J.P.

Censorship.

One of the enjoyable things about having a forced day off from work is that you can sleep a little later than usual and then wake yourself up at your own pace. I choose to do this by spinning around the television dial to see what shows are on. I don’t plant myself in front of the television all day watching game shows such as “Sale of the Century” or “Wheel of Fortune” but I do catch a sitcom or two as I do a few of the mundane chores.

This morning I clicked the remote and ended up on “Golden Girls” on Hallmark Channel. Hallmark Channel bought the syndication rights last year sometime when Lifetime dropped (or forgot to renew) their rights to broadcast the show and in the process the made a really big deal about it. Hallmark Channel tends to broadcast very safe, family friendly programming, so I was a little surprised when they decided to show “Golden Girls” because back in it’s day the show was a little edgy.

I wouldn’t be a gay man of the 80s and 90s if I didn’t know my “Golden Girls” episodes so I know that Hallmark has done a lot of slicing and dicing of the episodes to make room for more ad revenue. Lifetime did the same thing during their run, but Hallmark is showing completely re-edited shows. The only good thing about this run is that they are showing the proper credits for the season the particular episode is from.

Now I have mentioned before that I have spotted some dialogue editing in some episodes. The editing mentioned in the linked blog entry irritated me but I let it slide. Well today I spotted another one that pissed me off to the point that I have decreed that Hallmark Channel will not be watched in this house again.

The episode in question is #52, “Old Friends”. Originally broadcast on September 19, 1987, the story features a young girl named Daisy. In trying to make friends with the young girl, Blanche mistakenly gives her Rose’s treasured teddy bear to her. This crushes innocent Rose and realising a gold mine, Daisy holds the bear for ransom. As Blanche tries to explain the problem, the normally always pleasant Rose becomes irritated and tells Blanche, “cut the crap and get back my friggin’ bear.”

Hallmark silenced out ‘crap’ and ‘friggin’’. The covered the whole line with a very out of place and very loud laugh track. The line is funny but it’s not roll-down-the-studio-aisle funny by any stretch of the imagination.

What irritates me is that the line made it past NBC network censors in 1987. It’s not like Rose exploded with a “what the fuck? Cut the shit and get my bear back, bitch!!”

Here’s the thing. I understand that Hallmark Channel owns the rebroadcasting rights to “Golden Girls” and I guess can do whatever they want with it. I have no issue with that. That’s how the U.S. works. However, I do NOT believe that the artistic integrity of a program that has already been broadcasted continuously for the past 20+ years should be edited to make the show conform to the moral standards of the channel. If you don’t like the content of the show, then don’t purchase the rights, don’t broadcast it. If I were to put out a record with some questionable lyrics and expected airplay, I wouldn’t want some radio station changing my lyrics just to suit their needs if the song had already been deemed broadcast safe.

I understand Hallmark Channel is trying to broadcast programming they consider “family safe”. I get that. If they were true to their word and beliefs, then they shouldn’t broadcast “Golden Girls” at all if they find some of the content to be objectionable. But apparently, based on the frequency in which they broadcast the program, they are making a LOT of money on the show.

I guess they’re money whores.

17 September 2009 by J.P. Why. 4

Local Commentary.

Everyone is going on and on and on about health care in the U.S. these days and this guest column in the local newspaper caught my eye this morning.

Here is the link.¹

There is a LOT of misinformation out there about how the Canadian health care system works. This guest commentary explains it well based on the experience of the writer. I know my sister and I talked briefly about her experiences with the Canadian health care system when I visited her last week and she mentioned a 2 1/2 hour wait at a clinic. I didn’t mention it then, but I got to thinking about it and that’s not really any different than Earl sitting in an emergency room for three hours waiting for his opportunity to see a doctor.

Personally I think many in the U.S. have lost their minds since President Obama took office and much of the controversy has revolved around health care. I believe there is a lot of misinformation out there that is being perpetuated by those opposed to any change suggested for the U.S. health care system. I don’t know if it’s ignorance, a fear of change or just plain ol’ stupidity, but I have found watching or reading the news to be so irritating lately that I have resorted to reading a handful of news outlets (of varying views and locations) to find out what’s going on with this mess.

¹ Even though I find the local newspaper to be uneven at best with it’s journalism skills, I still read it on a daily basis because I believe that we have a responsibility to know what’s going on in our community.

16 September 2009 by J.P. This Ain't No CNN. 4

Airborne.

