DAN MILLER'S NOTEBOOK

MY STREETWISE 10-YEAR OLD

By Dan Miller 

March 10, 2009 

My daughter sees and hears things pretty clearly. 

She asked me rhetorically, "Why is it that whenever I answer the phone, if it's an adult, they always say - "How's school going?" 

"Do they always say that?" I asked her. 

"Yes, unless it's summer, then they ask, 'How's vacation going?" 

We adults are so conversationally limited. 

And kids know it.

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THE DARKNESS OF EDGAR ALLAN POE

By Dan Miller

March 6, 2009 

As a kid, I always figured that famous literary figures were, in their time, joyful in their fame, and probably rolling in money. 

Through adult eyes it becomes clear that every person struggles with issues of some sort in their lives. 

That certainly includes the most talented and honored individuals. 

In truth, people who possess great gifts, or fame, often struggle more than "ordinary" folks. 

Take the case of Edgar Allan Poe. 

He's considered one of America's greatest writers of short stories and poetry. 

He popped into my mind this week when I read an account -- by Associated Press writer Zinie Chen Sampson -- of a letter Poe sent to his New York publishers in 1842. 

In the letter, Poe apologized to the publisher for his drinking and "misbehaving on a trip to New York." 

He explained how he really hoped they would buy an article he had written, because he was "desperately pushed for money." 

The article was rejected by the publisher. 

Poe would live for only seven years after writing that letter, and spent most of that time in desperate need of money. 

Earlier in his life he had been forced to drop out of the University of Virginia because he had no money.

Here in 2009, the University of Virginia is presenting an exhibit of Poe's enduring literary works, marking his 200th birthday. 

As part of the exhibit, the university purchased that letter I just wrote about. 

They won't disclose what they paid for the letter but, 21 years ago, when it sold at auction to a private collector, it brought $26,000, so I'm guessing it sold for considerably more than that now. 

Edgar Allan Poe was an exceptional literary figure. 

Three of several places where he lived are now preserved as Historic Sites. 

He influenced and inspired such literary giants as Thomas Hardy, Joseph Conrad, Arthur Conan Doyle and James Joyce. 

Alfred Lord Tennyson referred to Poe as, "the most original genius that America has produced." 

His works have been savored and studied by untold millions of people. 

Yet, when Edgar Allan Poe was found lying sick and delirious on the streets of Baltimore in 1849, he was wearing someone else's clothes. 

He died 4 days later. 

He was only 40 years old. 

He looked much older.

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DAN THE COMPUTER MAN

By Dan Miller 

March 3, 2009 

Ah, these computers and the internet are not only enjoyable, they've become indispensable in our society. 

And while I'm clearly not a computer wizard, I've gotten OK with the basics.

 

I can type faster than ever before (thanks to the marvel of backspace, delete and spellcheck)... and I know how to print a page of text. 

I can navigate websites fairly well... I've even conquered "copy and paste".... 

And, except for a few pigheaded, uncooperative attachments, I can handle email. 

Even when I'm struggling to understand a particular computer function, I can always turn to my 10-year old daughter, who can patiently walk me though what I need to do. 

It was all just getting too easy.... until recently. 

Ever since I made the big switch from dial-up to cable for my internet connection, everything had been downloading quickly and efficiently. 

But then, several weeks ago... everything..... started........ downloading......... slowly.......... like........... pouring............. mo... lasses......... and..... it............ was...... maddening. 

A friend asked me if I had "password protection" on my wireless setup in the house. 

"No" I said, "do I need it?" 

"Well" he said, "you might be supplying a wireless network for your entire neighborhood, and that could eat up your bandwidth." 

Hmmm... would people do that? 

Would they click into my wireless network? 

I confess that -- on one or two occasions -- I have looked to see what wireless internet connections might be putting a signal onto my computer.... 

I've also noticed that some of the available networks bear the names of some neighbors.... things like "Bob's network." 

I've also noticed that if -- accidentally, of course -- I tried to click into one of those networks, they -- everyone of them -- have password protection. 

So my new mission was to set up password protection for my wireless network at home. 

I struggled until after 4 am.... that's 4 in the morning.... trying to figure it all out. 

Today, I have reason to believe that I have password protection.... though I'm not certain. 

I guess I could listen out for any neighbors bellyaching about losing their internet access. 

Or I could humble myself and ask my 10-year old if she could give her daddy a little help.

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ARE WE TOO EASILY EXASPERATED?

By Dan Miller 

February 26, 2009 

I'm going to link you to an amusing clip that addresses how easily we get annoyed at the amazing things in our lives. 

