

In May of last year Martin and several others were evicted from aBeavercreekhotel after police were called by employees for what they reported to be drunken fighting. Reports indicate that officers found Martin and six others highly intoxicated at a bachelor party. Martin’s parents were called and the men were removed from the hotel. The representative was not charged in either incident.

Martin’s latest problem comes only a few days after another Republican state representative, Robert Mecklenborg ofCincinnati, resigned after he reportedly failed to disclose a drunk-driving arrest.

Let’s face it, politicians are human but at the same time, they should be held to a higher standard. It seems like those who most forcefully argue for stiffer penalties and regulations of alcohol or drugs tend to be the ones who are so publicly misusing them.

Through written statements, Jarrod Martin maintains that alcohol played no part in the most recent incident and intends to vindicate himself in court. However, whether or not he was intoxicated this time, the facts are clear on the previous two incidents and any regular citizen would have been hauled off to jail in either case.

Perhaps some of the officers responding to these incidents simply did not want the headache and paperwork that would come with arresting a sitting legislator. It is possible that they are afraid of being fired or denied promotion and other benefits were they to arrest an important political figure.

Government officials proven to have used their political credentials to avoid prosecution for serious offenses like DUI or child endangerment should be forced to resign. By the same token, law enforcement officers should be fired who ignore their duty because the subject is a politician.

Martin’s guilt or innocence in this most recent occurrence will be determined by the courts, but his records indicate that he clearly has an issue with alcohol. The use of alcohol, or any other drug, is a choice. If he is going to continue to do it, he is going to continue to have problems.

The official reports show that Martin’s republican associates have covered for him time and time again. Is theOhiorepublican party guilty of willingly participating in a campaign of misinformation relating to the sobriety of their members? And what does it say about a state representative whose mommy and daddy have to come rescue him from a drunken party?

The whole situation is disappointing and Ohioans should think twice about returning government representatives to Columbus who they already know to have bad judgment.

Constituents should keep in mind, when it’s time to vote on important issues like alcohol and child welfare, that same poor judgment could be employed on the floor of the state legislature.

Gery L. Deer is a local business writer and columnist. Read more at http://www.deerinheadlines.com.

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How Does A Federal Shutdown Affect You?

In Business, Economy, Local News, National News, Opinion, Uncategorized on July 26, 2011 at 8:01 am

By Gery L. Deer

Deer In Headlines

 

In a live address July 25th, President Obama urged Americans to pressure congressional leaders to move toward a compromise. (AP Photo)

On Monday, July 25, in his seventh prime time televised address to the nation, President Obama pleaded with Americans to pressure their congressional representatives to make a deal on the debt ceiling. While Mr. Obama argues against the GOP plans or any sort of a short term solution, Speaker of the House John Boehner is resolute against handing the president, what he called, “Another blank check.”

Both parties are using fear to motivate the public to demand action. But Americans who rely on federal funds to survive watch helplessly as Washington continues to bicker with itself and worry about how they will eat and pay the bills if there is a government shutdown amidst an already sluggish economy.

According to a CBS poll taken earlier this week, 79 percent of Americans are angry about the way the debt problem is being handled. There is also a great deal of speculation and misinformation about exactly what will happen should an agreement fail to be reached by the August 2nd deadline.

During the Clinton administration, three different government shut downs occurred, the longest lasting 21 days. Each resulted in the forced furlough of more than 800,000 federal employees. For information about how a federal closure would affect specific programs, contact the individual department directly. In the meantime, here are some examples of how a shutdown might affect the average citizen.

Many agencies like the CDC and National Institute of Health will scale back operations during the shutdown, with only essential personnel staying on the job. Law enforcement, public safety and national security employees would remain working, including the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and the national military. Some other agencies, not thoroughly funded by the government, like the postal service, would continue to operate as well.

Many employees of those departments may not be paid during that time, however. No factual information was available on which agencies will continue to issue paychecks, but one congressional aid told The Washington Post that military personnel would likely receive a paycheck during the first week of any shutdown, but possibly nothing after that.

For employees of government contractors the situation is even more ambiguous. Whether contractors work or get paid will depend on the employer, the specific area of the government being serviced and the projects involved. Workers in these situations should contact their company’s human resourced department for information.

Planning a summer vacation to a national park over the next few weeks? It might be a good idea to look into alternatives. If federal dollars are cut off, any national park that requires a Forest Service employee to be on site would be closed. Locally, that would include the Wright Brothers sites throughout theMiamiValleywhich are part of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park.

Officials are being tight-lipped about the full impact of the shutdown. Those who are talking agree that many civilian employees will be forced to take an unpaid vacation and it is unlikely that pay will be made retroactively once things start up again.

In 2010, an unprecedented number of people voted for a divided government – and sometimes it has merit. But usually such a total split of ideology just brings out the worst in politicians and leaves important issues mired in partisan rhetoric.

Possibly more maddening is the idea that the Washington egos in charge of this mess are mostly people of wealth who do not have to worry about where their next paycheck will come from. Given their childlike behavior and inability to compromise for the good of the people, come November of 2012, the most sensible actions that Americans can take is to show them the door.

