~ Like calling the aid car for a hemorrhoid? (or maybe vice-versa, in this case) did anyone besides us find KIRO's Monday night calling in the late Frank Shiers and going into full-on Storm Watch 2008 mode a little silly? While it was really nice to hear our close friend, Frank fill in for the syndicated Phil Hendrie who replaced him, (Frank's weather-talking mastery has earned him the nickname,"Shiver,") having all talk off the table except weather sent us to scurrying for Mike Malloy (KPTK m-f,7-10p). Besides, the weather wasn't all that daunting. Apparently, it was snowing on the Issaquah plateau, the mountain passes,north of the Snoho line, and in the wilds of Queen Anne Hill. The commute promised to be daunting, but WTF? Couldn't that have been well-handled on KIRO's many news breaks? Maybe it was to assuage KIRO's guilt for bringing in their first syndication in the weekdayparts and to assure us that they're still here to serve us live & locally. If the latter is true, it was gross overcompensation.
~ The new KIRO website will be all about "community" and shit; and will be up soon, according to everyone. They're lucky to have David Goldstein (Sat., Sun., 7-10p) already on their payroll. Goldy must have been a great resource since his claim to fame is that he's a NW blogger with national renown whose platform, Horsesass.org is one of the biggest online communities in the region. Nobody will talk to us yet, but with that kind of live and local experience on tap, maybe the site will go from the B- we gave it to an A. (Even KIRO's B- beat all the other talk stations' sites by a mile).
~ I am not a kook! bRyAn StYbLe (KIRO Sundays, 10p-1a) tried to dispel rumors about himself last Sunday night, at the end of his show. So know-it-now from your favorite know-it all: a) he is not a racist, he is in fact an integrationist. b) he does not work for free, he just was not paid once in New Mexico. Our questions to bRyAn: Have you learned to breath through your nose? Do you still wear a watch on both arms?
~ We gleaned this controversial commentary on recent radio history from one of our unnamed sources while doing our brrrrilliant post, Talkritique: live & local talk radio... is it over? If KIRO had figured out sooner what it figured out in August 2007, morphing into a NewsTalk station after desperately clinging to a declining NewsRadio image, it could have created a talk line-up to maintain dominance among talk stations. But they would have had to write off the news audience, let KOMO happen, and become the live, local talk station. In a perfect world, it would NOT have launched KTTH and instead put its resources into KIRO. That evolution should have happened in 2003. By 2008, KIRO would have been the bullet-proof talk station. There’s a lot of catching up to do for KIRO and challenges presented by the presence of KTTH/Rush. Bonneville inherited this mess.
~ Nobody would go to Sunset Bowl last Friday to photograph Too Beautiful to Live's
Jen Andrews for 
BlatherWatch.
She hates us and won't respond to our
requests for a photo. But thankfully, TBTL released the stunning
headshot of Jen on the left.
~ Bryan Suits high-profile new job at Los Angeles' KFI may be stepping out of the saute pan onto a hot burner. Dig his predecessor, John Ziegler's gripe site talking about his former job.
~ Charming son of a bitch, Bill Cunningham, KVI's 
syndicated Sunday night answer to The David Goldstein Show. He insists on
calling Obama, "Barack Mohammed Hussein Obama," and said recently, "it
would be a shock" if "Barack Mohammed Hussein Obama can be elected the
president of this country in these difficult terrorist times." The big-mouthed hee-haw (photo right) also claimed that Obama "was raised in madrassas in Indonesia." Get ready for more of that from the vile right wingers if Barack is nominated.
~ "women masturbating horses" is one perverted thing you can put into the Google and get you to BlatherWatch. We're just grateful it wasn't "men masturbating horses." That would be really sick.
~ Global warming denying creationist for governor? a reader gleaned from the otherwise top drawer Kirby Wilbur Show (KVI, 5-9a) that Republican gubernatorial candidate, Dino "I wuz robbed" Rossi, is not only a global warming denier who calls it “a myth” and “a hoax;” but he favors teaching Biblical creationism in public school science classes; and presumably believes the earth was created in one great week just 8,000 years ago.
