Rick Raw: Studs Terkel Passes at 96–The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

By Rick Grant Commentary rickgrant01@comcast.net www.rickatnight.com

In my universe, Studs Terkel is the Father, Dr. Hunter S. Thompson is the Son, and Bob Dylan is the Holy Ghost. This is the Holy Trinity of my influences. Although Bob Dylan is not a journalist, he is a wordsmith and the Poet-Laureate of my generation.
Now two of my idols are dead. Studs died last week at 96. Hunter blew his brains out with his .44 magnum for reasons no one can figure out. He was the first writer whose work jumped off the page and slapped me in the face with its satirical brilliance.

Hunter was one of a kind word-master and keen observer of the counterculture era. He invented Gonzo journalism which inserts the writer into the narrative. Like Dylan, he captured the collective consciousness of the tumultuous 60s through the 80s with high styled humor and his outrageous imagination. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was Hunter’s masterwork. I keep a tattered copy like the Bible. When I get blue, I read a passage to uplift my spirits.

Studs Terkel, whose real name was Louis Terkel, was the patron saint of street journalism chronicling the lives of ordinary people in Chicago. For 70 years he trudged the streets with his notebook and his loathsome tape recorder which half the time he forgot to turn on. In 2005, at age 93, Studs had open heart surgery so he could continue working.

After Studs graduated from the University of Chicago Law School, he failed the bar exam. He then went into acting and in the 1940s he got into radio and television. During that time, Louis changed his name to Studs, which was a tribute to the fictional Studs Lonigan, a tough fictional character created by novelist James T. Farrell. From 1949 to 1952, he hosted Stud’s Place, a local TV show that was canceled. Studs was convinced his show was canceled because he was blacklisted by Sen. Joseph McCarthy for his liberal politics.

Later, Studs joined local radio station WEMT which was his home for the next 45 years. He broadcast a daily mix of music, commentary, and interviews with an eclectic cross section of Chicago’s population. After hours, Studs hung out in Irish bars where he had long conversations with various working stiffs. He championed the underdog and was a staunch union supporter.

Studs interviewed 70 Chicago area citizens to write Division Street: America (1966). And he went on to write 17 other books . His book Hard Times (1970) chronicled the Great Depression. Working (1974) was based on interviews with 133 people who talked candidly about their mostly dead end jobs. Studs won the Pulitzer Prize for The Good War (1984) which exposed racism, "fragging"--slang for officers who were murdered by their own men for being incompetent during the Vietnam War, and atrocities committed by American troops during WWII.

Like me, Studs smoked cigars and was more comfortable commingling with working class folk. He wore clothes until they fell apart. He struck a rumpled presence which pegged him as unpretentious and easy to approach. His devoted wife of 60 years, who died in 1999, would take him to the store and insist that he buy new clothes otherwise he’d end up wearing rags.

My favorite Studs Terkel book is Working. He compiled 133 interviews about the problems of the working class. Interestingly, he used a narrative style to express his interviewee’s thoughts. In other words, instead of quoting his subjects verbatim from a tape recorder, he paraphrased their words into his own seminal style. Studs’ hated recording his interviews and he preferred using his hand written notes. His straight forward journalistic style told his subjects’ stories with heart and soul.

Studs was a my exalted idol–the Father of my Holy Trinity-- because he never stopped working at his craft as a journalist. His decision to have open heart surgery at 93 years old was so he could keep working a few more years. Studs proved that if one loves what one does, then one should keep doing it until the reaper shows up in one’s bedroom. Studs also proved that age is just a number. His soul is ageless.

Rick Raw: Obama Champion of Science

By Rick Grant Commentary rickgrant01@comcast.net www.rickatnight.com

Those of us who are directly and indirectly involved with science are ecstatic over the outcome of the election. Obama recognizes the importance of scientific discovery and protecting the openness of the Internet. He personally takes an interest in continuing research for new discoveries in medicine, nano-technology, biology, stem cells, energy, and space exploration.

More importantly, Obama plans to have noted scientists as advisors and he intends to keep up with the latest developments in science. In the past eight years, serious researchers believed that the Republican Party was not their friend. So, there is great joy among the eggheads across the land.

Obama has a definitive plan to provide financial incentives for cutting carbon emissions called the "cap-and-trade" system. This is a long range plan to affect an 80 percent reduction in emissions from 1990 levels by 2050. Of more immediate concern, Obama would spend $150 billion over the next 10 years to develop alternative energy sources.

Indeed, Obama supports the Pickens Plan, of which I’m a member, to convert cars to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as clean and efficient fuel as soon as possible and continue developing fuel cell and electric powered vehicles. Pickens also advocates wind mill fields and nuclear power.

