October 30, 2010

I wish Tuesday would hurry and get here so I can take a shower and get all the mud off of me that has been slung in the weeks heading up to election day this Tuesday. I am embarrassed at how dirty the political process has become. I am wondering how we, the voters of this state and nation have allowed our elections to be disgusting events? Is there any wonder the electorate has become so cynical of anybody in politics from the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to Main Street U.S.A.? I am scratching my head how the personal cheap shot negativity has replaced dialogue on the issues and problems facing all of us. I read a scholarly paper "Why Negative Political Advertising Works." A quote from it demonstrates how dispite polls claiming that people are turned off by negative advertisements and researcher's studies showing that negative ad campaigns lower the vote, politicians still use negative ads because they work. I plan on going to the polls on Tuesday to vote while holding my nose. To those elected this Tuesday I hope you remember to do what you said you would do. Have you all seen the iPad? I got one last month and love it. It is the fastest selling electronic gadget in history. It sells at a faster pace than the iPod, home computers, VCR's, DVD players, or color television sets. Remember the time when "mama and them" had a black and white set and to change the channel you had to get up and turn a dial? Speaking of television, last weekend at the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame awards I had a nice visit with a man many of you baby boomers will remember. Don Kennedy moved to Atlanta to work at WSB radio and television in the early 50's eventually was known by every kid in Georgia it seems in the 1960's. The Popeye Club hosted by Officer Don was must see TV by every kid in the northern half of the state.We'd rush home from school and made sure we were watching the show on Channel 2 at 4:30. "You going to turn that silly racket off soon" my grandmother would shout from the kitchen as she made supper. She was not a fan. Her daytime television fare was centered around the Hughes family on As The World Turns. She enjoyed her "stories" as she called the soap operas of the day. Officer Don was energetic and was zany as he played games with the children of the studio audience. Games like "Ooey Gooey" and "Musical Chairs" in between Popeye cartoons from the 30's, 40's, and 50's. Officer Don came to Tallapoosa twice that I remember at the Grand Theater on Head Avenue and I remember getting his autograph when I was in the second grade. It was my first autograph I ever asked for. The Popeye Club was the Atlanta version of NBC's Howdy Doody Show. Every kid I knew watched that every Saturday morning. I was blessed to have had Buffalo Bob who hosted the show on my radio program in May of 1995. When the show went off the air, I was about 9 and I cried because of no more fun from our friends from Doodyville.

Children's television's current reining champion is the animated Sponge Bob Square Pants. It is great that Georgia Public Television still has Sesame Street and is now into over 4 decades of teaching children to count, identify letters, shapes, and sounds. What are some shows you remember enjoying as a child? I'd love to hear from you. Just think dear hearts a new month and week gets here Monday. I hope you go out and vote this Tuesday. Make sure you take a clothes pin for your nose.