Will I be foiled by FOIL?

A legal case close to my heart ended with an unfavorable settlement proposed by the plaintiff.   Two well-known and powerful organizations were involved.  A lot of local stakeholders who had great confidence in the respondents were shocked and hurt by the outcome, feeling betrayed by the respondents and their legal representation.

The people most affected by this outcome smell a rat and want to make a FOIL request to explore what they suspect has been swept under the rug.  I had a brief pro-bono curbside consult with a friendly attorney and he was quite discouraging, citing complexities, pitfalls and legal but evasive tactics used to frustrate full disclosure.

The Ignorama is thick-headed and wants to see for herself, so she is going to file a request and describe the process every step of the way.

Next step, reading the statute: Article 6 (Sections 84 - 90) See?  So boring it needs an alias, Freedom of Information Law (FOIL)!

Reminder:  The Ignorama does not ask rhetorical questions.  PLEASE USE THE COMMENTS TO ENLIGHTEN ME!

Elegy for a Sandbox

As a Fordham student I was intoxicated by the cool of radio.  On the third floor of Keating Hall I made the right turn into the Russian language classrooms, not the left turn into the headquarters of WFUV.  That's where majoring in Communications gave undergrads an instant shot of charisma, especially those who garnered air time.

Ralph Jennings' NY Times Obituary, October 24th print editions lauds him for transforming WFUV from a "sandbox" into a station with "stature, stability, prosperity and broad influence."  To be fair, it is #1 on all my pre-sets and is my favorite popular music station.  On Sunday I ofter tune in to Mass in the University Church and the Irish programming as well.  I also laud Mr. Jennings for providing a home for free-form DJs like Vin Scelsa and Pete Fornatale.

But here I will praise the buried treasure from the sandbox:

• Ozzie Alfonso's Saturday night show for the "happy/blue" hermits and "babysitters."  It was a pleasure to virtually sit in on his conversations with friends and hear their favorite music.  
• For a Lithuanian/American, Jack Stukas' "Memories of Lithuania" was a real find.
• In addition, there was:
• A Box at the Opera with Anthony Coggi
• Echoes of Ukraine
• DeKoven's "Barococo Society"
• Rich Conaty's "Big Broadcast
• Student DJs with shows like "Vahevala" and "Clear White Light"
• Hearing undergrads in the early 80's play their "favorite Donovan song."

I also praise Mr. Jennings for not selling WFUV's soul along the way to "prosperity and influence."  I enjoy its eclectic mix, which still carries a definite whiff of cura personalis.

Is Sarah Huckabee Sanders Humble?

This ignorama is really in the dark on this one. 

I really want to know:

• Are any politicians humble?
• Are children the only creatures that can humble ambitious politicians?
• Cats are pretty humbling:  the property damage, the barf, the turds
• Why aren't childless cat ladies qualified for leadership?  We're really humble.

Pray it again, FLOTUS

At her husband's pep rally in Florida, Melania Trump began the proceedings by  stepping forward to  recite the Our Father.

This was the most interesting part of the rally.  Once Donald stepped into the limelight, the event descended into the usual b.s.

While trolls and others of strong opinion raked the First Lady over the coals for praying, I stand in mystified respect.

She acknowledged the existence of  an authority greater than her husband's, a very subversive act.  She prayed for the fulfillment of a kingdom that stands in diametrically opposed to most things Donald Trump stands for.

Pray it again, FLOTUS!  Daily if not more often.

Lingo: "Reach Out"

As a mental health professional, "reaching out" has always meant "outreach"  to me.   For instance getting in a van to visit a patient who dropped out of treatment and is beginning to worry his wife and kids.

Imagine my horror when I was copied on an e-mail suggesting that a colleague "reach out" to me.  It caused me to worry that I seemed holed-up and dangerous.

A rosier view gave me a vision of helping hands reaching out to clasp mine in solidarity or of olive branches waving gently in the breeze.

But no.  It dawned on me that it was some kind of business euphemism for "ask her to do something for you."  

So here the Ignorama asks:  Why do we do this to our language and to ourselves?  What about this lingo seduces even the best of us ?

I've already been enlightened (a little)!

A friend who has studied Latin informed me that I should have called this blog "I, Gnorama."