Conversation with Kathleen Parker, Columnist

This is an exchange I had with Kathleen Parker, columnist with the Orlando Sentinel in reference to her put down column of bloggers. HDH
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Forwarded Message:
Subj: Re: Blogs
Date: 12/30/2005 5:08:01 A.M. Pacific Standard Time
From: kparker1@mindspring.com
Reply-to: kparker@kparker.com
To: Hhuseland@aol.com
Sent from the Internet (Details)



Don't feel betrayed. I spotted you for a philosopher. (That's why I used that word - to give enough space to include all of those smart bloggers out there who don't fall into a particular category) And, of course, not all bloggers are alike, just as not all of us journalists are part of the smear known as the MSM. Some bloggers, in fact, are fabulous and I've written extensively about them. But the mob mentality of the blogosphere is troubling and good bloggers ought to recognize that. I suspect many do. Among the many differences, which I should have mentioned, is that bloggers (so far) don't get sued for defamation, libel and slander and are not held to the standards professional journalists are. When we mess up, we are unemployed and unemployable. Perhaps, too, you have to have seen your own head on that stick a few times to know of what I have written.

All best,
Kathleen
----- Original Message -----
From: Hhuseland@aol.com
To: kparker@orlandosentinel.com
Sent: Friday, December 30, 2005 1:28 AM
Subject: Blogs


Ah, Kathleen, I feel betrayed. I am a blogger, with a three year high school journalism education. I don't rightly know whether I'm into narcissism or just a bore. What I think I am, is a senior citizen that has seen much, lived much, and possibly has something to share.

I read your columns in the Spokesman-Review, which is located in Spokane, Washington. I live in a little town called Bayview, in Idaho, about 70 miles from Spokane.

My blog covers everything from what I call humor,world events, and local stuff. Just two hours ago, the night reporter for the Spokesman-Review called me to check out a breaking story here in Bayview.

I recognize that there are many infantile bloggers that just want to see their four letter words in print. I'm not one of them.

We have a guy, Dave Oliveria, Associate Editor for the Spokesman-Review, that has an on-line column called "Huckleberries". (A local thing) He links to other blogs, (mine included)

The best away to check me out is to log on to my blog, either independently, or through the spokesmanreview.com/blogs/hbo.

Mine is Bayviews.blogspot.com.

I am, if you bother to check further, a moderately conservative guy, and think a lot along the lines that you write. Please don't lump us serious amateurs with the screwballs.

Herb Huseland
Bayview, Idaho

Senseless Vandalism

I have seen, in my 67 years, many senseless acts. I don't think that I can remember anything like hit Bayview last night.

Posters were ripped down from the local businesses. Two marinas were attacked viciously. Locked marina doors were kicked down, and many boats vandalized.

From the sparse information that we have, while a few things were stolen, mostly it was just senseless destruction.

In talking to Jeff Barden, General Manager of the Waterford Park Marinas, He indicated that the criminals got around the newly installed security gates on the docks, probably due to the low water level. They then forced open the doors to the secure covered docks. They proceeded to demolish many privately owned boats, for no apparent reason. While a few things were stolen, most damage was simple destruction.

Most of the affected boat owners are either in Arizona for the Winter, or living in Spokane, Washington, a major city nearby. Contacted by the night desk at the Spokesman-Review, I was able to come up with this information to add to what the paper already had.

Unfortunately for the deadbeats that did this, there were security cameras present that recorded all of the participants faces. As of this posting,and to my knowledge none of the participants have been arrested, but I wouldn't bet on them seeing the New Year in, Saturday Night.

My very First Poem

Dedicated to my Grandchildren...

'Twas the day after Christmas
when all through the land,

A gigantic sound, seemed to abound...

The rustling became a roar,
it wouldn't fit through the door...

Wrapping paper in a dash, heading for the trash...
Dumpster guards all plead, don't let this last...

Reds, greens, tinsel galore,
look out the closet, shut the door...

Children play joyfully, unwrapping the gift,
after all is done, the box heads the list...

The credit card statements bang at the door,
hoping until next year, please, no more...

Grandpa Herb

Merry Christmas, Etc.

Much has recently been written pro and con regarding the appropriate season's greeting. Sunday, Paul Turner, of the Slice, a feature writer for the Spokesman-Review, devoted almost his entire column to an anti-Christmas message, ending by calling the arguement political.

For many reasons this year, this discussion has raged. I personally think it is not just Christmas, and definitely not political, at least not for most of us. Whether it's Christmas or Hanukkah, or just Boxing Day, the Winter holidays mean something to most of us. I believe that what is really being fought in the trenches, is the loss of tradition, whether religious or other.

First, we eliminated Lincoln's Birthday. (It irritated some Southerners) Then the father of our Country, George Washington was judged not to be worthy. We invented President's Day...A poor way to celebrate nothing, but hey, we saved a vacation day, didn't we. Martin Luther King, Jr. Was elevated past these two fine presidents, in what appears, his greatness aside, a political act in it's entirety.

