The Crazy Parade Begins

Gov. Scott Walker (nymag.com)

What the hell?   Now we have Wisconsin governor and GOP darling Scott Walker claiming that if he could take on public employees unions then he certainly can take on ISIS.  As prospective Republican Presidential candidates make their cases to the right wing CPAC gathering, we see how far politicians are willing to bend to the will of the Tea Party wing.   It is once again all about winning a contest that fails to reflect the will of most voters: the Iowa caucuses.   In the past, these caucuses have thankfully not been launching pads for successful GOP primary candidates.   Pat Robertson and Michelle Bachmann come to mind.  This early competition for the hearts and minds of the far right has repeatedly overheated to the point where the so-called Republican establishment has stepped in and used its power of the purse to clean up the mess and anoint a candidate that nobody can get too excited about.    

Governor Walker refuses to even acknowledge evolution or weigh in on Putin-loving Rudy Giuliani's outrageous assertions about President Obama's love of America.   This shill for the Koch brothers' billions is yet another distraction in the path to the presidency.   We know we are guaranteed a very regressive period in American history if these clowns who pander to an out of touch minority suck up all the oxygen in the GOP primary process.   

SNL at 40

The 40th anniversary salute to Saturday Night Live was a big ratings hit for NBC.   I can't say I was surprised.   Nor was I surprised by the harsh criticism of the half-live/half-classic clips event.   Yes, I could have done without Kanye West too.  Lorne Michaels said that people generally think most fondly of the SNL they knew from high school.   That didn't apply in my case, seeing as the show didn't even exist until the middle of my college years.    I have always been absolutely fascinated with the history of SNL.   This iconic franchise has had its low points with changes in cast, especially right after the original Not Ready for Prime Time Players were gone in 1980.  However, SNL has consistently proven the naysayers wrong about predictions of its demise.  The first five years set a high bar for future seasons, but my sense of nostalgia has never clouded the fact that talent doesn't die off in a generation.   The up and down cycle will undoubtedly continue.   Despite a  solid format, the live element will always make for some messy, interesting and sometimes controversial moments.    That makes it a very American institution... warts and all.   Given the background of many SNL key people over the years, we could call it a Canadian institution too.

Screw Evening News Ratings

Brian Williams has been suspended for six months without pay from the anchor desk of NBC Nightly News.   This follows his admission of "misremembering" the details of his helicopter ride a decade ago with American forces in Iraq.   Other dubious claims by Williams surrounding other stories have also come into question.   This is different from the faulty Dan Rather story of George W. Bush's military service, Hilary Clinton's recollection of being under fire during a stop in Bosnia and Richard Blumenthal's slip about serving "in Vietnam".    Williams' misstatements were not a one time thing.    He repeated the Iraq exaggeration multiple times and only issued a brief apology after being called out on it by other people there.   Network execs acted so shocked to hear this... I don't buy that.   It should go without saying that trust is a key component of delivering the evening news.   When Walter Cronkite called America's Vietnam involvement into question, President Johnson knew the war's escalation was a futile effort.   How many news anchors can have that effect today?     Where are the corporate edict and culture to do that? 

You don't hear the word "gravitas" being used anymore when talking about news anchor qualifications.   I think the CBS Evening News has the most solid anchor in Scott Pelley, yet his newscast lags behind Williams on NBC and the increasingly tabloid content on ABC's World News Tonight with new anchor David Muir.     There was a time - in my lifetime - when news was not seen as a major revenue generator at the Big Three networks.   It was, well, journalism.   Now with 24-hour so-called news networks geared only to what their respective audiences want to see, an aging viewership, attempts to turn anchors into rock stars and the total advertising domination by pharmaceutical companies, it's easy to see why "dinner hour news" is as relevant to younger viewers as waiting for "film at eleven."   It's also no surprise that satirical news like Comedy Central's Daily Show resonates more with younger folks.   At least Jon Stewart gets to leave on top in what matters.    Screw the ratings for once.   Do real news for 22 minutes each evening.    Aren't there enough other time slots where the networks' corporate owners can make money out of "infotainment"?    Truth in reporting shouldn't be a luxury we can't afford. 

How Business Friendly Is Montville?

The former Best Market, Uncasville

Best Market employees in Uncasville were instantly out of a job.   The Bethpage, Long Island based grocery store chain closed the store a week ago with no advance notice.   The company had opened the former Tri-Town Foods and Beit Brothers store just a few months ago with the intention of buying the entire plaza and renovating it.   Then negotiations with the current landlord broke down and Best wasted no time closing its doors.   In addition to the shock to store employees, the saddest part was that the new business had been well received by local shoppers who gave high marks to the market's value and service.  Best Market was catching on; it was growing in this community.   Town leaders seemed to be equally out of the loop over what happened.

I have worked with direct mail advertising clients in Montville and surrounding towns since 2002.   You don't stay in this line of work without success stories, but I can't help but wonder why a town with Montville's location and population has so many vacant storefronts.   One narrative I get all around town is the difficulty in dealing with longtime landlords.   This often explains why so many small businesses move up and down Route 32 or close completely.   Is old money shutting out new money?    After the disastrous Rand Whitney judgment against the town, I would have hoped that political leaders would have taken a more proactive stance in working with businesses.    While a handful of entrenched local business owners get by with their old ways (including almost no advertising), new entrepreneurs have to think twice before making a commitment to setting up shop here.   From a deserted and blighted convenience store on one highly visible end of town to a relatively new plaza with high turnover and vacancy to a former video store right across from Town Hall, it's becoming obvious that landlords and political leaders (some being both) are not protecting enough of Montville's business interests.    The Best Market fiasco should be examined, since it is clearly not an isolated situation.