And then I wrote...

by Dick Schilling, "Editor Emeritus"

... that I am not a big fan of Iowa Public Television, but at certain times I am drawn there by the programming. That happens during their fundraising efforts, akin to what commercial networks call “sweeps week” I suppose.

So, upon successive nights I got to watch such things as that show in black and white by Roy Orbison and friends, for what I think they said was the 30th consecutive annual showing. I was not a fan of his at that time and despite the fact that I enjoyed hearing several of his songs on radio, I could not have told you at that time what he looked at. But he has a remarkable voice and talent.

I also got to see a showing of The Highway Men, four country and western male singers who were in their prime at the time it was recorded, and a couple of them have since died.

Also a favorite has been whatever performance by Andre Rieu and his entourage, featuring anything from classical music and opera to Broadway and Hollywood musical tunes. His audience is always so authentically appreciative and participatory that they are part of the show.

And there was one new show, about Decorah’s eagles.

Is it unfair to call that sort of programming “bait and switch,” because it is so different from the usual lineup of antique shows and snobby British drawing room and murder fare?

I work as a volunteer at the hospital one day a month, so was somewhat familiar with the seemingly heavy use of the hospital’s obstetrics unit. The day before my last work day, I saw an item in the weekly “Reflections” page in this newspaper reporting on the number of births at the hospital in 1956, the year I graduated from university. There were 258 births that year. During my shift next day, I read an article that was going to appear in the next week’s paper, touting the fact that the hospital in 2016 had set a recent record with 166 births, or almost 100 fewer!

I leave it to each of you individually to speculate on why.

An article in one of the dailies recently was describing the reasoning behind the call for voter ID in Iowa. Even possession of a valid driver’s license apparently is not a guarantee. The article noted that a voter could be rejected if he “did not resemble the photo on his driver’s license.” I once had a license with a photo that resembled a Bush Baby!

I had put aside side by side a magazine and a folded newspaper, and passing by many minutes later, I noticed the magazine picture of a red squirrel, front view, on a wooden fence post with its tail over its head. The newspaper photo was of President Trump, and the similarity of the hair cover was strongly present.

Ah, well, at least he has hair, which is more than some of us can say.