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Today's cuppa: Newman's Own Royal Tea chased with office coffee

(Below: printing press and other memorabilia at the headquarters of the Los Angeles Times)

With Lou Dobbs' departure from CNN, there's a great deal of chatter about opinion journalism -- or advocacy journalism or commentary or the Op-Ed page of your local paper, whatever you want to call it -- and whether it's a hazard to the republic.

As a Founding Father might say, poppycock.

All our Founders wanted was a free press, and that means a press free to talk about whatever it deems fit, and believe you me, the press needled our early presidents just as much as it needles our recent ones.

Of course, that doesn't mean even the Founders liked it.

We got all the way to our second president before the battle began ...

John Adams on press regulation

 

"If  there is ever to be an amelioration of the condition of  mankind, philosophers, theologians, legislators, politicians and moralists will find that the regulation of the press is the most difficult, dangerous and important they have to resolve ".

 

So wrote John Adams, who had been the second President of the USA, to his friend John Lloyd on 11 February 1815. The quote was used as an epigraph to their 1947 report by the Commission on Freedom of the Press, aka the Hutchins Commission.

Click here for the original.

So the fact that that an elected leader doesn't like the press is neither here nor there. Our right to a free press is enshrined in the First Amendment of the Constitution, which means it is a fundamental right, not given to us or able to be removed from us by a politician. The press doesn't exist by the leave of any politician, and it is not answerable to them.

Oh, it's answerable to a whole bunch of other people -- from publishers to advertisers to, most importantly, readers and viewers -- but not to the government (at least not yet, despite the specter of a newspaper bailout hovering around).

And if you think today's commentators or news organizations are slanted, you should look at what Adams had to deal with. The tradition of an impartial press is a recent invention -- but a noble goal.

I don't know if humans (and journalists are still humans) can ever be truly impartial. Probably the best we can hope for -- and the least we should demand from journalists who cover hard news -- is fairness and a willingness to follow the facts wherever they lead, whether or not the truth uncovered agrees with the the journalist's or the news organization's worldview.

But as for opinion commentary, as long as it's labeled as such, I have no issue with it. Nobody has any trouble understanding the distinction between Page One and the Op-Ed Page. TV is no different. There needs to be a bright line between news anchors and commentators, and as long as there is -- and unfortunately, that's not always the case -- I believe people are bright enough to figure it out.

Oh, but critics claim, people will get all their news from commentators! They won't listen to us! Well, that's the power of free will and choice. If you want people to listen to your news, make it interesting and compelling, produce it well, and give it the ring of truth and honesty. Just because someone watches opinion shows doesn't automatically mean they won't watch news shows.

But nobody wants to watch boring news shows, no matter how solid their reporting is. People have choices now in media. It's not just the daily newspaper and the nightly network news. If you want to be read or listened to, you just might have to work harder. One reason opinion shows are so popular is they're not boring.

And anyone who wants to squelch popular opinion commentators -- whether in print, online, on TV or on the radio -- to protect their own piece of the pie needs to reread that First Amendment.

There's a reason it's called the free marketplace of ideas, not the protected reserve of ideas.

But can opinion commentators report news? News is news, no matter whether it comes over the back fence, in a pennysaver paper or on television. Opinion commentators can break news, but if they are, that might mean that the actual news reporters are a little slow on the uptake.

When's the last time that the Op-Ed page scooped a print investigative journalist?

The media environment isn't going to get any less competitive or cutthroat. If anything, the choices will keep proliferating exponentially. For those news organizations who've spent a few decades with comfortable near-monopolies and now cry foul -- tough.

As one of my favorite quotes says:

"If you don't like change, you're going to like irrelevance even less." General Eric Shinseki, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army.

BTW, here's a test. If all opinion commentators agreed with your opinion, would you have an issue with the existence of opinion commentary?

Sauce for the goose ...

Today's cuppa: office coffee

Click here for my regular Thursday appearance on Shaun Daily's TV Talk show on blogtalkradio.com. I come in at a bit after the half-hour mark, after the caller who really, really loves FX's biker drama "Sons of Anarchy."

As for me, I really, really love American entrepreneurs, which should now be obvious to anyone.

And yes, there was lots in the news today, especially about the allegations of an extortion plot -- by a producer for CBS' true-crime show "48 Hours," no less -- against CBS late-night host David Letterman for sexual dalliances with staffers.

(Coincidentally, this comes one day after former CBS News anchor Dan Rather stopped by Fox News to talk to business anchor Neil Cavuto about the dismissal of his lawsuit against his former employer.)

I'm already gobsmacked by the bizarre and troubling Polanski affair and the screeching, smoking train wreck that is the Gosselin family, and this just convinces me that if you're looking for moral exemplars, the entertainment industry should probably not be your first stop -- or a stop at all.

