Sunday, August 12, 2007

Open Thread

NPR related comments are always appreciated.
Posted by Mytwords at 10:09 AM
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9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Here's my letter to Morning Edition and the Ombudsman office (even though NPR hasn't had an Ombudsman for about a year)

"Your coverage is disgusting. Is it news or an office goodbye party?

Where's the coverage of how Rove probably helped corrupt state officials steal the 2004 election in Ohio? Where's the news about how he's been behind illegal politicizing of every department in the Executive branch to "elect our guys"?

SHAME on NPR!

8/13/07, 8:38 AM
Porter Melmoth said...

Indeed, Neocon Public Radio shows its stripes in its woeful 'coverage' of Rove's imminent departure. To have David Greene utter the phrase 'he's quitting so he can spend more time with his family' with a straight face shows complicity. Can you imagine an experienced reporter actually BELIEVING that BS?


In the same miserable hour though, a bright spot: Philip Reeves' excellent, accurate and objective overview of Pakistan. I just hope that his apparent independence as an NPR contributing reporter lasts. If some neocon editor in DC starts fiddling with his reports, I really WILL shut my NPR receptors down - for good.

One annoyance: our local NPR 'host' has decided to suddenly pronounce the word 'Pakistan' how she thinks the Pakistanis themselves pronounce it. It comes out as 'Pawk-ees-stawn' or something similar. Who the hell told her to do THAT? Relax, NPR announcers, just spit the words out in an efficient way, or else at least be thorough and say 'Pa-ree' and 'Roma' and 'Wien' while you're at it. The dumbed-down lack of insight often demonstrated by on-air persons in this supposedly 'higher-educated' media mish-mash known as NPR can be jaw-dropping. (Sometimes obvious things need to be stated again... and again...)

8/13/07, 10:46 AM
Kevan Smith said...

Porter, during the Tour de France, I heard one NPR reporter pronounce stage as "stahj," like it was a French word. The French word for stage is etape. I laughed my butt off.

8/13/07, 11:21 AM
Anonymous said...

I LOVE THIS BLOG! Our small but devoted circle railing against these MSM wannabee-a-big-time-commercial-news-stenographer poseurs - reactions like ours are seldom heard on their token Thursday "listener mail" segments (shows we CARE, eh?). And even then, when they do read off someone's jaundiced response they still manage to maintain their milquetoasty fairy-land voices like nothing ever bothers them... and it's right back into the plain vanilla formula (with the added kicker of getting their little wussy digs in by replaying some annoying soundclip or the like that someone expressed repulsion towards).

And I'd not expect them to ever overshadow such a "monumental" announcement as Mr. Porcine Pasty-Face's "cut-and-run" with information that is (gasp) confrontational!

I remain,
Big!Pink!Fuzzy!Bunny!

8/13/07, 6:05 PM
Anonymous said...

And furthermore...

My Sunday morning exercise consists of, after the Wknd Ed headlines have concluded and the nasal "support" voice-over begins, rising from wherever I am at home to make a MAD DASH to shut off the receiver at the precise time of 8:05AM so as not to have to subject myself to those horrible "...these are some of the voices in the news" collages (y'know, with the repetitive hi-hat pattern, the "dramatic" synth pads, then coupled with Bush's slurred speech soundbytes - ~cringe~). I'm humbled to admit we're all poor unfortunate creatures bound by routine, but why endure more than is necessary? And does anyone actually get any ENJOYMENT listening to that predictable mush? (well, I suppose it does give their editing people something to do...)

Oh how they pride themselves on their "Driveway Moments" (culminating in those CD collections and blah-blah) but I suspect we can all list some of our most memorable "Off Button Moments"?!

Thanks for readin' - rant off.

8/13/07, 6:28 PM
Anonymous said...

Porter Melmoth, I like your thinking and have one suggestion: "Neocon Public Radio" might also be "Neocon Propaganda Radio".

8/14/07, 1:21 AM
Porter Melmoth said...

anon, I welcome 'Propaganda' to the NPR acronym family!

Just for laffs, I include a little treat below. It's a 'delightful' response to an email I sent to ATC a few days ago, from 'Alan'. I notice he includes his phone number, but I think I'll give it a miss because it isn't tool-free.

"Thank you for contacting NPR's All Things Considered.

We are grateful for your comments to NPR News. Your feedback is important to us, and your thoughts have been noted.

NPR is always delighted to hear from listeners.

Thank you for listening to All Things Considered, and for your continued support of public broadcasting. For the latest news and information, visit NPR.org.

Sincerely,

Alan
NPR Services
202-513-3232"

-------------- Original Text -----------------
Date : 8/10/2007 12:23:19 PM

I am astounded that in this so-called Information Age, the military didn't know about the regional customs in play in Iraq. Any Lonely Planet or Rough Guide covering Morocco to Indonesia could have told them the same things as this must have WWII guidebook. But then, when youre an invading army, you dont want to be too sensitive, do you? By the way, NPR mentioned that one is supposed to eat with ones right hand only, but the reason WHY is daintily skipped. Reason: one performs
certain bodily function maintenance with ones left hand. Shocking!

8/14/07, 10:22 AM
Porter Melmoth said...

Sorry for the typo, it's 'toll-free' rather than 'tool-free'. There's a potential joke in there somewhere...

8/14/07, 10:25 AM
Anonymous said...

"Interesting" response you got there, Porter. I knew it, I knew it! They're all ROBOTS! (and I suppose in a certain light, that does qualify as a "tool")

8/14/07, 5:57 PM

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