The little video has obviously been passed around the internet quite a bit in recent weeks, since I've already seen it posted on three or four different blogs, and even posted by one of my "friends" on Facebook. 

It's simply a comedian doing part of his routine on Conan O'Brien's show, but he does uncloak some obvious truths. 

Let's face it, we are becoming a bunch of whiners. 

We seem to be overwhelmed by commonplace annoyances. 

We spend hours online, visiting miraculous, intricate social websites like Facebook and MySpace, and then complain about how it consumes all our time, and we can't get anything done. 

We subscribe to cable and satellite TV service with hundreds of channels, then moan and groan that there's nothing worth watching. 

We have mini-vans and SUVs that will seat 6 or 8 people, but drive around alone, complaining about heavy traffic and no parking spaces. 

We pull into fast food restaurants and get edgy because it's taking more than 3 or 4 minutes to get our "meal" after we place our order. 

Perhaps we've become spoiled by our bounty. 

The truth is, many of the things that trigger stress in our lives really shouldn't. 

The video clip I mentioned earlier shows comedian Louis C.K. (that's his name) in an exchange with Conan O'Brien on NBC a few months ago. 

It runs only 4 minutes. 

In it, the comic addresses such topics as our impatience with cellphones, when just a few years ago we all had to deal with dial phones, connected to a wire at just one location in our homes. 

It's a funny, revealing perspective on our society and how easily we become spoiled and bothered. 

Now, you might notice that I'm not allowed -- by company policy -- to "embed" video in the middle of this essay, which really, really, really annoys me! 

Think about it... if I could embed here, you'd actually see a little YouTube screen with the video right there. But nooooooo, the bosses say I'm only allowed to put a "link"... which means you'll then have to go to all the trouble of clicking on that link with your mouse, in order to see the video. 

Boy oh boy, I'm really annoyed about such an inconvenience! 

That's going to cost you an extra 2 seconds! 

But do it anyhow... CLICK HERE... and hear Louis C.K.'s take on modern day annoyances. 

Be advised, it's mildly crude, but amusing.

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THE DAN & DEMETRIA OSCAR RESULTS

By Dan Miller 

February 23, 2009 

OK, so Demetria squeaked out a razor-thin victory in a very tight Oscar picking contest. 

Let's see.... she correctly picked 5 out of the 6 categories... while I picked 2 out of 6 correctly. 

But -- and I'm not making excuses -- yes I am -- when we made our selections, I had not seen any of the nominated films.... none of them. 

I was simply making uneducated guesses. 

However, the night before the Academy Awards my wife and I watched "The Visitor" on cable, for which Richard Jenkins was nominated for best actor. 

After seeing that movie I thought he should have won. 

There was scant inspiration or entertainment in the Oscar telecast. 

It was monotonous and draining. 

I thought the most entertaining presenters of the night were Steve Martin and Tina Fey, with novel introductions of the Best Screenplay categories. 

That came early, and it was down hill from there. 

Speaking of Steve Martin, I think they should invite him -- or David Letterman -- back as host. 

There were clearly moments when the telecast undeniably needed the wit and perspective of a comic.

Anyhow, congratulations to all the winners.... including my co-anchor Demetria Kalodimos in our annual little "pick-the-winners" contest. 

I'll be back.

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DAN & DEMETRIA PICK THE WINNERS

By Dan Miller 

February 20, 2009 

For the fourth straight year, my co-anchor Demetria and I are matching our movie wits in our annual picking of the Oscar winners. 

Last year Demetria finally managed to beat me, after being utterly humiliated by my rousing victories in the first two contests. 

This year though, she's at a distinct advantage since -- for the first time I can remember in my whole adult life -- I haven't seen a single movie that's listed in any of these award categories..... not one. 

So I'll have to depend on my razor sharp movie instincts to carry me to victory. 

Here are our picks: 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS 

Demetria says the winner will be Penelope Cruz for her performance in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona." 

That's a too easy and predictable pick, and probably correct. 

Even so, I say it will be Marisa Tomei in "The Wrestler." 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR 

There's only one choice. 

Every expert says the late Heath Ledger wins for his stunning performance in "The Dark Knight." 

So does Demetria, and so do I. 

BEST DIRECTOR 

Demetria picks Danny Boyle for "Slumdog Millionaire." 

I pick Gus Van Sant for "Milk." 

