Blum and Gloom XLV

[Week 44 / Week 45 / Week 46]

[video h/t Joe Anybody]

Blum and Gloom XLIV

[Week 43 / Week 44 / Week 45]

Blum and Gloom XLIII

[Week 42 / Week 43 / Week 44]

Scrubbing the record

Progressive media is all a buzz. What happened to KPOJ morning host, Heidi Tauber? It seemed like a usual week on the radio. Monday some politicians were again at pains to explain what Bush is still doing in office. On Tuesday, Senate Candidate Jeff Merkley's paid media guy was engaging in the usual weekly shilling for his clients (and forgetting to disclose his paid relationships). Wednesday ended quite normally with an interview of Willy Week's editor, Mark Zusman and these closing comments from THC; Thom, Heidi and Carl:

Thom: In our third hour, everything you know is wrong... Barry Reid is going to tell us how to disappear... in America...

Heidi: OOooo!

Thom: Legally.

Carl: I'll be listening to that.

Heidi: You have Barry Reid on your national show. Tomorrow on the local morning show we have Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid who is our guest.

Thom: Who would like to disappear!

Carl: Yeah! THC with you on AM 620 KPOJ Portland's progressive talk station.

Thom: Thom Hartman National coming up next.

Heidi: We'll see you tomorrow.

And Heidi Tauber hasn't been heard from since. Thursday morning it's suddenly "Carl and friends." Not a single mention is made of Heidi's absence. Perhaps she's on vacation? Going to check out her blog, we find every mention of her on 620kpoj.com has been scrubbed. It's like she never existed. Heidi's been "disappeared"! Quick, find Barry Reid! While KPOJ takes the Fifth, other tongues are wagging (er... fingertips are tapping) over at OregonMediaInsiders.com

I first thought of Cecil B. Demille's "The Ten Commandments." It wasn't enough for the father of Ramses to ban Moses into the wilderness. He had to order every reference to Moses stricken. In the days before [Delete], this most often required a chisel.

"Let the name of Moses be stricken from every book and tablet. Stricken from every pylon and obelisk of Egypt. Let the name of Moses be unheard and unspoken, erased from the memory of man, for all time. "

So let it be written. So let it be done!

Maybe there's a more recent analogy. In Orwell's classic 1984 (otherwise know as Rove's Playbook), we learn the dangers of press merging into politic.

“He who controls the present, controls the past. He who controls the past, controls the future.” George Orwell

It is disturbing to note how the producer behind KPOJ's morning show, Paul Pimentel, seems to be altering the record. I recall in the past hearing something on the the show and going back later, unable to find the sought after sound clip. At first, I thought it was just me. Before long, others were sharing with me their same suspicions that Pimentel has been scrubbing the broadcast of unwanted speech.

Paul Pimentel

In a most recent instance (today), a caller (Tom) was offering his nominations for Weasel of the Week. He had two in mind. He first nominated Jeff Merkley. Seems the Speaker didn't like Tom's free speech and threatened to sue! Next he nominated "the management of KPO-" before he was cut of by Pimentel. If you go back and listen to the broadcast (end of today's third hour) you'll only hear the following:

"Carl: Tom, your weasel nomination? You're on the air.

Tom: I have two. My small weasel of the week would be Jeff Merkley for his overly litigious effort to silence my anti Gordon Smith / pro Steve Novick message that I tried to pass out. //nip// ... //tuck//"

Now first, where as I wholeheartedly agree with the caller, this was NOT East Bank Thom.

Secondly, it seems pretty clear that the caller was trying to voice his opinion about the management of KPOJ. (Weasels!)

Now I don't want to get sued, but it's my theory that the "Tom" who called is none other that KPOJ sponsor Tom Dwyer. I hear this guy's ads almost every day and I think I can recognize his radio voice (although the phone adds a different quality.) If I am correct, that's a pretty admirable thing for Dwyer to do. Now I'll happily write a retraction, but I'd much rather be right (and reward Dwyer with my business. My pickup needs servicing!)

Blum and Gloom XLII

[Week 41 / Week 42 / Week 43]


[video h/t Joe Anybody]

Kari Chisholm: POWNED and Sealed

Jeff Merkley's web guru, Kari Chisholm of Mandate Media just had his ample kiester handed back to him. As Merkley contiunes to flounder in the polls, his campaign is responding the only way the DC establishment knows how; go on the attack. Cue the scary music and out of context quotes. Talk about how "angry" your opponent is. And then take your negative attack online. But it seems that BlueOregon's chief cook and salad spinner went a bridge to far on the internet super highway. Seems he lifted the code from the actual Novick for Senate site and took the credit for himself. I'm not saying that he stole anything. He's just lazy (and uncreative).