While no one deserves to be blackmailed or threatened, Letterman's actions here are unsavory at best and ironic for a comic who makes a good living pointing out the foibles of others (and he tried to use humor to inform his viewers of what had happened). If true, the allegations against the "48 Hours" producer are reprehensible and shocking.

In all three of these unfortunate situations, I'm hard-pressed to find a winner.

But I feel a bit better after reading this from Ed Bernero, a former military man and cop who's the executive producer of CBS' "Criminal Minds." Thanks, Ed.

Today's cuppa: iced tea

This week, I did a syndicated piece on the new daytime series "The Dr. Oz Show" (check local listings for date and time in your area). Here's an expanded version for Cuppers...

 

Last Monday, Oprah Winfrey's favorite doctor, Mehmet Oz, began in daily syndication in "The Dr. Oz Show," aiming to bring his high-energy blend of medical and lifestyle advice, bold graphics and audience involvement to more TV viewers.

If current news reports are to be believed, the political debate over how to pay for health care in America should be back up to a fever pitch by fall.

But Dr. Oz - a cardiologist and cardiac surgeon - would like to ask a different question.

"I frankly don't care how you try to get around the health-care financing," he says. "If you don't fix the care-of-health issue, it's not going to make a difference.

"Whichever bill version gets finally cobbled together - I'm hoping it has portable care for all of us as a part of it - but no matter what, to make care affordable long-term for all of us, we're going to have to cost less.

"At the end of the day, you ask the health-care-policy question, the real answer is to make it easy to do the right thing. That's what we have to do in America."

One thing he'd like to see is a different approach to treating people with such chronic conditions as diabetes, cholesterol issues and heart disease.

"That bit of the population costs a lot," he says. "How do you get them help?"

Of course, it all begins with a diagnosis from a doctor, but Dr. Oz doesn't think it should end there but instead should move into a different treatment phase that involves nurses and other healthcare professionals.

"I didn't go to medical school to call you and remind you to walk," he says. "Nurses are good at that. It's a very smart move, and it works ... Once you have your diagnosis - unless it's a diagnosis that requires a lot of tinkering - we put you on a path, pay people to do that, a lot less than you pay them to treat complications, and let them manage it right.

"If we took care of diabetes, the athlerosclerotic complicating factors, just those two, you'd probably whack 15, 20 percent of the health-care budget, just for those two."

Dr. Oz would also like to introduce his TV audience to people who are doing the right thing.

"I really want to make the average American who does it right into a hero," he says. "We bring them on and celebrate what they've been able to accomplish. 'Tell me how you did it, so people can learn. Let's make you a hero. Let's make you a teacher.' "

 

A life of good health starts with the young:

"We've argued that taking care of your health will make you live longer or better, many years down the road. But it doesn't work, because we're all immortal at that age. What we need to talk about is living right now, which is the mantra of the show.

"Live right now is what we're focused on. You should be taking care of yourself, because you'll feel better today ... today."

Tonight's cuppa sorrow...

You all know what Friday is. I plan to mark the occasion by heading to Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif., to see the flags, one for each soul lost eight years ago. The pictures below are from the inaugural display last year -- big shout-out to Pepperdine grad and actor Ryan Sawtelle, who spearheaded efforts to make the tribute a reality during his last year at the school (and by the way, he sings, too) -- and the flags should be back up now.

If you're in the area, I hope you stop by. For everyone else, I suspect it looks a lot like this (click here for John Cale's lovely version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" for musical accompaniment -- recommend right-clicking and opening the link in a new window or tab) ...

Today's cuppa: Newhall Coffee Vanilla Nut

Right now, I'm not sure how much "Wipeout" fans in Eastern and Central time are going to see on Wednesday, Sept. 9. It depends on whether live coverage of the presidential address to a joint session of Congress and whatever reactions and/or commentary follow it wrap up by 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT.

(Info below was revised from original post.)

According to ABC, fans in Pacific time can expect new "Wipeout" at 8 p.m. (7 p.m. MT), followed by a repeat.

But please don't trust me, check your local listings, whether online, in print or in the on-screen guide.

Whenever the new episode airs, it's a special installment, and here's what ABC had to say:

JOHN HENSON AND JOHN ANDERSON GO DOWN UNDER TO SHOW AMERICAN VIEWERS HOW AUSSIES BOUNCE, IN A UNIQUELY AUSTRALIAN VERSION OF ABC'S "WIPEOUT"

 

G'day America... The Johns go down under after receiving an opportunity to host this unique Australian version of "Wipeout," which we wanted to share with our audiences as part of the WIPE Program, the Wipeout International Presenter Exchange. This Aussie-filled hour will feature native mates and ladies bouncing off Big Balls, among other over-the-top obstacles in the outback. "Wipeout," which is seen in 25 countries, will surely delight viewers with one of the most spectacular sweeper wipeouts ever seen in Wipeout history! This special version of, "Wipeout" will air WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 (9:00-10:02 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.

