NPR Check: Back to School

Monday, August 30, 2010

Back to School

As promised, a new entry for posting comments.

99 comments:

Anonymous said...: Thanks Mty Words

I heard on the 6am "newscast" on NPR today that America invaded Iraq because there "was suspicion" that Hussein had WMDs. They were not found but I seem to remember this:

Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction.

Dick Cheney August 26, 2002

We know for a fact that there are weapons there.

Ari Fleischer January 9, 2003

Intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised.

George Bush March 18, 2003

I guess we have always been at war with Eurasia.

edk; 8/30/10, 8:02 AM
gDog said...: This exchange between Harry Shearer and Anjali Kamat on DN is so priceless:

ANJALI KAMAT: Harry Shearer, talk about the distribution of your film. And your <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/harry-shearer/npr--the-initials-stand-fb697670.html"recent post on Huffington Post talks about "NPR—The Initials Stand for Nothing." Explain what you mean.

HARRY SHEARER: Well, NPR announced recently that they’re no longer National Public Radio, that the initials stand for, NPR. After I found out that they were not going to do a story about this film on either All Things Considered or Morning Edition, I decided to buy some time—you know, those enhanced underwriting announcements at the end of each half-hour. And NPR legal told me this language was unacceptable, quote, "documentary about why New Orleans flooded." The only language that they found acceptable was "documentary about New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina." And when I told them it’s not about a hurricane, that was the end of the conversation.; 8/30/10, 12:08 PM
Porter Melmoth said...: Many thanks, goopD, for the Harry S. link. And over at Harry's actual story at Huff:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
harry-shearer/npr--the-initials-stand-f_b_697670.html

HORDES of comments in full agreement, including a kick-off comment linking to this very blog! How refreshing.

New NPR lows:

- Blob Siegel's ad, in which he educates us on the fact that NPR's reporting 'costs money', is STILL being played relentlessly.

- Paul Brown and Craig Windham do first name-basis chit chat during the news updates. Crappy idea!

- A whole host of new, younger (and cheaper) names are getting into the NPR 'reporting' act. Who the hell ARE these people?

- Julie McCarthy did some innocuous humanitarian reporting on the Pakistani flooding, but she's said absolutely nothing about the man-made failures that contributed to the disaster, like Deforestation, (capital D) for one. As in Harry Shearer's expose, the media is insisting that the flooding is totally a 'natural disaster'. Oh, and she's still doing the most annoying pronunciation of 'Pakistan' to be found in the mainstream media: 'pawwk-ees-stawn'. If she’s after authenticity she’s after, I'm waiting for her to give the proper guttural pronunciation of the 'gh' in 'Afghanistan'.

- And as most everybody knows by now, Saturday's ageless superstar, the sermonizing Simonizer is bawling his way through all the NPRadiation belt, exploiting his 'beautiful' wife and his consumer-item kids, but with utmost 'propriety' and supreme mawkishness. At least Glenn Beck admits he's got a 'big fat mouth'. As for Scottie, he gets every green light to show off his inherent talents as an egomaniac.

- Juan Forero's taking a break from picking on Hugo Chavez and doing a few 'cultural' features, and with a voice that's a constant orgiastic climax wave, so schmaltzy and insipid that even a high school drama teacher would dismiss it as too hammy. But that's classic NPR: where sickening personalities get to inflict themselves on the audience in the name of being 'the nation's storyteller'.

- Finally, I have to admit that I'm 'sample-listening' to NPR these days, but it's UNDER CONTROL. There's one thing that I've noticed is really increasing at a frightening pace: practically EVERYONE on the air now is marketing a book. Yes a BOOK. More than ever. It's a total racket. Not only is NPR a corporate shill, they're now fully engaged with all conglomerate publishers to aggressively market books, because NPR listeners are, uh, book readers, ya know. This strategy is nothing new, but I swear the pitch of it is now feverish. Thing is, who's actually buying and reading all this crap?; 8/30/10, 2:52 PM
Porter Melmoth said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 8/30/10, 2:53 PM
Porter Melmoth said...: Sorry for the double post - for a minute there I thought Google was censoring me.; 8/30/10, 2:54 PM
miranda said...: Thanks for posting, goopDoggy. I heard the great Harry Shearer on Democracy Now and knew his revelation would get an airing on our dear forum.

Love your assessments, Porter, as always.

Gawd, it just gets worse and worse (NPR "stands for nothing," that is.); 8/30/10, 5:26 PM
GRUMPY DEMO said...: Well my carpal tunnel on my elbow has gotten better, hope the same for you Matt. However, my proof reading still sucks.

Well Boulder Dude got banned again by NPR, which amazes me given the racist crap they tolerate from the Tea Birthers.

I have to admire his ability to keep jumping back up on his horse and charging the NPR windmill repeatedly.

Regarding Scott "The Senaative New Age Warmonger Quaker" Simon's re-branding tour: Look on the bright side, he'll be on the air locally plugging his book.

Here in Dallas I can't wait to call in ask after he tucks in his kids at night does he ever think of the hundreds of thousand Iraqi childern he helped kill by cheerleader W's lies? or which of his two daughters would he sacrifice for our two worse quagmires in US history?

Or maybe since he works for Rupert as writer for the Murdock Wall Street Journal: Does he agree with Rupert that Obama is a racist?a

I'm sharping my knives waiting for him here in Dallas.; 8/30/10, 11:25 PM
Anonymous said...: The history scrub continues unabated there at Stands 4 Nothing Radio. A new dawn people! After a month long war and a 7 year and 6 month occupation we got us - A NEW DAWN! Stands 4 Nothing Radio assures me that, in the words of some troop (or is it troops), we won. Cause though we didn't find the WMDs we freed the Iraqi people.

Wonder how Stands 4 Nothing Radio will play it when the Chinese People'Army comes to "liberate" America? I guess Simon has already conducted a pre-emptive strike.

As far as the book thing goes? I heard there were 3+ m "intellectually challenged" Americans. I guess that answers the question of who it is that are buying these books.

edk; 8/31/10, 8:24 AM
GRUMPY DEMO said...: Yeah I loved how NPR quoted the solider that said the war was justified because "we made Iraq better".

Yep, we did make Iraq "better" if you mean by 150,000 innocent civilian deaths, 2.5 million refugees, no power, no water, inter-ethnic civil war, establishing terrorist bases to attack Turkey, and establishing a Theocratic pro-Iranian ineffectual government.

Then we did make Iraq "better".; 8/31/10, 10:53 AM
GRUMPY DEMO said...: Heh,

Scott "The Bloody Quaker" is going to be on my local NPR call in show today at 2PM can't wait.

Ron; 8/31/10, 12:15 PM
gDog said...: Professor Siegheil chats it up with "Former Undersecretary of Defense, Douglas Feith" ( a pawn in Richard Perle's Pentagon team and prinicple mouthpiece for the lies that led us into an illegal war of agression against and subsequent illegal occupation of Iraq ) and allows him say how much more responsibly Obama has acted now that he's president than when he was campaigning and how he doesn't expect the continued occupation will require much more than 50000 American soldiers (nevermind the special ops and contractors, etc.) I friggin hate "stands for war" NPR and its Nazi professors and bloodthirsty Quakers. What a farce.; 8/31/10, 8:34 PM
mjs said...: I thought NPR stood for Never Progressive Radio.