BEST ACTOR 

Demetria really wanted to pick Richard Jenkins, simply because he attended her alma mater Illinois Wesleyan... but she didn't.... she picked the favored winner, Mickey Rourke for "The Wrestler." 

I expect the surprise winner to be Sean Penn for "Milk." 

BEST ACTRESS 

Demetria is playing it safe by picking Kate Winslet for "The Reader", while I'm strongly tempted to pick Meryl Streep. 

But I won't.... I'm predicting it will go to Anne Hatthaway for "Rachel Getting Married." 

BEST PICTURE 

This is the big one. 

Demetria picks "Slumdog Millionaire." 

I say the "Milk" will grab the Oscar. 

I'll calculate the winner in my next entry.

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A WIN/WIN FOR ALL AT THE MALL

By Dan Miller

February 17, 2009 

My goodness, this must be trouble.... 

I could see dozens of police cars right there in the shopping center parking lot. 

And why wouldn't I assume that? 

Just this week alone, we've run stories in our newscasts about a fearsome situation involving disruptive teenagers at Opry Mills Mall, and about how concerns over safety and security appear to be scaring away customers from Hickory Hollow and other malls here in Nashville. 

But I wasn't in Nashville. 

I was pulling off the interstate into a little shopping center just west of Birmingham as my family and I were heading toward Mississippi. 

And I quickly realized what I was seeing wasn't a problem.... in fact, it might be a solution. 

Yep, I happened upon what could be a simple answer for all the fears about gangs, crime and rowdiness at local shopping malls.

 

As I looked around, I realized this was a quiet, pleasant place where nobody would dare commit a crime, and where teenagers would certainly be hesitant to engage in loud, rowdy behavior. 

At the far end of the parking lot dozens of police cars were neatly lined up in several rows. 

The mere presence of so many police officers could, no doubt, do wonders at keeping troublemakers away. 

They were parked in front of a community police precinct or substation.... or, perhaps, it was a main police station, I'm not certain. 

Regardless, I saw it as a sensible and cost-effective way to deal with both safety at malls, and the enormous expense of running a city police department. 

Imagine the benefit for city budgets, with malls providing free space, utilities and facilities for police precincts.... maybe even coupled with some cash incentives. 

And think about the good news for mall tenants. 

It would be a magnet for customers to shop at a place where they feel safe, secure and protected.

 

It's certainly not a new idea. 

Simon Property Group, a company based in Indianapolis, owns some 300 malls in this country, and they've established police substations in 64 of those malls. 

One of their malls in Boston leases space to the city for $1 a year, and even contributes more than $100,000 to police salaries there. 

Think about it.... 

Free facilities for police departments, at no cost to the taxpayers.... 

And a constant presence around busy malls that would create a legitimate feeling of security for shoppers, theatre-goers, merchants and restaurants. 

If that's not a win-win, what is?

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THE BEST RECORD EVER MADE

By Dan Miller 

February 13, 2009 

Keep reading, because I'm going to reveal to you the best recording of a song ever done, and even let you listen to it. 

In selecting the best recording, I'm taking into consideration the arrangement... the orchestration... the quality of the recording... the vocal performance... and, of course, the song itself. 

Impossible you say? 

Too subjective? 

Too many recordings to pick from? 

All that is true. 

But since I'm the one writing this, I get to pick. 

And I've been listening to this particular selection for almost half a century, and still haven't heard anything that tops it. 

A person who likes only country music might suggest it's one of Johnny Cash's gems, or perhaps Marty Robbins or Patsy Cline. 

Opera fans might select from the work of Luciano Pavarotti or Leontyne Price. 

Those who like big band music would lean toward something recorded by Glenn Miller or Benny Goodman. 

Rock historians could turn to the recordings of the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin or perhaps Lynard Skynard's classic "Free Bird." 

Gospel fans might say Mahalia Jackson surely made the best recording ever. 

Jazz aficionados might find their best among the hundreds of Louis Armstrong's tracks. 

All could be worthy places to look. 

From time to time I've discussed with my son Stephen -- who's a long time appreciator and player of rock music -- what's the best ever recording.... and even he (sort of) agrees with me on this one. 

And it's definitely not a rock song. 

Here it is. 

Based on all the considerations and criteria I mentioned above, I believe the best ever recording of a song is Nat King Cole's understated, dreamy rendition of Hoagy Carmichael's 1927 composition "Stardust." 

It was recorded at Capitol Records for inclusion in Nat King Cole's 1957 album "Love Is The Thing." 

It was arranged and conducted by Gordon Jenkins. 

If you're not familiar with this particular recording, or if you haven't heard it in a while, I found several offerings on YouTube. 

