I thought I would critique talk radio hacks from time to time. I studied media in grad school, so I should try to follow along to stay in the 21st Century. Problem is when it comes to big networks with rich pundits, I always defer to the same conclusion - there is no earthly way they can speak to me. 

   I like local talk radio. The Janesville station 1230 WCLO gives it a shot. The Fort Atkinson station 940 WFAW gives it the old college try. The regional Madison station 1670 WTDY gives it a good go. I give these local guys a pass. I can only imagine the complexities of putting on local programing - and competing with the steamroller giants.  

   The middle want-to-be-someone stations I give more scrutiny. Madison's 1310 WIBA has a fatiguing, redundant agenda to save us all from the "left." Milwaukee's WISN 1130 is tiring. My God their 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. lineup looks like the who's-who of right wingers. And why in God's name does Southern Wisconsin have to listen to five hours of Vicki McKenna via these two stations? - Talk about a talk subject rut!  

   But back to my original point. Big-time rich talk radio and big Cable/Dish TV pundits just suck. They are like the Associated Press. They spew out the topics; we eat their tripe like little birds eating their mother's spit. They are by and large self-righteous, sanctimonious, condescending pricks. Need I name them off?

   Recently O'Reilly got under a microscope by seeming surprised an African American restaurant seemed normal. A few days later Limbaugh stepped in dog poop by discussing the patriotism of skeptical average soldiers. One of the obvious poetic problems for Limbaugh was he never served in the military himself and for a guy like him to shift from critiquing rich people and politicians, to wallowing with the average soldier, was paramount to stepping on a third-rail.  For the first time that I can remember in listening to Limbaugh for twenty years, the man behind the curtain revealed himself - Mark Mays, the CEO of Clear Channel Communications, the company that syndicates Limbaugh's radio program stepped out from behind the puppeteer screen to comment on Limbaugh. 

   A few months ago on June 4th, I mentioned my opinion of the paper-tiger elite cadre of talking-head buffoons: 

They hold the airwaves like Tokyo Rose, Hanoi Hanna, and Berlin Betty. They use the same inane communication techniques that tin horn fascists have used for a hundred years. And if you do not buy into their lectures and diatribes, you are "surely" with the imaginary enemy of the week. 

- End of my June 4, 2007 comment - 

   Here is a comment I made on Paul Soglin's Waxing America Blog when he brought up the subject of O'Reilly:

I used to give O'Reilly more credit than Limbaugh because O'Reilly actually bothered to finish college. However, one is just an educated boob and the other is just a boob. And, I am not what you can peg hole as a "lefty" out to rip right wingers. My humble analysis - they are both rich boobs. 

Can any one out there name me a talking head hack from the big media that is not a millionaire? O'Reilly, Limbaugh, Couric, Cooper, Olbermann, King, Imus, Franken, Matthews, Rather, Lauer, Hannity, Drudge, Beck, Coulter, Novak, need I trudge on?

Be careful to note that half the nuts in my talking head boob list are right wing - and yet like I say, I am no "lefty."

Its not really right vs left - there is little difference now days - the leaders and talking head spokesmen of the two-party paradigm are all rich. Nor is it about white commentator talking heads making gaffes. No, it is more about millionaire boobs living above me the rabble and them talking down to me the rabble. We analyze these rich nitwits as if we are all on the same team with them - as if they might care what we ("the folks" as O'Reilly says - what a load of crap) have to say about them. These rich fools live above 99 percent of us. There is little any of them have to say that is now, or will ever be meaningful to a guy like me.

Bob Keith
cooldadiomedia.com

- End of Soglin comment - 

  This week's Wisconsin soldier to remember is 24-year-old U.S. Marine Corporal Brian P. Prening. Corporal Prening who is from Plymouth, died while engaging the enemy in Babil Province, Iraq, on November 12, 2004. Prening was assigned to Company F, 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve. The unit is from Chicago. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel said Brian is a graduate of Plymouth High School. He had gotten married on August 13, 2004, and he and wife Amy were expecting their first child. CNN.com lists the Prenings as from Sheboygan. The Journal Sentinel also mentioned Brian went to Lakeshore Technical College in Cleveland, Wisconsin where he got a degree completing the tool-and-die program. Brian worked at Kohler Company. His Marine Reserve unit was activated. Corporal Prening was the 27th soldier from Wisconsin killed in the fighting in Iraq. Brian is survived by a twin brother, Bill, a younger sister, Ann, 21, wife Amy, a step son, and mother and father Brian and Deborah Prening.

   3,818 Americans have been killed in Iraq since Spring 2003.

   28,093 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Iraq since Spring 2003.

   80 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring 2003.

   115 journalists (several nationalities) have been killed in Iraq since Spring 2003.

Soldier of the week, military casualty, and journalist casualty information sources: Committee to Protect Journalists; cnn.com; and, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.