BlatherWatch

What the hell? (Update #2)

That was the comment heard over and over today as people heard talk and news radio report about the sensless tragedies today after 5 people died today because of gunfire.

Around 11:30 am a man entered the coffee shop Cafe Racer on Ravenna and started firing. Two people were killed instantly and a third died a few minutes later at Harborview.  About a half hour later, a woman returning to her car in a lot at 8th and Seneca was grabbed by a man who wanted to take her car. He pushed her to the ground and shot her in the head.

At 3:30 pm Mayor Mike McGinn was holding a news conference, which was interrupted by the news that another shooting had taken place in West Seattle.

After much confusion, excellent observation and action by a Seattle detective, we learned that this shooting victim was, in fact, the gunman in both earlier incidents and had put a gun to his own head and pulled the trigger.

What the hell? 

Police say we have had more homicides in the Puget Sound area in the first 5 months of this year than we had for the entire year 2011. Two killed yesterday in Shelton. A person shot at the Folklife festival--second year in a row. A young woman is killed while walking in Pioneer Square with her boyfrend. A young father is shot and killed while driving with his parents and children in the car, a classic case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Is Seattle becoming more violent? The usual arguments for and against gun control will surely surface, but is the problem bigger than that? Is there a role that can be played by counselors, teachers, clergy, police who can identify troubled people before this happens?

Is it the economy? Is it drugs? Is it the easy availability of guns by those who should never have them?  What is going on?

UPDATE: From yesterday's Seattle Times, a now ironic piece written by Lynn Thompson. In part it reads:

"Seattle police officials Tuesday said the outbreak of violence through Memorial Day weekend and since the beginning of the year has more to do with guns than with gangs.  Deputy Police Chief Nick Metz and Assistant Chief for Operations Paul McDonagh said that, while gang activity has played a role in the jump in homicides this year — 15 to date compared with 21 in all of 2011 — the common denominator is the use of firearms.

"A person who has a gun is more likely to use a gun," Metz said after the weekly council briefing. The pair addressed the City Council on Tuesday to talk about the recent spate of shootings and the Police Department's stepped-up response.

Police are trying to pinpoint a reason or reasons for the recent violence and are combing through cases as far back as October, when they noticed an uptick in seemingly random incidents.

"We don't know" what has prompted the violence, said Jim Pugel, assistant police chief of investigations. "If we knew, we'd be able to put a stop to it, and that's the frustrating part."

Metz and McDonagh outlined to the council plans to curb violence that dealt with people — not firearms. Those include putting more officers on the street in areas with high crime and a high number of violent incidents. They also called on community members with information about crime to contact police, even anonymously.

Community-outreach officers also are planning a meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Garfield Community Center with the East Precinct Advisory Council. The meeting is in response to the shooting of Justin Ferrari, a Madrona father who was killed Thursday afternoon at a busy Central Area intersection while running errands with his children and parents. Police said the shooter was aiming at someone else across the street.

That crime in particular, Metz told the City Council, has created a great deal of concern because of "its randomness and the fact that it could have been just about anybody." No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing, police officials said.

An alleged Seattle gang member, meanwhile, was arrested on suspicion of the Saturday-night shooting near the Space Needle that left one bystander wounded. And one of four drive-by shootings that night was at the former home of a gang member, Metz told City Council members. On April 22, Nicole Westbrook, who had just moved to Seattle to attend culinary school, was fatally shot as she walked home to her Pioneer Square apartment, apparently by someone shooting at another person.

Pugel said special-emphasis patrols, which were deployed to high-crime areas in the East, West and South precincts last weekend, will continue. SWAT officers assigned to anti-crime teams, gang detectives and some traffic units are being added to patrol units to "change up the delivery of officers to problem areas," he said.

 Share your thoughts below..please keep to the topic and let's play nice in the sandbox. We have had enough anger today to last awhile.

Update 2: The gunman, identified as Ian L. Stawicki, 40, of Ellensburg, was not killed by his self inflicted gunshot. He is in critical condition at Harborview.

Tuesday Potpourri--bloviating ignoramuses and live voter purging

Mitt Romney says he isn't concerned about Donald Trump's commitment to the "birther" conspiracy, as the GOP presidential candidate today hosted a fund-raiser alongside the celebrity business magnate.

Asked on his charter plane whether Trump's questioning of President Barack Obama's birthplace gave him pause, Romney simply said he was grateful for all his supporters.

"You know, I don't agree with all the people who support me and my guess is they don't all agree with everything I believe in," Romney said. "But I need to get 50.1% or more and I'm appreciative to have the help of a lot of good people."

Except that The Donald is more than just a "supporter"--he is a surrogate who has recorded over 30 robocalls on behalf of Mittens. Sunday morning, George Will harrumphed that The Donald is a "bloviating ignoramus." His fellow journalists around the table giggled.

Romney has said in the past that he firmly believes Obama was born in Hawaii, and is thus constitutionally eligible to be president.

