Deep Throat discovered?

Today it's reported someone revealed himself as being the Deep Throat in the Watergate incident. No doubt, there will be much debate about his veracity, if he's just trying to get some latter day fame, whether he was also the second gunman on the grassy knoll, yadda yadda.

The headline I saw says "Deep Throat Comes Forward." My suggested headline, "Deep Throat Goes Down."

Alabama Idol

I do not watch American Idol. I saw one last year where they did all Billy Joel songs. I sat with my best friend as she watched a couple this winter while visiting.

There have been four Idols. One winner (Ruben) and one runner-up (Bo) are from Alabama -- the Birmingham area, in fact.

Two of the top 8 Idols are from my hometown. Anyone else able to say that? Anyone?

Who cares? Check the ratings, people care. (Why, is another question... But people are into it, so let's give a shout out to my homeland.)

2 of 8. 25% from one city, out of 50 states. Remember that next time you're ready to make a joke about The South.

I'm just saying.

First occasional lyric citation

From Joe Jackson's "Love Got Lost"
Album, "Night and Day 2"
(part of this blog's occasional homage to outstanding lyrics)

"Saturday night, went to see La Bohème
Used the spare ticket just for my coat
I guess I should swallow my pride
But I'd be damned if I hawked it outside
In the pouring rain
Monday morning, and no-one to blame
Keep hitting icebergs but I'm still afloat
I'd like a new body and face
But I'd settle for a friend with a space
On their calendar

Up to now, and hard to say
Wonder what I've found
But love got lost
Along the way"

TiVo and its Mental Impact

I've had TiVo for over four months. Yes, it's hard to imagine life before it.

I don't watch a tremendous amount of TV (he says), but I get use out of it.

One big habit with TiVo is using the skip-back button to replay the previous five seconds if I missed what was said. Very helpful. No doubt annoying if ever I watched with someone.

However, I think it's having a negative impact on the rest of my life. Listening to sports radio while driving, I often want to hit the TiVo skipback button to replay something I missed. It takes a second to remmeber I can't do that with my radio, though I imagine that's not too far in the future.

At a conference, I wanted to skipback some of the lecturers! This might take longer to implement.

The point is, I wonder if TiVo fosters a laxity of focus. "I don't have to pay as much attention," says the subconscious, "I can replay something I just missed if it seemed interesting in the corner of my ear."

I'm not condoning adding TiVo to other non-TV parts of the world. Nor am I disparaging TiVo, I'm a huge fan (and stockholder). But I wonder if I'm experiencing indications of an adverse impact TiVo has on people's attention spans or focus in real life.

Years from now, you'll read articles about studies at big universities into this phenomenon. And I wont' get a dime, or even a citation for thinking of it first.

The Beholder's Other Eye

I never wanted to start a blog. More often than not, they seem like online diaries with people exposing themselves in personal ways. I'm too private for that. So don't expect any substantive details of my personal life.

Yet I found a purpose to blogging for myself. Sometimes I have observations that don't fit right into a song, play, or one of my columns. What to do with it, aside from let it disappear in my fading memory? Blog it.

My regular column of Jewish-themed satire is called "The Beholder's Eye." This blog, in providing other pith outside of that theme, is therefore "The Beholder's Other Eye."