It's Blatherbirthday, 2006!

It's our birthday! And while BlatherWatch has not exactly become a staple in the daily lives of the great washed masses, it's accounted for countless staff hours with ears up to the big Magnavox and many late night posts (such as this one), started supposedly only after the paying work was done.

A year ago today, we got up early, listened to Kirby Wilbur, then went back to bed. Later, we wrote this sad post, A Dog's Breakfast.

But it was a beginning and it's been wildly successful. We've filled a niche and built a readership envied by such sites as African Violets For You.com and Lyndon LaRouche Naked.org.

In anticipation of this day, we jammed what little dignity we had left into the BlatherWatch shredder and begged everyone we could think of for spontaneous congratulatory comments. When the accolades didn't exactly cram our inboxes, we turned to the methods we're most comfortable with: shaming, begging,  extorting, white lying, veiled threatening, lavish promising, petty blackmailing,  long-expired chits in-calling, and some small cash gift sprinkling.

We managed to scrounge up a respectable number of compliments, heartfelt (sounding) testimonials, snide asides, and faint, yet resounding praise. We're humbled.

Fr'instance, we were happy to hear from author, journalist, watchdog of the extreme right and Michelle Malkin, Orcinus blogger, Dave Neiwert, who wrote, "Congratulations on your success. May you score many more strikes against the Dark Side!"

Cool of him to say it, but darn it, the Dark Side more than leaped into the breach...

Like David Boze, (KTTH m-f, 5-9a) to whom we had to promise to stop referring as the Dumb part of "Dumb & Meaner," our hateful sobriquet for he and Dan Sytman's show (KTTH m-f, 5-9a). From now on we'll try to remember to call them, "Mean and Meaner." Dave says: "Congratulations to Blatherwatch, (a blog with an accuracy rating Ron Sims would envy) for surviving a year by feeding on the fears, insecurities and vanities of it's readers, namely radio people who come to the site to read about themselves. Who'd have thought that people whose voices are broadcast to thousands daily, would become obsessed with reading their name on a site read by a couple of dozen monthly? That said, I'm disappointed my name is not mentioned more often."

Or this from Brian Maloney,The Radio Equalizer, who has a gnarly national rightwing blog we wish would go away. He's a BlatherWatch friend even though we don't agree on anything except KIRO's programming prowess. "What you've done well is to find a niche and run with it, there was a need for open discussion on news/talk radio in the Pacific Northwest. I've noticed that both listeners and broadcast professionals mix together on your message board, that's a very constructive development. Though it obviously leans left, it's one of the few blogs of any kind where liberals and conservatives are meeting and taking each other on directly. Congrats on your first year."

The nemesis of Seattle and all things left and decent, John Carlson (KOMO m-f 10a-12p; KVI m-f, 3-6p) wrote, "They used to call newspapers the first draft of history. Now that designation belongs to the bloggers, particularly those focused on a particular "beat", who cover it more copiously than anybody else. When it comes to talk radio in Seattle, the relentlessly liberal but scrupulously honest Michael Hood has no peer. Drat." (We keep telling Carlson to watch his language!)

And this from THE ORB the mysterious right-winger who runs Orbusmax, the local Drudge match and inarguably the heaviest trafficked Northwest political website. "Congratulations, Michael, on your one year anniversary of Blatherwatch. Your blog is not only unique and topical, but amazingly coherent considering how far left you are. Your site is one of my favorites - I really look forward to reading it each day.  Keep up the great work and have another year of keeping the Northwest Media on its toes..."

No matter what he says about canceling him out at the voting booth, we are not married to Joe Heslet, General Sales Manager at KOMO and KVI. Honest. We've only had coffee. He writes: "It's hard to believe BlatherWatch has only been at this for a year. But then our friends at Eastlake have given you a lifetime supply of missteps, misdeeds, miscellaneous rumors and innuendo and there appears to be no end in site. Your future seems as secure as Dick Cheney's medical detail. Even though you're a liberal and we cancel each other out in the voting booth, I look forward to reading my daily dose of BlatherWatch.I don't know what I like better about your blog...Is it because so few people have the ability to write with equal parts of wit, snottiness and charm? Or is it the fact that, in a Newtonian Universe, every one of the cascading News/Talk failures at Entercom you've written about, have had the equal and opposite effect on my stations.My heartiest of atta-persons to you for your diligence and your ability to see the nuanced dynamics of what, for most, are mere buttons on the dashboard of life."

Our grubby coercion and cheap tricks worked on the the middle and left of center folks, too. Well, except for former KIRO lefty talk host and fun guy, Mike Webb who wrote us last year in no uncertain terms: "Please, just leave me the fuck alone and have fun on your little 'website.' Let me be clear: the next email from you will be considered harassment."

