Month: September 2008

Did the foxes help write the henhouse bailout?

Something I haven’t heard yet is how much input bankers and brokers had in the drafting of the bank/insurance/brokerage bailout plan. For that matter, Henry Paulson came from Goldman Sachs, so that puts an element of doubt as to whose interests are really being served. Newsweek has a feature article on Paulson that I haven’t read yet. If there will be further foreclosures, thereby punishing the borrowers, will the big money boys be likewise made to feel some pain?

George W. is pushing for approval of the plan. Isn’t he the guy who said if we did what he wanted with taxes and the economy — which we did — everything would be great? Well, things didn’t turn out so well. So why should we believe him now? I’m very pleased to see so much bi-partisan push-back on the bailout, but I wish I were hearing a more realistic assessment of its pitfalls from Barney Frank.

Back in trouble for the first time

My running days are, I fear, behind me forever. For the first time I’m having back trouble, and it’s serious. It came on suddenly, with only a small warning sign a week prior. I was hoping the spasms were due to muscle strain, but the doctor says the most likely source is a pinched nerve in my spine.

This morning I was a cripple, but thanks to a pain med I’m now able to get around without crutches. I wish this were a stupid joke, but it’s all too real. I don’t want to get into all of the detail, but I wanted to tell you what’s going on.

Mad Men and King Corn

On the recommendation of SamJay, Carol and I are watching “Mad Men”, the AMC show that won the Emmy last night for best drama. We are, as usual these days, doing this by getting the DVD’s from Netflix, rather than “watching TV.”

We weren’t sold on “Mad Men” at first, especially because of the pilot featured historical inaccuracies, over-the-top situations, and ludicrous dialog. In fact, after watching season 1, disc 1, we weren’t sure if we’d queue up disc 2.

But Samjay urged me to stick with it, and we’re glad we did. The series picked up quickly after the third episode, presumably thanks in part to having a team of writers smoothing out creator Matt Weiner’s idiosyncrasies. The characterizations and relationships become much richer as the series progresses, and the acting is first rate. But c’mon, does anybody have a work life that’s as rich, complex and rewarding as the characters on TV programs?

I was surprised to read in the Sunday Boston Globe that “Mad Men” has only about 1.5 million viewers. The Emmy should help that, and thanks to DVD it’s easy to start at the beginning.

Something else I’ve seen that I recommend is the documentary “King Corn”. If you liked “Supersize Me” and you read “Fast Food Nation”, you’ll want to see this. “King Corn” is a journey of curiosity and learning, and it has a wonderfully leisurely pace with a critical, yet non-judgmental tone. The commentary from farmers and academic experts alike is honest and given equal consideration, although the conclusion about the effects of corn on the American diet — obesity and diabetes — is undeniable. Here’s the trailer.
[flv:http://www.dograt.com/Video/2008/SEP/KingCorn.flv 440 330]

Murder, She Wrote

At last I can tell you about the secret project. It began with something I wrote a year and half ago, that you’ll find here at this link, about the unsolved murder of Dr. Linda Goudey.

Last February, a producer at CBS News, Nancy Kramer, contacted me. Her program is 48 Hours|Mystery, which is on Saturday nights at 10. Nancy asked if I could help her research the Goudey story. I can’t take much credit for what happened next, because the extent of my involvement was telling Carol about Nancy’s request, and exchanging some follow-up messages.

By coincidence, the day before Ms. Kramer contacted me, I’d received a message from a woman who had spotted the same post. She ran a bulletin board about the now-defunct Boston Regional Medical Center, formerly New England Memorial Hospital. I replied to the woman and I gave her address to Nancy. I have no idea if anything came out of their correspondence. Two things I realized very quickly about Nancy Kramer are that she is a true professional in every way, and she is always working.

Carol and Nancy exchanged messages and they talked on the phone. Then Carol contacted some friends and former colleagues who she felt would be able to help. She also gave Nancy the name of a psychiatrist from the hospital who knew Dr. Goudey. He’s now a novelist, and is something of a regular on daytime TV, but I won’t name him because I don’t know if CBS used him as a source.

I was sworn to secrecy, that I wouldn’t blog anything about CBS producing a show on the Goudey murder. I agreed, and in a very nice gesture of thanks Nancy sent a DVD of a program she had produced about Walter Cronkite. I used it as the source for this Beatles-related post.

For a time it wasn’t certain the show would go into production, but then a couple of months ago there was a break in the case, when the primary “person of interest,” Goudey’s boyfriend Dr. Timothy Stryker, was arrested — not for the murder, but for perjury. This video is from New England Cable News.

[media id=228 width=480 height=380]

There’s more NECN video, including a 1997 interview with Stryker, at this link.

Yesterday, we received a gift box of fancy foods from CBS, with this note:

Note from CBS News

We’re pleased the show is now real, and is going to be aired. Linda Goudey was a highly respected physician, who happened to be in the same specialty as my oldest sister, high-risk obstetrics. I hope the show brings the case closer to being solved, and Goudey’s murderer, whoever that may be, will be brought to justice. Being involved to the extent we have been has been very exciting, and without this blog it wouldn’t have happened.

48 Hours|Mystery, Saturday, October 25, 10 pm ET, on CBS. Don’t miss it! If there’s a change in the schedule I’ll let you know.