The tangled web of American history

Posted on December 5, 2018 by bvanrysdam

Today is National Repeal Day.

On January 16th, 1919, Congress passed the Eighteenth Amendment, outlawing alcohol and the following year, Congress passed the Nineteenth Amendment granting women the right to vote.

In a strange way, these two events were connected to each other. The Women’s Christian Temperance Union had been promoting prohibition for many years, believing alcohol was the cause of many social ills facing our nation. In those days, a man controlled the household money and could drink away the family’s life savings with the wife having little recourse to stop him.

Another factor that played a large role in all of this was World War I. Many women became involved in the war efforts, working in factories, running the house with husbands at war, allowing them to earn their own money and even great freedom.

All of this led America into the Roaring Twenties where consumerism took off. Advances in printing found magazines entering more and more homes, offering a plethora of manufactured goods just waiting to be gobbled up. Sensing a growing market, many companies began to market directly at women, thus giving them an even greater voice to advance their status.

Fast forward thirteen years and America found itself in the Great Depression. Because of Prohibition, organized crime grew with gangsters taking control of big cities. Both men and women struggled to survive. Many Americans were looking for something to cheer about and their thoughts soon turned to drink.

Franklin D. Roosevelt called for a repeal during the 1932 presidential campaign. He won the election in a landslide and Prohibition was dead one year later. On December 5th, 1933, Utah (being the final state needed for a three quarters majority) the 21st Amendment was ratified repealing Prohibition.

Riding the storm out

Posted on December 4, 2018 by bvanrysdam

Fool me once; shame on you. Fool me twice; shame on me.

Wall Street experienced another volatile day. The market fell nearly 800 points (down 3.10%) following the realization that the meeting between President Trump and Chinese President Xi was not all it was cracked up to be.

The smiling optimism that came out of the G20 meeting quickly turned to panic after investors realized that, not only is the trade war not over, but could be worse. Tech stocks seemed to take the brunt of the blow with Apple and Alphabet losing more than 4 percent each.

So what happened? Investors took what President Trump said to heart and thought we had turned a corner until they realized that nothing was even close to being settled. You would think these so-called experts would understand that this president enjoys a bit of exaggeration when he explains his dealings with others (remember how the republicans won big in the last election?).

So once again, investors are looking at a “correction”. With fears of more tariffs and trade wars and talk of a possible recession, investors may want to baton down the hatches and get ready for a really bad storm.

War of the words

Posted on November 16, 2018 by bvanrysdam

There continues to be a blurring of the lines in the fourth estate. The most recent incident involves CNN reporter Jim Acosta who had his credentials removed after a testy exchange with President Trump. The White House claims Acosta made contact with an intern when he refused to give back the microphone. CNN has sued the White House in an effort to reinstate Acosta. A judge issued a court order to temporarily reinstate his pass, but it’s going to be tough for viewers (especially of Fox News) to accept Acosta can remain objective in his reporting.

This is not about whether or not the White House has the right to revoke a reporters credentials (I do in fact believe they have that right under the proper circumstances). There are other CNN reporters that have access to the White House, so it’s not like the entire news organization has been banned. My problem with all of this is when a reporter becomes part of the story.

Having reporters like Acosta appear on programs such as Anderson Cooper 360 puts them in a tough spot. Any time a reporter shows up on a talking head show, they run the risk of delving into the land of speculation which can lead them down the slippery slope of offering an opinion. Now he has become part of the story which in the minds of many, (myself included) casts doubts on his ability to be objective in his reporting.

And this issue is not exclusive to CNN. The White House promoted Fox News broadcaster/journalist Sean Hannity was scheduled to appear with President Trump at a campaign rally before November’s election. That immediately set off an uproar about journalistic integrity. Hannity later said he was broadcasting his show from the rally, but was not there to make an appearance, although when the president invites you up to stage, what are you going to do, say no? Even Fox News called it an “unfortunate distraction” and Hannity, who was advertised to appear on Fox News election coverage ended up being a no show.

I personally don’t consider Hannity a journalist in the true sense of the word. I also don’t find Anderson Cooper one either, but that’s okay, talk show hosts can play an important role in updating and educating their audience, but I do think we need to hold reporters and news anchors (not talking heads) to a higher standard and have them report the news, not be a part of it.

Just swipe to the right

Posted on October 22, 2018 by bvanrysdam

How bad has politics gotten? There are now dating apps that help you locate someone who follows your political leaning.

Introducing Donald Daters, a brand new dating app for people who support President Trump and want to find like-minded partners. The app, whose slogan is “Make America Date Again”, is available on the App Store and Google Play.

Every day you will receive 25 finely curated matches to connect with for free! Then, after you go through your daily matches, it’s time to see what other singles are up to in your area in the activity feed. There you can like, send messages and connect with any of your matches.

Now before you think this app is a private party just for those on the right, Donald Daters encourages freethinking and welcomes anyone to download the app and enjoy their community although they also mention you can join without bias, judgement, or liberal intolerance (so much for freethinking).

