The Current State of Drones, Laws, Regulations, Fear and Loathing.

Washington, DC--it's a painfully slow process for politicians and FAA bureaucrats to accept the need, legitimacy and relative safety of those little civilian drones. 

There was the initial hysteria of passenger jets crashing, mass privacy invasion because of those little drones.  The panic reaction was bolstered with thousands mistaken or deliberately false reports of sightings claiming drone misbehavior.  

Thankfully as the number of drones in civilian hands increased by leaps and bounds, the bogus reports quietly subsided considerably. 

Very recently progress has been made in allowing the commercial use of drones under a somewhat loosened set of rules and guidelines.  Along with the more realistic drone rules the FAA created the Part 107 licensing exemption with a written test for commercial drone pilots.  

They have allowed for considerable expansion of drone use in urban areas for news gathering, filmmaking, property inspection, marketing and photography.  

The FAA still must give a bit on night flights, first person view and use over highways and people. Slowly that too is happening.

The same is needed for low altitude flights below 150 feet near, but not adjacent to airports.  Inspecting a roof of a building with a drone that's a half mile from an airport from 30 feet above should not require anything more than simple caution. 

We've still not seen a single fatality, serious injury or property damage caused by a drone.  This despite nearly four million of them in the hands of all manner of men, women and children. 

Drones are a natural tool for news gathering purposes. Their excellent broadcast quality cameras, safe low altitude flight and minimal expense will save countless jobs in America's newsrooms.  

For news gathering drones are substantially preferable to helicopters in all but those high speed police chases.  The liability issues of drone use is also minuscule compared to that of helicopters. 

Still safety is a real concern along with the upscale price of drones that ultimately keeps their owners cautious. None of them want to see their precious drones damaged or lost.  

Finally superior drone video has become slowly integrated in our nation's TV newscasts.   There is virtually little noise and no pollution emitted from these marvelous little machines.

Hopefully police will begin to use them to document traffic accidents saving time and money.  Drones can cut the time busy streets are obstructed for traffic investigations by two-thirds.  

The Netherlands has been using them to deliver defibrillators to save the lives of heart attack victims.  Drones are excellent tools for use in critical missing persons cases, search and rescue. The benefits of our civilian drones make for a better and bright future.  

Is There Really a Sudden Fake News Epidemic or has Democracy Finally Come to Journalism?

Los Angeles, CA—The father of broadcast Fake News is Josef Goebbels.  As Adolf Hitler’s Minister of Enlightenment  and Propaganda, he was a pure genius.  Goebbels convinced the entire nation of Germany that what they heard on their newly acquired radios was always absolutely true. 

Goebbels success was not lost on our own CIA, back then called, OSS.  The OSS learned of the amazing power of the radio and soon Franklin Roosevelt was broadcasting propaganda “Fireside Chats” that mesmerized our entire nation binding us together against Germany, Italy and Japan. 

In the last 150 years we had powerful newspapers and soon followed radio and television.  I don’t give a rat’s ass who the news provider may be, they all have their own secret and vested interests that they are selling to the public as news.  

Only the very richest Americans could own newspapers and broadcasting organizations.  We the people were never part of the powerful media.  

Reporters and producers are hired based on the ability to craft news stories but also subject to their employer’s political proclivities.  There were once some Conservative newspapers but they all sold out to the wealthy political Left. 

There are no serious mainstream Conservative news organizations around anymore. Conservatives need not apply for media jobs today unless they can hide their political leanings really well.  

The six corporations that own and operate what we call today, The “Mainstream Media” are Leftist and in editorial lockstep together as one. What they’ve expertly been putting out as news is carefully crafted propaganda.  

Since all the news organizations are in agreement on various issues the public is convinced our media giants must be telling the truth. 

The Mainstream Media honchos all understandably thrive on deals and corruption to make their personal wealth and power grow.  They could care less about their audience/readers or their real needs.  They have very human failings at every level.

It’s been said may times that, “He who controls the information can rule the world.”  Recently that control has now somewhat shifted to, we the people!

Suddenly we have the Internet that can transmit text, pictures and high quality video along with affordable equipment that allows anyone to offer up what they call news!  

Slowly citizen journalists, bloggers and podcasters have cropped up by the thousands! Accordingly the newspapers and news broadcasters began to fail big-time!  Pink slips have rained in everyone of the nation’s Mainstream Media newsrooms. 

Some of the Internet news providers are not so clever or capable of crafting propaganda into their offerings subtilely.  Some are reckless and some are absolute abominations. However, now matter how well you can tell a lie or mislead an audience it’s no less deceitful or evil.  

Lack of experience and education has hampered many Internet journalists who have made somewhat clumsy attempts to sway public opinion.  That too will change as they gain necessary skills. 

Adding to the news mess is Twitter, Facebook and a growing list of places where any troll can put up a somewhat convincing “news” item. The problem is people want to believe some of the crap that is maliciously published and don’t bother to check anything out. 

If that’s not enough confusion there are fact checking websites that have their own political agenda and facts are turned into fiction and vise versa.  The only real way to check facts are to actually interview the newsmakers and require they provide reasonable evidence backing their statements. 

Are we somehow in a worse position now than before the Internet News sources?  No, we are better off because there are trusted bloggers and sincere journalists uncovering lies by government and politicians. Wikileaks, Edward Snowden and Bradley “Chelsea” Manning have been able to expose government tyranny and some really outrageous political intrigue.  

Whistle blowers now have real options that never existed before. Yes, despite the longstanding existence of fake news we are slowly becoming more sophisticated and better informed.  