++++; 8/31/10, 11:31 PM
bun.bun. said...: Leave it to Rootypoop Blobberino to bring out an abhorrent, lying sack-of-pootie like Dougie Feith-and-Drum (w/patented trademark sh*t-eatin' smirk); who if he had any sense of dignity would've crawled under a rock directly below Dickie C's undisclosed location. And stayed exiled there.

"Described by General Tommy Franks as either "the dumbest fucking guy on the planet" (according to Franks' autobiography) or "the fucking stupidest guy on the face of the Earth" (according to Bob Woodward's book Plan of Attack)."

(is it still cussin' if I lift someone else's quotes?); 9/1/10, 7:44 AM
Anonymous said...: Greetings All!

Glad to see all of you are well.
Did everyone here all NPR's promos today? You know, masquerading as actual news?

Don Q. Public
aka Don Pasqueda; 9/1/10, 11:58 AM
informedveteran said...: Listen to Harry Shearer's whole Le Show 8/29 broadcast for repeated jabs at NPR. I don't laugh often anymore but this is good:); 9/1/10, 10:38 PM
Porter Melmoth said...: Jolly good warning shots being fired here, gang.

Y'all hear newly-papalized Toni Blare spew some snot with Inskreep this morn? I know we knew this, but Toni reveals himself once more as the absolute beau ideal of a loyal Bushworker, recalcitrant to the grave, with self-righteous glamor-language to prove his point. He swanned over the 'kreep's 'challenging' questions just like he always has, and slopped on the ersatz schmaltz like no one else can. Except the Sermonizer. He and our Scot-wipe could share sermons!

And later, Inskreep got very witty when 'commenting' on some crackpot Tea Bagger's 'book' about spiders 'n starfish. Almost as good as 'My Pet Goat'! Big day for the 'kreep.

On the Huff Post lineup of commentary on the Shearer Affair, someone had the REAL wit to call NPR 'journalism on muscle relaxers'. I would add: 'journalism on your choice of anti-depressants/uptake inhibitors, or prescription drugs of all mind-altering kinds, preferably downers.'; 9/2/10, 12:44 PM
Porter Melmoth said...: Coupla more thoughts.

I notice that my good Phil Reeves got taken off the 'most dangerous place in the world' and reassigned to the UK - I assume. Because you know, Miss Julie (McCarthyism) can really handle Pawwkeestawn in a much fairer and balanced way than an old India hand can. New journalism for a new generation.

And let's not be too hard on Medal of Freedom-Deserving Douglas F*#@ing Feith. History will no doubt show that he was even more egregious than we think, so we should not pre-judge him quite yet! (heh). What I'm really waiting for is when my good buddy Paulie (you know who I mean - of 'comb' fame), who has been wrongfully treated from the get-go as a persecuted intellectual, emerges from his own under-rock of martyrdom, to tell the truth via his 9-volume best seller-bound, Murdochian-commissioned Holy Writ of Neocon Gospel.

Beware evil-haters everywhere: the Neocons shall raaaaaaiiiise agin!; 9/2/10, 12:59 PM
larry, dfh said...: 2Sept Thanks for doing the s such a crappy signal, I receive it less and less in northern DE. Certainly not my loss. But yesterday I caught a couple of minutes of 'tell me more' with guest host tony cox, a re-tread from an unmemorable previous program, whose name I've already forgotten. But the conversation, with sombody kellerman was about the middle east summit (or whatever) in DC. Well, Hamas was mentioned once, in connection with the recent drive-by killings in occupied territory. Everything was framed in the context of the palestinian authority (with a membership of One) and Israel. And as the killings so cogently demonstrated, since Hamas is not considered a valued discussant in these talks, nothing will get done other than photo-ops. 'Tell me more' just brought us more of the smae old disgusting party line, with no hope of ever coming to grips with anything. Stands for Nothing, indeed!
And Grumpy, maybe you can arrange a 'Cheaters' bust at the book signing. They often work out of Dallas.; 9/2/10, 9:35 PM
Anonymous said...: Porter:

- A whole host of new, younger (and cheaper) names are getting into the NPR 'reporting' act. Who the hell ARE these people?

Here's some of your answer:

http://www.internews.org/mla/2008/turpin.shtm

If you read this page you'll note the lofty ideals this guy professes but . . . when the "little people" complained to Ombutt he said that he ran with 4 1/2 minutes of mel gibson swill because that's what people in the "coffee shop were talking about".

http://www.groundreport.com/Media_and_Tech/NPR-Listeners-Get-a-Sour-Taste-of-the-Media-Obsess/2926151

His patrons include Bill and Melinda Gates - John and James McKnight(?) foundation. You can track him down and get a complete list of the people and foundations that are "training" future NPR propagandists.

edk; 9/3/10, 8:03 AM
gDog said...: General Bowman describes how the Army is Transformed by War.
We learn of how Odiorno swept into Iraq with his troops and tanks and how a new Iraqi army developed hit and run tactics that "caught the army flatfooted" and how Odiorno's response was "heavy handed" and didn't understand how to deal with an insurgency...blah...blah...blah...how thoroughly and disgustingly banal.

We get 5 minutes of this blather which describes how the army did it's level best to learn new ways to better wage war and how difficult it is to fight wars and how we'll be ready for the next really big wars...as if weren't already in one or two or three. It's all war all the time over at NPR, and like NPR, the army will just keep reinventing itself, however reluctantly.

Odiorno

He fought the best he'd ever fought
He couldn't ever fight any better
And General Bowman had his back
He knew he would protect him

He'd seen him there
And put himself to ransom
He had warred
He really was quite handsome

He had really tortured good
He couldn't ever torture better
And he knew he'd passed the test
He knew Bowman had his back side

Triumphant was the way he felt
As he acknowledged the applause
Triumphant was the way he'd felt
When he saw him at the Pentagon war room

He was happier than he'd ever been
As he praised him for his grace
But his expression changed, she had seen as he leant to kiss his
ass

They'll persevere
They'll rewrite history books
They'll will erase
Any trace of dead civilians

He ripped his militry Ribbons
Couldn't face another peace time
His deodorant let him down
He's General Odiorno

Odiorno he sure saved the day
He have helped us to get good stuff
Odiorno and he would have stay
To help us save our Murkin muff; 9/3/10, 7:04 PM
gDog said...: To be sure, the above spoof was sloppily based on the Who's Odorono.; 9/5/10, 3:22 PM
Porter Melmoth said...: Here’s to goopDog
Bard of this blog.
His pointed verses would give a riser,
To the ears of a sermonizing Simonizer.
Guffawing for mercy, the quakering cried,
‘Annoying music for sure!’
But for us on this saner, broader side,
Wry truth at its nexus, most pure.

(And, also, too, plus:)

Thanks, edk, for showing me another good reason to visit the vomitorium:

(-Here's some of your answer:

http://www.internews.org/mla/2008/turpin.shtm)

The look on his face says it all.

I would’ve thought Chris Turpin would’ve changed his last name, being related to the famous Highwayman who ripped so many people off in the days of yore, and all.

Of course, ambitious newbies at Enn Pee Awry probably obey a bloke with a Brit accent more readily than one with InskreepySpeak. Don’t get me wrong, I’m an Anglophile in many ways (lit, drama, etc.), but as we all know, they have their share of creeps as well. One of the biggest of late, being named Tony.; 9/7/10, 11:31 AM
GRUMPY DEMO said...: Well, this AM on FOX & Inskeep, after the required quota of "Democrats are doomed stories". Steve Inskeep really crossed a line.

