Gag Me with a Spoon!

OK, my wife made me do it! Sit through the Shannyn Moore Show. That my friends was just as unpleasant as a mandatory session listening to Arianna Huffington huff & puff her way to glory! Good thing that upon Christmas past I was the beneficiary of a Black Butte XXI 11% glycolic beverage, as that eased the pain. OK, the Moore show was not that bad! It was an alright broadcast, nothing Doberman like, until the entire cast on stage thought it was comedy central and started laughing upon the subject of whistleblowers. It wasn’t an attack, just show-time boredom as this one particular segment was progressing at a snail’s pace and providing nothing but wasted airtime. Sponsors beware! But it doesn’t surprise me, the comedy spot, as even the good and accurate factor pundits - like Olbermann’s Countdown - have changed course over the years and behave more and more like it is a reality TV show he or she is facilitating. Who’s on 1st? I was an early on follower of Olbermann, when it was pure seriousness. Nowadays, he gets caught up in the fantasy alley, just like Alaskan bloggers spending precious time reporting on false witness representation – a.k.a. Rush wannabes like Sarah Palin and company. Today, about the only good show that tries to nail the coffin without prejudice is the “Ed Show”. But I am sure when ratings crash, bring on the crap publicity that sells Viagra! Anyway, making fun of whistleblowers, that was the straw that…See, we really need strong individual not afraid to blow the cover of corruption, to blow the whistle. Internal prosecution can make a big difference, but the way the laws are structured giving escapism a dimension of its own for a business, it is difficult to excite employees to perform ethically, like blowing the whistle when things internally are not up and up. Bottom line, it is not a laughing matter. As there are no laws to protect those that see fit to buck the system, and it does mean unemployment, so maybe the facilitator should be more sensitive to what the panel crusades upon. Moore had the opportunity to make that point clear and convincing but the laughter continued. Disgraceful in my book. But then again, it appeared to be a fallout from show-time boredom. And instead of having a show that listens to one side a lopsided debate, it would do the community a better service to provide a counter punch, so both sides are represented, this in regards to the one sided debate about the Alaskan fisheries. Look, I have listened for over 30-years this gloom and doom from those that try to make a living from the high seas. It is a two way street. Win some, loose some. Look, I heard nothing on this show about how many times Uncle Sam has purchased those FV fishing vessels in efforts to save a fish species from going extinct. The boat buy back program - designed for the “little guys” - allows boats gainfully employed in fisheries with dwindling stocks to be sold and purchased by Uncle Sam at the fair market value, then auctioned off for pennies on the dollar. This may be where the “bailout” stuff originated. Once sold, the only restriction is the fact that the boat can no longer engage in the fisheries it previously helped deplete. So the boat is re-purchased, usually by the old owner, decked out from the savings ripping off Uncle Sam, all in efforts to attack another species. Over time, that species dwindles away to shocking stock numbers and once again the boat buy back program comes into effect, wherein boats are again purchased and starts the same damn thing all over again. A GAO account has reported that some boats have been purchased three times by Uncle Sam! It is by far another rip-off scheme made available through the U.S. Treasury courtesy the taxpayers. So when the panel attacks Ted and Ben, bravo on that, it is Ted that started this rip off program and I have never heard any fisherman complain about it, as it is like an insurance policy for the future. Like fishery insurance reform courtesy Uncle Sam. Let Sammy but it! And no fisherman out there can say that the year-round halibut season did any good for Alaskan consumers! It is a supply and demand thing. Halibut has increased in price, gone way down in quality as the outdated crap must sell before the fresh stuff, and we call this commerce for all? Like Moore pointed out, the resources belong to the people of Alaska, but what’s in your wallet? So even though this show touched on things of interest, it falls short a real forum that has meaning. Maybe over time it will prove to be beneficial, but who the hell is watching. I fear her panel count was more then the audience. And the only reason I was in front of the tube was the fact it was too cold outside to ski comfortably and I stay away from the trails when Randall is out loose! Here is another thing. Everybody looks so uncomfortable! Shannyn, get a table so when the panel is not engaged in conversation, they can play with themselves, I mean twitter! And remember what the authorities say about the mudflats, “Dangerous. Don’t Get Stuck!”