REICH COMMUNICATIONS

If It Quacks Like a Duck ...

 

There cannot be room for words of racism and hate in our public dialogue and from our elected leaders... especially from the very top.

A big part of the president's job is to unite and heal, not divide and hurt. The person in the White House is supposed to set a high moral example that the rest of us would strive to follow, rather than demean the office and this nation with hateful racist words.

Congress was right to issue a statement condemning the president's racist words. Yet I can't help but wonder how 187 legislators in the House could, in good conscience, sit on their hands when it came time to officially and publicly call out racism. I understand party loyalty, but this issue should rightfully go beyond whether a Congressperson has a D or an R after their name.

The Republicans in Congress have allowed themselves to sink to a new low that belies one of the core values upon which this great nation has been built. Whether you chalk it up to fear or spinelessness, it still is so wrong and so damaging. Other nations are watching and noting that Americans -- or many of our leaders, at least -- implicitly support racism and hatred.

This is not good and it must change.

We have the power to bring change. I just wish we didn't have to wait another 16 months to implement that change. Serious damage is being done every day.

Helping Keep Democracy Alive

 

It’s no exaggeration that newspapers are helping keep democracy alive in the U.S. these days.

 

Attacks from the highest levels of our government, tweet by tweet, have been aimed at undermining a crucial pillar of democracy – a free press.  In the face of taunts from the president that the major media are “fake news,” journalists strive to remain unbiased as they uncover and report the truth about what’s happening in our government.  It’s no easy task, since this administration – led by the president – spouts a steady stream of outright lies.  

 

Newspapers and, to some degree, broadcast and online news outlets continue to expose lies, misdeeds and incompetence that we, the taxpaying public, should know about.  Our leaders at the very top seem to have forgotten that they work for us and that we pay their salaries and their expenses – even expenses such as constant travel to private golf clubs.

 

Our news media are so important -- especially in these crazy times.

 

That’s why it’s so troubling to see that newspapers continue to trim their newsroom staffs – the very people we rely on to find and report the truth to us.  These are the people who keep us informed and analyze what's happening not only in Washington, but around the world and around the corner. 

 

 

The latest “State of the News Media” report from the Pew Research Center shows that newsroom jobs at U.S. newspapers dropped by 47 percent in the ten years from 2008 to 2018.   The number of employees handling digital reporting for newspapers more than doubled during that time, but the addition of 6,100 digital reporting jobs put only a small dent in the overall loss of 33,000 newsroom jobs over the ten-year period.

 

Employment in all newsrooms, including newspapers, broadcast, cable and digital, dropped from 114,000 in 2008 to 86,000 last year.

 

Local news coverage, especially, has taken a major hit as smaller newspapers either fold or get bought out and homogenized by the big media conglomerates like Gannett, who then cut back on their local reporting staff. Most major cities now have only a single newspaper serving them and a few, like New Orleans, no longer have a newspaper that publishes seven days a week.

 

A big part of the problem for newspapers has been dwindling readership and less ad revenues.  It's kind of a catch-22 -- as circulation declines, advertisers look elsewhere to invest their marketing dollars.

 

What can we do?  The most important thing is to read newspapers, either in print or online.  Growing online readership is helping to keep The New York Times and The Washington Post economically viable.  It's a win-win: read a newspaper to stay informed and help newspapers do what they do best -- report the facts and shine a light on our government and our elected officials.

 

The voice from Ipanema

 

We lost a musical giant a few days ago when singer and guitarist Joao Gilberto passed away at the age of 88.

He was considered “the father of bossa nova,” singing softly in Portuguese while playing his quiet guitar.  Gilberto helped popularize countryman Antonio Carlos Jobim’s songs in the early 1960s.

In 1963 he recorded with Stan Getz, and a song from the album became a giant hit that launched bossa nova here in the U.S.  – “The Girl from Ipanema,” with his wife Astrud Gilberto singing in English and Joao singing in Portuguese.  I used to enjoy playing it and other songs by him on my jazz show on my college radio station in the late 1960s.

Listen here to bring back good memories.   

Little Red Car

 

Time to say goodbye to my little red car...a 1999 Saturn 2-door coupe.

