The dumbest generation? Perhaps, but give ‘em a few years.

 

I realize that every older generation looks down upon the younger generation and shudders to think that the world is going to “hell-in-a-hand basket” to quote my late grandmother. But I have to wonder if that’s what every older generation thought of the next batch of up-and-comers?

The latest Newsweek (June 2, 2008) has an article entitled: The Dumbest Generation? Don’t Be Dumb.

It concerns a book written by an Emory University professor about how “the digital age stupefies young Americans and jeopardizes our future (or don’t trust anyone under 30).

I have to admit that I am amazed that the young interns who blow through NBC5 every semester claiming they want to be the next “Katie Couric,” couldn’t tell you who Lee Harvey Oswald was nor do they have any inkling to the significance of November 22, 1963.

I recently chastised a young intern after we drove past the historic Texas Theatre in Oak Cliff and she could not tell me why that building was historically important. She got an earful about Oswald’s arrest and the murder of a Dallas Police Officer named J. D. Tippet that occurred just minutes before the arrest and minutes after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

I told her if she expected to be a reporter in this market she had better “D#*n well” have those events seared into her sub consciousness.

Of course, “she just looked at me uncomprehendingly, like a cow at a passing train” to quote Don Henley.

The truth is she probably doesn’t know who Don Henley is either for that matter.

Recently, a P.R. woman at a large Fort Worth Hospital, who has to be approaching 30 and is married, asked if I had “interviewed anyone famous lately?” I proudly said, ”Why, yes, Dan Aykroyd!”  She looked at me with that blank stare. I mean, come on, do you want to tell me this woman has never heard of the “Bass-O-Mastic” nor seen “Ghostbusters”?

I didn’t exactly grow up in the Andy Griffith era, but I can whistle that opening credits tune as well as anybody with the black and white image of Andy and Opine loping off on a cane-pole fishing trip. And by being aware of current events, I can also tell you the man who composed that catchy tune, Earle Hagen, recently passed away at age 88.

The same thing occurred when an intern asked an NBC photojournalist about any Celebes he had recently met, when he replied “ZZ Top” she became the proverbial deer-in-headlights.

What blows me away about that one is ZZ just appeared on American Idol with the show’s newly crowned winner, David Cook.

I recently met a fascinating woman, 42 years old and an attorney, who is an expert on World War 2.

I have not asked her when she became enamored with the subject but I would imagine it was when she was in her teens or early 20′s.. But again, that’s a topic most women of the post baby-boomer age couldn’t give a kraut-rats about.

Being a music buff,I can rattle on ad-nauseum about how the Carter Family and Jimmy Rogers practically invented country music...leading to Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis and a truck driver from Tupelo to develop  the “Rock and Roll” sound.

Often times when I’m trying to impress the younger generation with such knowledge, I get the obligatory scoff and incredulous sneer about, “How do I now about all of this?”.

That’s when I jump on my soap box about how ignorance is not bliss,and pull those earbuds out of your head and learn something about the past.

The “Dumbest Generation” book laments about how “George Santayana, too, despaired of a generation‘s ignorance,” by warning that, ‘“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.’”

And, that was in 1905!

So, I guess at this point I should just rest my case.

Later

Follow up to Jane’s Makeup Room Confidential.

The entire idea of getting hair ripped out of your body in the name of style is absolutely absurd to me.

A good old razor should be all you would ever need.

That leads me to a line I once heard Jerry Sienfeld mutter: “Why is it women will allow hot wax to be dripped on to (the area of the body in question) and have the hair ripped out by the roots… yet they’re afraid of a spider?’

Arachnaphobia is not an issue for me… Hair getting ripped out by the roots would be a major problem.

Later  

 

Response to Jane McGarry’s makeup room confidential: The only thing I have ever waxed is my car.

 You’re likely unaware of this folks but Jane McGarry just became the top draw among all the reporters who are now filing blogs on the NBC5i website. It has nothing to do with any leaps in journalistic integrity… Nor did Jane break the next Watergate story. No, she simply threw a few lines in about Brazilian waxing and even mentioned a relative of Meredith Land’s who apparently has no hirsute hangups. Boom! The next thing you know Jane’s pulling down more than 5-thousand hits a month on her blog-site. Now, let’s think about this for a moment… If I were to mention anything about any type of hair removal from my body that didn’t occur in a barber’s chair I would likely be run out on of town on a rail. Yes, it would all fall under that category we now know as “that’s just a little more information than I needed.” But apparently its just the kind of information that our web browsers are hoping to read from Jane. So, more power to ya “Yay-nette”. Later (Yay-nette is my nickname for Jane.)

There’s no doubt… he “shot the tambourine man” and himself in the foot.

I have never seen a guy crater so badly and then obviously throw in the towel so intentionally than would-be American Idol finalist Jason Castro. Yes, the guy from Rockwall (I think) who did not do North Texas proud during his run for the coveted idol post.