Take a listen just below.

If you know of any recording that's better, let me know, I'd like to hear it.

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RANDOM THOUGHTS & PONDERING (FIFTH EDITION)

By Dan Miller 

February 10, 2009 

I haven't posted random thoughts for a number of months, so here's my latest batch. 

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I always consider it a pleasant start to the work day when I arrive at the office and immediately notice that red message light on my phone is NOT shining. 

And, if there are no internal messages on my computer, that's a nice little bonus. 

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It's been only a couple of weeks since I signed up for a Facebook account, and already I understand what so many people warned me about... it has a ferocious appetite for my time and attention. 

But it can also be fascinating. 

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I was raised in the Eastern time zone, and though I've spent most of the past four decades living here in the Central time zone, it seems the calibration of my own inner clock is still most in harmony with the Eastern time zone. 

Of course, having our late TV newscasts at 10 rather than 11 is a fringe benefit of working in the Central zone. 

For all of the six years I lived in sunny, southern California and the Pacific time zone, everything felt slightly out of step. 

I found myself constantly calculating the "real" time back east. 

----------------------------- 

I think maybe they should just do away with Mountain Standard Time. 

It seems the most unnatural and unnecessary of all. 

Just divide that zone between Central and Pacific time. 

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Mercury -- which used to be called quicksilver -- can be quite dangerous. 

The experts warn against exposure, and I believe them. 

I don't want my kids or grandkids exposed to its dangers. 

Yet -- when I was a child -- we played with the liquid metal quite often. 

We would roll it around on tables or the floor.... we'd break open thermometers just to get the mercury out.... we'd hold it in our hands.... we'd make coins shiny by coating them in mercury.... it was even available in some children's chemistry sets. 

It was great fun to play with. 

Nowadays, if even a small spill of mercury takes place, a building will be evacuated and taken over by haz-mat crews, wearing suits that look like what astronauts wear for space walks or landing on the moon. 

I hope it did no damage to me and my boyhood pals, but I have fond memories of touching it.

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MAN CAVES

By Dan Miller 

February 6, 2009 

If you watch those home decorating shows on cable, you might conclude that some innovative young home designer dreamed up the idea of man- caves. 

After all, the man-cave is the newest "must-have" feature in many family homes these days. 

But don't be misled -- thousands of years ago -- when families literally lived in caves, I feel confident there were little auxiliary cave-rooms chiseled somewhere near the main dwelling.... a place where the cave-guys could go do a little "stone repair work".... or discuss the recent hunt.... or practice using their sticks, stones, clubs and spears. 

(Incidentally, you can probably credit those ancient sticks, stones, clubs and spears with being the forerunner to two important present- day phenomena.... the military-industrial complex.... and golf.)

Simply stated, a man-cave is an extension of boyhood tree houses, where our budding imaginations could run wild.... and girls were not allowed. 

(I'm not sure what we boys were thinking back then, but those were the rules, and they seemed to make sense at the time.)

 

Here in 2009 the man-cave is a room, garage or some other space where the man of the house (and perhaps his pals) might hang out to watch games, shoot pool, play cards, solder wires, glue broken things together, clean tool boxes, or do other things that the womenfolk would rather not be done in the living room. 

Some men even like barber chairs and gym lockers in their man- caves.... or ventilators to remove cigar smoke. 

The first man-cave I remember was the basement of the house where I grew up. 

My dad had hauled many wheelbarrows full of red Georgia clay out from beneath our house, and converted that sprawling, damp area into a place no self-respecting female would ever care to visit. 

It was filled with work tables and benches, drills, air compressors, tons of wires, vice grips, shop lights, tools of every conceivable kind, duck tape, electrical tape, spare parts for most everything upstairs, hoses, small engines and quite a few contraptions and gadgets that were unidentifiable. 

There was also a wealth of dust and grime. 

It never really crossed my mind that this was my father's man-cave. 

For a young boy it was simply a wonderland where it really didn't matter if you had mud on your shoes or grease on your hands. 

It was a place where -- if crumbs or paper dropped on the floor -- it was no big deal. 

You could just leave it there until it disintegrated, or until the annual sweeping took place. 

I recall my mother occasionally venturing onto the steps that led down to the basement, to call us for supper.... but I don't recall ever seeing her actually there in the basement. 

Today, my wife demonstrates the same self-denial, rarely entering my junky little room in our basement, which I prefer to call my "audio room" because I keep an old turntable there. 

Well, I'd better stop writing for now. 