He said in an introduction to a story:

"Steve Inskeep gave a n a inappropriate FOX News style race-baiting intro to this story:

"At a time when Americans are struggling with the question of where BLACKS fit into this country"

NO Wait, he said:

"At a time when Americans are struggling with the question of where JEWS fit into this country"

No, he actually said:

"At a time when Americans are struggling with the question of where Muslims fit into this country".

Yep, sounds pretty racist when you change one word, doesn't it?

I don't know what kind of "Americans" Inskeep associates with, my guess FOX New employees, but here in Dallas, Texas we consider Muslims, like Jews, Catholics, Methodist, and Presbyterian to all be fully American and entitled to all right guaranteed under our Constitution. There is no "struggle" except maybe among Karl Rove and FOX over who to race bait against to agitate their base.

While questioning the loyalty of any one who isn't a WASP with guilt by association is standard procedure at FOX, it's sad that Inskeep and NPR are following FOX News lead.

Given Inskeep and NPR's past of ignoring racist behavior by the Tea Party, the GOP, and Right Wing (See all Tea Party reports, coverage of Sen. Sessions, Helms, Allen, (documented racists), and who could forget Inskeep's "wet kiss" profile of one on Virginia's most famous Segregationist Rev. Falwell, not one word about his racist past. ) His implications that Muslims aren't Americans is sadly predictable.

A better question is:

"At a time when NPR listeners are struggling with the question of where NPR reporters fit into journalism" why have Inskeep, Simon, Liasson, and Williams never met a FOX News talking point/lie they won't repeat?

NPR enabling Right Wing race baiting.; 9/8/10, 5:18 PM
gDog said...: Grumps -

Yeah, a while ago I did some reporting in this space of where Inskeep comes from: Rich White Suburban Indiana (where the health insurance money grows on trees) - and where he went to school: Rich White Suburban Kentucky where they're keeping the Muslims down. When Inskeep thinks of "America," I'm sure he thinks of these places he's from. You gotta wonder what he sees on his way to work in the morning...oh yeah, it's still "dark" then, so he can't pick out the faces.; 9/8/10, 6:06 PM
GRUMPY DEMO said...: Here's a story NPR won't touch:

New details in Army charge sheets released Wednesday paint a disturbing picture of depravity, deceit and savage internal discipline involving at least 12 Stryker soldiers from Joint Base Lewis-Mc-Chord in Washington state during their recent deployment to Afghanistan.

The soldiers, all from the same company in the 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, are charged with a total of 76 crimes, including the premeditated murders of three Afghan civilians and the beating of one or more fellow soldiers.

Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/09/09/100321/stryker-brigade-soldiers-kept.html#ixzz0z8KdL2UZ

Winning "hearts and minds" everyday and in every way. Lt. Calley was just unlucky, he would have been ignored by the press today.; 9/10/10, 8:36 AM
gDog said...: Here's a kind of transcript of Report: U.S. Must Deal With Domestic Radicals which was just so shockingly stupid and vapid and wrong in so many ways, that it is a kind of treasure of NPRopaganda. Oh and when you read the bit about US Special Ops, reread Grumpy Demo's post above.

The biggest change in the terror landscape of the "homeland" is the increase in the "number of American citizens residents who have decided to launch their own attacks."

The Bipartisan Policy Center's National Security Preparedness Group is striking because of it's reference to home-grown terrorism, which is both good news and bad news. Good news because the fears of a dirty bomb or the like were probably over-blown - "bad news because home-grown terrorism is much harder to fight because the people who are plotting to attack us are actually among us. They're harder to spot." - Dina Temple Raston.

Linda W: "Does that mean, just to look beyond this country, that Al Qaida is not a threat anymore?"

DTR: "Not exactly, what they're saying is that in a very real sense the threat has diversified. Al Qaida is having trouble launching big attacks, so in the mean time it's counting on smaller ones from inside the US. And the trouble is, it isn't just some poor kid from South Asia who's volunteering to attack us, it could be an MBA from Connecticut - in fact the Times Square Bomber was exactly that, he was an MBA of Pakastani descent who decided to strke the US. [..] We've been reporting for a long time that Al Qaida is struggling. The drone attacks in Afghanistan have gutted their mid-level operatives. OBL and his number 2 have gone to ground. One of the really interesting tid bits in this story is that [..] terrorists are actually grousing about that: their [bosses] just caring about saving their own skins and not giving a damn about the organization. [..] That Muslim scholars are saying the Al Qaida has spilled too much blood and should give up: that's all good news. The way terrorist groups die is they lose public support.

LW: But what about the affiliate groups we keep hearing about? Those in Yemen, or the Taliban?

DTR: Very good question. They're a concern too. You remember Leon Panetta said that there were only 50 to 100 Al Qaida in Afghanistan, and while that sounds like a really small number, the report puts that into perspective. In the run-up to the 911 attacks, Al Qaida was a really small elite organization. Only about 200 sworn members at the time. The report says the Al Qaida should be seen as, instead of regular soldiers, force multipliers? They're operating like US Special Forces do. As trainers. You know, we've heard that the US is stepping up its operation in Yemen. That they've doubled their trainers from 25 to 50. When you look at it that way, 50-100 Al Qaida members in Afghanistan can be a real threat.

LW: Thanks very much Dina.; 9/10/10, 1:26 PM
gDog said...: Here's a kind of transcript of Report: U.S. Must Deal With Domestic Radicals which was just so shockingly stupid and vapid and wrong in so many ways, that it is a kind of treasure of NPRopaganda. Oh and when you read the bit about US Special Ops, reread Grumpy Demo's post above.

The biggest change in the terror landscape of the "homeland" is the increase in the "number of American citizens residents who have decided to launch their own attacks."

The Bipartisan Policy Center's National Security Preparedness Group is striking because of it's reference to home-grown terrorism, which is both good news and bad news. Good news because the fears of a dirty bomb or the like were probably over-blown - "bad news because home-grown terrorism is much harder to fight because the people who are plotting to attack us are actually among us. They're harder to spot." - Dina Temple Raston.; 9/10/10, 1:28 PM
gDog said...: Linda W: "Does that mean, just to look beyond this country, that Al Qaida is not a threat anymore?"

DTR: "Not exactly, what they're saying is that in a very real sense the threat has diversified. Al Qaida is having trouble launching big attacks, so in the mean time it's counting on smaller ones from inside the US. And the trouble is, it isn't just some poor kid from South Asia who's volunteering to attack us, it could be an MBA from Connecticut - in fact the Times Square Bomber was exactly that, he was an MBA of Pakastani descent who decided to strke the US. [..] We've been reporting for a long time that Al Qaida is struggling. The drone attacks in Afghanistan have gutted their mid-level operatives. OBL and his number 2 have gone to ground. One of the really interesting tid bits in this story is that [..] terrorists are actually grousing about that: their [bosses] just caring about saving their own skins and not giving a damn about the organization. [..] That Muslim scholars are saying the Al Qaida has spilled too much blood and should give up: that's all good news. The way terrorist groups die is they lose public support.

LW: But what about the affiliate groups we keep hearing about? Those in Yemen, or the Taliban?

DTR: Very good question. They're a concern too. You remember Leon Panetta said that there were only 50 to 100 Al Qaida in Afghanistan, and while that sounds like a really small number, the report puts that into perspective. In the run-up to the 911 attacks, Al Qaida was a really small elite organization. Only about 200 sworn members at the time. The report says the Al Qaida should be seen as, instead of regular soldiers, force multipliers? They're operating like US Special Forces do. As trainers. You know, we've heard that the US is stepping up its operation in Yemen. That they've doubled their trainers from 25 to 50. When you look at it that way, 50-100 Al Qaida members in Afghanistan can be a real threat.