By all accounts, Chisholm learned well from his mentors, the Clintons. It takes a burned village to save a campaign.

The Novick staffer who created the authentic website took issue with Kari's hand in the internet cookie jar. He published an open letter to BlueOregon's Kari Chisholm on the Daily Kos.

"On the recent attack website you launched for Jeff Merkley, novickinsultsdemocrats.com, you used a substantial amount of work that I, and others, created for the Novick campaign and claimed credit for it as your own... "

[Update: Kari responds (sort of) with a denial, an updated attribution and a counter attack.]

-kari. p.s. I'm pretty sure that's the state seal in the header of the real Novick site. You might consider removing it, per state law.

[Updated updated. Kari's attempted cheap shot went "poof."]

Merkley, the choice of "humans"

For a brief moment in time, it appeared that the Team Merkley scored the most valuable endorsement of all (that is, until the Lefties win out and "aliens" get the right to vote).

I've noted before that Mr. Kamberg's keyboard seems to lack the letters S - T - F and U. And now it appears, sometimes E.

Blue0 chief cook and salad spinner swooped in for the late night assist. But did Kari "Full Disclosure" Chisholm forget something in his attempt to bolster his client's cred?

Please give until it hurts...

LOTR: Return of the Ring

So that neighbor with a friend who bought a metal detector on the spur of the moment gave me a call this morning informing me she had dropped off said gadget on our back porch. I was a goin' prospectin' so I saddled up and skidaddled. I was soon man handling the Bounty Hunter Tracker IV. It had a switch, two dials and a meter. I tossed two pit, a nickel, a dime and a penny on the ground, flipped the switch, played with the dials, waved the wand and watched the meter... beep... beep-beep... beep.

I first employed the blind chicken strategy. Could be here! Beep... scratch. Could be there! Beep... dig... sigh. Then I did the unthinkable. I sought out the instructions. Gawd bless the interwebs. I found the manual online and learned that I wasn't supposed to be searching for a Beep... I needed to be listening for a Bzzzzt.

Here a bzzzt... there a bzzzt... But nowhere a sustained bzzzzt until...

I had come to peace with misplacing my partner's piece of eight... I didn't feel great, but I made my lemonade... and it was sweet. Still, I'm delighted to again be the Lord of my Ring. And it came with a nice tale... a trilogy as it turned out. I love my neighbors. I love my neighborhood.

In first grade, Mrs. Goodrich used to play the sing along piano for all classes assembled. I am reminded of...

Love is something if you give it away
You end up having more

It's just like a magic penny
Hold it tight & you won't have any
Lend it, spend it & you'll have so many
They'll roll all over the floor.

Magic Penny
(Malvina Reynolds)

Endorsements

President: Barack Obama
OR-Sen: Steve Novick
OR-01: Mark Wyleczko
OR-03: Joe Walsh
OR-05: Steve Marks
Secretary of State: Vicki Walker
Attorney General: John Kroger
Portland Mayor: Sam Adams
Portland City Commissioner 1: Charles Lewis
Portland City Commissioner 2: Nick Fish
Portland City Commissioner 4: Randy Leonard
OR-Senate-21: Diane Rosenbaum
OR-House-42: Teddy Keizer

A tale of two rings

Check out my endorsements! [click here]

A funny thing happened on the way to the weekend. It was just a week ago today when I planted my wedding ring somewhere in the back yard. In something reminiscent of Poltergeist, it appears that our humble abode sits atop some vortex which delights in swallowing up baubles.

I was out sweeping the front porch (and I never sweep the front porch), as a neighbor passed by... walking her little girls down the block. She stopped to talk and gestured toward our lawn sign garden when all of a sudden, fling went her wedding ring into a weed ridden, leaf filled flower bed.

She and I were on our knees tout de suite pawing through the dandelions and tulips. My neighbor's concern heightened when we didn't immediately strike gold. I told her of my recent jewelry mishap and told her to continue on with the girls and I would continue the treasure hunt. Before long, I found her diamonds in our rough.

When I reunited wedding band with bride the look of relief was priceless. She had already contacted a friend who herself had lost her ring shortly before giving birth. Before night fall, she had a metal detector procured and all lived happy ever after.

I love happy endings.

Blum and Gloom XXXXI

[Week 40 / Week 41 / Week 42]