 

Note: This program was originally scheduled to air at 8:00 p.m., but was pre-empted by President Obama's address to Congress.

Last week, we met the female half of the "Black & Blue Team," a quartet of energetic individuals that tests the "Wipeout" stunts to make sure they balance thrills and spills with health and safety.

This week, we'll meet the male half, Kyle Wasserman (left) and Kenny Shackelford (right), who also took time off from their day to chat during production of the current season.

Shackelford had a cousin who worked on "Wipeout," and who had worked on "Fear Factor," and Wasserman was acquainted with the assistant to "Wipeout" executive producer Matt Kunitz.

For both of them, when presented with the opportunity to run around on an abandoned ranch and bounce off of giant red balls into cold water all day, it wasn't a tough decision.

"They needed some people to run the courses and get hurt," said Wasserman, "and I signed up as quick as I could. Here I am, still here!"

"It's pretty much summer camp, for life," said Shackelford.

"Super playground summer camp," said Wasserman.

Asked about requirements for the job, Wasserman said, "Sturdiness."

"High pain tolerance is crucial," added Shackelford.

"And a lot of endurance," said Wasserman. "You've got to be able to go over and over again. Sometimes the test isn't finished until you've done it six times, and then you've got to move over and test the next thing, move over and rig the next stunt -- just keep going."

As for injuries, Shackelford said, "Every now and again (we get hurt). None of us, I think have broken anything yet. None of us has done anything that critical. A lot of stitches in the last year, here and there."

"A lot of hematomas," said Wasserman.

"Sore muscles," said Shackelford.

"Bruises," said Wasserman.

"That's how we got our name," Shackelford said. "We were originally called Bumps and Bruises, I think, but our team leader didn't like that."

Shackelford couldn't think of anything to criticize about his job -- not even having to get up early to drive in -- but Wasserman had a gripe.

"The only thing is," he said, "after my feet have been wet for about six hours, they start to hurt and get all prune-y. Six hours of wet feet, that can be a bummer."

If you're a kid out there who'd like to grow up to do what the Black & Blue Boys do, Shackelford said, "I grew up in a small ski town -- Park City, Utah -- and when you have seven feet of snow in your yard, the trees and your house are the playground. I used to jump off my roof a lot, do crazy things.

"All my friends' parents used to give me crap and say I was crazy. Now I get paid to do it. That would be my advice, I suppose, so crazy when you're a kid. You can't think too much.
We're smart guys, but when you over think the stunts, that's when you get hit."

"Just relax and go," said Wasserman. "It's alla bout playing. It's all about relaxing, having a good time and getting the rush, jumping around."

And, it's a pretty good workout.

"You don't have to go to the gym," said Shackelford, "and look at a bunch of lame people. We come here, eat hearty, run as hard as we can, sleep well."

"I wouldn't trade my job for a thousand dollars a day in gas," said Wasserman.

"Me, neither," said Shackelford.

Today's cuppa: Bewley's Gold Blend tea

Today's cuppa: iced green tea

Next Wednesday, Sept. 9, at 8 pm. ET (live in all time zones), the President is addressing a joint session of Congress to discuss healthcare reform. ABC, NBC and CBS have agreed to cover the speech live, but as of this moment, that does not yet include Fox, which is premiering "So You Think You Can Dance" and the much-anticipated "Glee."

Keep your eye on your local listings to see what the final network lineups are -- and fear not, the speech definitely will be on the cable newsers (including Fox Broadcasting's corporate sibling, Fox News Channel) and PBS -- but this White House sure seems fond of being on TV, whether during the day or in primetime, with speeches, press conferences and a variety of photo ops.

How are you feeling about that? Vote!

Click here for my latest eGuiders.com video recommendation, a comedic vignette from political humorist Steven Crowder, in which he undertakes an epic journey to find out where his -- and every other taxpayer's -- stimulus dollars have wound up. Anyone need a place to dock the yacht?

Today's cuppa: iced tea with mint (from my balcony)

Before he became the producer of such successful reality-TV franchises as "Eco-Challenge," "Survivor" and "The Apprentice," Mark Burnett was a young Brit with no college education but combat experience as a member of the British Army Parachute Regiment.

He landed in Los Angeles in 1982 and took the only job he could find -- as a nanny. He also launched a small business selling T-shirts on Venice Beach. After becoming an American citizen in 1990, he went on to create the "Eco-Challenge" adventure race and produce it for television.