~ storming the high ground, Bill O'Reilly climbed up
on his high horse to astoundingly denounce some NBC commentators for
"continu[ing] to slam Senator Clinton." Did the Fox News Designated
Jerk turn to salt mouthing this hypocrisy? No: he went forth to accuse
Chris Matthews (photo left) for being "rough" on Hillary and aired a video clip of
MSNBC Matthews' saying, "The reason she's a U.S. senator, the reason
she's a candidate for president, the reason she may be a front-runner
is her husband messed around." O'Reilly said: "We don't do that here
... I mean, that is a personal attack!" Thanks for setting the high
industry standards for fair comment. billo. Now you can, SHUT UP!!!
SHUT UP!!!
"KIRO, my former employer in Seattle," writes Allan Prell in his new, tell-all radio book, Unplugged,
"featured traffic reports during the morning and afternoon drive time
“on the seven’s.” Seven after, seventeen after, twenty seven after, you
get the picture. The audience hopefully had become accustomed to
hearing the traffic reports at that time during the hour. Then in a
daring programming move that could only be described as genius the
decision was made to have the traffic reports “on the three’s,” oh
three, thirteen past,twenty-three past, you can figure it out from
there. The reason given for this innovative ground-breaking decision
was that the competition, the much lower rated station, KOMO presented
their traffic reports “on the fours.” It was explained to me in this
manner, KIRO’s traffic reports would now be aired a full 60 seconds
earlier than the competition. It's that kind of thinking that has made
radio in America what it is today.
That's really what Dino " I shoulda been the boss-y" Rossi believes?? Cool! I think I will email him a fan letter and tell him to keep that line of thinking in the forefront of his campaign. I would love to see the looks on the faces of the farmers in Eastern Washington who are feeling th pinch of this weird weather when he tells them that. He is probably hoping to be a dark horse running mate with Hucksterbee, who today said the Constitution needs to be changed to more closely follow God's word.
Posted by: sparky | January 15, 2008 at 05:28 PM
Jen Andrews looks like she bites!
Posted by: sparky | January 15, 2008 at 05:37 PM
Sparky, you don't get out much do you. Why not look up in the Mountains next time you go outside, the tornado is gone, might not have one down there again til 2032, so you don't need to be afraid like last thursday. I know, your foot, but go out and take a look when you can and see how much snow there is up in the mountains. I will bet there is no fear talk of the SME this year from our states global warming climatologist like last year.
Mountain precipitation for December west of the Continental Divide was 123 percent of average and east of the Continental Divide was 109 percent of average.
Posted by: Nevets | January 15, 2008 at 06:22 PM
Is that Snowmelt Effect (SME) or Snow water Equivilent (SWE). Either way, there will be no talk about it this year.
Posted by: Nevets | January 15, 2008 at 06:33 PM
Suits will last 6 months in La-La Land, no more.
Posted by: Sclub | January 15, 2008 at 06:42 PM
Maddow must be shaking her head tonight. She did all she can to put down Romney the last few days and yet he still took the Michigan GOP Primary. Muahahahaha.
Posted by: Nevets | January 15, 2008 at 06:47 PM
Ah hah...more Battleship!
(Hmmm she doesnt live near Vancouver..wait! I know! I will make a reference to being able to see the mountains! That will narrow it down!)
I get all my weather information from
noaa.gov. But that doesn't preclude my interest in hearing someone's story about driving down from the pass.
Posted by: sparky | January 15, 2008 at 06:53 PM
I usually look at the marble stoop landing when I go outside as not to trip over it here in Charm City.
Posted by: Lt Giardello | January 15, 2008 at 06:57 PM
I didn't know writing a blog was experience for web design. I guess they don't need any of that high paid IT talent now that they have goldy to run the web show for them.
