Well, I am. At least most of the time. However, there are doubts that Jeff Alan is really who he says he is.
Two days ago we discussed the state of journalism in today's society. The three part story that The Oregonian just finished about Jeff Alan will have you shaking your ahead. Here are the links to the story in order:
http://www.oregonlive.com/special/index.ssf/2009/04/former_koin_directors_life_rid.html
http://www.oregonlive.com/special/index.ssf/2009/04/jeff_alan_has_a_knack_for_leav.html
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/04/former_koin_director_sues_over.html
Jeff Alan was a director for the local CBS affliate, KOIN - Channel 6. He also has been a guest as a media expert on CNN and MSNBC. He was at the hotel when Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated. He was fired from Koin a while back. He is suing the station for wrongful termination. After reading the three part series I think he should have left well enough alone.
Turns out he may not be Jeff Alan. He has several social security numbers under one which he is listed as dead. He has left more than one ex-wife behind as well as a few daughters.
Doesn't this just amaze you? These are our journalists. They couldn't even properly investigate one of their own to discover a shady, untrustworthy past.
If you read the story tell me what you think of it? Does it surprise you that someone in the public eye could so easily hide his real identity?
It also begs for a few questions that I am curious about. If you could reinvent yourself, would you do it? And if you did reinvent yourself what would you become?
I don't think I could ever reinvent myself because to do so means that you have leave all your current connections behind. However, if I did reninvent myself it wold be as a comedian, motivational speaker, or radio host. And you?
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10 comments:
I could only get to the first two reports, but those were quite enough, thankyouverymuch. Unfortunately, it doesn't amaze me, although it does frighten me. Journalism, as a legitimate profession and journalist as a legitimate title seem to be going by the wayside. Investigative journalism, for the most part, has already gone by the wayside. I honestly think that if there are truly investigaive reporters out there, any story they come up with is going to be rejected, severely edited or rewritten to give the media slant required by whatever media they approach.
Does it surprise me he could so easily hide his identity? A bit. However, when you look at what's been uncovered about various public figures, from entertainers to sports figures to politicians, it's obvious the public and the media are willing to believe what they're told. See it enough, hear it enough, it seems to become fact.
Would I reinvent myself, if I could? I don't think so. I've often said that life has had its ups and downs and sometimes I've been stupid and sometimes I've been pretty bright, but it's all made me the person I am and I'm not sure I'd give up any of the experiences or people I've known, even the "bad" ones, because of that.I have been and am blessed in many ways. Perhaps a bit of a fatalist, I feel I'm where God wants me to be, even if I don't always understand it and even if I get tired of neutral on occasion (wry s).
OTOH, if I were to reinvent myself, I'd either go for architectural design, specialing in functional space and working with the environment and people's needs, or I'd be a psychotherapist.
That's an amazing story. If it is all to be believed, the guy is, as one commenter said, pond scum. Reinventing yourself is one thing, and if he had been able to somehow get all those jobs without providing a history that could be checked on, let alone be able to perform them apparently satisfactorily, my hat would be off to him.
But leaving his kids and disappearing from their lives? The obvious mistreatment of his disabled MIL? Yes, pond scum or worse. He should not only lose the lawsuit, but should have the proverbial book thrown at him.
I thought the stories themselves were a little scattered. I'll admit to reading them quickly, so maybe I lost the thread myself, but I still ended up confused and with a lot of questions. I am, in fact, surprised that he could so easily change identities.
Would I reinvent myself? No, I don't think I would. There are things I would change if living life over again, but they are smaller things than trying to become someone else. In my life, one thing has led to another in some sort of logical progression, and most of the changes turned out pretty well. I certainly don't regret anything enough to want to become someone else.
Hi DR
I never knew you had an interest in architectural design. Combininhg that with people's needs would be an awesome business!
And you would be a great pyschotherapist. Me I might be a great pyscho.
The three part story was frightening and maybe frightenting because it doesn't surprise us. That says a lot about what is going on in today's society.
It is interesting that most of us wouldn't reinvent ourselves. Taking out the bad moments might be nice but to totally reivent yourself means you would also have to take out the good.
Bill
Hi Pat
The guy is pond scum. I have a lot of questions about the story too. Why now? Why is the story coming out just when he is suing a TV station?
I was already thinking they should put this dude in jail before I read about his treatment of his mother in law, now I think they should put him in jail and keep him there.
There would be a lot of things I would change too. At times I want to be someone else and many times I want to be somewhere else.
Bill
Always been fascinated with design and function. Designed my perfect house when I was about 16 years old. State of AK paid me good money to go in and study people's needs and functions in office buildings and redesign (which was called space planning and design), although the chosen alternative was "cubicles" which took some adjustment for a lot of people. I loved that position. I'm intrigued by the principles of feng shui and the psychological affect of clutter and the impact our immediate surroundings can have on our attitudes and perspectives and comfort. It's one of the reasons Mom's house/apt drove/drive me crazy after much time spent there. I don't do "sterile," but I do want a place for things, I want to be able to find things, I want my environment to function easily and in a way that makes me glad to walk in the house and feel comfortable and at peace. I want to be surrounded by things I love, that have meaning for me or appeal to me, and not by stacks of "stuff" I don't know what to do with and clothes I'll never wear and objects I'll never use and just too many "things" that don't appeal to me in some way. I think many people just don't know where to start or how to design or alter a home to make it really comfortable for themselves. Don't want to be an interior designer, as I think they create artificial atmosphere (apologies to anyone who may be an interior designer), based on current trends and not on the wants and needs and personalities of the people living in the house. I suspect that going from 3500 sq ft to a 26' RV with a small slide for nine months just fueled the fire (g). I loved every minute of not having a lot of possessions to deal with.
Hi DR
Wow I love learning new things about you like designing your house when you were 16!
And I also learned that my housen would drive you crazy.
Bill
I seriously doubt your house would drive me crazy. You're an organized person and I just don't see you surrounded by clutter. Maybe some stuff you hold on to because "Aunt Maggie gave me this," but I suspect I'd walk in your home and feel quite comfortable and at ease. There's "cozy" and then there's "clutter" and a vast chasm separates the two, at laest for me.
Hi DR
Aw, but I am extremely disorganized at home. I have a bunch of junk lying around that I never use and it is in no logical order. My coupons are in the bread box for example.
Bill
Well, at least you have coupons and know where they are! That alone puts you ahead of a lot of folks I know (G)
Hi Dr
But if I was really organized I would have the coupons in expired date order.
Bill
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