Is Weissbach back?

Peter Weissbach, that churlish, jack Canadian formerly of KVI filled in Tuesday (with former grasshopper Dave Boze) for the Passovering (Passing-over?) Michael Medved (KTTH m-f, 12-3p).

Ever wonder what the be-pony tailed Weissbach is doing these days? (He's the guy KVI brought in from Vancounver BC., to replace John Carlson on the afternoon drive when the mop-topped reactionary ran for governor).

Hard-edged, contrary, a little brilliant but never beloved, Weissbach was fired eventually, and has been wandering in the fill-in desert ever since.

He hasn't even got a Web site these days.

He's filled in for Art Bell, and like Mike Siegel was considered in the process to replce Bell when he "retired." (George Noory eventually got the nod). We hear Weissback occasionally filling in for Michael Savage and are reminded of what an annoying jerk he can be.

(Once mighty in Seattle, Siegel is out in the weeds, too. He's doing 1 hour, m-f, on low-power KITZ in Silverdale).

Weissbach is host of a brokered weekend business snorefest, Forbes on Radio, carried on 157 stations mostly in 3rd rate markets. (hear him podcast on Forbes.com or live on Aberdeen's KBKW,Sundays, 3-6p).

It's a wonkish, room temperature 3-hour discussion of trends, issues and politics that effect the business world. Weissback shows his talent as a toothless house tool for Forbes enterprises.      

Comments

[Pilgrim]

"Hard-edged, contrary, a little brilliant but never beloved, he was fired eventually"

Pete,
Please tell me you haven't been wasting 'your life's energy' these past few years.

[JDB]

Actually, despite him being associated with Michael Weiner, I've always liked Weissbach, and have thought that he and Bose together are a lot of fun, and tend to be interesting radio (Bose is a lot better with Weissbach than he is being pulled down by Sytman). Back when he took over from Carlson, he did a pretty good job of covering local poltics and Olympia in particular, something that is mostly left (outside of NPR) to Kirby now days.

One of the nice things about Weissbach is that he is neither doctrarian nor an ideological puritan. He has tended more toward the libertarian conservative versus the current bunch of neo and theo-cons that we now find in power. He also is willing to make fun of his own, instead of being overly reverential like Medved of Hannity.

If KTTH really wanted to make a mark in this market, they would dump the Weiner show and go with Weissbach and Bose in afternoon drive. It would be the most interesting talk out there in afternoon drive, would give KTTH a good local focus, and it would be a good compainion to the current line up. Let Sytman patrol the gloom of dawn and bring Bose out into the light, I say.

[joanie]

When I first heard Weissbach, I liked him. That was years and years ago. But, the more I listened, the more his snottiness (?) started to accumulate and I ended up turning him off. Now, I don't listen when he's on.

Sometimes I think he parades his intellect sort of artificially . . . and I really like authentic and genuine. As least as far as I can tell it to be.

[Tommy008]

Weisbach really puts the "ass" in asshole , and like Monson veers a bit too much into the fascist mind set on social issues to be acceptable. Speaking of litle man Monson, today he was sneering and belittling a local guy who wants to help local lower and middle income folks get affordable housing. Dori started going on and on again about "those who made poor choices" and are therefore working in the lower echelon jobs. That is so asinine, and also employs a kind of conservative/fascist type of "magical thinking". This "magical thinking" makes people like Dori feel smug and superior by conveniently ignoring the fact that there is a finite number of "good jobs" as well as a finite number of people with superior intellects or special skills and talents. It has nothing to do with laziness or "poor choices", it's just the facts of life. Monson also went on and on about "market forces" in rental housing and the real estate market. This simplistic shibolleth of "let the market reign", and prices will adjust to a fair level, is a myth which is easily proven false in a place like Seattle. First of all the real estate market as well as grocery stores, other businesses, etc. in this region sets their prices by relying on a phony, artificially high benchmark known as "median annual income" which according to their figures is 50,000 dollars for the average single man. Of course everyone in town knows this is artificially high, and that the average guy you meet doesn't make close to 25 dollars an hour. This phony figure is reached by adding in a small percentage of "hotshots" such as Microsofters, other software people, elite property real estate agents, etc . who make obscene incomes, so that the "norm' is artificially skewed higher. Thus you have the situation here in Seattle where the average working guy can't afford an "average looking" medium sized house. Thus the need for types such as Dori's guest.

[mark]

Tommy too true. Guys like Dori just love economic feudalism

[joanie]

I heard that, Tommie. The guy did a good job of defending his point of view.

Didn't you notice, however, when the vet called in, suddenly Dori dropped the "poor" choice category and started using just "choice" without characterizing it as poor? He then could talk about people who, like the caller, made a choice to go into the military rather than collect a huge paycheck.

So, now we know that only people who choose jobs paying a lot of money over jobs that contribute socially deserve to own houses.