We're always blabbing about how boring NPR is, but we always say they fill a niche, but if you're to believe Steve Scher, the most trusted man in Seattle radio, and host of KUOW's Weekday, BlatherWatch fills a niche for NPR. “I don’t get to listen to enough talk radio," he writes, "I rely on Blatherwatch to let me know what’s going out over the airwaves. Blatherwatch listens to all of it. May their ears not ring too loud!”

We admire the insight, intelligence, incisiveness and indispensibility of Charles Jaco, former CNN war correspondent, and KIRO talk show host; now reporter and war correspondent for St. Louis' KTVI-TV. "BlatherWatch" he says with great alacrity, "is everything talk radio isn't- insightful, intelligent, incisive, and indispensable."

Geov Parrish, anti-authoritarian Seattle Weekly columnist, Eat the State! editor, broadcaster and blogger says: "At last! No busy signals! No obnoxious screener! No stupid commercials or traffic on the 3's! AND A HOST WHO KNOWS WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT! Cheers (and congratulations!)"

Turi Ryder (KIRO Sundays, 7-10p) was the only KIROee-yo to write (hope she doesn't regret it): "I Love Blatherwatch. It's written better than nearly anything else concerning radio, and it is more accurate than Bill O'Reilly; more factual than Al Jazeera, any cell phone contract or "Highlights for Children" magazine. With barbs more pointed and direct than a blast from Dick Cheney's shotgun, Blatherwatch is a 'must-read' for anyone who hopes to know early-on whether Britney Spears is once again pregnant."

We hadda ask Beth Taylor, Editor of Washington Law & Politics- because, besides that she's a mensch and one of the most forgiving editors in town, we owe her three essays we're probably going to be tardy with... "At first, I allowed myself only sneak-peaks, indulging once a week or so. Then, as talk-show hosts bit the dust and insanity spread across the airwaves of Seattle, I found myself sucked daily into the vortex that is BlatherWatch, along with all those other poor schmoes who just can’t get enough of talk radio. ‘Tis a sickness, to be sure, but with BlatherWatch around, who wants a cure?"

That mossiest of backs, Knute Berger, Editor of The Seattle Weekly and Weekday talker (KUOW Fridays, 10-11a) wrote nice things and made us sorry we made those remarks about his hair. He says: “Michael, you masochist, you have the most thankless job in town: listening to talk radio so the rest of us don’t have to. As a weekly blatherer myself, I’m always curious about what others are saying—and what you think about it. You’ve become an essential part of the local media ecosystem. Congrats."

Edgar "Choch" Manana, formerly of the Corpus Christi Caller-Times is the only media critic worth the title and as it turns out, the only one who takes cash. He states emphatically, "Mr. Hood's muse is unfettered by such mitigating factors as taste."

David Postman, Seattle Times political writer and on a good day, a KIRO talk host, writes, "Has it only been a year? So many R.I.P.s, so many rants I worry for your blood pressure, your hate-to-love relationship with Allan Prell -- Allan Prell, Michael? -- and even breaking some news we had to chase. It all blends together as magically as turkey jello pretzel salad. I read blatherwatch daily and will continue doing so at least until I figure out what an oddem is."

This from our business associate, Mr. Abu Madi, Bill & Exchange Manager of Bank BICIAB in Ouagadougou. "FIRST I MUST SOLICIT FOR YOUR CONFIDENCE IN THIS TRANSACTION, THIS IS BY VIRTUE OF IT'S NATURE AS BEING UTTERLY CONFIDENTIAL. THOUGH I KNOW THAT A TRANSACTION OF THIS MAGNITUDE WILL MAKE ANYONE APPREHENSIVE AND WORRIED BUT I AM ASSURING YOU THAT ALL WILL BE WELL AT THE END OF THE DEAL."

It's been a great year. We're still confused as to whether we're a political or a radio blog- and we intend to keep it that way. Thanks for the hits and the lively comments.

bests, Michael

Comments

[Lee tacoma]

I just got one thing too say ! What is KIRO thinking about putting Bryan Styble on the radio

[Seabeck]

NO other place to post this I suppose, but has there been any news regarding Tom Leykis or Robin and Maynard?

[Critter]

Michael:

Speaking of "hits," how many does blatherWatch avearage a day? Just curious/nosey. :)

Happy BlatherBirthday!!

[Fremont]

Having once dated one of your legion of dates, Bla'M, I was honored to be pre-notified that your blog was beginning. I perfunctorily logged in, and have been hooked ever since. It's not talk radi-yo that entices me (I'm an NPR, AA, and Norwegian Blues fan)...it's your incisive investigating and inimitable, irrepressible writing as well as the dialogues you inspire with your meaty threads that compel me to blog in. Your blog is uniquely Michael and priceless! Thanks and cheers!

[PugetSound]

Congrats on the Website. I know I am one of the appreciative masses here that visit on a regular basis. I love the fact that you:
1) Your local! Gawd we love that.
2) Don't take yourself too seriously-both giving and taking criticism.
3) You give the other side a shot and I cite the Boze/Carlson/RadioEqualizer comments.
4) It is funny that for a left-centric website you get more street cred from right-centric radio hosts. Hmm, might be a Doctoral Thesis in that if you get the right Faculty Prof...