 

Gery L. Deer is an independent columnist based in Jamestown, Ohio. Read more at http://www.deerinheadlines.com.

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Gilligan’s Island Creator, Sherwood Schwartz, Dies At 94

In Entertainment, Media, National News on July 12, 2011 at 4:21 pm

Schwartz receiving his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (2008)

By The Associated Press

July 12, 2011

Sherwood Schwartz, writer-creator of two of the best-remembered TV series of the 1960s and 1970s, Gilligan’s Island and The Brady Bunch, has died at age 94.

Great niece Robin Randall said Schwartz died early Tuesday.

Schwartz was hospitalized at Cedars Sinai Medical Center about a week ago with an intestinal infection and underwent several surgeries. His wife, Mildred, and children have been at his side, said his nephew, Douglas Schwartz.

Sherwood Schwartz and his brother, Al, started as a writing team in TV’s famed 1950s “golden age,” said Douglas Schwartz, the late Al Schwartz’s son.

“They helped shape television in its early days,” Douglas Schwartz said. “Sherwood is an American classic, creating Brady Bunch and Gilligan’s Island, iconic shows that are still popular today. He continued to produce all the way up into his 90s.”

Sherwood Schwartz was working on a big-screen version of Gilligan’s Island, his nephew said. Douglas Schwartz, who created the hit series Baywatch, called his uncle a longtime mentor and caring “second father” who helped guide him successfully through show business.

Success was the hallmark of Sherwood Schwartz’s own career. Neither Gilligan nor Brady pleased the critics, but both managed to reverberate in viewers’ heads through the years as few such series did, lingering in the language and inspiring parodies, spinoffs and countless standup comedy jokes.

Schwartz had given up a career in medical science to write jokes for Bob Hope’s radio show. He went on to write for other radio and TV shows, including The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.

He dreamed up Gilligan’s Island in 1964. It was a Robinson Crusoe story about seven disparate travelers who are marooned on a deserted Pacific Island after their small boat wrecks in a storm. The cast: Alan Hale Jr., as Skipper Jonas Grumby; Bob Denver, as his klutzy assistant Gilligan; Jim Backus and Natalie Schafer, the rich snobs Thurston and Lovey Howell; Tina Louise, the bosomy movie star Ginger Grant; Russell Johnson, egghead science professor Roy Hinkley Jr.; and Dawn Wells, sweet-natured farm girl Mary Ann Summers.

TV critics hooted at Gilligan’s Island as gag-ridden corn. Audiences adored its far-out comedy. Schwartz insisted that the show had social meaning along with the laughs: “I knew that by assembling seven different people and forcing them to live together, the show would have great philosophical implications.”

He argued that his sitcoms didn’t rely on cheap laughs. “I think writers have become hypnotized by the number of jokes on the page at the expense of character,” Schwartz said in a 2000 Associated Press interview.

“When you say the name Gilligan, you know who that is. If a show is good, if it’s written well, you should be able to erase the names of the characters saying the lines and still be able to know who said it. If you can’t do that, the show will fail.”

Gilligan’s Island lasted on CBS from 1964 to 1967, and it was revived in later seasons with three high-rated TV movies. A children’s cartoon, The New Adventures of Gilligan, appeared on ABC from 1974 to 1977, and in 2004, Schwartz had a hand in producing a TBS reality show called The Real Gilligan’s Island.

The name of the boat on Gilligan’s Island — the S.S. Minnow — was a bit of TV inside humor: It was named for Newton Minow, who as Federal Communications Commission chief in the early 1960s had become famous for proclaiming television “a vast wasteland.”

Minow took the gibe in good humor, saying later that he had a friendly correspondence with Schwartz.

TV writers usually looked upon The Brady Bunch as a sugarcoated view of American family life.

The premise: a widow (Florence Henderson) with three daughters marries a widower (Robert Reed) with three sons. (Widowhood was a common plot point in TV series back then, since networks were leery of divorce.) During the 1970s when the nation was rocked by social turmoil, audiences seemed comforted by watching an attractive, well-scrubbed family engaged in trivial pursuits.

Schwartz claimed in 1995 that his creation had social significance because “it dealt with real emotional problems: the difficulty of being the middle girl; a boy being too short when he wants to be taller; going to the prom with zits on your face.”

The series lasted from 1969 to 1974, but it had an amazing afterlife. It was followed by three one-season spinoffs: The Brady Bunch Hour (1977), The Brady Brides (1981) and The Bradys (1990).The Brady Bunch Movie, with Shelley Long and Gary Cole as the parents, was a surprise box-office hit in 1995.

It was followed the next year by a less successful A Very Brady Sequel.

Sherwood Schwartz was born in 1916 in Passaic, N.J., and grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y. His brother, already working for Hope, got him a job when Sherwood was still in college.

“Bob liked my jokes, used them on his show and got big laughs. Then he asked me to join his writing staff,” Schwartz said during an appearance in March 2008, when he got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. “I was faced with a major decision writing comedy or starving to death while I cured those diseases. I made a quick career change.”

Besides his wife, Schwartz’s survivors include sons Donald, Lloyd and Ross Schwartz, and daughter Hope Juber.

 

Story Courtesy The Associated Press / Photo Courtesy Wikipedia