I actually am not sure I agree with spending the money either. Helping twelve families a year seems kind of like a lottery. But, I sure agree with you about his "poor choices" mantra.

Wouldn't it be kind of just if Dori lost his voice and actually had to make a living doing something else. Guess that would reflect upon his decision to put all his marbles into broadcasting. Course, he's probably made his wad by now so wouldn't care.

Also, I don't think he has a clue what a free market really is. What a schmuck.

[joanie]

If you're not listening to Randi, you're missing a great performance! Even if you don't like her, she's really on tonight. What a hoot.

[Tommy008]

I'm tired of people getting a free ride in this state on the backs of the state taxpayers! People like Dori Monson! Respected research and studies (and State Senator Rosa Franklin) have established that Dori , who makes about $150,000, pays only $6,000 in state taxes. A $20,0000 dollar wage slave, on the other hand pays a whopping $3200 in state taxes, four times the percentage of what he makes compared to "free-rider" Monson, who is being supported in style on the backs of peon wage slaves.

[sparky]

ah, but Tommy...he "made good choices"!
At least that is what he would tell you.

[sartre]

Weissbach- what a peculiar yet obnoxious ass.

[Steve]

Sounds like Jethro is jealous. But for fun Jethro, can you link these studies or are they a chapter of one of your best selling fiction works.

[darwin]

Weissbach was one of KVI's biggest mistakes. He was the beginning of their downfall. He took them for quite a ride, they sponsored his U.S. citizenship, then he fucked them. some heads rolled at Fisher after that fiasco.

[Kept-Awake-In-Math-Class]

> [blah blah blah] artificially high benchmark known as "median annual income" [blah blah blah] This phony figure is reached by adding in a small percentage of "hotshots" who make obscene incomes, so that the "norm' is artificially skewed higher.

When your blood pressure comes down, you might want to look up the definition of "median" and compare it with the definition of "mean."

You're welcome!

[raffi]

mean, median, they're both drier than a popcorn fart...

[Tommy008]

i know the difference, smartass. You took my term "phony figure" literally, or anal-retentively, and thus came to the wrong conclusion. I wasn't saying the figure of 50,000 dollars wasn't the true median, but that the median income benchmark is irrelevant or phony when establishing what the average working man can pay for a house, because of this small group of anomalously high income earners that skews the average to the high side. A mean income benchmark would be much fairer. Glad you paid attention in school, champ. So did I.

[Tommy008]

Stethro, you need to contact State Senator Rosa Franklin, and I'm sure she'd be happy to send you the Gates Commission studies, which were overseen by Bill Gates Sr. The studies proved conclusively that the low income earner in this state is being hosed and pays 16% of his income in state taxes as opposed to only 4% paid by those making $150,000.

[Tommy008]

hey guys Steve seems to have a problem respecting certain peoples names on this blog. I've never had that problem, although I loathe and/or disagree with some here. It only fair- if Tommy008= Jethro, then Steve=Stethro. Enjoy your new name, Stehtro. You've earned it.

[Tommy008]

Just to bring things down to brass tacks- if Monson was paying the 16% in state taxes that peon wage slaves pay here, that would mean 24,000 out of his pocket a year instaed of the 6,000 he pays now. His choice in cars would have to be trimmed by $19,000, and Dori would find himself crossing the lake to his Eastside enclave in a "sensible shoes" sedan rather than a sporty European convertible, paid for on the backs of 20,000 a year wage slaves. You might say Dori is a welfare queen, but that would be mean..

[Tommy008]

sorry, Monson would only have to trim his car budget by 18,000 not 19,000. He would still be able to afford satellite ready super duper car stereo with Onstar.

[Shadow]

I could be a poster boy for Dori's "make the right choices" rant. I prefer to consider myself pretty damn lucky. Praise God, Chutlu, or whatever deity you prefer for these many blessings.

Far too often I have seen these $20,000 wage slaves struggling to get by with rising housing and transportation costs keeping them stuck with no opportunity to get ahead. The ones I admire most are those who continually get knocked to the ground by the system that Dori advocates, dust themselves off and jump right back into the fray.

[Duffman]

Amen on that, Shadow!

[Fred]

Darwin's right about Peter. After he ruined KVI he sucked up to Ken Berry over at KIRO and got some work there.

[JDB]

Please, don't blame Weissbach for KVI's problems. KVI started having trouble when Carlson's ego got so big he thought he could be Governor, and when they foolishly replaced Medved with Hannity. Add to that the loss of Rush, and you can see why KVI has gone down hill.

Again, Weissbach actually covered the legislative session in Olympia better than anyone else other than (and, by the gods, it is difficult to admit this), Mike Siegel, and at least he didn't have Seigle's derange paranoia backing him. Also, the dynamic between Weissbach and Bose is by far the most interesting duo on the radio locally. It makes me wince every time I have to hear Bose brought down by Sytmann's lame attempts at being snarky. All Sytmann apparently learned in years of working for Medved is lame name calling, which is apparently the best most conservatives can do for comedy.