Patriotism? Long gone. We don't even do the pledge of allegiance in school anymore.
Veteran's Day? "Hey, Dad,what are all them old men in their funny hats doing walking down the street? Can I have another hotdog"?

I firmly believe two things. One, please, Paul, go back to collecting cute, trite, little experiences for your column and stay out of issues that are too deep for you. Second, in just one generation we have lost these and many more traditions. Traditions that are the glue that holds us together as a nation and as a a society.

I believe that we need to fight for the return of sanity and allow the multitude of ideas and religions to flourish without the naysayers.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all, good night...

Herb Huseland

Christmas

We have read many things this Christmas Season. Some have been very critical, like Christians celebrating the birth of Jesus will somehow injure them. I haven't read anything critical about the Jewish holidays, or for that matter, about Ramadan.

The reason for these attitudes? I think that some civil libertarians have gone way too extreme in the "separation of church and state". First, that isn't what the constitution says. The U.S. constitution merely states that our government cannot establish a state religion.

This should not be construed, as I fear it has, as license for atheists to firmly establish THEIR religion, or lack thereof. Some arguments are that Sunday and Christmas are pagan holidays. Well, it is true of course that the early Roman Church established Sunday instead of Saturday as the new Sabbath. By the same method, Christmas day was arbitrarily set up on December 25.

There isn't much doubt that pagan "Sun" worship in pre-Christian Rome had some of these holidays. I submit that the tradition is what is real, not the argument as to date placement. That the Roman Empire felt it necessary to blend Christianity in with what then was familiar is arguable. However, my blog wasn't up and running back then, and my opinion wasn't asked.

To summarize, I am one of those hateful Christians who doesn't believe that because Rome diddled with some of the facts and traditions, that the birth of Christ is any less valid, or important. I will wake up Christmas Morning with two thoughts. The first, my thanks for the job Jesus did, and secondly, how about those Seahawks...

Merry Christmas to all that believe, and Happy Holidays to the rest of you.

Herb

Bayview Fundraiser

Jerry and Carly Berry asked me to thank the many people that made the fundraiser for Jerry a great success. The Captain's Wheel was jammed with well wishers that put the Christmas Spirit to work as the night was a great outpouring of friendship.

We are all hoping for the best, as Jerry proceeds with treatment for Pancreatic Cancer. I would like to remind all that there is an account set up at Wells Fargo Bank in Hayden for donations for Jerry's very expensive treatment.

A Town Called Waterford Park

Bayview is a small unincorporated spot of unusual beauty. Nestled in one of the few protected bays on Lake Pend Orielle, it lay undiscovered, eight miles off the highway until recently.

Big money hit town with a vengeance. With Three underachieving resorts for sale, a development firm called Waterford Park Homes entered the picture. First Vista Bay Marina was purchased. Then followed closely by Boileau's Resort including the Button Hook Restaurant, and Bayview Marina.

Following the purchase of three of the six existing resorts in town, they went on to purchase the town trailer park and the Scenic Motel. Bayview is fast becoming a company town. The goal of the company is presumably to become a Summer version of Sun Valley. A destination resort playground for the very wealthy.

While I personally applaud the investment in tired ownership situations, one wonders when it's too much. I don't believe one company should dominate any town or village. One starts to feel like it's the middle ages again with the royalty vs. Peasants.

This Summer season, the Buttonhook Restaurant was leased and operated by Dan and Wendy Talerico. After closing seasonally, they were informed that some of Waterford's management wanted to play with it next year. Renewal of the lease was refused. This after a large investment in the business by the lessees.

I don't know at what point an illegal monopoly occurs. Perhaps there are readers out there that could offer opinions. This town of Bayview is becoming a town named Waterford Park...

Winter Weather

I have come forth to anoint the unwashed and the unanimity, of course. This is about living in North Idaho.

Should you have moved to our fair area in the last 13 or 14 years, you will have experienced maybe one snowy winter, and maybe one ice storm.

BUT, you will have not experienced our equalizer. Equalizer, you ask? Well let me tell you about our equalizers.

They happen about fifteen to twenty years apart. They are all different. They all spell cold, snow, and ice.

Why are they called equalizers? Because that's where we shed unneeded, unwanted and unwelcome relocaters from Southern California.

It would appear that true to form, we get a whole bunch of folks from more temperate climates, that home in on our somewhat dreary landscape. They seem to think that this is paradise. Wrongo, Baby! We are a back woods, gap-teeth, undereducated bunch of Red-Necks that you NEVER want as your neighbor.

This year we are going to meet you out there on the (Highways). (We always put that word in parentheses so real highway folks don't get confused).

Please, even if you are personally willing to die, don't invite us to join you, like speeding with 4-wheel drive. You ever seen 4-wheel drive stop anyone faster?

I write this, actually, snowed in here in Bayview, in the secure knowledge that until some nice young person digs my car out, I'm not your target.