LW: Thanks very much Dina.; 9/10/10, 1:28 PM
gDog said...: Google says this post is "too large to process." Really?

Linda W: "Does that mean, just to look beyond this country, that Al Qaida is not a threat anymore?"

DTR: "Not exactly, what they're saying is that in a very real sense the threat has diversified. Al Qaida is having trouble launching big attacks, so in the mean time it's counting on smaller ones from inside the US. And the trouble is, it isn't just some poor kid from South Asia who's volunteering to attack us, it could be an MBA from Connecticut - in fact the Times Square Bomber was exactly that, he was an MBA of Pakastani descent who decided to strke the US. [..] We've been reporting for a long time that Al Qaida is struggling. The drone attacks in Afghanistan have gutted their mid-level operatives. OBL and his number 2 have gone to ground. One of the really interesting tid bits in this story is that [..] terrorists are actually grousing about that: their [bosses] just caring about saving their own skins and not giving a damn about the organization. [..] That Muslim scholars are saying the Al Qaida has spilled too much blood and should give up: that's all good news. The way terrorist groups die is they lose public support.; 9/10/10, 1:28 PM
larry, dfh said...: ...gone to ground...
My what a cute term. And all this time I thought ObL was dead! Din temple sure talks like a security groupie. But what I'd really like to know: do these 100 or 200 alquaida dudes have membership cards? Are they truly card-carrying-terrorists?; 9/10/10, 5:59 PM
Anonymous said...: Couple of questions I can't get an answer to when I contact WHYY (a wholly owned susidary of Fox):

1 When a "local" reporter does a 1-2 minute news item I assume they get paid for that. If that "news" is picked up by a nationally syndicated program and that reporter get to vent for 5-6 minutes do they get paid for that?

2 Once WHYY "buys" a show does that mean they can run it as many times as the station wants to at no additional cost?

edk; 9/11/10, 8:37 AM
a.m. said...: During his "discussion" on Friday's ATC with toilet-trained Yale professor Zareena Grewal about the increasing hostility towards Muslims in this country, Robert Siegel performed the astonishing but--at least on NPR--entirely predictable feat of not once naming the race-baiting from FOX news and prominent right-wing demagogues as a possible cause of such animosity. Not a single time. Nope. Right-wing demagoguery isn't linked to rising racial tensions and waterboarding is an enhanced interrogation technique and tea partiers are just nice normal Americans like you and me and two plus two is five and ignorance is bliss. Thanks, Orwellian Public Radio, for deep-sixing the truth once again and for making the next lie, outrage, and crime of the powerful and irresponsible just a little bit more acceptable and normal.; 9/11/10, 12:38 PM
Anonymous said...: I read the article I posted the link to about Mel Gibson and I immediately noticed that the Turpin quote was truncated. Schafer said that Turpin had claimed to be justified in running the "story" because "people were talking about it". Schafer neglected to mention the part about the coffee shop. To me that is the best example of the irrelevancy of stands4Nothing Radio.

So I contacted both Schafer and the Ombutt exchanging the entire quote with both and asking why the coffee shop part was left out. And why the Ombutt is so reticent to share this article when they post anything that even resembles a commendation.

WHYY (a wholly owned subsidary of Fox) has stopped the crack-head level of contributing just 5 dollars a pop but . . .

It is running advertisements for Wachovia extolling their expertise at helping small businesses for over 157 years. let Wachovia help your small business plan for the future. I guess the plan is to be a bankster, go broke and recieve 40,000,000,000 from US citizens.; 9/14/10, 8:17 AM
gDog said...: Here's a YouTube or Wan Willie yacking it up with Oreally. Check out his spittle eating grin.

Oreally: "We have some point blank. What about this guy Khan...and he's runnin'? He's Ronin and Haydn, Wan. That, I mean, that's crazy, is it not?

Wan: Well it is crazy and, you know, your previous guest said it invites questions, I think it goes beyond that and I think it invites suspicion. Yeah the US State Department sends the guy overseas as an agent of peace and reconciliation but this is the same guy then that doesn't understand that it is a provocative act, Bill, to put the mosque in that location.[..] This raises the bar. He's said that Imam Rauf has already said that he thinks the US was an accessory to what happened on 911. [..] Now we learn this about his associate. I don't want to be guilty by association...."

O: "No no no but he's Haydn it. This guy is under tremendous scrutiny Wan, everybody's lookin' at him sayin' who are you? Who's payin' for it? What are your beliefs? He goes, Hey - I'm the friendliest guy in town! I want everybody to get together.

W: yeah

O: And the US government's giving him money to go overseas to tell everybody that, ostensibly, and who's his buddy who founds his organization? This guy Khan! Did we ever hear this name, Wan?

W: No, I didn't even - nobody in journalistic circles knew about this guy until tonight on your show.

======end

Are those Oreally's butt hairs on your upper lip there, Wan?; 9/14/10, 3:58 PM
gDog said...: Fenty Lesson: Mayors May Pass On School Reform champions the "destroy public education" movement. Public education is derided by MSM venues (like Time and Newsweek and NPR) that champion Rhee as adhering to the "status quo", for "lacking accountability", for being "ingrained and difficult" and for not supporting the "reality" that we need to "shut schools and fire teachers."

NPR is on the bleeding edge of "the current reform efforts that are based on a radical re-invention of education, now spearheaded by a psychometric blitzkrieg of "metastasizing testing" aimed at dismantling a public education". A natural question to ask now is, "Will Whitney Tilson and some other hedge fund criminals/DFER’s show up at Gray’s office with a couple of suitcases full of cash in order to “persuade” Gray to keep Chancellor Rhee on?" But you won't find anyone at NPR broaching that query. No, instead we get fun factoids like, "Chicago schools are clearly better run than they were before Daley took them over."

According to NPR, Fenty is a martyr in the noble cause of school walmartization. But "Fenty's agenda may well live on long after him." Sadly, this does seem to be likely.; 9/15/10, 8:42 PM
bunny.without.goople.account said...: It sure took a while but "MistaBama" (as Hoarse-ly locutes it, assumedly in a breathless attempt to stay within his time allowed) finally got Elizabeth Warren on the case.

Sorry, Planetary Monkey-Boy Adumb - may you rue the day you so ineptly tried to bait her.; 9/17/10, 10:25 AM
GRUMPY DEMO said...: Iraq Veteran's Body Is Exhumed At Arlington by Allison Keyes. National Pentagon Radio indeed.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129890675

Here's another example of how no matter what the Pentagon does, NPR will always force a positive narrative on the story.

NPR appears to be misrepresenting and sanitizing Mr. Warner's reaction :

"This thing has been portrayed as some big success story," Warner told Salon during a telephone interview Thursday as he drove back to Ohio. "It was a disaster. It was a desecration of honor."

http://www.salon.com/news/arlington_national_cemetery_investigation/index.html?story=/politics/war_room/2010/09/16/disinterment_arlington

Hmmm, Sounds like Mr. Warner's talking to YOU NPR!

I guess when NPR's ignores civilian deaths by drones, thousand of dead civilians, war profiteering, Pat Tillman, it would be too much to expect that it would report this story accurately.

Way to support the troops NPR.