(P.S. Had to pass this along, Google spell check wants to replace "Sytmann" with "Smutman." Now that is telling.)

[Duffman]

Is Weissbach really a blue man (like it shows in the picture)..is that because he's from Canada?

[Steve]

Stethro, sounds good to me. How does one come up with that, but I'm fine with that Jethro, I've been called Idiot, moron, racist, ST. Eve, Adams Wife, Summer Steve, to name a few.

I would think a writer could come up with something more original. You seem to have no problem giving nicknames to others in the media, but when it happens close to home you start crying. Maybe you are starting to think it is a right wing conspiracy against you or something.

If you must know, Jethro fits your Tommy008 perfectly. Like D&D for Merci, and Peasant for Sparky. Heres a clue, who was the funniest 008 secret agent. Think about it. You'll get a laugh.

But Stethro? I don't mind, just don't get it?

[coiler]

Steve, I would of thought you were being called for duty by now, ya know?

[Nigel Tufnel - Lead Guitar]

It was always fun hearing Darral Good of Lynnwood (Darral420) call Weissbach, ya know?

[Kept-Awake-In-Math-Class]

i know the difference, smartass. [blah blah blah... proving i don't]

If you knew the difference between mean and median, you wouldn't be calling me a smartass.

The 50th percentile is the median. A small group of anomalously high income earners cannot "skew the median to the high side." You'd have to move a significant chunk of the population in order to move the median number. Putting a gazzillionaire into the population doesn't affect the median.

Hey, maybe you need to go back to school, smartass.

[sarge]

bring back weissbach, fire Suits.

[lukobe]

joanie--what is a free market?

[Tommy008]

hahaha pompous ass. Of course a group of "hotshots" making googobs of money way out of proportion to the rest of the earnings curve can skew the "median. The bloated number is still the "median", something I've never argued with, but so what? In that case the "median" is a horseshit statistic, and not realistic or fair as a tool to calculate house prices. Just take the numbers down to say 100 earners, say, in the town of The Happy Hundred. Let's say that 10 workers made 8 an hour. 10 made 9. ten made 10. ten made 11. ten made 12. ten made13. ten made 14. ten made 15. ten made 16 ok now 90% of the workers are accounted for. adding up their hourly income equals 1080. divided by 90 work hours we come with an average wage of 12 dollars an hour without yet factoring in the top ten percent of workers. now let's say, without being too extreme, that the next five workers, half of the top ten percent make 20 dollars an hour, a whopping 4 dollar jump over the next level down. Now we have 1280 divided by 95. This brings the average or median hourly wage up to 12.42, but the other 90 % still isn't too upset with the "median" figure being used to calculate their new house prices. But wait! The "hotshot' class still hasn't been factored in. the five hotshot workers each make 200 dollars an hour. now our total figure for 100 work hours is 2180 and divided by 100 we get our "median hourly wage "of 21.80 an hour, higher than the wage of the first 95% of all the workers, even the 20 dollars an hour workers in the lower half of the top tenth. But it's the "median" right, so it must be fair. Wrong. This median annual income game/racket, used by realtors in pricing homes only works fairly if you have a somewhat proportional, symmetrical earnings curve, with the top one or two tiers rising above the bottom eight in percentage moves that are fairly close to the percentage moves established by the lower eight groups of ten percent of the workers. That's not the case in Seattle. When I say a small group of anomalous wage earners, I'm not talking about 27 workers. There are enough workers making these kind of obscene incomes compared to the other 95 or 96% that it renders this so-called "median annual income" irrelevant and unfair when pricing the average home, although obviously not as extreme as my example. Anyway, I wasn't the one who came up with this. It's not my pet theory. I first read about this in a local neighborhood Seattle newspaper, in an article about unrealistic and unfairly high housing prices in the central area written by a guy who knows his stuff and analyzes such things. .

[Kept-Awake-In-Math-Class]

now our total figure for 100 work hours is 2180 and divided by 100 we get our "median hourly wage "of 21.80 an hour

You still don't get it. That's the mean, not the median. Go back to school.

[Kept-Awake-In-Math-Class]

Hey schoolboy, I saved you some homework:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/median

me·di·an
3. Arithmetic, Statistics. the middle number in a given sequence of numbers, taken as the average of the two middle numbers when the sequence has an even number of numbers: 4 is the median of 1, 3, 4, 8, 9.

Okay schoolboy, now whip out your calculator and see if you can tell me the mean.

Now, what's the difference between the mean and the median?