Recently, billionaire T. Boone Pickens met with Obama and will advise him on his progress. Pickens is not just yapping. He has put his money where his mouth is by spending millions of his own money on the project. In the next five years we could have a high percentage of American cars running on CNG, which would greatly reduce carbon emissions. Pickens is also encouraging development of electric cars with new lithium battery technology that would power a car for over 200 miles without recharging–great for driving around town and plugging into the house AC at night.

Obama plans to invest in the sciences by doubling the Federal funding for basic research over the next ten years. Chris Mooney, author of The Republican War on Science said that the war has ended and science has won. It seems extreme but I believe that Republicans are the enemy of technological progress. They include the liars and hypocrites of America–preachers, televangelist, conservative talk show hosts, stock traders, insurance salesmen, faith healers, phony psychics, and every person who believes Ronald Reagan was a great president.

Of course, the current economic emergency will demand Obama’s immediate attention. There are so many critical issues to be addressed, it may take Obama a couple of years to give his attention to science. But the fact that he has pledged his support means that scientists can pursue their projects with confidence.

NASA engineers and future space projects’ planners are jubilant that Obama was elected. He is excited about future space projects currently in development.. NASA will have a liasion to Obama’s administration keeping him abreast of NASA’s projects and funding needs. This is reminiscent of JFK’s unyielding support for space initiatives during the space race with the Russians. The truth is: Progress is an unstoppable runaway train. Space exploration will continue, but will need financial support.

In regard to Republicans, Obama is willing to encourage bipartisan support for his initiatives. Sometimes one has to make deals with unsavory characters to get things done. Obama has made it clear he will have Republican advisors and cabinet members in his adminsitration. He has reached out to William Gates, currently Secretary of Defense, to stay on in that position.

It’s a brave new world with Obama as President of the United States. But we must be patient. W and his cronies made a terrible mess of everything. Obama’s prime directive is to ease the economic crisis first, then wade into the myriad of other problems.

Rick Raw: Supreme Court Rules on Profanity in Broadcasting

By Rick Grant Commentary rickgrant01@comcast.net www.rickatnight.com

Remembering the Anita Hill hearings in the early-1990s in which Hill denounced Clarence Thomas as a sexist pig for referring to his "large penis" in a conversation designed to entice Hill into an affair with him. Of course, despite Hill’s condemnation of Thomas as not fit for the Supreme Court, he was confirmed by his conservative cronies in Washington. "I was appointed (to the Court) for life, live with it," Thomas said to his critics, especially Anita Hill.

Today, it seems hypocritical that Thomas (who sexually abused Hill ) and the other mostly conservative Justices are deciding a case of profanity on the television airwaves. Specifically, it involves banned words (like the F-word) that Cher, Bono and Nicole Richie blurted out on live national television shows without a time-delay.

Yes, the conservative lap-dogs of the Highest Court in the land are pitted against the American Civil Liberties Union which saw this case as another attempt to throttle free speech and censor broadcast television. The case that went before the Court was the FCC versus Fox Television. The FCC intended to punish the television networks for allowing these "dirty words" on broadcast TV. Thus, the case made its way to the Supreme Court.

The incidents in question go back to a live 2002 and 2003 broadcasts. At the 2003 Golden Globes Awards, U2 singer Bono stated that his award was "really, really, (blanking) brilliant." Then during the 2003 Billboard Music Awards Nicole Richie declared "It’s not so (blanking) simple to remove a cow (blank) out of a Prada purse." During the 2002 Billboard Awards, Cher said, "I’ve had critics for the last 40 years saying that I was on my way out every year. Right. So (blank ‘em) I still have a job and they don’t."

It all seems trivial, but the incidents gave the FCC an opportunity to revise a long standing interpretation of rules about profanity on television. In the 1970s when George Carlin uttered the banned words in context of his comedy routine, the FCC decided that Carlin’s monologue was "patently offensive."

The Supreme Court subsequently agreed but with the caveat that Carlin’s use of the seven banned words was an isolated occurrence as part of Carlin’s "informative" monologue. Thus, it could be considered "verbal shock treatment" of profane repetition. After the recent incidents, the FCC reversed its earlier decision that gave Carlin a pass, which was at the heart of this case. In other words, Bono, Cher, and Richie’s use of profanity was not isolated. It offended God, country, and any little kids watching the shows.

Ultimately, the FCC didn’t fine Fox or the other networks involved. However, the Supreme Court sided with the FCC which puts the onus back on the broadcast networks to make sure there are no slip-ups on live shows. Therefore, in any future live show on network television, there will be a three second delay to edit out any profanity or costume malfunction. In fact, it turns out that one brief flash of Janet Jackson’s naked breast caused more of a furor than the F-words’ slip-ups.

