Month: March 2004

Literacy Referendum

Clark County, WA, the place where I sleep, had an election today on a bond measure to fund a decent library system. Now you’d think this would be the kind of thing everybody would get behind, but this place is weird. The local Taliban, AKA LifePAC, waged jihad against the measure on the grounds that … Continue reading “Literacy Referendum”

Clark County, WA, the place where I sleep, had an election today on a bond measure to fund a decent library system. Now you’d think this would be the kind of thing everybody would get behind, but this place is weird. The local Taliban, AKA LifePAC, waged jihad against the measure on the grounds that the young people aren’t adequately protected against the porn that forces itself onto library patrons through unfiltered computers, but I suspect their real issue is books on evolution. The leader of the book-burning faction, Margaret Tweet, is a member of fundamentalist church that believes Satan rules the world and the 66 books of the Bible are the complete and infallible word of God. There’s not much point in a library if you believe that sort of thing, and porn is a great excuse for derailing it.

Every day for the past month, one of their minions had a letter published in the local dog-trainer on the evils of libraries, some of the weirdest, most paranoid, and generally sex-obsessed crap you’ve ever seen. Early returns have the measure leading, but not securing the 60% necessary to pass, so the terrorists may win this round.

UPDATE: The library district is created, but the bond measure to fund it fails; victory to the Clark County Taliban. Those of us who believe in learning, progress, and reason will clearly have to organize and fight a better fight another day.

Covering Blumenthal’s tracks

Before the Lott affair, we used to admire Josh Marshal’s blog even though we don’t agree with his politics, not understanding that he’s a puppet of Sidney Blumenthal, the man credited by Kaus as initiator of the Get Lott campaign: Leave it to Harvard’s Kennedy School to produce a 25-page paper on the role of … Continue reading “Covering Blumenthal’s tracks”

Before the Lott affair, we used to admire Josh Marshal’s blog even though we don’t agree with his politics, not understanding that he’s a puppet of Sidney Blumenthal, the man credited by Kaus as initiator of the Get Lott campaign:

Leave it to Harvard’s Kennedy School to produce a 25-page paper on the role of bloggers in the Trent Lott affair that ignores the key part played by Sidney Blumenthal’s e-mails.

Those who’ve crowed the loudest about the Lott Affair’s showing the power of blogs to influence politics have ignored Blumenthal’s role, but any sensible person can see that the more powerful the tool the greater the incentive to manipulate it. Since blogs rely more on e-mail from dubious sources than conventional media, it stands to reason that they’d be easier to influence, and that’s the way we see the lesson of Lott. I’m glad we’ve got Frist running the Senate instead of Lott now, but I’m not at all thrilled by how the transition came about.

Josh Marshall is an insider, and he knew exactly what he was doing and why when he jumped on Lott; the semi-cons like Reynolds who jumped aboard Marshall’s bandwagon were much less aware of what Kaus calls the “dark matter”, and were simply trying to do the right thing and get a few hits in the process.

Many of the high-traffic blogs covering politics extensively are written by political outsiders who don’t actually appreciate the dynamics of political drama, and this makes them super-attractive to spin doctors who make their living, after all, manipulating those who know they’re being manipulated. If “citizen journalism” is going to become a constructive force in our politics, the citizens doing the journalism are going to need some lessons in the day-to-day practical realities of the political system.

Stern messages

Those who want to believe that Howard Stern is being persecuted for his criticism of the President may want to brush-up on their history: A 1988 Howard Stern broadcast of a “Christmas Party” over three stations including WXRK-FM, New York prompted the F.C.C. to fine each station a paltry $2,000 because of indecent programming broadcast … Continue reading “Stern messages”

Those who want to believe that Howard Stern is being persecuted for his criticism of the President may want to brush-up on their history:

A 1988 Howard Stern broadcast of a “Christmas Party” over three stations including WXRK-FM, New York prompted the F.C.C. to fine each station a paltry $2,000 because of indecent programming broadcast at times when children would likely be listening. Then, in 1995, Infinity – the company that fired “Opie and Anthony” – paid $1.7 million dollars in fines for Stern’s “indecency”.

The big fine levied against Stern by the Clinton Administration served to raise the bar for shock jocks, essentially providing Stern with the franchise for tasteless radio programming. Nobody could compete unless they were able to pay such a fine, and nobody who didn’t already have a huge audience could get a syndicator.

So now Stern has climbed upon a cross and declared himself a victim of Bush and the Religious Right, weaving a web of lies to cover himself, such as the claim that he can’t go to XM radio because it’s 30% owned by Clear Channel (the correct figure is somewhere between 4 and 8%; see comments here.).

How far will this idiot go to promote himself, and how gullible are his supporters?

Off the deep end

Jeff Jarvis suggests that Howard Stern should go to satellite radio, Dave Winer thinks Jarvis is reporting rather than suggesting, and Stern himself discusses it on his show: He said that if he went onto satellite, they’d sell 12 million receivers immediately; “they wouldn’t be able to make them fast enough.” It would change the … Continue reading “Off the deep end”

Jeff Jarvis suggests that Howard Stern should go to satellite radio, Dave Winer thinks Jarvis is reporting rather than suggesting, and Stern himself discusses it on his show:

He said that if he went onto satellite, they’d sell 12 million receivers immediately; “they wouldn’t be able to make them fast enough.” It would change the entire radio industry, making broadcast stations worth a helluva lot less, he said, and he’s right.

Never in history has a man been more full of crap than the talentless Howard Stern. His whole schtick is dependent on standards of decency setting the boundaries of good taste so he can position himself outside them. He’s like the little kid who’s learned that he can get attention saying bad words who then works the gimmick to death. He didn’t even invent this gimmick himself, he stole it from Alex Bennett.

In a setting where adolescent content isn’t circumscribed, his show would have no audience. He was created by the FCC, and he knows it, so all this whining about the government cracking down on his free speech rights is just crocodile tears. He benefits from being pushed out of the 6 markets that Clear Channel has banned him from by generating buzz for his tired formula.

If Stern was to go to satellite radio, which he won’t, he’d lose his audience because the 13-year-old boys who dominate it don’t have the cash for an XM radio and the monthly fee. Who’s he trying to kid?