I just informed Karen that I needed to go to the basement to find a particular pair of pliers so I can fix an extension cord. 

That seemed to sound reasonable to her. 

I'll reappear upstairs in an hour or so.

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POST SUPER BOWL GRIPE

By Dan Miller 

February 2, 2009 

I'm not sure which is more annoying.... 

The Gatorade bath at the end of the Super Bowl.... or me, always grumbling about it. 

I have noticed friends and family tend to leave the room whenever I start my verbal manifesto about Gatorade being dumped on the coach. 

What troubles me is that it is so obviously contrived and sponsor- supported. 

Did you notice that at the end of Pittsburg's dramatic win over Arizona this year, the live cameras somehow missed the actual moment when the Gatorade was dumped on coach Mike Tomlin? 

No worry.... before 30 seconds or so had passed, the TV crew had managed to show the video recording of the incident.... and the hosts talked about it.... not once, but twice. 

I strongly suspect that's the guarantee in a signed contract between the Gatorade folks and the network. 

I always enjoy seeing athletes and fans engaged in spontaneous celebrations for their teams.... but when it becomes a sponsor supported requirement, I'm annoyed. 

The ritual is no longer impromptu.... it's no longer funny or entertaining.... it's clearly something that the players are either encouraged or instructed to do. 

Yet, if players execute a truly spontaneous celebration after a dramatic touchdown, they're penalized. 

Most of these players are intelligent, fun-loving young men who could certainly come up with their own inventive ways of "honoring" their coach. 

Let's let them do it.... let's set them free from this commercial expectation. 

Wouldn't it be refreshing to again see the players simply carry their coach onto the field on their shoulders?

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GOLDEN AGE OF TALKING TO YOURSELF

By Dan Miller 

January 30, 2009 

I'll have to be careful with this, so I don't offend those of you who routinely talk out loud to yourself. 

When I was a kid, people used to say that talking to yourself was the first sign of madness. 

Well, it wasn't so bad to talk to yourself.... but if you answered yourself, you were obviously "deranged" for sure. 

A monologue with yourself was odd, but a two-sided conversation with yourself was looked on as just plain wacky. 

Of course, none of that is necessarily true. 

Most of us.... probably all of us.... talk to ourselves at certain times. 

My preferred time is when I'm driving through heavy traffic and get behind a really bad driver. 

OK, maybe I'm not exactly talking to "myself".... so that's a whole different issue. 

There was a very peculiar guy who used to walk the streets of my Georgia hometown when I was a boy. 

Up and down the streets he'd go, walking at a brisk pace with long steps, looking straight ahead, obviously in a hurry to get somewhere, with lots to say along the way. 

He was probably in his mid 30s, nearly totally bald. 

He often wore a hat and an ill-fitting, brownish-orange, Dacron polyester, wrinkle resistant suit. 

We knew him as Cranston. 

I don't think that was his real name. 

Seems to me we assigned him that name because -- being such a baffling, shadowy figure -- we linked him to Lamont Cranston, the character on the old radio drama "The Shadow." 

Cranston was quite a chatterbox.... though he was always alone. 

I never saw him actually speaking to another person, just to himself. 

My pals and I would try to overhear snippets of his monologue as we'd pass him on the street, but we couldn't really grasp the flow of his words. 

The truth is, we were reluctant to linger too close for long, being the brave bunch that we were. 

Consider the irony that, in the present time, Cranston would feel very much mainstream, and nobody would even give him a second glance. 

With all our wireless phone headsets, Bluetooth devices, and speaker phones in cars, the streets and shopping malls are teeming with people walking or riding alone, talking out loud. 

Sometimes I feel embarrassed for them.... sometimes they scare me.... but more often I don't even notice. 

It's difficult for me to distinguish between those who are really talking on the phone.... those who are just faking it so people will leave them alone.... and the weird ones who don't even have a phone. 

I occasionally wonder what became of Cranston. 

Is he an old man, still alone and talking to himself? 

Even today, I wonder what he was discussing. 

Maybe he was an inventor, who had devised a hidden wireless phone of some sort, and was simply ahead of his time. 

Or maybe, just maybe, he knew what evil lurks in the hearts of men.

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WHO DECIDES WHAT'S NEWS?

By Dan Miller 

January 26, 2009 

People often say to me, "There's so much crime on TV newscasts, who decides what stories are covered?"

Well, it's a collaborative process that goes on all day long. 

Producers, reporters, newsroom executives, anchors, website personnel and others meet several times a day in "rundown meetings" to discuss all the ideas for each newscast and the sequence for presenting the stories. 

