Month: May 2009

Minorities In The Media

Much is being made over the “changing face” of the Sunday morning political talk shows. As in more faces of color. As in meaningful, mainstream diversity.

 

Indeed, it’s encouraging to see black visages that belong to someone other than Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and Cornel West. Voices, such as those belonging to Gwen Ifill, Juan Williams and Bill Cosby, that are representative of something other than the African American grievance crowd. And it could get better yet. Think Thomas Sowell, Jesse Lee Peterson and, what the hell, Tampa Bay’s own Joe Brown and Bill Maxwell.

Megahed-ache For Feds

Last month’s re-arrest of Youssef Megahed still has the local Muslim community simmering – and a lot of other folks still shaking their heads about the feds seemingly coming down with a classic case of vindictiveness. Recall that three days after the former USF student was found not guilty of explosives possession he was arrested again – this time by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. A deportation hearing is still pending.

 

The rationale for the immigration charges, upon further reflection, still seems like a legal system temper tantrum. To many observers, most of them non-Muslims, this is how, in effect, it must have played out:

 

“We have a 2 ½ -week trial with a bunch of witnesses and more than 100 pieces of evidence. This is after this guy’s USF pal, Ahmed Mohamed, pleads guilty to providing material support to terrorists and gets 15 years in a plea deal. But Megahed? Oh, he was just cruising aimlessly and cluelessly in South Carolina with his Muslim buddy, the convicted terrorist wannabe! And a jury buys that? You gotta be kidding! Let’s go the civil route this time. He’s over at Wal-Mart. ICE him.”

Cannon Fodder For Legislative Skeptics

For those who think the recent sham legislative session could not have been worse, consider this: Rep. Dean Cannon is in line to be the next Speaker of the House. Recall that it was this Winter Park Republican who was the political point man for unnamed energy interests and Associated Industries in their blind-siding, under-the-radar, last-minute effort to pass a bill allowing oil drilling on the Gulf horizon line.

 

Nostalgic for the ethically challenged Ray Sansom or the merely ineffectual Larry Cretul yet?

Wrong Layoffs

It’s already been a busy off-season for the Tampa Bay Lightning, who had an awful on-season. Lightning owner OK Hockey laid off about two dozen employees as part of its “restructuring” strategy. Among those jettisoned: David Cole, director of fan development, Jay Preble, media relations specialist, and Matt Hitchcock, who played “ThunderBug.”

 

Too bad those staying include those responsible for hiring Barry Melrose and trading Dan Boyle.

A-Roid Strategy

Speaking of A-Roid, he has two strategies available to counter all the awful publicity he has brought on himself. First, he would be well-served to have a monster season, lead the Yankees into the post-season and then – finally – come through in the clutch and lead the Yankees to a World Series win. But that, of course, is problematic. Second, he and his media spinners can see to it that Salena Roberts, the author of that unflattering Rodriguez biography, is continuously referenced as the reporter (New York Times) who was duped in the legal travesty known as the Duke lacrosse team rape case.

Shortsales Coverage

How coincidental that the area’s two dailies both did prominent Sunday features this week on the same successful, brash, Lamborghini-driving real estate agent who bills himself as “The Short Sale Kid.” It’s about foreclosures and same-day flips and lots of lawyers – all in the context of finding profit amid the housing bust. It’s legal and entrepreneurial and, according to some real estate professionals, fraught with red flags over transparency and ethics.

 

We won’t get any more specific and add to this guy’s publicity coup, but you can’t help wondering: Isn’t this an ironic variation on a theme that got us into this mess in the first place?