The Eyes of Mara

On February 22, 2012, when Jake Tapper, ABC senior White House correspondent, asked how the Obama administration's praise for serious journalism in Syria could "square with the fact that this administration has been so aggressively trying to stop aggressive journalism in the United States by using the Espionage Act to take whistle blowers to court" - journalists of conscience like Glenn Greenwald took note.  Readers of this blog were quick to point out that in the video clip of the interchange, NPR's National Pundit of the Right - Mara Liasson - could barely contain her scorn.  Enjoy!

Start Your Timers

There's new marketing afoot for Mattel's plastic couple - Barbie and Ken. And with a come-on line like, "...we may be plastic but our love is real" how long will it be before NPR gives this critical news, say, one, two or even three feature stories. After all when all you have to do is repeat the talking points that the generals and government hacks feed you, even a Barbie can be a journalist. When you're listening, don't forget, they may be real, but their journalism is _______________.

Feel free to treat this post as an open thread...with any NPR related comments welcomed.

Clowning

Clowns not getting paid? That's funny. Evidence below indicates that they be laughing all the way to the bank...hee...hee...

(click for better resolution)



(image is from NPR's 2007 990 - pdf)

Q Tip Fun

Saturday's ATC "Science Out of the Box" featured the use of...you guessed it - Q Tips!
Andrea Seabrook in her silliest radio voice, kept asking her guest, Otolaryngologist Dennis Fitzgerald "Why does it feel so good?"

Well, Andrea, Q Tips here on NPR Check feel soooo good, because NPR has gotten away with years of pouring rubbish into its listeners ears, and for once we listeners have a chance to clean all that gunk out. It's amazing what it does for your hearing - and unlike actual Q Tips in actual ears, the benefits are endless, and there are never harmful side effects.

BTW, as always, NPR related comments are always welcomed.

Them Funny Furiners

Those nutty ex-commie Romanians - zey arr zo bakvard. Tee hee. Even slavic sounding music sounds crazy! To think their lawmakers are requiring radio and TV stations to have at least half their news be "up beat." I wonder if a story like this one or "Uncle Wiggly Wings" would count. Uncle Wiggly Wings! God knows we don't want listeners getting bummed out with stories about US pilots dropping something besides candy on children! Har, har...

How Can You Improve on This One?

Morning Edition brings us vintage LP's for training parakeets to talk. We get to hear a campy authoritative voice say, "Teaching a parakeet to talk is fun," and assuring us that the recording is "designed to teach any healthy, normal parakeet to talk." Then a few silly jokes and sound effects and the crowning moment was Inskeep ending the piece (not heard on the web link) in his best parakeet voice, "Wraaa, this is Steve Inskeep, for NPR."