Usually, much of the discussion is about the lead stories... the ones that will appear first in each newscast. 

On every newscast, we give the top story the same consideration as a newspaper gives to its front page, since the first story you hear on a television newscast is -- in essence -- our front page. 

Suggestions and ideas for stories come from all over.... from press releases, tips from viewers, scheduled government events and, of course, from other news sources, including NBC and Associated Press. 

It seems to me that, usually, the best stories -- the most unusual ones -- the ones that involve true investigation.... are brought to the table by our team of reporters and photojournalists.... and the decision for inclusion is made by the producers and the news director. 

Day in and day out, I'm astounded at the resourcefulness of our top reporters in finding good stories. 

But there's another group of people who make decisions that almost always impact what will be included on evenings newscasts... on our channel and the others. 

We might dislike admitting it... but the misguided decisions made by these people must be taken into consideration as we select the news you hear about. 

They're the local criminals and thugs. 

Whenever someone decides to hold up a convenience store.... 

Whenever someone makes the decision to deal drugs.... 

When someone decides to lead police on a high speed chase... 

When a man decides to beat his wife.... 

Or shoot his neighbor.... 

Or molest children.... 

Or swindle investors.... 

Their terrible decisions lead directly to our decision to include their stories on the news. 

The bad news is.... no matter how many criminals are taken into custody, there always seem to be others, waiting in the wings, to commit other crimes on other days. 

The good news is.... in our community and society as a whole, those crimes are out of the ordinary.... still unusual enough that it's an easy decision to consider them "news."

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INAUGURAL PAYOFF

By Dan Miller 

January 21, 2009 

I've witnessed (on TV) lots of presidential inaugurations, but Barack Obama's might well be the most inspiring yet. 

Whenever the cameras panned across the aggregation of nearly two million souls there in the National Mall, I saw the true face of America. 

They were openly shedding tears of joy... witnessing and celebrating something they'd waited a lifetime for, and thought they'd never see. 

In many ways, this election represents a payoff. 

It's a small portion of the reward for generations of folks in our country who've long struggled for equal rights and privileges. 

It's also the payoff for the supporters of candidate Barack Obama, who invested time, money, emotion and passion in this election. 

But I can also see another big payoff a few years down the road. 

Maybe an unexpected one. 

Of all the sights that caught my eye, my favorite was Obama's young daughter Malia, perhaps unknowingly, creating an investment that could yield a significant payoff in the future. 

During the inauguration, and the days preceding it, we all saw Malia with her digital camera in hand, snapping her own photos. 

My first thought was, hey, why is she taking those photos? 

There'll be countless professional videos and photographs for her to choose from, showing all the images she'd like to remember. 

But think about it.... 

Someday.... beyond a time she can even imagine.... those photos, snapped from the unique perspective of a little girl watching her daddy become president, will become priceless national treasures. 

You can count on it.

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PRESIDENTIAL ENCOUNTERS

By Dan Miller 

January 16, 2009 

Every time a new president is inaugurated, I start thinking about the other men who've served in that office.

Years ago I heard John F. Kennedy on the radio commenting that, prior to being elected to the office himself, his life had spanned seven different presidents. 

So I immediately counted to see how many presidents had served during my lifetime. 

At that point there had been four, including JFK. 

Now, in 2009 -- including Barack Obama -- my life has spanned 13 presidents, beginning with the end of Franklin Roosevelt's term. 

Then I started thinking about how many of those 13 presidents I've actually seen in person. 

The number is six. 

The first president I ever encountered in real life was Dwight Eisenhower, and I saw him a lot. 

It just happened that his favorite getaway during his administration was the Augusta National Golf Club in my hometown, where he visited a lot... and we'd often spot him coming or going. 

Once, shortly after he left office, I had a particularly close encounter with President Eisenhower. 

During my college years, Mr. Smith, a neighbor who ran an audio-visual business there in Augusta, had been hired to show movies of old Masters Tournaments to a group of men at the Augusta National. 

Mr. Smith asked me to assist him. 

To my surprise, Eisenhower was part of the group. 

So we set up the projector and screen on a patio outside the clubhouse. 

Then -- before and during the movie -- I stood there, not more than 10 feet from this famous war hero and president, listening as best I could to everything he said. 

The next president I saw with my own eyes was Lyndon Johnson in 1964. 

He spoke at a political rally in front of the Municipal Building in Augusta. 

I was working at a local radio station at the time, and -- as I recall -- a huge crowd of several thousand was on hand. 