Maybe he can show them the intricacies of the bold font and if they are really lucky, hyperlinks.
Go goldy. Design your ass off!!!
In other news, Prell needs another gig. His acidic humor is missed. However, he might be better off on the outside sticking it to the man. You should get prell to guest host a couple days here at blatherwatch. I bet he has some stories to tell.
Posted by: asfsadfsa | January 15, 2008 at 07:57 PM
Last time I was down there I could have sworn I was able to see Mt St helens, Mt Adams and Mt Hood from the bridge going over the columbia river on I-5. Maybe I was seeing things.
Posted by: Nevets | January 15, 2008 at 09:18 PM
Miss!
Posted by: sparky | January 15, 2008 at 09:21 PM
The snippets on this post either are the bottom of the barrel (with the exception of the Bryan Suits update) or make no sense. Jen Andrews photo is probably the highlight. Ho hum...
Posted by: KS | January 15, 2008 at 09:26 PM
Or was that I-205.
Posted by: Nevets | January 15, 2008 at 09:36 PM
>>Suits will last 6 months in La-La Land, no more.<<
And TBTL will be dead long before that.
Posted by: RobP | January 15, 2008 at 09:59 PM
Rand McNally is your friend, Stevarino.
Posted by: sparky | January 15, 2008 at 09:59 PM
Two things on KIRO today. Dave Ross talking about fixing the 520 and viaduct. He supports the tolls, (I really could care less as I would probably not use either bridge more than once a year) saying that to fix these problems the state needs to save money to pay for them since prop. 1 failed. I thought that was a good point but why didn't he bring up what he talked about earlier, that the state has over a 1.4 billion dollar surplus, isn't that considered a savings and why not use this money for the Bridges. Second, Dori and his riddle about whether a plane will take off from a conveyor belt if the belt matched the speed of the plane. He says yes and even had a confused Boeing Engineer agree with him somewhat. I'm not an Engineer, but I say no, the plane will not take off and Dori, as usual, left the only caller who might disprove his riddle for last and had to run to break profusely saying the guy was wrong. Anyone hear this and have an answer.
Posted by: Nevets | January 15, 2008 at 10:13 PM
whoo hooo! Bill Press is going to replace The Young Turks. Bla'M can give us the details..
Posted by: sparky | January 15, 2008 at 10:56 PM
Another name for gross overcompensation: Shiver
Well, overreacting to weather is one of the few things KIRO still does well...
I'm still laughing.
And for the innnovative decision to abandon the sevens for the threes, I'm sure the general manager was rewarded with a generous bonus and retired with a golden parachute.
Great column, Michael. Thanks.
And Steven, as usual thinking backwards as your posting name suggests, more rain falls because in the upper altitudes the air is warmer and holds more condensation which eventually falls producing more rain.
The reason for the increase in storm intensity is that as the planet warms, the temperatures of the atmosphere and of the ocean surface go up as well, leading to increased evaporation and an increased capacity for the air to hold moisture. As this soggy air moves from ocean to land, the storms that form are heavier with rain or snow."
Sometimes it's nice to know what you're talking about.
Posted by: joanie | January 15, 2008 at 11:35 PM
Just had to add, Steven, that my first graders understand the process of evaporation, condensation and rainmaking... it's not rocket science, dear.
Posted by: joanie | January 15, 2008 at 11:38 PM
I still like Cenk and the Young Turks. I think Press makes a good weekend show.
Turks are continuing online but during the afternoon.
Press is in the doghouse with me after declaring that Edwards should quit the race after two primaries.
If that isn't a junior-league pronouncement, I don't know what is.
Posted by: joanie | January 15, 2008 at 11:43 PM
Not sure whether Jen's about to take a bite out of somebody like one of those flesh-eating zombies that stumble around Northgate, or she's just glad to see me. Whichever it is, she's at least happy-looking.