Idol is now in its 7th season and this is the first time I have paid any attention to it. And the only reason I’m paying attention now is because the show is finally allowing the contestants to play instruments during their performances. (It makes me wonder if Bo Bice would’ve actually won instead of taking 2nd place had he been allowed to show his incredible chops on the guitar.)

But, back to the dude with the dreadlocks. I honestly believe the guy feigned forgetting the lyrics to Bob Dylan’s classic “Mr. Tambourine Man.” I mean, give me a break! The line he supposedly forgot is “in the jingle-jangle morning I’ll come following you.”  I’m sorry but that line is ingrained into the sub-consciousness of genereations of music lovers who probably sing it to themselves in their sleep.

Castro certainly didn’t have any trouble remembering “and the ancient empty streets to dead for dreaming.” Not exactly the easiet line in the song. In fact, that’s one of the verses that was not included in The Byrds classsic cover of the song.

When Simon told him to “pack your suitcase” I believe his unspoken reply was “Ialready have.”

But the thing that disappoints me most about his lack of effort came in interviews he did after being voted off the show. He said he was having a hard enough time doing two songs a week and now the three remaining finalist will have to perform 3 songs a weeks

Again, GIVE ME A BREAK!!! If this guy wants to be a professional musician how many songs does he think he’s going to have to handle during a single headlining concert? It’s gonna be a heck of alot more than 3 I can tell you that much. When I saw Paul McCartney at the AAC in 2005 he performed 30 songs.. granted, he has a teleprompter and he did write the songs… but his 63-year old (at the time) hide didn’t even break a sweat. I know because I was sitting front-row center.  

So, I guess this means Castro is content with getting his rear-end handded to him by a 17-year old kid, David Archuletta, who doesnt seem to have any problem handling 2-to-3 songs a week.

And let me tell you,  that David Cook is already a rock and roll star… regardless if he becomes out “next Americdan Idol” or not.

Later

 

 
 

 

 

  

  

Tracy Roberson Still On The Stand

“I chose to put my education on hold so that my children could have it better that I did.” That’s the way Tracy described to the jury how her life was controlled by her husband Darrell.

 

“I was never able to go anywhere without my kids. And if I did it was phone call after phone call asking why I was without the kids.”

 

She described how one time she was in line at “Taco Bell and called” multiple times and “said I know the line is not that long.l within minutes he pulled into the driveway at Taco Bell to check on her.

 

She described another near violent incident where he pulled a gun on her and threatened to never let her seen the kids again if she tried to leave him.

 

She claims the reason she never left Darrell because he always threaten to never let her see her kids again.

 

“I had a very, very low self-esteem except when I was with my kids.”

 

She bought a 2nd cellphone that she hid from Darrell so she could talk to her family with him questioning her about it all the time.

 

“Darrell didn’t feel comfortable if I didn’t give him all the attention.”

 

She told the jury she has been involved with Darrell for 21 years and in that time frame the only sexual encounters she has ever had are with Darrell and the victim Devin.

 

She says she met Devin inside a grocery store when they exchanged phone numbers. She said he as handsome and she gave him the number to her secret cellphone. Devin said “I was pretty and that made me feel good because I never received that type of compliment.”

 

She admits she was keeping their relationship a secret as they called each other and sent text messages. Their kids attended the same school and they would meet outside the school to pick up their children.

 

She said Devin suggested several times that they get together and finally had a meeting at 9pm at Cravens Park near her home. “We talked, we listened to the radio, we played, we laughed, we joked.” “He made me feel like a different person… Like a good person.” “Very sweet and gave me a lot of compliments I had never heard.” “We kissed, we flirted.”

 

She admits they “had sex” on a second encounter at another park where they had met. Darrell was out playing cards that night as usual and she had no fear of getting caught.

 

 

She said he was special to her and she was special to him. She admits the text messages between them were sexual and she knows it was “wrong to have an affair.” “Devin and I only had sex twice.” Both times in the park approximately over a 2 month period before he was killed.

 

She never thought through what she was doing whether it was right or wrong.

 

On the night Devin was killed Darrell was out playing cards and they text messaged each other and agreed to meet.

 

Devin came to the house, the kids were in bed, she was in the truck with him where only “a robe and some panties.” She thought about having sex with him. It was after midnight and she had no reason the believe Darrell would come home. They were kissing, caressing. He had been drinking. “We were kissing caressing and holding each other then there were lights and it was Darrell I saw him get out. Darrell got out of the car and screaming get your “A” out of the car. He raises his hands and he had a gun and I started screaming. Devin started in reverse and I got in the floorboard because I thought he was going to shoot us. He fired the shots as we were moving.” She remembers 4 shots being fired. “It happened so fast I’m thinking seconds.”

 

She was not trying to save her own hide. She never believed Darrell would kill Devin she thought it “would be me.”

 

“He (Darrell) pulled me out and saying I can’t believe you did this to me. I was scared I ran in my house because I didn’t think he would shoot me in front of my kids. I dialed 911 Darrell put down the gun.”

 

Defense attorney: “Were you being raped?”

 

Tracy: “No, ma’am.”