As I left the office for lunch today, I noticed a very large plane in the sky headed toward the old local Air Force Base. This is a rather routine thing in these parts, as there are always large jets flying in and out of the maintenance facility and training operations at the base. It was five minutes later when it appeared to be flying over the house as I pulled in the driveway; it was banking right over the driveway, low enough to be quite impressive. This struck me as rather odd as the turnaround time from the base and back should have taken a little longer than that.

I made my way into the house and readied my lunch, hearing the jet pass over again. I dashed out to grab a photo.

Plane

It was then that I realised that there were two planes doing maneuvers so I decided to sit on the back patio and watch them do their thing while I ate my lunch. The planes were low enough that they made quite a rumble. I waved to the pilots as they flew over but they probably didn’t see me.

With the planes overhead during my lunch hour my mind got to wandering to the days of my childhood where many Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons were spent at the local airfield. I think I was around 7 or 8 when my Dad first soloed in his training for his private pilot’s license. Both Mom and Dad belonged to the Pilots Association at the small airfield and there were quite a few guys (and a few women) that were taking flying lessons. Each week an instructor flew up from this area (ironically) to where I grew up to give all the weekly lessons back to back. Even after Dad soloed and progressed his way to his private pilot’s certificate, we still went to the airport on many summer nights to join others from the club and have a barbecue, play games in the picnic area and go for airplane rides. Usually after the lessons, the instructor would take each of us kids up with him. We’d sit in the pilot’s seat of the Cessna 150 at the controls and he’d sit in the co-pilot’s seat. He’d keep his hand off the stick as we took off, controlling only the throttle with his hand and the rudders with his feet; we were pulling back and easing the Cessna into the air. I remember one occasion where I pulled back a little hard and the stall warning went off. The next week I tried again and nearly took the tops off the cornfield at the end of the runway, but Bob (the instructor) never got worked up and we didn’t crash. I loved the feeling of being in the pilot’s seat of N7177F.

One of my favourite moments at the airport was captured in this photo. Here I am standing with all the guys after their flight lessons. It was one of the first times that I felt like one of the guys because not only was I standing with the group, but I had flown in the pilot’s seat, just like they had.

I’m the shortest one in the bunch.

I think I was in grade 8 when Dad and Grandpa bought a Piper J-5A and rebuilt it. I remember that plane sitting in the garage, being taken down to the bare metal before being rebuilt from the ground up. I remember the excitement I felt after it was deemed airworthy again and was able to go for a flight with Dad. Dad and I would fly to other airports in the relative area for a Sunday pancake breakfast (when the weather cooperated); there were many of these around as they were often used for fundraisers for their local community or the airport’s flying club. Grandpa would fly ahead of us in his homebuilt and because my grandfather always did his own thing, he’d usually find himself on the ground before us and anyone else that might have been in the pattern on approach to the airport.

As I sat watching the two Galaxy C-17As fly over the house today at lunch it was then that I realised that one of my favourite vacations was when I joined my Dad and Grandpa on a trek to Oshkosh, Wisconsin for what is now called the EAA AirVenture. Ironically we drove out there but there were a lot of planes and a lot of people interested in flying and some amazing aerobatics. I think it was probably the first time that I felt any sort of closeness to my usually distant grandfather and I really enjoyed that time with my Dad. It was probably one of the first times that Dad and I talked about guy stuff. I could tell that both he and Gramps were squarely in their elements amongst the planes and other pilots. They took me to a bar for dinner and drinks and introduced me to other pilots and their sons. I really liked that trip.

I love to fly. I admire those that do it for a living in any capacity and I admire even more those that do it for fun (and usually there is a combination of the two going on.) Commercials flights are great (aside from the tourists) but flying in a two- or four-seater is where I really want to be. Airport hopping in a Cessna or a Piper on a Sunday afternoon is my idea of a good time. Earl has never flown in a small plane before and I want to give him that experience at least once in my life.

Flying season has not yet come to a close in these parts and I think I’m going to have to see if Dad wants to go for a ride before he puts the plane, a two-seat Acrosport, away for the winter.

Flying with Dad in 2005.

Lake Ontario from the Acrosport, courtesy of my cell phone camera, in 2005.

15 September 2009 by J.P. Ponderings and Musings 2

Tuesday.

227.365, originally uploaded by iMachias.

It’s just a typical day at work, and a good one at that.

15 September 2009 by J.P. Fun and Games Dept 2

Toronto, Ontario.

Favourite., originally uploaded by iMachias.
The view of Downtown Toronto from the Gardiner Expressway, as seen through a dirty windshield with an iPhone.

So I spent the weekend in the beautiful city of Toronto, Ontario. I always fully appreciate how close we are to this fine city and that there are multiple ways of getting there, so the drive is rarely boring.