Thank you for doing this.

[Fremont]

"Oddems" is a Michael-ism, isn't it? You made it up, created it from your neologistic brain! Damn, Bla'M!

[sparky]

hippo birdie two ewes
hippo birdie two ewes
Hippo birdie two ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwes
Hippo birdie two ewes

[joanie]

mares eat oats and does eat oats and little ants eat ivy . . .

and I'm glad to bee on board with ewe:)

[Noemie Maxwell]

Just one year, eh? Mazel tov. Lies from the dark side and malign invective make me put my fingers in my ears and hum. I can read blatherWatch while doing that -- but I can barely hear the radio. So blatherWatch is my intro to talk radio and, while even those window stickers advertising radio starting with "K" still get me queasy, batherWatch doesn't. Have I discovered an antidote for pure evil?

The only downside, minor really, is that I have found driving to be equally difficult while reading blatherWatch or while humming with fingers in ears.

[joanie]

Michael, I went back and read your first post and it got me thinking how grateful I am for this blog.

I don't remember why I searched "talk radio" but somehow came up with Blatherwatch. I just went back and reread my long email to you before having the courage to get on-line myself!

I still use talk radio as the background noise to focus my mind while I handle all the trivial must-dos in life. And I could so relate to your getting down and writing as a way to vent your frustration with all the duplicity, hypocrisy and lying on talk radio. The town square was taken over by conservatives and their reporters weren't telling the truth.

Before this gets too long, I've sure enjoyed being able to vent my frustrations and give light to my political as well as radio opinions.

School break this week has allowed me to listen to a complete Thom Harmann program. I wish I could make him a requirement for all citizens of these great United States of America! (I'm not really a flag-waving pollyanna, trust me!) :)

This Happy Birthday is heart-felt indeed. I hope you have the time and desire to keep it up.

[Fluffycat]

1) Happy Blather Birthday!

2) Styble wouldn't be so bad if he didn't sound like he was gasping for air like a smothering fish. It really takes away from what he says, which is often fairly intelligent. His delivery is atrocious.

[Tarses]

Hey, it's my birthday, too! Happy birthday! Now you just have 38 more years to go to catch up to me. No, really. My name is NOT Jack Benny.

Keep the good work.

[Willis]

I've been reading Blatherwatch for about 6 months now - and it's always a great read. Thanks for listening to KTTH and KKKVI when I can't (or won't).

On another subject, STYBLE SUCKS hardcore. They need to find someone with a brain for the overnight slot.

[David Tatelman]

Congratulations and Happy Anniversary, Michael. This is my favorite blog. Unfortunately I still find myself listening to talk radio even though you make it possible for me not to!

[imelda]

darn it Mike, I looked up Lyndon LaRouche Naked, and it does not exist! Some joke. He's a sexy, sexy man.

[Fremont]

Hey, Joanie....I'm not as old as Bla'M, but this is the first time I have ever seen "Mares eat oats..." in writing! All these year, I thought it was gibberish! See how incredibly enlightening your blog is, Michael? Thanks to you both!

[JDB]

Congrats Michael. blatherwatch is one of the few blogs that is actually useful and needed.

And, maybe instead of Mean and Meaner for Sytman and Boze, why not Numb and Meaner?

[Critter]

I guess I'm the ony one who doesn't hate Bryan Styble. The man is highly intelligent and I think his mouth is just trying to keep up with his brain.

However, he could be the worst of the worst and it would be an improvement over Lou Pate! We had nowhere to go but up when Pate left.

[bj]

Happy Anniversary, Michael --

Goldie lets his readers buy him a beer. How can we reward you, for all the entertainment?

[Dori Monson]

Blatherwatch is a self-centered, inaccurate field of dog poop!

[Tommy008]

Dori prove that you're really Monson. Years ago, you went to a funeral of an alcoholic uncle of yours.. What was the absurd aspect of a special performance at that funeral that you yukked it up about on the air?

[Tommy008]

Youre not Monson, joker or else you'd answer my question, proving you're him.

[sparky]

As I posted elsewhere...when ratings at KIRO are in the 0.0 range, Dorki could have a 0.1 and be on top.

whoopie.

[sparky]

I would like to believe that Dorki is also a better at grammar and spelling, just like the "real" Lou Pate, but I wouldn't bet on it.

[chris]

I heard Ross gave up his bed as he felt sorry for 3rd rate hosts doing tv commercials for discount furniture stores.

[Andrew]

No Limbaugh come Feb. 1 you sorry hack

[Doug]

Whats this i hear? R&M going to Sirius satellite radio? Apparently a former co worker of theirs from KXRX mentioned something about them ditching commercial radio. Roy will be unleashed and uncensored!