I remember being rather embarrassed for my fellow Augustans when they booed our Commander In Chief.

In March of 1974 I saw Richard Nixon on stage for the grand opening of the brand new Grand Ole Opry House. 

It's hard for me to believe it's been 35 years since then, but I clearly recall Nixon taking a yo-yo out of his pocket, and telling Roy Acuff that he'd stay in Nashville and learn to yo-yo if Roy would go up to Washington and be president. 

In the early 1980s I attended an event here in Nashville where George H. W. Bush was making a speech. 

He was still vice-president at the time. 

In 1991 I sat just two seats away from Ronald and Nancy Reagan at a celebrity tennis match in Los Angeles. 

I never spoke to him, but I did sort of nod a hello, and he nodded back.... at least, I like to think the nodding was for me. 

During the middle 1990s, Bill Clinton passed within a foot of me at WSMV as he was preparing to appear on the Phil Donahue Show, which was being taped in our studio. 

I could easily have reached and touched him, but I wasn't in the mood that day to be wrestled to the ground by secret service agents. 

And while I don't believe I've ever seen Jimmy Carter in person, I did have a brief encounter with his always spirited mother, Miss Lillian, more than 30 years ago. 

We brushed elbows moving through a crowd. 

Let me think... hmmmm... was it some political event, or perhaps some stuffy banquet where she made a speech? 

No, I remember... she was in the ringside seats at the Ali-Spinks heavyweight championship fight at the Superdome in New Orleans, having quite a time. 

I always liked Miss Lillian. 

Who can forget how -- after her son Jimmy was inaugurated as president -- a reporter asked her, "Are you proud of your son? 

She replied, "Which one?"

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CONTEMPLATING PRIORITIES

By Dan Miller 

January 13, 2009 

When you're told something consequential, that you simply must share and discuss with someone, who do you call? 

Whose phone number is the first one you dial.... your spouse, a friend, your lawyer, your boss or, perhaps, your parents? 

I remember hearing CNN's Larry King telling an interviewer that when anything eventful happens... no matter what it might be... the first phone call he makes is always to the CNN office. 

After that, he says he'll call his wife. 

He said if there was an earthquake in his hometown, he'd call CNN, then call home. 

Hmmm... let's see... Larry's been married what, eight times? 

Maybe that calling priority offers a hint as to why. 

Just the other day Terry Bulger, my pal at the TV station, was told that management would like to switch him over full time to the sports department. 

They felt they could utilize his notable talent as a storyteller, and also have him share some of the sportscaster duties with Rudy Kalis. 

It would be a big change for Terry, after nearly 19 years doing daily news features for which he's been nationally recognized and honored. 

It was neither good nor bad news for Terry.... but significant news, since it would definitely impact his work schedule. 

By that afternoon I had already been informed of the change, though it was not yet common knowledge among everyone in the TV station. 

As I passed Terry in the employee's food lounge, I quietly asked, "So what do you think, are you OK with everything?" 

Here's how he answered me: "I'll drop by your office later and talk to you about it, but I don't feel it would be right to even discuss it until I can reach Julie (his wife) and tell her." 

An hour or so later, after he'd finally reached Julie, he came by my office to talk over the changes. 

Terry's a guy who undoubtedly has his "discussion priorities" in the proper order. 

I don't think any wife or husband wants to be second on the list of who their spouse might choose to discuss things that could affect a family's life and routine. 

I hope Larry King reads this and takes heed. 

He can thank me (and Terry) later.

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SIDEWALK MEMORIES

By Dan Miller

January 7, 2009 

I was immediately concerned the first time I arrived in Nashville when I noticed long stretches of neighborhood streets with no sidewalks whatsoever. 

That was in 1969, and the sidewalk situation is gradually being corrected. 

But many years ago, far too many of our roads were being built with only vehicular traffic in mind. 

In the subdivision I first called home here in Nashville, there was not a single sidewalk anywhere within walking distance. 

Walkers had to take their chances in the actual road, or by cutting across neighbors' lawns. 

I now live in an old area of town and, though there's still no sidewalk next to our house, I can walk -- with attentiveness -- along the edge of a street until I come to a splendid sidewalk less than a half mile away.

My Georgia hometown was, and still is, a city laced with sidewalks. 

That explains my fondness for them. 

As a kid I could walk the 3 miles from our residential neighborhood to downtown Augusta, never having to leave the safety of a sidewalk, except to cross streets. 

And yes, I walked that 3 miles quite often. 