I made the trek to help dave get settled into his new home and to touch base with some friends up there. On the way home I stopped in to see my sister, her husband and my nephew. I didn’t get the chance to spend as much time there as I would have enjoyed but it was good to see them. I’m determined not to let the snow slow us down this winter when it comes to future visits. Canada is properly enjoyed in both the summer and the winter.

Try as I might to the contrary, I can’t help but declare that Toronto is my favourite North American city. There is such an openness there that you rarely find in the states and the folks that I have run across are not crabby or cranky. I feel very, very comfortable in Toronto; much like I felt when we spent time in Dublin. My love for the city shouldn’t be perceived as an anti-U.S. sentiment, because it truly isn’t, I just like Toronto better. I tell my sister that she is quite fortunate to live in the area; I understand why folks bend over backwards and invest thousands of dollars into immigration proceedings for the opportunity to live there.

It’s all a matter of taste, I suppose.

The weekend started off as a long one; Earl was helping Jamie finish the move from Buffalo to the Manor, so I was going to spend the night with them in Buffalo Friday night and continue the short trek to Toronto Saturday morning. dave was flying into Toronto from New York Friday night but all his flights were canceled due to weather, so we went with Plan B where he flew into Buffalo and then I drove him across the border to Toronto. We ended up getting into Toronto Saturday around 0300 so we slept in a bit Saturday morning. The change in plans and sleep schedule made the weekend feel extra long and I feel surprisingly good today.

14 September 2009 by J.P. Fun and Games Dept 3

Remembering.

I was on the elevator heading up the 16 floors to my office. I was alone in the elevator watching the indicators flash my progress: 12, 14, 15… The doors parted at my destination and I suddenly feel very dizzy, to the point that I have to steady myself against the door frame before continuing on the short walk to my office. Though it is very hokey and cliche to say, it was like a disturbance in the force.

I walked up the last flight of stairs to my office just as the clock on the wall advanced to the next minute: it was 8:48. I was 12 minutes early for work.

I started my daily routine when my cell phone rings, it’s Earl. “A plane just hit the World Trade Center! Turn on the television.” Wow, a small plane had hit one of the buildings at the World Trade Center. I figured it was probably like a Cessna 172 or something.

I started walking to the production side of the office when I noticed that the ABC radio feed on one of the radio stations I worked at was playing the “special report” theme music. I walked into the video studio where my co-worker Allen was tuning in the local television station. He found “Good Morning America” and we watched the building coverage of what was happening in New York.

It was a very short time later when all of us in our small office and radio stations were gathered around the television watching the coverage of what was happening in New York. A few moments later, we watched the second plane hit the other tower.

I felt ill. It was then that I knew that life had changed forever. I remember thinking this must be how people felt after the news of Pearl Harbor or the JFK assassination. We were glued to the television for the rest of the day, doing as little work as possible trying to keep the radio stations running. To distract myself, I made a list of all the commercials we weren’t playing (and wouldn’t play for the next couple of days).

Like many people I know, I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing that day. I also remember how I felt about my country and how proud I was when I saw all the flags pop up on every car that passed by in the following weeks. I remember how determined I was to walk down to a local shop, purchase the biggest flag I could find and then climb up on the roof of that 16 story building so I could hang that flag on the sign below the giant letters that proclaimed “ADIRONDACK BANK”. My love for the United States was never greater, and though I have been very vocal in the past, and will probably continue to be just that, I am still very much a proud American.

In 2002 Earl and I went to Shanksville, Pa. where Flight 93 went down. A chain-link fence held countless memories and tributes and a few little monuments. It was then and there that I cried for those that had lost their lives and I cheered for the bravery that each one of those people in New York, Washington and over Shanksville exhibited. Today it is with just as much emotion that I join in with the rest of our country in remembering them again.

Tears streamed down my face as I wrote my closing comments on a card at the site of the World Trade Center just last weekend: God Bless America.

Taken near Shanksville, Pa. in 2002.

11 September 2009 by J.P. Why. 1

Sync.

So it’s getting to that time of year when we are doing that whole transition thing of summer to autumn. We are actually moving into my favourite time of year in these parts. I love the autumn breezes with their slight chill, I love the sound of rustling leaves and I can’t help but feel a certain magic in the air. There is something very enchanting about this time of year to me.

Unfortunately, there is one thing my body has a hard time reconciling with the season and that is time. I have said many, many times before that I am not an early person. I’m not. I try to be. I set my alarm early, hoping to leap out of bed all happy and ready to start my day. I have dreams of working out, doing several loads of laundry, rearranging the spice rack, adding a new room to the house, you name it, all before going to work at 8 a.m.

