That S The Way It Is

Ever since Newton Minow taught us sophisticates to bemoan the descent of television into a vast wasteland, the dyspeptic chorus of jeremiahs who insist that television news in particular has gone from gold to dross gets noisier and noisier. Charles Ponce de Leon says here, in effect, that this is misleading, if not simply fatuous. He argues in this well-paced, lively, readable book that TV news has changed in response to broader changes in the TV industry and American culture. It is pointless to bewail its decline. "That s the Way It Is "gives us the very first history of American television news, spanning more than six decades, from Camel News Caravan to Countdown with Keith Oberman and The Daily Show. Starting in the latter 1940s, television news featured a succession of broadcasters who became household names, even presences: Eric Sevareid, Walter Cronkite, David Brinkley, Peter Jennings, Brian Williams, Katie Couric, and, with cable expansion, people like Glenn Beck, Jon Stewart, and Bill O Reilly. But behind the scenes, the parallel story is just as interesting, involving executives, producers, and journalists who were responsible for the field s most important innovations. Included with mainstream network news programs is an engaging treatment of news magazines like "60 Minutes" and "20/20, " as well as morning news shows like "Today" and "Good Morning America." Ponce de Leon gives ample attention to the establishment of cable networks (CNN, and the later competitors, Fox News and MSNBC), mixing in colorful anecdotes about the likes of Roger Ailes and Roone Arledge. Frothy features and other kinds of entertainment have been part and parcel of TV news from the start; viewer preferences have always played a role in the evolution of programming, although the disintegration of a national culture since the 1970s means that most of us no longer follow the news as a civic obligation. Throughout, Ponce de Leon places his history in a broader cultural context, emphasizing tensions between the public service mission of TV news and the quest for profitability and broad appeal."

Memories flood my mind as I reminisce how my journey has been a lifetime of happenings that speak to my soul with lessons that can be applied to our daily lives. These memories are conjured up at odd and, sometimes, inconvenient times. As I sat in church last Sunday and the pastor began his message, my mind captured a thought of bygone days that spoke loud and clear to my mind, and I scrambled in my bag for a pen and paper to put my thoughts down. Brother Tim must have thought he had really said something profound, and he did, but I did not write that down. It is my hope that all who read my memories and the lessons that I glean from them will take them to heart and identify with them and feel happiness, insight, and perhaps laughter as they share my memories and truths.

Harper, who has practiced print and broadcast journalism at the highest levels, has given us a wise and knowledgeable guide to this new form of journalism and what it is beginning to achieve.

13 Black Americans share their everyday experiences with racism in twentieth-century St. Louis. Segregation was a way of life in St. Louis, aptly called “the most southern city in the North.” These thirteen oral histories describe the daily struggle that pervasive racism demanded but also share the tradition of self-respect that the African-American community of St. Louis sought to build on its own terms.

In this book, I lovingly recount the unyielding love and encouragement of my parents, who instilled a deep sense of responsibility and unshakeable confidence in me as well as my four brothers and sisters. My story illustrates a family bound by tradition, loyalty, and love. As the son of a freed slave, my father saw first-hand the daily challenges and obstacles for African Americans in post-slavery America. Both he and my mother implanted in us a clear work ethic, family values, and commitment to education, foundations that have remained with and propelled me throughout life. Thats the Way It Was weaves anecdotal accounts of my educational, athletic, and professional experiences, often with humorous details and sometimes tainted with racial biases as was commonplace in a cotton-farming community deep in segregated, post-depression Mississippi. I share many examples of both throughout the book to provide a realistic view of the world I encountered and somehow navigated relatively unscathed. I would later go on to make history as the first African American graduate of the University of Kentuckys Dental School and as the first African American intern and orthodontic resident at the Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I have been fortunate enough to have had a remarkable forty-five-plus-year career in private practice, always fueled and driven by the unconditional love and support of my family and my small-town community. I hope my story can serve as an inspiration for the younger generations to stay committed to their goals, never give up, and always strive to make the most of their talents.

And That's the Way it Was is a legacy to her family (daughter, son, and three grandsons and many nieces and nephews) as told by Florence Baltimore McDaniels. The intent is to tell how a family that had little material things and wealth functioned and worked together to make a happy home. The family was poor but the children didn't realize that they were because they had the most important necessity-love. There were a lot of family-oriented activities, fun and games, and wholesome activities that stimulated a desire to learn and excel in everything that was done. Lessons learned are instilled in behaviors such as trustworthiness, obedience versus disobedience, doing one's part, sharing the responsibilities, caring for each other, and respecting one's parents and siblings. It is very important that every individual knows how to spend one's spare time. One should have a hobby or develop a skill to hone in on when alone or when you need time to one's self and to reflect on one's inner strength. Continue to take on new skills and acquire new knowledge that will enhance and stimulate the mind. Try to keep up with current events and be aware of how changes in government and community will affect you. When making decisions always try to make choices with which you can live. It's all right to take chances, but remember that you must live with the consequences. And remember that no one is perfect. We all make mistakes; but once we make a mistake, try not to repeat that same mistake again. An intelligent person learns from his/her mistakes. That is how we grow and gain self confidence.

This work is an accounting of our governments return to Vietnam in 1973 to execute 963 American soldiers that were AWOL and deserters. It is an expose of a government that lied to the American people, and the story of what makes a person capable of executing fellow Americans and living with knowledge for over thirty years.This book is for those that have asked questions about what happened to the named and unnamed soldiers who were unaccounted for after the Vietnam War. Those soldiers that are listed as Missing in Action, Killed in Action, or Prisoners of War, who are really in a mass grave just outside of Saigon, Vietnam.

The bestselling popular science author reveals “the connections between what we teach in chemistry courses and the world in which . . . [we] live” (ChemEd X). Interesting anecdotes and engaging tales make science fun, meaningful, and accessible. Separating sense from nonsense and fact from fiction, these essays cover everything from the ups of helium to the downs of drain cleaners, and provide answers to numerous mysteries, such as why bug juice is used to color ice cream and how spies used secret inks. Mercury in teeth, arsenic in water, lead in the environment, and aspartame in food are also discussed. Mythbusters include the fact that Edison did not invent the light bulb and that walking on hot coals does not require paranormal powers. The secret life of bagels is revealed, and airbags, beer, and soap yield their mysteries. These and many more surprising, educational, and entertaining commentaries show the relevance of science to everyday life. “A delightful and informative read. Dr. Schwarcz tells it like it is, whether the subject is light at heart or as weighty as death.” —The Cosmic Chemist “Fascinating [this book] is, thanks to the author’s lively style and contagious enthusiasm for chemistry, and his ability to make it accessible . . . connects the dots between such unlikely events as the madness of King George III and the royal fondness for sauerkraut; and between gluten, the molecular make-up of trans-fatty acids, and how the cookie crumbles.” —Montreal Review of Books