I think we've seen the last Presidential election where the dying Mainstream Media will be able to maintain any relevance whatsoever.  They shamelessly fawned all over Hillary Clinton and padded the pre-election polls in her favor.  That came for them with a severe price.  

Let me end this with a simple truth, every writer has an agenda and the First Amendment thankfully protects that short of Libelous publishing or broadcasting.  Only the government gets to lie without punishment but at least now we can expose the crap they dish out.  Democracy has finally come to journalism!  

There are lots of qualified people that can gather and report news.  There are more people than ever that can podcast or post video news packages on the Internet.  There is no better time than now to make an Internet news channel of your own.  

Frankly I won’t cry for the losses of our longstanding Mainstream Media fat-cats. They’ve abused their power long enough.  

Judge Rebecca Wright Should Win An Appeal With NBC!

Los Angeles, CA—After spending decades inside courtrooms first as a Chicago cop, later as a criminal defense investigator and journalist in Arizona and California, I’ve been redundantly disappointed the cast of characters I’ve met.

The judges for the most part are a bunch of pompous tyrants on a power trip.

Prosecutors are a bunch of smug bastards that routinely hide evidence and put their thumbs on the scales of justice at every opportunity. 

The beleaguered defense lawyers must hold their noses while they simply watch their hapless clients get convicted 80% of the time.

Occasionally there are unexpected surprises and dramas but the reality is most of the cases settle without trial in plea agreements. 

Accordingly, I have authored a somewhat cynical motto,  “If justice ever happens it’s usually by accident and for all the wrong reasons.”

What do I think about most court or police themed entertainment programs?  They all suck in a very big way.  Mostly they annoy me on account of their runaway political correctness.  I dumped cable years ago since I have little time to watch TV anyway. 

I recently found a judicial oasis that cracks me up in a big way.  The show is the NBC offering, Bad Judge.

Most refreshing is the leading female protagonist, Judge Rebecca Wright.  She’s refreshingly human and prefers to error in form rather than substance.

The writing for Bad Judge is funny and the entire cast is marvelous. The disappointment comes when you realize it’s only a half-hour show.   

Judge Wright is played by Kate Walsh.  Walsh was born in CA and later raised in Arizona.  She moved to Chicago where she established roots at Second City.  She was also involved with the Piven Theatre Workshop and the Chicago Shakespeare Repertory.

Walsh additionally went on to New York and did the Off Broadway circuit. 

Walsh’s acting and comedy chops soon earned her guest star spots and a coveted role in the dramatic series Gray’s Anatomy.  She also won a subsequent spin-off show. 

Walsh’s striking good looks and ravishing red hair are only second to a great smile that captivates souls. 

Walsh was made for that role.  In fact the casting for the show could not be better. 

In Bad Judge, political correctness has taken a back seat to refreshing comedy.  Most of the overly, narcissistic and egotistical judges and lawyers I ever met would absolutely hate Walsh’s character.  Maybe that's the reason I love Judge Wright!  

Sad news came to me this week as I learned what became my favorite show has been cancelled.

In the mean time we will have just have to catch episodes on NBC on Thursday nights.  

When a show’s last episode is finished a “wrap party” is always a tradition.  I expect this one will be solemn, however I can’t imagine this crew not having fun anyway.  

I only wish I could be there so I could congratulate each and every cast member for the fun they all brought to my life.

NBC’s The Sound of Music Live, My Review

New York, NY—NBC put on two projects, the making of this project and then a week later the live play.

This was a classic film with Christopher Plummer and Julie Andrews.  It was based on a great World War Two inspired story of the von Trapp family. 

Okay I much preferred the show about making the show better than the show itself. 

The first problem was ridicules miscasting of the talented singer Audra McDonald as Mother Abbess.  It was beyond dopy to cast an African-American woman as the Austrian Catholic Mother Superior.  Was this some sick idea of political correctness?  This was distracting to say the least.  

Carrie Underwood was wonderful as was Stephen Moyer.  Underwood is a versatile performer.  The cameras all loved her and she delivered.  This despite her pure American persona rather than being a European like the real deal. 

The Children were adorable and I can only imagine how their parents were on Cloud 9 beaming with pride.  I’m sure many of them bought the latest and greatest big screen TV to watch their kids in this event.

The great story and music carried this project even though it was somewhat awkward and stagy.  Parts of the show were reminiscent of bad community theater productions.

The real test was how many people including those tweeting criticisms those did not change the channel.  We all watched and no matter what were touched by parts of this production.

Audra McDonald has a great singing voice but seemed to lack needed acting chops.  It was like she knew that she just did not fit into this story.  I can’t blame McDonald for crappy casting.  I’d like to hope that African-Americans would not have been offended by not seeing their own in this production.

Should NBC continue with this kind of programing?  Certainly, but I hope they learn from mistakes.  Anything beats the reality crap that plays to the lowest common denominator of the typical low brow American audience.  The Cast:

Carrie Underwood - Maria von Trapp

Stephen Moyer - Captain von Trapp

Laura Benanti - Elsa Schrader

Christian Borle - Max Detweiler

Michael Campayno - Rolf Gruber

Sophia Anne Caruso - Brigitta von Trapp

Peyton Ella - Gretl von Trapp

Michael Nigro - Friedrich von Trapp

Ariane Rinehart - Liesl von Trapp

Grace Rundhaug - Marta von Trapp

Ella Watts-Gorman - Louisa von Trapp

Joe West - Kurt von Trapp