Funny, one can click on HBO, Starz, Showtime, AMC, FX, and other cable networks and hear the free use of profanity and view sexual situations. The same microwaves that carry the networks censored shows carry the uncensored programs. Ah, but the viewer pays for the cable shows and the broadcast shows are supported by advertising, which is the real reason that censorship exists on the broadcast networks. God forbid if the advertisers are offended and pull their advertising. Indeed, TV moguls fears their advertisers much more than the FCC.

Rick Raw: Land Warrior System –New Dawn of Intelligent Robotic Warriors

By Rick Grant rickgrant01@comcast.net www.rickatnight.com

In James Cameron’s visionary masterwork, The Terminator, robots developed intelligence comparable to humans or higher. The machines declared war on humans and had access to time travel. The machines sent back an assassin called The Terminator to kill Sarah Conner, the future mother of John Conner, the leader of the resistance in this future war.

Of course, this is science fiction. However, we are approaching a technological level in which robots and wired soldiers will engage future enemies. In the not too distant future, autonomous robots with artificial intelligence (thinking machines) will do the actual fighting, directed by humans. It doesn’t take much imagination to conceive that armed intelligent robots could turn against their human creators. "I exist, therefore I am superior," the future robot could reason.

Today, the technology revolution has reached the cutting edge of the military’s future weapons development. These high-tech innovations are now being used in Iraq and Afghanistan. It’s a brave new world of robots, remote controlled aircraft, autonomous aircraft (that fly themselves to and back from the mission) and wired soldiers.

The watchword for this new high-tech military is what the brass calls the Integrated Battle Space (IBS). This means that from CentCom (central command) to the grunt on the ground, the entire battlefield is connected by wireless communications to computers onboard vehicles and soldiers. And, every piece of equipment on the battlefield can be seen, moved, receive new orders, and otherwise be part of the entire big picture.

The IBS enables every infantry soldier, Navy ship, submarine, tank, armored personnel carrier, artillery piece, and aircraft to see the same battle space as the commanders see it. The military have their own satellites sending encrypted information to every thing that moves in the battle theater.

On the ground, the Army has been testing its Land Warrior (LW) system which enables every soldier to be part of the IBS with their build-in integrated gear stored in their fatigues.

The LW gear consists of the Helmet Subsystem with an eyepiece showing a full color computer interface, displaying maps and images from the camera on the soldiers M4 weapon.

The Soldier Control Unit includes a mouse shaped like a gun grip, which is strapped to the chest and used to toggle among screens in the eyepiece. It is also used to key the radio and send data to other soldiers.

The Weapon Subsystem which is a laser rangefinder mounted on the M4 assault rifle. It pinpoints enemy positions and sends their location coordinates across the network. Then there is the Thermal Sight which provides night vision and a digital camera which lets the soldier send video clips to commanders.

And finally, The Controller which is a toggle switch hidden by the soldier left hand. It is used to control the weapon’s laser and video sights. This means the soldier can poke his weapon around a corner and see his target through a precise video sight and fire without exposing himself. It also has thermal and night vision capabilities.

In other words, the entire battle group is connected to the secure wireless network and can communicate verbally, by text, or E-mail and everyone else on the network can see and hear an individual soldier’s input. This gives the grunt on the ground a voice in the rapidly changing situation as he sees it. Then at the soldier’s request, commanders can send in air support or artillery to support him or his squad if they get pinned down. More importantly, the squad leader knows exactly where each man in his squad is located, even well beyond line of sight.

The LW system has been in development since 1991, and has been continually updated. Presently it is being used in simulated combat involving all branches of the military. At first, many grunts didn’t like it, or more accurately, they were having trouble getting used to it.

Traditionally, ground pounders like to complain about new equipment. As time went on, though, the voices of decent were silenced when soldiers saw the advantages of having instant information on their position and their follow soldiers’ locations. The first version of LW was too delicate and broke down in the heat of battle. But the newer version of LW was hardened for the rigors of combat. The whole package adds just 16 pounds to the soldier’s load.

The LW and IBS are the future of warfare. Today in Iraq and Afghanistan, robots are assuming many dangerous duties like mine sweeping and recon. Now operating in both theaters, cargo robots called "mules" haul equipment into battle. And remote controlled aircraft like the Predator orbit the sky above the battle space sending back accurate intelligence or they fly search and destroy missions. Ah yes, we’re headed for a future world when very few human soldiers will be in harms way. The new generation of IBS will be called The Integrated and Automated Battle Space.