Dave Richards' Weekly Column in The Woonsocket Call
Dave Richards for August 31st.....
--It has been all quiet for The Ocean State with regards to hurricanes and
tropical storms so far this season. Given the weather pattern we've been
enjoying this summer, I had expected it to stay that way for a while, maybe
even the rest of the summer. However, with the present soon-to-be heat wave
(you need 4 days in a row above 90 degrees to be an official heat wave, we've
only had 3 so far) I got the distinct feeling over the past weekend that our
luck could change soon. And if not for us, perhaps for our friends to the
south in the mid-Atlantic states and Florida. Hurricanes and tropical storms
absolutely love the hot weather and will die out in cooler temperatures. So
it logically follows that if we have really hot weather, we're like a
steeple to a lightning bolt.
Hurricane Earl (just try to resist the jokes, "My name is Earl") is a
category 4 storm this morning and after sunning itself the Caribbean and
dumping a foot of rain on St. Thomas, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, will no
doubt want to visit Disney World. I am not a qualified meteorologist, but I've
played one on the radio from time to time. And, well, it makes you think,
you know?
--Roger Clemens will have his day in court. He continues to claim he didn't
lie to a Congressional Committee in 2008 when he said he didn't take
steroids while working as a baseball pitcher. His trainer says he did. One
thing is for sure. Somebody's going to jail here. It depends on who has the
most sellable story, I suppose. Roger Clemens has made a lot of people think
he's not a nice person over the years because he's not good with people. His
trainer is probably a better talker. I don't know the truth, but I think
Roger didn't knowingly take the drugs and his trainer is a creep. My
opinion. Maybe I'm wrong. But we're all going to see it 'ad-nauseum' next
spring. Jury selection is set for April 5th.
--When I was a young boy, the National Transportation Safety Council would
release a prediction each year at this time saying hundreds of Americans
would die on the highways over the long Labor Day weekend. I don't know if
they still do that, but I don't see it anymore. I also don't see the carnage
on the highways we used to witness routinely. Many changes have occurred
over the decades to how we Americans work and play. Not all of them are bad.
Safer cars, more police patrols, better radar, stiff drunk-driving laws
(maybe I shouldn't have used the work 'stiff' there?) and better driver
awareness have all contributed to the decline in traffic fatalities, I
think. Keep up the good work, America.
--There's no way for a guy who does what I do for a living to look good
saying this next bit. I hope you'll remember that when you dislike me for
saying that I don't understand why everybody over at NBC-TV is totally nuts
over the fact that the nationally broadcast Emmy Awards on the peacock
network got the highest ratings since 2006 last Sunday night. Friend, since
the digital conversion of TV last year, I have seen more broadcast network
TV than I had before. Quite frankly, I think the quality of the shows these
days has sagged down to lower than the 'lowest common denominator' standard
they used to use. Is it that far a stretch of the imagination to believe
that the Emmy's broadcast was no better than it was last year, but the
competition has sunk to such lows that a low-rated show stands high? Picture
a stone in the lake a foot below the water's surface. If they drain the lake
by 5 feet, the rock now towers 4 feet over the water's surface. Is the rock
any higher than it was before? Does it float any better than before?
Consider this. Why are some of the most popular channels on TV the ones
which run shows that the major networks broadcast 30 to 40 or even 50 or
more years ago? Think about it, friend. It's either kiddie shows, adolescent
trash, or watching the shows you've already watched before. Makes you think,
you know?
Before you start thinking that "Dave's an old fuddy-duddy", consider this.
My friend Jen Jolicoeur just came back from a business trip. She was
invited to Los Angeles to the Emmy Awards because her company, Athena's Home
Novelties of Woonsocket, was selected to provide items from her product line
to fill the gift bags which are given to the stars at the Emmys. This is
something any company would be proud to do. Now, Jen's a fine, young, and
successful 30 something gal. But you want to know the most wonderful thing
she says happened to her at the Emmys this past weekend? It was when she
met Mickey Dolenz on Saturday afternoon. For those of you who don't know,
Mickey Dolenz was one of the four members of the 1960's TV and musical group
The Monkees. The Monkees broke up before Jen was even born. Makes you
think, you know?
It is very much the same for the music recording industry. More than 40
percent of all sound recordings sold today are oldies that haven't been on
the charts for years. The 'oldies' are re-packaged and sold again and again
because the stuff performers are recording today simply doesn't please mass
audiences anymore. The times, they are a-changin' friend.
--That's what I think. What do you think? Comments to Dave Richards, WOON
Radio, 985 Park Avenue, Woonsocket, RI 02895-6332. Or email to
dave@onworldwide.com. Thanks for reading.
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