 

 

“I felt if I said anything to the 911 operator he would’ve shot me in front of my kids.”

 

She admits she wanted the 911 operator to hear what was going on inside the house.

 

“He was yelling that he couldn’t believe that I was “F-ing” off on him”

 

“Did you stick to your story about be raped?”

 

“Yes I did”

 

“How do you feel about that?”

 

“I feel awful about it because I’ve lost my life and I want to say I’m sorry to the LaSalle family but I know there are no words in the English language strong enough.”

 

“But you’re still lying to the police at this point about being raped?”

 

“Yes I am.”

 

“Why did you continue to lie?”

 

“Because I was afraid that they would tell Darrell”

 

(At 3pm the judge calls for a 15-minute recess)

 

Tracy Roberson Takes The Stand In Punishment Phase

Tracy Roberson takes the stand in her own defense in the punishment phase of her 2nd degree manslaughter conviction on Friday.

 

In a desperate effort to avoid going to the penitentiary, 37-year old Tracy Roberson pleaded with the jury of 6 women and 6 men to grant her probation. A 2nd degree manslaughter conviction can carry from 2-to-20-years in prison… But due to the fact that Tracy Roberson has no prior felony convictions she is eligible for probation.

 

Tracy admitted she was nervous as she told the jury she was raised by her grandparents along with 3 other siblings but said she was among a total of 11 children by the same mother and father.

 

Her grandmother, who was in essence her mother, passed away earlier this year.

 

She told the jury that she and Darrell were high school sweethearts and that she gave birth to her oldest child while she was a senior in High School.

 

But they did not marry until after the birth of their second child.

 

Darrell worked as a property manager while she attended real estate school after they married.

 

She says her world revolves around “my kids.”

 

She says Darrell would leave the house every day around 4pm and would not return until 5am. When asked where he would go she said “he would go gamble.” Testimony during the trial indicated that he “played poker” all night every night. In fact, he acknowledged to authorities that he was at a poker game and had to leave early when he caught Tracy with the victim Devin LaSalle the night Darrell shot and killed LaSalle.

 

Tracy told the jury that the oldest daughter, 18-year old Quintoria, had a scholarship to Texas A@M but turned it down “after what has happened.”

 

(More to come)

 

Lunch Break In Roberson Punishment Phase

The jury just broke for lunch without hearing from Tracy Roberson.

 

Defense attorneys say they will have Tracy on the stand after lunch.

Roberson 18-Year-Old Daughter Takes The Stand

 

Tracy Roberson’s 18-year-old daughter, Quintoria Roberson, sobbed almost uncontrollably as she told the jury that if her mother goes to prison she will have to give up any plans to attend college.

 

 

Quintoria says it will be up to her to continue raising her two younger sisters, 13-year-old Kayla and 9-year old Jayla.

 

Quintoria told the jury that she “prays every night” with her two younger sisters. She says their mother is the primary caregiver in term of emotionally raising the children. Qunitoria says: “we’re all very, very close, I can’t imagine my mom not being around this past weekend was very, very hard.”

 

She says her mother has taught them to always be respectful to others and that her mother has been very remorseful over the affair that occurred between Tracy Roberson and Devin LaSalle.

 

Prosecutors declined to question Quintoria and she was allowed to step down from the witness stand.

 

 

Punishment Phase Starts In Tracy Roberson Trial

As the punishment phase of the trial rolls on here in the Tarrant Co. Courthouse we’ve heard from a number of witnesses, mainly friends and family of the defendant, who describe 37-year old Tracy Roberson as a loving, caring and “very involved” mother… Whose presence in the lives of her 3 daughters can not be replaced by another family member or friend.

Roberson was convicted Friday of 2nd degree manslaughter in the death of her alleged lover, 32-year old Devin LaSalle.

 

LaSalle was shot in the head and killed as he tried to drive away from Roberson’s home on December 11, 2006. The fatal shot was fired by Tracy’s husband, Darrell Roberson, who, according to trial testimony, had long suspected that his wife was having an affair.

 

Roberson was indicted on the 2nd degree manslaughter charge for falsely “crying rape” at the time the fatal shot was fired.

 

Prosecutors convinced the jury that it was Tracy Roberson’s reckless behavior (the false rape cry) that caused her husband, Darrell Roberson, to fire the shot that killed LaSalle.

 

Defense Attorneys tried to argue that Tracy’s husband never believed that she was being raped by LaSalle and played a 911 tape that indicated that Darrell Roberson did not believe the rape cry.

 

In fact, Tracy Roberson was still inside LaSalle’s truck when Darrell Roberson starting firing a 10mm handgun at the vehicle. One bullet passed through the passenger door… Narrowly missing Tracy Roberson.

 

Court officials have told NBC5 that Tracy Roberson is scheduled to take the witness stand in and effort to convince the jury to grant her probation so that she can continue raising her children.

 

Roberson spent the weekend in jail… One family member broke down and cried on the witness stand saying the children are taking this very hard and would not eat and had trouble sleeping without their mother there in the home.