Posted by: Claude | January 16, 2008 at 02:08 AM
I remember when Oprah got rightly called out by lawyers for the meat industry after she irresponsibly allowed damaging and slanderous lies to go out on her show about the safety of American beef. She showed up at the lawsuit blaming her self- caused problems on white racism, when her whole show's success is built on the loyal viewership of white women. Oprah is a black racist and her championing of Obama doesn't make me feel good. It has now come out that Obama's personal pastor , the leader of the weird Chicago black church that the candidate has figuratively kept locked in the attic like a crazy uncle, after one brief exposure to the press, gave an award to hatemonger Louis Farrakhan. Farrakhan has called Judaism a "gutter religion" and the white man the "skunk of the world". Somehow I imagine Michelle Obama sitting arond teling "cracker jokes" about Hillary and whites, behind closed doors, back in the hood.
Posted by: Tommy008 | January 16, 2008 at 03:46 AM
Obama's chuch gave a lifetime achievement award to Farrakhan who claims white folks are subhumans grafted from a pig by a black scientist named Yakub. Republicans will have a great time annihilating Obama if he wins the nomination.
Posted by: abob | January 16, 2008 at 04:49 AM
Cenk Uygur never explained why Air America decided to shit-can the program in the middle of the most exciting presidential race in half a century. Interest in political talk radio is at an all time high. Cenk's ratings must have sucked awfully bad to compel Air America to pull the plug with such alacrity; only to replace him with the generic Lee Rayburn.
Posted by: abob | January 16, 2008 at 04:59 AM
Cent Uygur. I listened to this guy for a couple hours around xmas time, when KIRO was playing saccharine, sickening xmas msic for days , as mandated by MORMON MANAGEMENT. He came across to me as an arrogant, abrasive fellow- one might even call him an a-hole, but that would be mean.
Posted by: Tommy008 | January 16, 2008 at 05:17 AM
Been listening to TBTL since inception now and I'm getting kind of used to it's really different format. Seemed silly at first, but it's EASY listening and getting somewhat entertaining. I wouldn't be surprised if it stuck. I believe they need more subject matter however instead of so much focus on themselves. But may be that's just their way of getting us acclimated to their personalities, and once they've established that -move on to more diverse subjects. Bottom line is I AM listening to KIRO at that time slot now regularly and wasn't prior.
Posted by: andrews | January 16, 2008 at 05:57 AM
Tommy, you get grumpy when you stay up all night.
Posted by: sparky | January 16, 2008 at 08:54 AM
Who is this aBOOB guy and why does logic appear to not matter to him? Let me get this straight - since Obama's pastor has a daughter who works for the church magazine and came up with an award for Farakhan we should therefore make Obama the scapegoat? Nice one.
I guess then we should use this litmus test on all politicians on the right as well? What an intellect you are.
Posted by: cowpotpi3 | January 16, 2008 at 03:28 PM
I love this Aboob fact-turd:
Interest in political talk radio is at an all time high.
HAHAHAH! Oh Reeeeeeeeeeally?!
This of course explains perfectly the overall decline in talk radio ratings, right?
But I'm sure you didn't pull that one straight from your ass, did you Aboob? No no no, I'm sure you read all about it in the "Paris Business Review"
(The same place he picked up the "Obama supports Farakhan" goober)
Posted by: mercifurious | January 16, 2008 at 05:35 PM
Sparky says:
"I would love to see the looks on the faces of the farmers in Eastern Washington who are feeling th pinch of this weird weather when he tells them that."
Maybe you should explain that to Sparky there Joanie. I thank you for backing up my claim that the farmers of Eastern Washington are not feeling "the pinch" of Global warming and will more than likely vote for Rossi like they did in 2004.
And remember Joanie, as discussed before, we both believe that there is climate change, we just disagree as to the cause.
Posted by: Nevets | January 16, 2008 at 06:09 PM
You know Stevarino..I know few people on this planet who can read what I write and draw the exact opposite of what I said. Truly amazing.
