Jeff_Michael's Blog

You may think a dad who works in television would maybe stand a better that average chance of being cool in the eyes of his kids. Let me tell you, it's never been the case. But that reality was really driven home last week as I was having dinner with my son and daughter in a San Francisco restaurant.
"Oh, I can't believe it!", my son gasped. "That's Omar over at that table!"
"Omar, who?" I responded. "Dad! Omar! The lead guitarist of The Mars Volta!"
I asked him if he was sure and if Omar had a last name. But before we could get that far, my 16 year old shifted his eyes to the second chair at Omar's table, wondering who was behind THAT long mane of dark, curly hair. Instead of getting up to get a better view we asked the waiter, who informed us Omar's dinner partner played in some band called... Metalica.
With that, my normally calm, collected son covered his head with the menu, muffling his scream, "Kirk Hammett!! Dad, Kirk Hammett!".
I won't make you sit through every course of our dinner. Ryan eventually got up the courage to walk over and ask both Ax Aces for their autographs.
I'd like to thank Omar, whose last name by the way is Rodriguez, and Kirk Hammett for making my son's night. And to all you guys out there who have yet to move into fatherhood and think you'll be a pretty cool dad when you get there... start taking guitar lessons. NOW.

I have a friend who so loves her two dogs, she kisses them on the mouths. Actually, to paint a word picture you could probably do without, she rolls down their lips and smooches them on the inside of the gum line.
As my stomach settled from the sight, I realized I had just seen a snapshot of my frustration over how people respond differently to our stories of both human and animal tragedies.
We cover innocent people killed in Los Angeles, children mistreated, families who have lost everything in fires-- and the responses from you, the viewers, are nice if unremarkable. But one story on the puppy given oxygen after the house fire or the pets abused by a mean burly biped... and you come out of the woodwork! Emails of outrage. Offers to pay for veterinarian bills. Open doors for adoption.
Now, I am in no way comparing the value of human life to an appraisal of those who fall a few rungs lower on the animal kingdom ladder. And I realize offering to help a cold kitten takes a fraction of the committment needed to aid a human. But come on people!
Next time you reach to pick up the phone or warm up your fingers to fire off an email in response to an animal injustice, ask yourself how much lung power you've expended lately over the violence in our city-- the poverty locked in spiral or the children destined to fail without a better education in Los Angeles.