"Cautious careful people always casting about to preserve their reputation and social standing can never bring about reform." -Susan B. Anthony
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed people can change the world; indeed its the only thing that ever has." -Margaret Mead
Congratulations on your 92nd birthday. I just got back from a great visit with mom and she lent me some pictures of you I’d never seen before. They were taken back in your newlywed days in Cleveland. You’ve got mom in your arms and you both look so happy and romantic. What fun for you then and for your family now.
I bet you’ve had quite a celebration in the last two days. With Uncle Rich’s birthday yesterday and yours today, I’m guessing Aunt Susan had a great time with you two.
So many happy returns on the day. Thank you for the gift of my life, for loving us all so unconditionally, for the wonderful times we had together, for your example of loving life, believing in your faith, cherishing your family, serving your country, savoring sage, sunsets and fresh peaches, for comforting me when I felt sick or afraid, and cheering me on in school and swimming, horsemanship and biking, photography and music and so much more.
With much love, your son,
p.s. Mom played Debussy's Arabesque tonight. She's amazing.
21,845+ have now signed a petition urging NPR to reconsider its decision to remove Edwards as host of Morning Edition. Most of those signing also leave comments. More than a few concern comparisons with the CocaCola's New Coke marketing fiasco 18 years ago.
When Coke finally re-introduced the original formula as CocaCola Classic, they acknowleged their blind spot: "The simple fact is that all the time and money and skill poured into consumer research on the new Coca-Cola could not measure or reveal the deep and abiding emotional attachment to original Coca-Cola felt by so many people."
Will NPR learn this lesson? It remains to be seen.
The obituary for our colleague Larry Holt was published over the weekend in Salt Lake's two dailies.
21,390+ have now signed a petition urging NPR to reconsider its decision to remove Edwards as host of Morning Edition. Here's a nother New Coke-type of example: Louis Rukeyser who was booted by Maryland Public TV, then picked up CNBC cable which syndicates his new show to about 150 PBS stations.
Dan Bammes has published this page "a way to share our condolences with his family and our memories of Larry with each other."
On this day in 1912: The Titanic Sinks. 1,513 of the 2,200 on board die. Related resources include UEN ThemePark pages on the sea, exploration, and transportation systems...
Bob Edwards petition update: 21,082+ who urge NPR to reconsider this flawed New Coke decision. It took CocaCola 79 days in 1985 to introduce Classic Coca Cola after New Coke failed.
Even though you gave us some warning, your departure last night left us all a bit stunned. We will miss you.
More than a decade ago you moved from the cramped basement of Kingsbury Hall to the sparkling new Eccles Broadcast Center on the edge of the university golf course. At last you had pristine studios facing the valley and the distant Oquirrh range with its spikes of towers on Mount Vision and Farnsworth Peak.
Back in the Kingsbury days you helped with my transition from directing news to finding the world of tech marketing in what would become the AS/400 environment. I believe you knew what twinax was long before I did.
Later as my son became an Eagle Scout, you made arrangments to cut a soundtrack for his slide show. In those days before audio editing on the desktop, we pulled an all-nighter from 7:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. The 10-minute show and the 24-man hours it took to cut the sound were definitely worth it. A reel-to-reel tape on a safe shelf at home verifies that.
In 1998 you welcomed me to EBC not as a guest but as your associate once again. Later you helped Joe with several madrigal recordings. In fact you've helped on so many projects over the years that it wasn't too surprising when I heard Liane Hansen say, "and engineering help from Larry Holt of member station KUER" as a tag to Hal and Taki's Wright Brothers piece on Weekend Edition.
I've enjoyed hearing you occasionally on KUED, remember your stint as the voice of KUER underwriting and your subhosting for Hawk and Bryan on Morning Edition. I'll say this for your timing, you've helped me see the Bob Edwards "New Coke" fiasco with some perspective.
I didn't know your news last night as I sat on my front porch. I'd thought of you earlier in the day, knowing that you were in the hospital, but as I sat out in the sunshine last night, something interrupted my reading several times.
It wasn't the breeze, the fragrance or the warmth of that daylight saving hour. It was the soundscape in the trees -- birds affirming spring with an extraordinary presence.
If you had a hand in the mix last night, thanks for saying both goodbye and hello, and know that I'll continue to listen for your talent.
All the best, my old friend, Rich
