Marketplace on National Public Radio just opened their Sunday show by using “Don’t Fear the Reaper,” by Blue Oyster Cult.
It’s come to that? Really?
Tag: National Public Radio
I Want To Say Bad Things… But I Can’t
Every day while in the shower I listen to National Public Radio. Sometimes I listen on Connecticut Public Radio. Other times it’s WSHU’s network of repeaters, running about the same power as a flashlight.
If I’m in early (for me), I get to hear Terry Gross and Fresh Air.
Actually, that’s wrong. I hardly ever hear Terry Gross. She’s never there. It’s always Dave Davies (really… what were his folks thinking) or David Bianculli of the Philadelphia Daily News.
A few times, I’ve planned on ripping into the show because Terry Gross is hardly ever there. It’s a running joke between me and me.
She’s the name talent. She should make an effort to show up. It’s not like they can’t tape a bunch of ins and outs for shows, all at once or allow her to use a studio in her home or on the road. Radio is much easier that way.
I can’t be too mean. I love the show.
I have heard more great interviews on Fresh Air than anywhere else. Most of the fun ones for more are with show biz luminaries. Dion Dimucci, Neal Diamond and Daivd Duchovny stand out. These guys were candid and fascinating.
Who knew it was Dr. David Duchovny?
In these cases they’re are people I’ve heard interviewed before. Still, I’ve gone away with much more than I knew when I turned the shower water on.
It’s NPR. There are always going to be esoteric do-gooders on the show I just don’t want to know about. Sorry. However, by and large, the show is great.
Some day Terry will explain to me where she is on all those days off.
Look Ma – I’m on Slashdot
I love Slashdot. How could I stay away from a site whose slogan is “News for Nerds. Stuff that matters.”
I am there at least 4-5 times a day, following their links to see the latest in high tech. It is Linux biased in much the way The Catholic Church is Christian biased. But, it’s geek and nerd populated and I share a certain sensibility with many of its habitues (though, unfortunately I no longer share the same generation with them)
Its readers, rapidly responding to the story postings, add insight, insult and everything in between.
What makes Slashdot so effective is its self moderating system which starts limiting what you easily read (you can always get to everything, but probably don’t want to) as users come on and rate the postings. Judging by what I see, there are a lot of people moderating at any given time, though Slashdot only gives you the opportunity to moderate every once in a while. Then, later, the moderations get moderated!
In many ways it is analogous to Google, where your association with others decides your relative importance and where your links appear.
Anyway, I’m writing all this because I finally got a posting of mine on to start a thread. It started this morning, early, when I saw an article in the New York Times about speeding up media (listening at double speed, for instance) and how that is a burgeoning field.
I have used that same technique in my studies at Mississippi State, watching DVD’s at double speed. For me, it’s been very effective. Now, it’s shared with others.