Then, in 1996, he bought the U.S. rights to "Expedition Robinson," a Swedish reality show, and developed the concept into what became "Survivor" on CBS.

The rest is history. (And if you'd like to learn more, click here and here for his books on what he's done and how he did it).

While not everything he's done has become a hit -- "The Restaurant" and "The Casino" leap to mind -- Burnett has forged forward, placing shows on a variety of networks and cable channels and racking up Emmy nominations and awards. Now he's finally landed a show on ABC, called "Shark Tank."

It's an American version of a Japanese franchise called "Dragon's Den" -- the U.K. version can be seen here on BBC America -- in which entrepreneurs pitch their ideas in front of a panel of potential investors (the U.S. ones are pictured below) asking tough questions before putting up their own money.

"Shark Tank" premieres Sunday, Aug. 9, and I'll have a feature story coming out at that time. In the meantime, here's some comments on Burnett on why he's such a big fan of his adopted country and the American Dream.

"There are 300 million people here," Burnett says. "It is a country built on small businesses, and there'll be so many more deals (on 'Shark Tank'). (Small businesses) are the best lot of America.

"Look at where I started. I was selling T-shirts on the beach. I started with a small business, and I learned who I was and learned the values of America and the American Dream. Those skills, selling on the streets, selling T-shirts on Venice Beach and at swap meets -- which I did for years -- paid off for me.

"So I've got a lot of compassion and understanding for these entrepreneurs."

Asked if he thinks shows like "The Apprentice" and "Shark Tank" will remind folks that, despite the economic downturn and political upheaval, the American Dream is still alive.

"Yes," Burnett says. "I think 'Apprentice' and 'Shark Tank' are both shows that will remind Americans by the millions of what the country stands for. I love this country, and I found out who I am here, because of scrimping and saving and trying to sell T-shirts.

"It is what America stands for: the right to own a business, however small; the right to take risks and not be ridiculed; the right to try to buy your own home.

"These small businesses wind up paying more taxes, supporting the entire place and employing people."

Burnett is a long-time California resident, and when asked what advice he'd give to state legislators and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on how to deal with the state's current budget woes, Burnett says, "You know, I don't know enough detail on the issues to speak to it. I've been so busy this summer making show; I haven't really looked into it.

"It seems to me that you can't have programs that are unaffordable. It's the equivalent of having a house and a family and trying to do things that are just not affordable, that you haven't got the money for.

"So, the more you want to do things, certain things have got to be cut. It's just a fact."

He's also in favor of lowering tax rates.

"I do think that lower taxes stimulate the economy," Burnett says. "On the other hand, it's going to be what it's going to be, and hopefully it won't be taxes higher like other socialist countries, which end up being almost un-American, to the point where they don't stimulate small businesses to get going.

"These people need tax breaks to get business going, to employ people. That's what America's always done."

When he has time, Burnett tries to share what he's learned.

"With limited time on my hands, I do give some speeches," he says. "I literally started with nothing and had lots of small businesses and struggled and have learned. So, I want to pass that on."

Tonight's cuppa: peppermint tea.

Did my regular Thursday appearance on Shaun Daily's TV Talk show on blogtalkradio.com, and despite some thunder and lightning on Shaun's end in Las Vegas, got through without a hitch (Shaun did briefly get cut off from on the guest before me, but they reconnected in short order).

Click here for the broadcast -- I come in at about the half-hour mark.

We talked about the latest Michael Jackson news and speculations, the sad death of "Pitchmen" star Billy Mays and what might happen to that show, and in the middle, hashed over the apocalyptic "Clean House: Messiest Home in the Country 3," which also repeats on Friday.

Click here for the interview I did about the episode with the show's designer, Mark Brunetz (just in case you don't see the post, which is right before this one).

That's all for now. Have a safe and fun Fourth of July, celebrating our Independence Day! (oooh, may have to watch that movie at some point ...)

Hang on, while I'm thinking about it, if you want to celebrate the Fourth in the spirit in which it was intended, this list may be the beginnings of a good movie/miniseries marathon:

"1776," in which you learn how little things change in the New York State Legislature over a couple of centuries or so (and that William Daniels can sing, more or less). BTW, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is airing this on Saturday night. Check local listings.

"John Adams," in which Paul Giamatti does one of our Founding Fathers proud.

"The Crossing," in which Michigan homeboy Jeff Daniels more than pulls off a portrait of Virginian George Washington.

"April Morning," in which Tommy Lee Jones plays an ordinary Massachusetts man whose life is changed forever by a shot heard round the world. What's that? Here's "Schoolhouse Rock" to explain.

"Liberty! The American Revolution," in which History Channel rocks the revolution in a documentary miniseries.

And, whatever happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence on that fateful July 4, 1776? Click here to find out.

Let freedom ring ... happy Fireworks!