"Did I expect to be digging through my son’s casket looking for an arm? No," he said. "For a family to go through what my family went through yesterday is beyond reproach."; 9/17/10, 12:43 PM
Anonymous said...: Warren is NOT going to run this agency. Obama will not stand up for her (nothing new there) because she is an intellectual with an agenda and is opposed by Geithner and the Wall Street banksters. She may get to set up the agency but then she will be marginalized. i hope she doesn't go quietly into that dark night.

edk; 9/18/10, 8:12 AM
The Boss of You said...: So ME had a rep from the American Family Association bash Muslims without disclosing his background of hatred, so a letter to the ombudsman (everyone's fave) was written:

http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/pfaw%E2%80%99s-letter-npr; 9/18/10, 11:08 AM
Anonymous said...: (I am posting this on the first available thread)
September 19, 2010
Letter to the ombudsman of NPR:
I have been hearing the names of various sponsors of NPR shows that use names such as "The Public Notice"- not to be confused with Public Notice that is a compilation of newspaper notices. I went to the site and found that it may very be a POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE. There is no link to who actually funds this group, but they have a donation page- non-tax deductible donations, which certainly points to a PAC. I am concerned that the amount of money necessary to sponsor programs on NPR is out of the reach of ordinary persons, and the process is being corrupted by shadow groups with agendas trying to undermine the social safety nets of this country. Please be honest with your listeners, including a discussion as to how this money does or does not corrupt your reporting, or undermine your mission to the people.; 9/19/10, 9:09 AM
larry, dfh said...: Yes, edk, I lexpect she'll be given a small office at the end of some long hallway.; 9/19/10, 9:17 AM
Anonymous said...: OtM had a very good (imo) discussion this morning. Garfield talked to the editor of the Portland paper that printed an apology because it ran a front page story about Ramadan ending on 9/11/10. The editor was pretty craven and Garfield got it right. You can actually hear the phone being slammed if you listen to the audio carefully. At the very end of the piece.

You can bet that guy will never be on OtM again - his choice i'm sure. Too bad this is so rare that it makes me take note. I can see why they (Stands4Nothing Radio) are so gentle with "guests - they wouldn't have much interviewing taking place.

Congrtas to Bob garfiled and On the Media.

edk; 9/19/10, 12:32 PM
Anonymous said...: Anon:

I am also curious about this Public notice "group". It started showing up on WHYY (a wholly owned Fox subsidary) about 2 weeks ago. Something that needs to be looked into. They are some how or other connected to a group called bankruptingAmerica.

I think I'll join them on FB and see what comes up.

edk; 9/19/10, 12:34 PM
larry, dfh said...: Sunday, 19 Sept. The Car Talk show was really quite good. I know this sounds odd, but the two host really nailed some points, and spoke generally, although sarcastically, of course, to a gentler, more understanding humanity. It was enjoyable.
But it was followed by Prairie Home reruns, and I had to switch channels when they started mocking people who couldn't pay their rent. I thought it was beyond insensitive, considering where we are at, collectively.; 9/20/10, 12:38 AM
Porter Melmoth said...: Couldn't believe it this morning:

Inskreep cuddled close to MeeShill Norris for some pillow talk about her latest book triumph, which is destined to hit the NYT best seller list for 700 weeks before being remaindered. Something about her dad getting a 'superficial wound' in a scuffle that had cosmic influence on the Civil Rights struggle. WTF??? She's so intimate, so sexy, so steamy! Holy moly, I thought she was gonna tell him what she liked in bed. Plus, she almost started bawling, a copycat idea stolen from the Simonizer's schmaltz vat.

The only thing that was more bizarre this morning was a soundbyte presented by NPR's lousiest news reader, (hey, that could be any of them...), someone called Jean Cochrane, in which 2 seconds of very loud rain falling was supposed to illustrate monsoon rains falling in N. India. Wow! Just think - somebody took their life in their hands to go all that way for those 2 seconds of real live news in the making! That's Peabody material!

NPR's 'picture book' approach for the new, younger listeners is another fine flop.

PS: I'm glad that NPR is finally getting hip to the fact that they've just discovered that South Asia has some extremes in weather. Yeah, like for the past 80 trillion years. We must have patience with NPR. Puberty is never easy.; 9/20/10, 12:36 PM
The Boss of You said...: Not surprised about Prairie Home's nasty comments.

Here's Keillor on Jews and Unitarians:

http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2009/12/19/what-do-jews-and-unitarians-conspire-to-ruin-garrison-keillors-christmas

and here he is on gays:

http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/fuck_garrison_keillor; 9/20/10, 1:21 PM
Porter Melmoth said...: I heard on Narcissist Publishing Radio (cuz everybody who opens their mouth at 'publish or perish' NPR either has a book to promote or is diligently working on one - like our Steve I-kreep) that their 'business correspondent' Frank Langfitt is braving the anarchy of Mogadishu, Somalia for our sake. In a poignant aside, he says he visited a little girl in hospital who lost both legs. My point? Well, as we all know, nasty evil 'Islamists' with al Qaeda connections want to take over the country. OK, we're supposed to assume you-know-who did that to the unfortunate girl. Thing is, how many legless victims have been so conspicuously visited in the Legless Capital of the World, Afghanistan? Or in drone-cleansing Pakistan? I'm sure Renaay Mundane will schedule some photo ops for tokenism on her whirlwind fashion/VIP tour of A-stan that's yielding so much trenchant journalism. I'm sure Murdoch's offered her a book deal out of it.

Like sex, propaganda sells.; 9/20/10, 5:15 PM
GRUMPY DEMO said...: Re: ME Monday 9.20.10 "Young Guns"

Andrea swoons over these dreamy GOP studs.
Let's review:

-They aren't "young".
-The have no "guns".
-Their policies will explode the deficit, something NPR ONLY mentions about Democrats' bills
-No mention of any of their policy positions or if polls show Americans approve of them.
-Recite "Young Guns" as many time as possible.

Damn I love FOXlite in the morning.

NPR: The GOP's talking points are cool.

Jeeze Andre, next time you report on the GOP get a room, . . .; 9/20/10, 8:54 PM
gDog said...: Yeah, Grumps, the major themes of NPR are

(1) how're things going with the GOP? Are they going to pull it off (hope, hope) ???

(2) how're the wars coming along...in all the many areas of influence/occupation via our myriad bases hither and yon in the international arena.

In this last area, I recall much reporting in the spring on the upcoming huge offensive planned for Kandahar that has abracadabrad (thank allah) to unreality. (phew)

Of course, Renee Montagne has been visiting AfPak and through her persistent guile (on because she's a Pentagon tool) has Petraeus: U.S. To Pursue 'More Nuanced' Operations In Kandahar scooped access to Petraeus. We have the quote (oh, isn't this just too funny!;()) :

"There is truth, in fact, to the fact that the police in particular have image problems that are based on reality," he said.

Despite the headline of this piece, it doesn't discuss Kandahar at all in the print (I couldn't bear to listen to the audio.) The closest it gets is

Petraeus is still very much concerned about the perception that the on-going fighting in Marja, in the southern Helmand province, means that the February offensive there has somehow failed.

This is the most recent of hits when searching npr.org for "kandahar." The next most recent if from July: Progress In Kandahar A Matter Of Whom To Trust an entertaining contrast in brown nobodies Ghani v. Lala who are more or less "reluctant warlords." Oh, c'mon, General Tom Bowman - get back on your magic propaganda throw and weave your way back home.; 9/21/10, 12:44 AM
Anonymous said...: Lot of chatter by Stands4Nothing radio concerning the economic woes of Cuba. I remember learning about an economic blockade of Cuba as recently as 1961 when i was 11! But Stands4Nothing hasn't gotten that memo.