 

It has 112,262 miles on it.  I was hoping to see it hit 113,000, but I'm afraid that's not gonna happen.

For a car owned by me, though, 112,000 thousand and change is pretty good.  It's the first car I've owned that's seen over 100 thou. 

My Ford Fairmont wagon, back in the 1980s, made it to about 85,000.  My Ford Probe didn't make it that far, which was my own doing.  I forgot to check the oil and let the car run dry, destroying the engine.

By the time I got my Chrysler Sebring convertible, which was so much fun to drive, I had learned my lesson and took good care of that car.  But the engine gave out anyway, shortly after I bought it off the lease and the warranty expired.  Just a bit under 80,000 miles.

I bought the Saturn used, with only 7,200 miles after three years.  Most of the time, it was our second car.  But it took us to Montauk and made many trips to Maine.  It was a three-door -- with a small door to the rear seat on the driver's side.  Loki, our big black Lab, liked that car, maybe because he considered that small back door to be his personal door.

For the last few years, the car was used just for local errands.  I resisted getting rid of it out of curiosity -- wondering how many miles I could get out of it.  Now I know.

To pass inspection next November, I'd have to spend thousands for new brakes, a whole new exhaust system (after the muffler fell off as I was driving in the neighborhood a few months ago) and, most recently, an alternator after it drained the battery a few times.

So finally, it was time.  The tow truck took it away Monday. 

Thanks for all the rides, little red car.

Now the street in front of my house looks empty.

 

Happy 4th...from NY City

Ads We Like - Kohler

 

I just came across this ad in the June issue of Wired and it caught my eye.

I love the clever simplicity, using subtle humor to get across the ad's message - Behold the Future.

The Spa at Lavender Lane

That's the name of the book by my friend Phyllis Melhado, just signed to be published next May in time for beach reading.

Congrats to you Phyllis.  Can't wait to read the book next spring.  More at www.phyllismelhado.com

We go back to the days of L'eggs eggs and Krylon spray.

What We Do: Road Buzz

The latest issue of Road Buzz, the newsletter of the National Road Safety Foundation, just went online. 

This issue gives an overview of the many activities and projects we do with and for the Foundation, our client.  Lots of activities to engage young people in learning about and practicing safe driving behavior, like contests we do nationally (with Scholastic) and regionally with major auto shows.

Click here to link to the newsletter.

We partner with organizations including the National Safety Council and the Governors Highway Safety Association, as well as groups aimed at young people, like SADD and FCCLA. 

We also work with groups that reach parents, teachers and police, which is why I'm on my way tonight to Columbus, Ohio to represent the Foundation at the PTA's National Leadership Conference.  From there, I head south to Pigeon Forge, Tenn, probably best known as the birthplace of Dolly Parton and the location of Dollywood.  I'll be there representing the Foundation at the NASRO Conference, comprised of school resource officers -- police -- who work in the classroom.

I love doing this work and representing the National Road Safety Foundation at these important meetings.  I feel like I'm helping make a difference, and that's a really good feeling.

 

A New York Icon

 

I just walked through the lobby of the Chrysler Building, on my way back from a meeting.  I could have walked alongside it on Lexington Avenue, as I usually do every day on my way to and from work.  But I decided to walk through the lobby, just for a change.

I'm so glad I did.  I've been in that lobby many times, but the beauty of it really struck me today.

As you can see from these pictures, it's the epitome of art deco.  So is the outside of the building, with its gargoyles looking down on us pedestrians as we scurry by 31 stories below, along with eagles up on the 61st floor.

With its magnificent spire, the Chrysler Building has been an integral part of New York's unique skyline since it was completed in 1930.  It continues to stand out, especially as many of the newer skyscrapers go up with boring and uninspiring facades.

Even after almost 90 years, the Chrysler Building is part of what makes New York special.

One of the Perfect Days in NY City

We had a rainy start, but today turned out to be one of the perfect days here in New York ... warm, but not hot.  Low humidity and a refreshing breeze... all under clear blue skies.

Beautiful.  One of those days that makes it easy to love New York.

We Remember, With Thanks

With thanks to all who served, and especially those who remain in Normandy.

In the words of a 96 year-old vet who was there and returned this week for the first time after 75 years...   "Freedom is never free."