It seems that I never get these things accomplished.

My body is just out of sync with the man-made concept of time. Before the days of the railroad, each community had their own schedule and “clock”. Noon was determined by when the sun was highest in the sky. I believe that our bodies are wired to be in sync with nature in this regard and that some of us are programmed to be early birds and some of us are programmed to be night hawks (I’m in the latter category). I remarked on Twitter this afternoon that it feels like my day truly begins after I return from lunch because try as I might, I am really stumbling my way through the day before noon. I fake it pretty well but I feel like I’m in a constant state of jet lag. Then I eat lunch, return back to work and I feel like I could plow through eight hours nonstop and actually enjoy the experience. I have told my employer that if I worked noon to 9 that they would get me at my optimum time but unfortunately that shift doesn’t exist. So I fake it.

With the onslaught of Daylight Saving Time the clocks are becoming farther and farther out of sync with what nature has deemed to be “time”. At least when DST is over we get somewhat closer to they way my body wants it to be, but until then I stumble. It’s unfortunate that the previous president extended DST by a few weeks into November, for I just stumble longer.

Nevertheless, here it is 10:33 p.m. and I have been trying to go to bed for the past hour, hoping to catch up on sleep so I can be productive at work tomorrow and then be ready for a fun filled weekend. As you can see by this entry, I have not been successful in this endeavour, for I am wide awake and writing a rather long blog entry. I feel like I could full steam for the next several hours.

But it would make me too foggy tomorrow morning.

10 September 2009 by J.P. Fun and Games Dept 2

Sunset.

Sunset., originally uploaded by iMachias.

I was doing errands around the house when I glanced out the window and saw some amazing colours in the sky. I decided that I HAD to get a photo or two and ran out to the car to get the “big camera” (which is becoming increasingly outdated by the minute) and snapped a couple of shots.

I found the colours of tonight’s sunset to be absolutely stunning.

10 September 2009 by J.P. Fun and Games Dept 1

Energy.

Will autumn beginning to make an appearance in our area you’d think that my energy would be ramping back a bit, but I’m finding just the opposite to be true. With the cooler breezes and the very beginnings of the rustling of the leaves I’m finding myself wanting to be outdoors more doing things. Last night I jumped on the bike for a 15 mile ride after work. I pushed myself pretty hard on the ride, only stopping once to catch my breath. The ride was pleasant, I even did most of it on the road as opposed to riding the trails.

Last night I decided to run some errands around 8:30 p.m., heading to the mall to pick up some stuff at GNC and just driving around a little bit with the windows and sunroof open. It was a great way to cool off after my ride.

This morning I set my alarm 30 minutes earlier so I could workout with the Wii Fit again. It’s been a while since I used it; we bought a couple of new Wii accessories so Earl and Jamie have been playing quite a bit at night and I thought I should jump in on the fun as well. So instead of lying in bed with my eyes shut until the last possible moment this morning I was up and working out. I feel really good.

It’s funny that I’m feeling this now instead of in May or June but I don’t care, I’m not going to a couch potato this fall or winter.

9 September 2009 by J.P. Fitness. 1

Central Park.

218.365, originally uploaded by iMachias.

I find Central Park to be one of the most amazing things about the Big Apple. It is a beautiful thing to find such an expansive retreat in the midst of such hustle and bustle; a place where families, friends, strangers or even those seeking solitude can come to relax and take some time to unwind.

Central Park is such a beautiful place.

Earl, Jamie and I spent some time in Central Park today, just relaxing and enjoying the last weekend of summer. I snapped a few photos to share.

Since we were not armed with a blanket or lawn chairs, we opted to sit on a rock in the Sheep Meadow. Nearby, two men played guitar and sang. I didn’t recognize any of the songs but nonetheless they were pretty good.

I liked that they were doing that.

In front of us, an older gentleman picked out his spot, kicked back and read a book. With all the texting that was going on around us, it was refreshing to see someone taking time away from the technological to find some enjoyment.

There was a beautiful slice of society enjoying the weather today and I found the experience to join them to be quite grounding.

I look forward to more visits to Central Park. I seem to find things there that I don’t find in similar (and larger) spaces closer to home.

6 September 2009 by J.P. Fun and Games Dept 2

J.P.

Censorship.

Local Commentary.

Airborne.

Tuesday.

Toronto, Ontario.

Remembering.

Sync.

Sunset.

Energy.

Central Park.

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