Agreed on teh MEshill my book, I shill your book piece. Started me thinking about what the family was doing in Birmingham when the buses were boycotted, or when the church was bombed or when the Children's Crusade took place. I'd be willing to bet my last dollar to anybody's doughtnut that those periods are skimmed over once lightly. You know, angry black men are not the model for MEshill. But I guess if i cared enough I could read the book but . . . my stomach is way to weak to spend days puking my guts out. But it is something to keep an eye out for.

edk

ps: Larry from Newark? gettin ready for the funder? My favorite part of listening to WHYY (a wholly owned fox subsidary) They haven't reached a goal in the last 10 tries. I think this will make 11. It is getting so bad that "Dollar" Bill Marazzo doesn't even bother to come on and offer his faux thanks.; 9/21/10, 7:55 AM
Anonymous said...: I also know that Keilor didn't want to look backward in anger so we should just move on and allow the torture regime of Bush to go its merry way.

edk; 9/21/10, 7:57 AM
Anonymous said...: still looking into ThePublicNotice. So far there is really nothing on facebook but I did get linked to this guy

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=Terry+Suominen&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=; 9/21/10, 10:29 AM
Anonymous said...: and I also found this:

Host of the Patriot Express Radio show live each Monday at 4pm PST right here in Las Vegas Nevada.

this is Terry+Suominen; 9/21/10, 10:32 AM
Anonymous said...: When will NPR get around to doing a story about their corporate partner: Ally (GMAC) Bank? You know, they one we bailed out?
http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2010/09/21/the-gmac-fiasco/

Don Pasqueda; 9/22/10, 7:44 AM
larry, dfh said...: Sorry, Ed, I'm out of town for a week. Guess I won't find out if it's the Penn Quakers or the Temple Owls who win the alumni pledge-a-thon. And I won't have to listen to Ed Cunningham's dentures rattle around in his mouth, or get hypnotized by that fully synthetic dead animal on top of his head.
I read about Keilor's forgetting history moment, and he immediately moved from "ho-hum" to "actively dislike".
As I've written before, if an outfit has a relationship with StandsForNothing Radio, that outfit is surely dirty. It's as if the 'average' StandsForNothing Radio listener is so full of themselves, that they'll fall for any B.S. whatsoever.
But on to the more serious. Wed, 22Sept10, Zionist radio broadcasts from the Occupied Territories (that is, they are territories of Israel)was, as usual, all about Zionism and all about Security. So now the new mantra is: if they can SEE Israel, they know where to shoot those rockets, thus they have to be moved so far away that Israel is out of sight.; 9/22/10, 8:41 PM
informedveteran said...: Yeah, WTF with WHYY???

I KNOW I heard over the air on 9/15 that one of the sponsors for WHYY's Radio Times was some right wing group "concerned" about the deficit. I heard it as I was heading North from the Philly area (I know the date for sure because this is a trip I make once a month). I didn't bother writing down their name b/c I just figured I would look up their sponsors when I got home - hah!

The podcast INCLUDES the commercials and this right wing sponsor is somehow missing when you listen to the first hour. How do you get a list of non-public sponsors to this "public" radio station?; 9/22/10, 9:30 PM
Anonymous said...: Inskeep and Jolton Tom Ghelton(?) had an interesting two days discussing cyber-war. Yesterday Joltin Tom defined "war crime" as attacking a country without direct threat (which is basically UN Charter Article(s)39-51). This is how far Stands4Nothing radio ( the network formerly known as National PUBLIC Radio) has sunk. Inskeep and Joltin Tom give a definition of a war crime and never once acknowledge that by their own definition the US is guilty of war crimes because it attacked Iraq with no direct threat. I remember that Bush couldn't take a second vote because he knew the UN would not sanction an attack on Iraq based on the "evidence" Powell presented.

Larry from Newark? I'm gonna use my influence to try to delay the WHYY funder until you get back. Consider it an early holiday "gift".

edk

edk; 9/23/10, 7:52 AM
Anonymous said...: here's another the public notice person:

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/03/former_bush_admin_spox_launches_non-profit_to_comb.php; 9/23/10, 10:17 AM
miranda said...: Anyone hear the softball interview of shouty Tea Party-backed NY gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino on TOTN? Not even one question about Paladino's history of racist anti-Obama emails? Christ. Why expect anything at all at "StandsForNothing" radio?; 9/23/10, 10:24 AM
miranda said...: Also for your delectation, NPRCheckers: Ombot's defense of the Harry Shearer documentary affair:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129883401; 9/23/10, 12:06 PM
gDog said...: Yeah, nice slap down from "theharryshearer" at the ombot site:

Fact: NPR legal's final "only approved language" was "documentary about New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina". They would accept no other language. That's not he said/she said, that's in writing.; 9/23/10, 2:07 PM
gDog said...: Just hear Shearer's paid plug for The Big Uneasy on KCRW: "Why New Orleans flooded." I think was a catch phrase...; 9/23/10, 2:59 PM
Porter Melmoth said...: IMHO, Tom Gjelten is NPR's premier connection with Neocon Central. He even aspires to LOOK like Paul Wolfowitz.; 9/23/10, 6:49 PM
Anonymous said...: The Harry Shearer comes back for return comment on the Ombot site. Good stuff.

Madchen Vapid; 9/23/10, 8:41 PM
Anonymous said...: More THePublicNotice things that I find "interesting".

They are now "independent" as opposed to "non-partisan". I don't believe anything ever gets done by coincidence. There's a reason for this subtle change in language.

edk; 9/24/10, 7:42 AM
Anonymous said...: Me thinks there's a stalking horse on the Ombutt blog. I don't think it is Stands4Nothing radio (network formerly known as National PUBLIC Radio) ringer but rather an Ombutt ringer. I follow many threads and stories on this faux "news" network and the ringer never appears except to defend/explain Ombutt. I followed them through links provided here and elsewhere and found them engaging Harry Schearer using the same defense as the Ombutt. I could be wrong but . . .

edk; 9/24/10, 7:46 AM
gDog said...: Yeah, I think "Sanpete" may be an example of what Cass Sunstein calls "cognitive infiltration."; 9/24/10, 3:44 PM
gDog said...: There was a review of Stone's new Wall Street movie. The reviewer described Milken as currently a "philanthropist." HahahahaHahahahaHahahahaHahahahaHahahahaHahahahaHahahahaHahahahaHahahahaHahahahaHahahahaHahahahaHahahahaHahahaha...ha