There were even times when I would journey onto the 13th Street Bridge -- across the Savannah River -- into South Carolina without ever relinquishing the reassurance of a sidewalk. 

It's been around 45 years since I last took those long walks in Augusta, but I still have occasional, vivid dreams of the streets, and the structures along them, that I came to know so well. 

I even recall several of the spots where the sidewalk was broken, or warped, by the roots of an old tree growing nearby. 

My preferred route was something I became intimately familiar with. 

I knew which stores and businesses would be welcome shelter if I got caught in a sudden downpour along the way. 

And, still today, I could show you the exact spots where the water would pool several inches deep after such a downpour. 

Oddly, I can vaguely recall the faces of several people who would often be standing at certain bus stops as I walked by. 

I remember the smell of diesel as the buses passed.... 

And there was one particular, unidentified aroma -- not exactly unpleasant -- hanging in the air whenever I crossed the little bridge over the Augusta Canal. 

If someone imported that aroma into Nashville today, I could quickly tell them its original source. 

Aromas, they say, can spark memories. 

My walks would take me directly in front of a Texaco gas station on Walton Way, with an attendant who bore a striking resemblance to the actor Jeff Chandler. 

I can still conjure up a clear image of him, usually wiping grease from his arms and hands with a maroon cloth. 

In recent months I've been taking 2 mile walks around my Nashville neighborhood. 

It's not something I started with any wistful yearning about walking.... I simply figured it would be an agreeable form of exercise, certainly preferable to weightlifting or jogging. 

The first time I headed out... within about 200 yards of my home... I found myself looking at an old, attractive stone house that I've driven by countless times over the years. 

It was loaded with character. 

And you know what? 

I'd never even noticed the house before. 

I'd never even looked in that direction... until I walked by. 

All these years after my youthful walking excursions down in Georgia ended, I still find that whenever I need to stir my senses, or focus my thoughts, sidewalks seem to work just fine.

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A CUP OF KINDNESS YET

By Dan Miller 

January 1, 2009 

Chances are, many of us stayed up later than usual Wednesday night just to make sure 2008 ended once and for all. 

For lots of folks, it was an agonizing year.

 

And wouldn't you know it, 2008 actually went into overtime... ever so slightly... because scientists added one extra second at the end of the year. 

These scientists are apparently granted -- by some authority somewhere -- carte blanche to fiddle with time. 

I don't know who these scientists are.... but they work at, or hang around, the lovely grounds of the Royal Observatory at Greenwich Park, overlooking the River Thames in London. 

Think about it -- do you know anything about these guys? 

Are they elected or appointed? 

And by whom? 

How much clout do they have? 

Maybe we need to keep an eye on them. 

Could they, if so inclined, decide to add another month to any given year? 

Could they, on a whim, eliminate Thursdays altogether? 

Could they decree that all clocks must be speeded up? 

Well, maybe it's not so bad, since the calendar now shows all of us one second younger than we actually are! 

Of course I'll have to go around the house now adding one second to all my clocks.... an even bigger aggravation than switching to Daylight Saving Time. 

Oh well, the year 2009 brings some exciting events. 

Starting this month (January 2009) they'll be banning incandescent light bulbs in Ireland. 

It'll be interesting to see how that goes because, sooner or later -- actually in 2014 -- many, though not all, incandescent bulbs will be disallowed here in the U.S. 

"Close the curtains Mabel, here come the light bulb police!" 

I don't know about you, but for me those curly little fluorescent light bulbs cast weird shadows, can't be dimmed with rheostats, and give me a headache. 

And, who can forget, 2009 brings a spelling reform for the Portuguese language. 

That means they'll be adjusting the rules on hyphens, removing the trema, and changing the diphthongs.

My knowledge of the Portuguese language and diphthongs is somewhat limited, but I can tell you it has something to do with those little squiggly marks and dots that are placed on certain letters.

 

Since Portuguese is not the official language of all Metro Nashville government business, you might wonder how these changes will impact you.

Well, I discovered while scanning Wikipedia that Portuguese is a wildly popular language. 

It's the official language of Brazil. 

It is, in fact, the sixth most common language on earth, spoken by well over 200,000,000 people. 

OK, I think I've wandered a bit off track. 

Anyhow, early 2009 brings at least two fascinating changes that will not go unnoticed.... the inauguration of our new president, and the end of analog television transmission. 

Those are things we'll be talking about a lot in the weeks to come. 

For now good people, please accept my wishes that 2009 is a year filled with kindness and good fortune for you and your family.

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