Richard Chemel's No-Name247

What's Up? Time Off from Blogging Brings Serenity to My Life Again!

Many longtime readers may have noticed, that stories have been quite infrequent lately?  That's because- I wanted to see what life was like without being on the computer 24/7 looking for stories to post. In fact during this period, I started listening to classical radio. The results are in- and my life appears to me to be more serene- then ever.  Not hearing about the latest mass murders, corrupt public official, or downturn in the economy didn't affect me one iota.

But this blog has been a labor of love - part-time for the last 3+ years.....and when I find those stories that turn my light on- I will be posting them still.

R

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Kent State - 40 Years Later- From A Survivor's Point of View

Many of you know that I was a witness to the May 4 shootings of fellow students by the Ohio National Guard at Kent State on May 4, 1970. As we got closer to the 40th anniversary of the event- the traumatic experience continues to live out in my mind...with little hope of ejecting it from my memory.  This is the type of event that one can't forget.....So now as May 4 arrives:

I recall that day standing on the large porch of Taylor Hall behind a pillar as the guardsman crossed the hill and the pagoda, and I looked- and saw them shooting....the first thing I saw was someone injured by the sculpture in front of Taylor hall- and Saul Daniels, editor of the Kent Stater ( Saul has corrected me on this- and says it wasn't him)  and I ran inside, and tried to get help.....when the deans office staff wouldn't open the door- I was one of the first down the hill to the commons- and ran into my geology professor Glenn Frank- he asked me what was going on- and I said- "They are shooting people....!"  He asked if "this was a rumor?"  I said- "I saw the blood".  Now I have never flaunted, or capitalized on the tragedy at Kent State (other than being part of a Prodigy Chat with Saul decades ago- which drew only a handful of people). Sadly over the years I thought, perhaps, just maybe, the University would reach out to us students who were there- to discuss how we dealt, or are dealing with the tragedy. Nada, nothing, nyet.   When I contacted the University- there are not counseling programs available for us. So..nothing has changed. When I contacted Alan Canfora- head of the May 4 Center- he literally blew me off..... So be it.

I received an invite to a May 4 event from the School Journalism and Mass Communications about the events planned for that day...it had many familiar names- my response is below :

Jennifer, Thank you for your invitation. I will be unable to attend, but my thoughts and prayers are with all who attend and those of us still haunted by May 4, wondering why our University did not reach out to us to help us deal with this traumatic experience.

Every year, I live thru the memory around this time...but somehow this year, I decided to speak out about those of us forgotten...to a housewife in Yonkers, to a Infomercial star in Florida, to a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer in the San Fernando Valley...there are many of us pissed off still- that no one seems to care about us. I mentioned Kent State to a good friend- and he said- "Richard, Perhaps it's time to move on.....You know,  he is right!!!"

Just wanted to share my experience of 40 years ago thru today!!!

What may have really happened at Kent State- told to me by a Fraternity Brother in 2007

Hearing Yummy, Yummy, Yummy 3 Days in a Row on XM! Why Should I subscribe?

I was really contemplating subscribing to XM satellite radio for my car- I like the oldies channels, and a couple other channels suit my musical taste.  But in the last 3 days, I have heard Yummy, Yummy, Yummy by the 1910 Fruitgum Company, three times on the Sixties channel.  So it got me realizing that XM is just like regular radio in programming....they rotate over and over again....but how many songs do they use.
If they programmed every song from the top 20 of the billboard charts for a decade, they would have over 10,000 song titles....okay there would be some overlap....

So if any readers can tell me why I should subscribed to a glorified limited jukebox....lemme know!

Orlando Sentinel's Tom Jicha Pissed He was Taken By WWE Sale To Trump as Fake!

Hey Tom, It's the WWE. It's an angle. So it was on USA Network Stationary....what's the big deal? I guess you don't want to look foolish to fellow critics......but that is why I say...what makes a critic a critic?

Sun Sentinel

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Satellite Crash between USA and Russia- Where is the Uproar from Congress!

Why am I scared about the recent crash between a USA and Russian satellite? Because, first off, you haven't seen any outrage from Congress. After all, the CIA, NSA, and other agencies that track satellites, should have known the satellites would collide. Wouldn't you agree?  If our Government can pinpoint a license plate from space, one would think, they would know the trajectory of satellites in space. Secondly, what happens if one of the enemies of the USA downs a satellite, either by crashing another satellite into it, or by shooting it down. Satellites are key to worldwide communications, and the fact this event even occurred scares the heck out of me. Much like waiting for the "Big Earthquake" to hit the Los Angeles area.