Deep Capture is somewhat more enlightening about Milken.; 9/24/10, 10:28 PM
gDog said...: This is a better, more thorough treatment of the philanthropist Milken.; 9/24/10, 10:33 PM
larry, dfh said...: Fri. 25Sept10
Caught a very disturbing report this evening on the 86 year prison sentence for Dr. Aafia Siddiqui. What was so bothersome about the story was its intentional incompleteness. Not only was absolutely NO new information provided, but all the details have conveniently disappeared. No mention of un-accounted-for children. No mention of being snatched off the street in Pakistan. Just that she "shot at American forces while yelling 'death to america'." They even left out the part about the scimitar slung across her bare chest! No mention of 'the Gray Lady of Bagram', either. Just a little he-said-she-said. So when StandsForNothing Radio goes begging in the next few weeks, and inevitably brings up the 'we take the time to do the in-depth reporting', remember how they wasted every single second of this extended broadcast in glossing over the acts of judicial miscarriage perpetrated by michael mukasey's former bench.; 9/24/10, 11:28 PM
larry, dfh said...: And then there are the "panel discussions". Ohhhhhh! the 'panel discussions'. And whether it's the light and substance-free banter over Steven Colbert's testimony in congress or the business-unfriendly attitude of Obama as 'discussed' on Diane Rheme (or however it is spelled) absolutely everything on StnadsForNothing Radio chooses the elitist, corporatist, moneyed interpretation over all others. Everything else is just ignored.
And thenks for the links, Goopster. It really is reassuring to know that there are other life forms out there....somewhere.; 9/24/10, 11:37 PM
larry, dfh said...: This is a review of Steven Colbert's testimony before congress. It had much less to do with schtick than with substance. Naturally, National Substance-free Radio was only concerned with the schtick. Did it play well? Was it appropriate? One has to assume that Mr. Colbert went to congress for a purpose other than being annoying on C-Span. StandsFOrNothihingAtAll Radio could give a shit about that purpose, chortling bastards that they are.; 9/25/10, 7:57 PM
informedveteran said...: Harry Shearer gives it to them yet again on "Le Show" 9/26(that I heard ON NPR). I think he is daring them to kick him off StandsForNothing Radio. The "trades" portion is priceless. Apparently, if NPR dumbs it down they will get more listeners.; 9/26/10, 10:32 PM
Anonymous said...: http://www.current.org/audience/aud1017npr-opportunities.shtml

Here's the article that was read ("so you don't have to") on La Show. I think we should have a contest to pick the 2 people that will be let loose so the non-elites will start listening to Stands4Nothing Radio (the network formerly known as National PUBLIC Radio). Inskeep and Seigle are my choices.

I can see from the tone of the above linked article that Turpin's strategy of listening to "the people in line at the coffee shop" and thus deciding what to give time to on ATC might be how this faux "network" will allot time in the near future.

Harry also called out the Ombudsman on his dust-up with her and Stands4Nothing radio. He claimed that she said the national network may be filled with more "fear" than the locals in NYC and LA. Fear? What the heck could they be fearful of? Congressional forensic audit? Or a withdrawal of commercial backers? Maybe a drop in financial support from their conservative/centerist listeners?

I'm waiting for them to hire either Beck or Hannity as a "news analyst". That will show everybody they ain't a scared of nothing and they are not really that elitist.

I wonder if Boss of You and Anonymous have ever recieved any response to their communication with Ombudsman.

edk; 9/27/10, 7:34 AM
GRUMPY DEMO said...: Re: NPR and Harry Shearer's movie.

Per NPR Ombudsman at NPR.org dishonest defense of them blocking you:

"The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has strict rules for public radio credits: They can’t make any claims, give opinions or call for action." per the Ombudsman.

SOOO, how come this Saturday and Sunday I had to listen to wall-to-wall commercials on NPR from an organization called "The Public Notice" that said something like "dedicated to reduce government spending" or some such Right Wing talking point nonsense.

Nothing political in that announce , right?

Thanks to Google, it turns out “The Public Trust” is a shadowy (corporate?) funded Astroturf non-profit headed by a former Bush White staffer now PR hack.

Per Talking Points Memo.com:

"Public Notice's funding source remains obscure. In an interview with TPMmuckraker, Hamel -- who served as the Bush administration's top spokesperson on trade issues, and as press secretary for the House Republican Conference -- said Public Notice had "dozens of donors across the U.S.," but declined to identify them."

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/03/former_bush_admin_spox_launches_non-profit_to_comb.php

Funny apparently at NPR the FCC doesn't have a problem with Right Wing talking points in its’ adds funded by an organization with no transparency. I think the word for that is propaganda.

Reducing government spending, yep not a “call for action”, “opinion”, or “claim”. It this kind of intellectual dishonesty and “journalism” that NPR be pulling to the last eight years that makes me talk back the radio.

Shearer did a great job documenting NPR intentional dummying down it standards with his “The Trades” story about NPR's new "conversational" model.

When Shearer was here here in Dallas he recorded the announcements for the Emergency Alert System here in Dallas on KERA. It sounds like Principal Skinner announcing over the school PA, cracks me up.

the NPR.org banned artist fka GrumbyDemo. nka The Modest Egotist, (Dances-with-typos) at NPR.org; 9/27/10, 8:47 AM
miranda said...: I love Harry Shearer for so many reasons (I can't tell you how many times I rerun in my head a Simpsons scene that has Principal Skinner showing Bart the "confiscated items" locker, with "Salacious halter tops...
complete collections of Mad, Cracked...
and the occasional issue of Crazy...
and this plastic derriere."
But I am beyond thrilled that he is in solidarity with us in exposing the hypocrisies of Natural Pusillanimous Radio.; 9/27/10, 9:13 AM
Anonymous said...: Grumpy:

Linked to tea party express I found cause i chased em through facebook and came to bankrupting America Another astro-turf group with unknown patrons, er, I mean donars. They have also changed the wording from "non-partisan" to "independent". Probably as a result of focus group analysis.

edk; 9/27/10, 9:24 AM
Nate Bowman said...: Grumpy

Sorry for the ban. Hope to see your resurrected self soon.

Thanks for The Public Notice. I agree.; 9/27/10, 9:40 PM
Nate Bowman said...: mytwords

Thanks for keeping nprcheck going. I have not posted for a while, but always check in.; 9/27/10, 9:41 PM
GRUMPY DEMO said...: False alarm guys,

I was using my old pen name, my Modest Egotist persona is still a live a kicking.; 9/28/10, 9:27 AM
gDog said...: Thanks, Grumpy, for remembering the name of that outfit: "Public Notice" that I kept hearing advertising underwriting on NPR...and I kept forgetting their name when I went to look for them..."public what?" Notice. Ok. So I notice this Gretchen Hamel is not afraid for any and all to notice that she is a nitwit. She opines against pay-go, as if the federal government should operate the national budget the same way that families do. She rails against "overspending" and the stimulus spending but never once mentions THE WAR MACHINE...almost like that's not a noticeable part of the budget and says that pay-go may cause tax increases that might crimpt the styles of the obscene war profiteers.

Ah, now I see that Gretchen does have an itchin' fer war. In Will We Have the Resources to Fight? she laments,

Fighting a war requires more than just heroes, of which the United States has an abundance. It also requires money and resources. During war times, the government steps up spending and consumes more of the economy. Yet today, our government is expanding not in the cause of our nation's defense, but just because the government is assuming responsibilities that were once left to the people. This growth of government means we will have less to invest in the military if we do confront a major future conflict.

You get that? This "non-partisan" (War Party) "independent" advocate is most worried that we will bankrupt little first graders Johnny and Janey by spending money on their education, health and welfare rather than funding Lockheed Martin's latest power toys of shock and awe.; 9/28/10, 11:49 AM
gDog said...: Ayesha Jalal is heard on NPR to deride Pakis for abiding "conpiracy theories" like those surrounding the causes of the massive floods in Pakistan...in particular, that they were caused by Americans. These theories are dismissed out of hand as if it's typical of the delusional poor to want to blame the foreign invaders for everything. But consider:

1. According to the Guardian, "Various scientific studies have already shown that the monsoon regions of the world will be affected by climate change more than any other regions on Earth. " And the US and especially the US Military is by far the worst carbon emitter on the planet, so, well, that doesn't seem too much of a stretch.