Unlike some political gatherings, Donald Daters say they will not allow abusive language and bigotry is not acceptable (which is kinda sad that a dating website offers more self-control than today’s political rallies). The site even offers actual testimonials from users including Laura R. from Ohio who said “finally I can meet people with the same values and beliefs as me”.

“For many young Trump supporters, liberal intolerance has made meeting and dating nearly impossible. Support for the president has become a deal breaker instead of an icebreaker. That’s why we created a new platform for Trump supporters to meet people without being afraid of talking politics,” Emily Moreno, CEO of Donald Daters, posted to the website.

It remains to be seen how successful this new dating app will be, but one has to wonder if the Trump Organization will sue for intellectual property theft.

We’re on the road to nowhere

Posted on June 28, 2018 by bvanrysdam

How did we get here? That’s a question that’s being asked more and more. Where has civility gone? Have we come to the point where people are so tired of feeling bad that they feel the need to lash out at others?

I attended a recent conference that featured Evan Smith from the Texas Tribune. He spoke about how, as a society, we are choosing to get our information from sources that think like we do. Consider yourself a conservative? You’re probably watching Fox News. Lean more liberal? You are probably turning to CNN for your news.

The problem is that you are only getting one side to story that may have several (meaning even more than two!). Americans are not looking to get information to learn something, but rather looking for someone to validate their own beliefs and that’s where the trouble starts.

Doing this leads us to thinking we don’t need to compromise because there are plenty of people who think like we do right? Why should we give in, let the other guy deal with it. This leaves us running in place for the most part because nothing gets done (which actually could be a good thing).

Here’s something else to remember. While the right is getting their information from Fox and the left from CNN, there is a common denominator between both media giants, they are driven by profits which means, just like politicians, they play to their base (or audience).

I am not suggesting it’s #FakeNews, but than again, it’s not very good coverage of the news either.

Can you run that by me again?

Posted on March 2, 2018 by bvanrysdam

Its primary election season in Texas and that means we get to hear/see lots of political messaging.

While most end up in the recycling bin, one direct mail piece caught my attention. It was from the Freedom & Liberty Conservatives PAC. The headline across the top said “Let’s Make Montgomery County Great Again” following the successful mantra President Trump used during his campaign.

As anyone familiar with Montgomery County knows, republicans control just about every political position available, which begs the question; why isn’t Montgomery County great now?

The flyer introduces us to “the magnificent nine reformers who will make Montgomery County great again!” (I counted and the phrase ‘Make Montgomery County great again’ appears six times on the mailer) Leading the charge is Mark Keough who is running for county judge.

Their website promotes their values saying “conservatives support less government spending and lower taxes. If some take the foregoing beliefs as divisive, that is no concern to us. We agree with Thomas Jefferson that ‘the tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.”

The mailer asks voters ‘don’t you long for mornings when’…

Property taxes didn’t threaten to force you out of your home?
You didn’t have to fight traffic gridlock, potholes and tolls?
Sexual harassment by people in power is no longer tolerated?

So why isn’t Montgomery County great? The city of Conroe (the county seat) is the fastest growing city in the U.S., so there must be something being done right, or why would so many people want to move there?

The only conclusion I can come up with is that we have the wrong kind of conservative republicans in office. Maybe we could come up with uniforms that indicate the rank of how conservative someone is so that we can make an informed decision March 6.

What’s the frequency Kenneth?

Posted on July 6, 2017 by bvanrysdam

The Federal Communications Commission is considering whether or not to keep the main studio rule which requires stations to maintain “main studios” in their primary coverage area.

Organizations like the National Association of Broadcasters claim this rule is inconsistent” with listener and viewer expectations, and suggested that eliminating the rule would result in cost savings, better deployment of resources, efficiency and better service.

The broadcast industry, like many other industries, has seen massive challenges and change over the last few decades. Years of consolidation, debt and emerging technologies like the internet have forced to it to come up with new ways to remain viable and profitable.

Long gone are the days where powerful radio stations were owned by families like the Jones (who owned KTRH & KLOL). Those families were part of the fabric of the community, and while making a profit was important, so was service.

LPTV operator Venture Technology Group said “the purpose of the rules has been bypassed by technology,” but has it? I thought the purpose was to serve the community that the station was licensed to.

There is fear that broadcasting emergency information can be impacted. Can you imagine someone in Los Angles providing coverage of a hurricane that is headed toward Houston? There is also concern if you eliminate the main studio rule, you run the risk of losing places for talent to pay their dues and gnaw their teeth. It is very rare for someone to be an overnight sensation and make it to the major markets.

So where do new and aspiring broadcasters start? Internet radio? Pod-casting? YouTube? All are possible, but that begs the question, who needs a broadcast station to begin with.

Many feel the industry shot themselves in the foot when they opened the door to consolidation and allowed companies to own multiple stations in a single market. They might be shooting themselves in the other foot if the main studio rule goes away which will make it very hard for them to remain standing.