[Kept-Awake-In-Math-Class]

Anyway, I wasn't the one who came up with this. It's not my pet theory. I first read about this in a local neighborhood Seattle newspaper, in an article about unrealistic and unfairly high housing prices in the central area written by a guy who knows his stuff and analyzes such things.

You mean, a guy who can't afford to buy a house and who has to live in his Mom's basement. (It's not fair!) Unlike you, he can whine about it in a real newspaper (sorta), not just the comments section of a blog. But you can one-up him. Now you know what median means!

[joanie]

Full of questions, aren't you l'be. Look it up youself. Start with Friedman.

Seems to me I'm a couple of questions up on you currently. Plan to answer mine?

[Tommy008]

pal i got my terms wrong. Score one for you! I confused median with mean. I still don't back down on my claim that realtors use the disproportionately bloated salaries of the top five percent of Seattle area earners to calculate a phony average house price, out of reach of the average salary worker. I would have to locate the original article I read and see what kind of a calculation scheme the author said was used to establish this phony average home price. The author definitely ond convincingly showed how this top tier of extravagantly and obscenely paid workers was creating unfair average house prices. and stop with the definitions.

[joanie]

Most of us got the message, Tommie. There are a few "gotcha" people here who seem to miss the forest for the trees. Your point was well taken.

[Kept-Awake-In-Math-Class]

stop with the definitions.

Our entire dialog to this point has been about definitions, schoolboy.

Like I said in the first place: When your blood pressure comes down, you might want to look up the definition of "median" and compare it with the definition of "mean."

You're welcome!

And now moving on...

> realtors ... calculate a phony average house price

Realtors don't calculate house prices. If a house is unfairly priced, it doesn't sell. Then the asking price gets dropped. Your buddy in his Mom's basement might not understand that, but with a little work, you can get the hang of it.

For your next assignment, you need to look up the definition of market price. I don't want to do all your homework for you, but I'll give you a hint: http://dictionary.com.

[JDB]

I'm sorry, but I was told there would be no Math on this blog.

[Duffman]

Yeah, lets get back to the meat of the subject: why is Weissbach blue?

[chucks]

So the $200.00 an hour guy is a lawyer, accountant, MD, Dentist, Actuary, talented businessman etc.
Sounds like the people who worked their buttes off in school. I do not begrudge them one bit. Shit, I should have worked that hard.
Now they can buy anything they want anywhere they want. They just bid up the price.
Now the little guy just needs to move to the suburbs and start small. That is just the way it is and should be.
I live south of Tacoma because that is where my budget fits. It would be nice to live in the big city with all the liberal folk. But I am stuck in a nice neighborhood with good schools and great neighbors.
Housing prices are set by the buyers. The sellers take what the free market will allow. Again, as it should be.

[chucks]

Oh yeh
I have no idea what this has to do with the blue guy.

[chucks]

Oh yeh
I have no idea what this has to do with the blue guy.

[Tommy008]

haha what a condescending clown. Anyone with a room temperature IQ can see that the moderate wages and salaries of most Seattle workers do not support the rise in house prices the city has seen. You thought you destroyed me with your expose that I was using the wrong terms, but actually the same unfairness can be created by using the mean income, if you have say one half of the area's workers (the high-tech industry and their somewhat lesser- paid, ancillary support businesses) jacked up onto an earnings tier high above the other half. I think 'thou doth protest too much". You have the kind of insufferable arrogance and bloated, unearned self-esteem that smells of a Republican highend property resl etate weasel, uh, I mean broker. Earning your entirely unearned and undeserved 6 % comission on each house. Christ, what a racket that is.

[Tommy008]

And another thing "paid attention in math class". I have nothing against making money. In my first year of my own investment business, which was last year, 2006, I made slightly over 200% return on investment in the stock market, using stocks I picked myself, not with some jackass stockbroker's advice.. I know a guy like you automatically starts to try to feel superior to and pigeonhole anyone who speaks out for fairness and against greed in the real estate racket. And that's what it is- a legal racket.

[Tommy008]

Tommy008 3 math class 1

[Kept-Awake-In-Math-Class]

Guess again, schoolboy. I've never been able to sell my way out of a paper bag, so those 6% commissions have never gone into my pocket. I've bought and sold property at prices I thought were fair at the time, nothing more.

Don't worry about that 200% you made last year, schoolboy. The market will get it back from you over time. In the long run, it always does. Then you can look up in·dex funds.

[joanie]

C'mon you guys. . . he's blue because the concept is "red, white and blue" and so Weissbach is "the blue." Perhaps "all American?" Heck, I don't know . . . is he American or Canadian? But he's passing himself off as one of us . . . or one of the right . . . or who the heck cares!

[joanie]

How about "red, white and blue" political talker?

[Tommy008]

Wrong, clown. The market always gets it back from nasty little people like you, not from everyone, and certainly not from me. If it took it back from everyone, there would be no Warren Buffets.