2. Then on DN we have Feryal Ali Gauhar describing "the breach of an Indus River levee meant to divert floodwaters from a nearby military base. The contractor who built the base says this is where drones are housed before being automated. As a result, an entire district was inundated and millions of people were displaced."

The next article on ME was about how drones are used to do science on hurricanes. Really? Is that the most prevalent use of drones these days? I think not.; 9/28/10, 12:27 PM
Anonymous said...: To tell her story and hear from others, Michele is embarking on a listening tour to nearly three dozen cities and NPR member stations. It's a major effort that promises to elicit important if challenging conversations. More on that and dispatches from the road to come from our own Richard Smith, who’s traveling with Michele for the first leg.

She's all over isn't she Due up on Tell Me More soon

David Sadaris also on book tour and he's gonna be all over also. Yesterday was ME where both Green and Inskeep were engaged.

Harry should have wrote a book instead of making a movie I guess.

edk; 9/29/10, 8:15 AM
Anonymous said...: Awhile back someone asked "Where do they find these people?"

here's part of the answer:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thisisnpr/2010/09/23/130071204/meet-the-fellows

edk; 9/29/10, 8:20 AM
Anonymous said...: More evidence of foreclosure fraud.

http://www.eschatonblog.com/2010/09/fraud.html

NPR remains silent. Why? Could it be because Ally Financial (GMAC Mortgage, LLC) is huge sponsor and the sole corporate sponsor for Planet Monkey?

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130052495

Don Pasqueda; 9/29/10, 8:38 AM
Anonymous said...: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/28/AR2010092806523.html?hpid=topnews

DonQP; 9/29/10, 8:55 AM
Anonymous said...: Folks, when you leave a URL, it gets cut off if it's too long. There's a way to shorten the link using HTML. Perhaps someone can enlighten us with the details on how to do it?
Thanks!; 9/29/10, 11:50 AM
gDog said...: Columnist: D.C. Mayor Fenty Left Black Voters Behind is a nice encapsulation of clueless whitebread Inskeep wondering why white isn't just obviously better? If it means bringing in hedge fund whore Rhee to standardize test all the black children into admitting their too homeless to have hope, what's so wrong with that?; 9/29/10, 12:38 PM
gDog said...: they're, also; 9/29/10, 12:39 PM
Anonymous said...: See code at the very top of this page. Basic HTML Codes; 9/29/10, 2:46 PM
Anonymous said...: Recent URLs in this post work just fine for me. All I did was cut and paste them to my browser. I guess clickable ones are nice, but not necessary. Cheers!; 9/29/10, 2:49 PM
Anonymous said...: All,

KJZZ in Phoenix will be dumping A LOT of NPR programming real soon. They will be cutting out much of ME and ATC and scaling back many other shows. The content will be more locally generated, the local and regional stories will be faster and more often, and the NPR offering will be fewer and farther between. KJZZ is even going to cut out bookish chat; reviews, chats with NPR personalities about their own books, and the station will be cutting out all of the N-P-R dot O-R-G mentions that it can, by cutting away earlier and editing out the mentions in other interstitial content. NPR listenership is dropping fast in Pheonix and many other NPR markets.

KJZZ is going to open a regional investigative unit, funded by a CPB grant, to supply much of its programming, which it will offer up to NPR and other member stations. And, it will be doing some content sharing with ME competitor, "The Takeway" (WYNC, BBC, etc.)

Stay tuned (or not)

-Fly on the Wall; 9/29/10, 2:56 PM
Anonymous said...: Looks like this foreclosure shutodwn thing is rippling through the entire industry. My guess is that NPR will no longer be able to ignore it.

DonQP; 9/29/10, 3:05 PM
gDog said...: Hey, Fly on the Wall - great report! That's encouraging. Keep us posted.; 9/29/10, 4:18 PM
JayV said...: Fly on the Wall, great (what goopDoggy wrote)! Can you enlighten us all how KJZZ took the decision to nix NPR programming? Cheers, m8.; 9/29/10, 5:30 PM
Anonymous said...: All,

I know someone VERY high up at KJZZ. Phoenix is a tough market for public radio, in no small measure due to Arizona politics and the economy. The local public radio station is getting its ass kicked in the ratings; shedding listeners by the hour. The cume for KJZZ is about 250,000. They probably have about 8% of that in supporting members; maybe less. Historically, 8-10% of cume is about normal for any public radio market.

The CPB funded 5 grants to member stations/networks to produce investigative journalism. KJZZ won the biggest grant of the five. The grant will fund bureaus all over the southwest U.S., inside and outside Arizona. The grant will pay for an increased staff of journalists, many award-winning ones, to cover issues and events in this part of the country. As many of you know, news is happening in Arizona, and many of those happenings have long-term implications for the rest of the country, even if Eastern-centric NPR doesn't agree.

Nixing NPR (or cutting back heavily) came to KJZZ from the top. KJZZ is licensed to a community college in Tempe, but has a pretty large endowment from prudent money management. However, fundraising is getting a lot tougher. NPR costs are just too high, to acquire programming, and the returns on NPR programming investment are not paying off. KJZZ has some leverage with NPR because of national market size and because it is the ONLY local distributor of many of NPR's shows (KNAU, Northern Arizona Public Radio, is the other network, mostly outside of the Phoenix metro area) but NPR (and MPR) program costs are pretty high: ME, ATC, Fresh Air, TOTN, A Prairie Home Companion, and Marketplace.

The plan at KJZZ is: more local and regional news, faster stories, shorter stories, a lot less "talk," more (and better) traffic, more participation from the audience, and news that listeners can take with them.

The CPB money is seed money, but eventually, the programming (and the staff) has to self-fund. And, perhaps the content can be redistributed for additional revenue.

-FotW; 9/29/10, 6:01 PM
Anonymous said...: Fronteras: The Changing AmericaDesk, by KJZZ.; 9/29/10, 6:10 PM
JayV said...: Thanks, FotW!; 9/30/10, 6:23 PM
Anonymous said...: FoTW:

I believe WHYY is also moving away from NPR though Stands4Nothing radio(the network formerly known as National PUBLIC Radio) seems to be trying to keep them in the fold by placing some people from national dessks to Philly.

WHYY is also having trouble raising the funding (as is WXPN) but they are going to go with the fluff 'n stuff that seems to be the trend according to the article in Current Magazine. WHYY hasn't met a fund raising goal in 10 tries and I think the next one will be 11. "Dollar BIll" Marazzo doesn't even bother coming on anymore to "thank" the supporters. And they run Fresh Air 13 hours a week, Radio Times airs 4 times a day. Many shows are repeated because "the listeners want to hear them at times other than original times. I think it is another cost cutting scheme because they don't have to pay for "original" programming which costs money they don't have.

Hansen is leaving in May! Parting is such sweet sorrow.

Norris was on Tell Me More on Wednsday. Same faux near-tears and same boring BS as I first heard on ME. I noted that she is being accompnied on her tour by a reporter from the national staff.

Dino Temple of Doom has had to contradict her version of Al Queda which has gone from impotent organization with disgruntled members to being able to destroy European hotels with a single order. And maybe, just maybe they are coming to a hotel near you. But don't be overly scared - go out and buy something.

I have heard nothing from Omdutt about the PublicNotice question.

edk; 10/1/10, 8:12 AM