NetworkWorld

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Bernie Madoff Alert: Alot of Trust Fund Babies and Heirs Are Really Pissed Off! They May Have to Work Now!

 I was driving home tonite, and I was hearing another Bernard Madoff story, I had read how Trump rightfully called him a crook, I had also read how - at a Palm Beach Black Tie affair- there were heated words between investors and the Socialite who sold them on the investment. But $40-50 billion dollars?  That's alot of F'in money.

You know who is going to lose? All those kids that stood to inherit their parents wealth- Trust Fund Babies- Heirs to the wealth of their parents and grandparents.What are they going to do?. Most have no skills?  It will be interesting- cause no one has tapped on this story yet. So if you are a TFB affected by the Madoff scam- post a comment- let us know how really pissed you are!.....

...and to Bernie- I would ask to be put in protective custody, and don't walk the streets with that smug look. Because....well just because! 

I am also wondering when the first suicide will happen, because it's inevitable...and it will happen!

BTW- years ago, after I lost a good chunk of change in the Internet bubble fiasco- I realized that the stock market was more manipulative by individuals, than going to Las Vegas and throwing you money out the window. In Vegas or any casino the odds are better at the Blackjack table, then investing in the stock market.........These Madoff victims made 10-20% per year for 30 years....it appears to me that most people made their principle back and more. In Vegas, when i am winning I take my initial investment off the table- and play with the house money. It appears greed set in with Madoff and his clients.

Chemel247

If you feel ripped off by Madoff- There is a statement and number on his website.

Madoff Web Site

Buzzfeed

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Time-Warner, Comcast: Listen Up! Isn't it Time to Start Charging Cable Subscribers for What we watch, instead of what we could watch?

The other day, surfing the net, I went to a site, that had an High Definition upgrade offer at Time Warner Cable. Since I am a TW subscriber for Cable, High Speed Internet, and Phone service, I clicked the link. After all, its been less than a month that my HD TV has been hooked up.

Let me cut to the chase- the offer said that current TW cable subscribers could get a free HD DVR set-top box, and 3 months of HD Premium Tier ( 3 channels- big deal). So I called Customer Service, and they told me they didn't have the offer, so I sent them to the web site, and the first CSR gave me the offer, plus a year's free Showtime. Not bad eh. When I turned on my set, I didn't have the Premium HD channels, so I called again, and was told, I was given six months of Showtime, and for the free 3 months, I would have to take the ad into the TW Cable Store.  That's BS but I did it.

Suffice it to say- I walked out with my year of Showtime, and 3 months of Premium HD....but it got me thinking and that's dangerous.

25 years ago I was on a community committe for Valley Cable (which evolved after a few owners to Time Warner), and asked "Why don't we pay only for what we watch?"  The leader of the group- didn't have an answer then, so I will ask it now. "Why don't we pay for only what we watch on cable"

I have over 1200 channels available to me, about 350 I am "subscribed" to either thru my cable package or premium tiers. But I, like you, only have two eyes, and can't split my time between watching multiple programs. 

The utility companies, both electric and gas, only charge us for what we use- So why can't the cable companies. Give us a basic tier of local channels for a fair price, then if I want to watch VS, or Sleuth, or Hallmark, or Discovery Space....then charge me a minimum price- like  $.05 per hour, that's seems fair to me. All those nickels will add up. As I see it now. I am paying for, and wasting alot of cable channels because their programs don't interest me. And if you subscribe to cable, or satellite TV, you are also in the same boat.  Isn't it time to relook at how cable subscribers are charged by these monopolistic franchise like Time-Warner and Comcast? They have the technology...if they are going to limit the downloading for heavy users of the Internet, then they can account electronically for each home's program usage on the cable box.  In this recession, one would think that a business may want to change- because the attrition rate has to be high, with families giving up cable because of finances.

So I pose this question today " When are we going to be charged for what we watch on cable, instead of being charged for what we don't watch?"

The question has been in me for some time, and I throw it out to you who have read this far?

Chemel247

PS ....and while I am in this frame of mind, why can't the cable companies make a Universal remote that we don't have to keep switching back and forth between TV and cable. What is with that????

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When San Fernando Valley Wildfires Come Close - There is Fear especially with Porter Ranch Fire!