Or maybe it isn't.
Posted by: sparky | January 16, 2008 at 06:32 PM
relative to 'this planet' yes you do know 'few' people. what a astute statement.
Posted by: sincmaster | January 16, 2008 at 07:05 PM
"And Steven, as usual thinking backwards as your posting name suggests, more rain falls because in the upper altitudes the air is warmer and holds more condensation which eventually falls producing more rain."
what?
joanie, you are ass-backwards as usual. Ever wonder why the tops of mountains have snow? that's because the air is COLDER the higher you go, about 3 degrees per 1000' is a good rule of thumb. And it is moisture that air holds; condensation is what you get when it cannot hold any more.
/pilot
//surprised a teacher does not know this!
Posted by: mark | January 16, 2008 at 07:12 PM
Is that a compliment Sparky?
Posted by: Nevets | January 16, 2008 at 08:16 PM
oh yes, Stevarino, it is. Same for your buddy "sincmaster"
Posted by: sparky | January 16, 2008 at 09:14 PM
arrogant, abrasive fellow...
Gee, I wonder who this reminds me of...
...Eastern Washington are not feeling "the pinch" of Global warming ...
I don't know that. What's your evidence? Frankly, I guess I don't understand your comment about rain. .. What was the point of it? Or was there a point at all?
Mark, true to form, doesn't know how to use hot links or doesn't how to read them or doesn't know how to comprehend them.
Which is it, Mark?
Gee, Mark, I think we should hereby dub you "Mark, The Science Guy"
Posted by: joanie | January 16, 2008 at 09:28 PM
And Steven, as usual thinking backwards as your posting name suggests, more rain falls because in the upper altitudes the air is warmer and holds more condensation which eventually falls producing more rain.
Wrong - only if you are built upside down...
Another theory states:
"The reason for the increase in storm intensity is that as the planet warms, the temperatures of the atmosphere and of the ocean surface go up as well, leading to increased evaporation and an increased capacity for the air to hold moisture. As this soggy air moves from ocean to land, the storms that form are heavier with rain or snow."
Sounds like more global warming hip-hopcracy. For every prediction like above, there is another one out there that contradicts it. Global warming/climate change is for real - largely due to the amount of pollutants (includes CO2 & methane) being dumped in the atmosphere - don't mess with Mother Nature as has been done. Let's check back in 2030 or so and see what really happened...
Posted by: KS | January 16, 2008 at 10:26 PM
C'mon Joanie, use that education your dad paid for. Think girl, think.
To be fair, maybe I should have said
"I thank you for backing up my claim that the farmers of Eastern Washington will not be feeling "the pinch" of Global warming and will more than likely vote for Rossi like they did in 2004.
Does that help?
Do you always need things spelled out for you. Have you no "common sense" at all.
Posted by: Nevets | January 16, 2008 at 10:40 PM
KS, I might not agree with your assessment that it is man-made, but I will agree on the wait part. The only question is, can those that believe it is man-made wait or will we have to pay more to those "Gore" types who want to profit off this with their "carbon-trading/offset" schemes.
Posted by: Nevets | January 16, 2008 at 10:49 PM
nice try joanie, but you are still fouled up concerning simple atmospheric science. and like others here have mentioned, you never admit error - no fool like an old fool, eh?
when flying a plane, setting up a hyperlink is not usually a priority - but here's one just for you...
Posted by: mark | January 16, 2008 at 11:33 PM
Why is it that all the people who want to deny Global Warming always seem to take one single point of data (Mark and is one snapshot) or one extremely subjective statement that is not backed up with any evidence (the whole 'farmers aren't complaining and its raining THIS year)?
And to those who deny and want to wait: what is your REAL motivation for doing so? Surely having a clean environment to pass on to our children is not a specious goal. Do you simply disagree because it is politically adjudged by your party to do so? Of course, you won't admit this...that would make you either cowardly or at the least intellectually dishonest. We know right wingers can't be either of those things!