Thoughts as a Wildfire blazes a mile or so from where I write this...in Porter Ranch

As I was driving up DeSoto Bl passing Nordhoff St. back from a business meeting, I saw the flashing lights of the emergency vehicles behind me- there was a caravan of 18 firetrucks. In front of me - thick black smoke, and a ghostly image of an airplane tanker in the smoke- at first I thought I was seeing things, but it was one of the Big tankers that drops water or fire retardant on the flames.

Those of you that have never experienced disasters, there is fear right now. How close is the fire?  That is  our biggest fear! The Santa Ana Winds are blowin' heavy, and as I look outside I see smoke on the side, that wasn't there 15 minutes ago. Now, they are saying to evacuate some of the Canyons I drive through going home.

The fire is in Porter Ranch, and that is the same area that the Chatsworth Train Crash happened just a month ago.....but its moving fast. 

Interesting though that both of the local News Radio stations are covering the fire- but  KFI is still broadcasting Dr. Laura and KABC has Sean Hannity. Makes you wonder the priorities of local broadcasting.

As I write this, I hear the helicopters buzzing above us, and the smell of smoke is stronger....

Later.

Picture from LA TIMES

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The Media Saga of OJ Simpson - The Carnival Has Officially Moved On!

Last night when the OJ Simpson verdict was read, I was hoping for a guilty verdict. But like many,I knew that Simpson was part Teflon, and, in the back of my mind- realized the man could be found not-guilty. So when the news of a verdict was first announced, I started my last Simpson-Watch.

In 1993 prior to the murders of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson- The Los Angeles Times made me a chat host for its online service- TimeLink, which was on the Prodigy Network. Within a couple weeks of starting to host chats- the Goldman/Simpson Trial was upon us. I did 3 hosted chats a week- with name guests, that still today wind up on the cable media programs as legal talking heads. The Today show even had a segment with me from the LA Times building- What was with that? The first Simpson trial was a circus- and the deflation felt when OJ was found guilty- was enormous.  The media had a field day with TV broadcast, and then stars like Kato Kalin, Judge Lance Ito, Johnny Cochran, Marcia Clark, F. Lee Bailey, and Mark Fuhrman- an all-star cast then ( and small cottage industry after the trial). So when the all-black jury deliberated its not guilty verdict in less than a day, reality set in. The public was evenly divdied on TimeLink. Half believed OJ committed the murders- and half thought the police ought to look for the real killer.   OJ played golf, mugged for the cameras- he even had the audacity to throw a victory party- 13 years ago last night.

The civil trial was a little different. It didn't have TV coverage like the criminal trial. So when OJ was found liable- all I remember is him walking out of the Santa Monica Courthouse- with a bodyguard.  OJ was free to walk this world, and hide his income from the Goldman's and Brown family for the rest of his life.

Fast forward to last night's events- As far as web sites- CNN and Fox News had banner ads stating a verdict had been reached. Only the local Vegas TV stations, had any stories- and both had live feeds of the courthouse seal. By the time the verdicts were read. CNN and Fox News were live, and so were alot of bloggers.

Guilty on all 12 counts- A smile hit my insides- I felt good about the verdict! But like many, my feelings were based purely on the first trial.

After the court session ended- CNN continued live coverage for a little while.

A day later here are my observations- No Drudge Report, No Huffington Report posts on the verdict till well after the Guilty verdict had been read.  Fox and CNN both had AP stories- with pictures of OJ in court. But today the story is different. The Los Angeles Times gave it a quarter page below the fold. For a couple hours Fox News.com had a picture and a story, now its just a line item story among the other stories- the same with CNN. 

I guess that's the difference in 13 years. Same guy- different crime. Different Media, Lots of new people that never knew about the first case.  The carnival has left the town and moved on.... leaving OJ Simpson in jail- and the only thing I wondered is.......well I will leave that for another post, because I still love carnivals- especially the Carney's!

RC 10/4/08

My 3 posts on this Simpson Trial can be found at Buzzfeed

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Are San Francisco Police Dragging their Feet in The Murder of Hells Angel Leader Mark "Papa" Guardado?

I just came across this post from the SF gate, and after reading it, I, too have alot of questions on why the City of San Francisco is dragging their feet investigating the murder of Hells Angel Mark "Papa" Guardado. For a eyewitness not to interviewed for over a week. And to know who the suspect (Chistopher Ablett) is, and wait ten days to show up at his house- When he is long gone. What's the deal Gavin Newsome?  And you think you can become Governor of California?????

SF Gate ( check out comments)