Posted by: cowpotpi3 | January 17, 2008 at 07:59 AM
Just keep recycling those diapers there pal and do your part!
Posted by: Dave | January 17, 2008 at 08:10 AM
Mark, you continue to prove your ignorance. What does decoded pireps have to do with anything?
Snow on mountaintops and decoded pireps, these are a few of Mark's favorite things. But are totally irrelevant to the conversation.
But keep trying Mark.
And Steven, whatever your point was, I'm glad the EWA farmers got their rain. Certainly better for the salmon than all those dams.
When you have something other than anecdotes to prove your science, let me know. We can talk.
Posted by: joanie | January 17, 2008 at 08:11 AM
Hey Joanie, Snow on Mountain tops has eveything to do with our conversation. Where do you think the Columbia River gets most of its water from? Do you think it just rains up in a magical place in Canada and then trickles down through Washington State on its way to the Pacific Ocean? Maybe you need some more schooling.
Posted by: Nevets | January 17, 2008 at 08:38 AM
Dave (Steve), are you going to refute what I said or shall we just save time and accept it as the truth? Thank you for again validating that you're (by choice) uneducated and incapable of individual thought processes.
And ironic that the righties of the board are attacking anyone who 'makes money' off of global warming while simultaneously ignoring the fact that oil companies and the Republican Party front groups are paying out the nose to anyone who refutes it. They have a word that you guys should be intimately familiar with now: hypocrisy.
Posted by: cowpotpi3 | January 17, 2008 at 08:38 AM
Run your business, help your wife with the kids and try to help out more around the house instead of wasting your time on blogs.
Posted by: Dave | January 17, 2008 at 08:56 AM
CPP3 - the fact that the temperature decreases with increased elevation/altitude has nothing to do with global warming; it is simple physics that is the same on Venus and the rest of the planets.
...and now Joanie. Pray tell me - is this what it is to slip into irrelevance?
Posted by: mark | January 17, 2008 at 09:23 AM
Steve - I'll do whatever I want, you know this is America and all. I would think that in your small Republican goose-stepping lizard brain somewhere you'd realize that since I am a family man and I do contribute to the economy via business I represent America. Why do you hate America again? What have you done lately that you feel you can give ME advice on anything? That's what I thought...nothing. I bet you're the kind of tool who sits around thinking that gays and minorities keep a 'white man down' or some other drivel while you read every right wingnut source possible and believe every little bit. It hardly takes time or effort to smack you down thank you very much.
Mark - since you are here pretending to be an expert, you just contradicted yourself completely. If you know anything about the atmosphere you know it is well mixed and variable - not monolithic like you describe it. Did you read the study in question or are you simply trying to discount the theory based on a presumption you are making about the atmosphere that is provably incorrect?
Now how about some real evidence refuting what she said? If you don't have anything other than your blanket definition of the atmosphere (which is patently false) then you obviously have little to stand on.
Posted by: cowpotpi3 | January 17, 2008 at 10:15 AM
Cliff Mass takes phone calls at his office at the U. He also is heard explaining the weather every Fri morning at 9:50 on KUOW
Posted by: coiler | January 17, 2008 at 10:41 AM
cpp3 - with 250+ hours as a pilot, I had better know this! (airframe icing kills the unwary frequently). My statement was quite simple - the higher you go, the colder it gets. Always true? no, we get rare inversion layers, but it is the safe way to bet. Proof? easy enough. Ever fly on a jet? window seat? is the window warm or cold? At FL40, it should be around -60 degrees outside. Another is by watching the weather on the news. Imagine a warm day in June, around 70 degrees. Jeff Renner may mention the freezing level is 9000 feet (32 degrees).
Weather is a highly complex subject, and I am not an expert by most measure.
Posted by: mark | January 17, 2008 at 10:42 AM