Trump, however, is decidedly less sure. The "Apprentice" host has been a vocal proponent of the "birther" conspiracy going back several years, at one point claiming he had "investigators" looking into Obama's records in Hawaii. Obama released the long-form version of his birth certificate in April 2011, showing he was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961. Soon after it was released, Trump announced he would not make a bid for the GOP presidential nomination.

Trump joined Romney and former presidential candidate Newt Gingrich for a campaign fund-raiser in Las Vegas this evening. Romney's campaign also is raffling a chance to have dinner with the celebrity business magnate for supporters who donate $3 to the campaign.

"I want you: Dine with the Donald," a campaign flier proclaims, along with a drawing of Trump in the pose of Uncle Sam.

The campaign offers: "Airport transportation in the Trump vehicle; Stay at the Trump International Hotel & Tower New York; Tour the Celebrity Apprentice Boardroom; Dine with Donald Trump and Mitt Romney."

In Florida, Republican officials are feverishly working to rid the voter roll of Hispanics and Democrats ahead of the November election. Trouble is, they have purged the rolls of people who are very much alive and very much American. Two House Democrats say Gov. Rick Scott is leading a “misguided” effort to purge legal Florida voters, including a World War II veteran from Broward who was required to prove he’s a U.S. citizen. Bill Internicola was born in Brooklyn 91 years ago and received a Bronze Star for fighting in the Battle of the Bulge in World War II, but, according to the state of Florida, he may not be a U.S. citizen.

Internicola received a letter in May from the Broward Supervisor of Elections stating that it received "information from the State of Florida that you are not a United States citizen; however you are registered to vote." The letter was part of a controversial state-led effort to rid the voter rolls of noncitizens. Similar letters were sent to 259 Broward voters. Their ultimate number of voters they hope to remove is around 138,000.

Internicola said he was “flabbergasted” by the suggestion that he wasn’t a citizen. He called the county’s election office and said: "Are you crazy?"

Internicola shared his story at a press conference Tuesday in Davie, where he was joined by two members of Congress: Ted Deutch (D-Boca Raton) and Alcee Hastings (D-Miramar). The Democratic lawmakers say Internicola is an example of Gov. Rick Scott’s “misguided” effort to purge legal voters from the rolls before this year’s presidential elections.

Internicola said he sent Broward a copy of his Army discharge papers. He is one of six voters on the list who have provided paperwork to prove they are citizens, said Mary Cooney, a spokeswoman for the supervisor.

Broward was following the direction of the state Division of Elections, which initially identified roughly 180,000 potential noncitizens by searching a computer database from the state’s Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. But the drivers’ license list doesn’t automatically update when someone becomes a citizen.

The state whittled that list to more than 2,600 voters and forwarded those names to counties. A Miami Herald analysis of the list found it was dominated by Democrats, independents and Hispanics. The largest number were from Miami-Dade, home to the state’s highest foreign-born population.

In Miami-Dade, 359 voters have provided proof that they are citizens. The county determined on its own that an additional 26 were citizens, while 10 others either admitted they were ineligible or requested to be removed.

Voters have 30 days from the receipt of the letter to provide documentation of citizenship or they will be removed from the rolls.

Any effort to remove names from Broward’s voting rolls draws particular scrutiny because it is the most Democratic county in the state. It has more than 500,000 registered Democrats and could play a pivotal role in the outcome of a close presidential or U.S. Senate contest in November.

Deutch called Internicola an “American hero” and described him as “the face of Gov. Scott’s request to purge our voter rolls."

Internicola said he was born in Brooklyn to an American-born mother and Italian-immigrant father. He traveled to several countries in Europe during World War II working as a medic where his nickname was “Pepsi” — since his last name ends with “cola.” He got married, worked as a vice president of a restaurant chain in New York, had a son and daughter, and said he moved to Florida in the 1980s.

Broward voting records show that Internicola registered in 1991 and has been a frequent voter — including the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections — and in at least a couple of municipal elections. He’s a lifelong Democrat.

We are shocked! shocked, that Florida Republicans would resort to such a thing!

* Hat tip to Amy Stewart of the Miami Herald.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/05/29/2822073/south-florida-democrat-say-gov.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/05/29/2822073/south-florida-democrat-say-gov.html#storylink=cpy

Janine Turner : birther on the radio!

 

Janine Turner is the latest Hollywood star to tout the Tea Party and Birther messages.

Janine Turner is best known for play the role of Maggie, the tough-but-vulnerable Maggie the Pilot in the hit show "Northern Exposure." While filming, she lived in eastern King County where her neighbors said she kept to herself. After the leaving the series, she starred in two movies, a television show on Lifetime Network, then moved back to Texas and had a daughter. Along the way, she discovered religion and has spent the last few years promoting religious videos, Christian Yoga, called "Christoga", and started a radio show.

 

Janine recently debuted her conservative, political talk radio show on Talk Radio KLIF 570  in the Dallas/Fort Worth market: The Janine Turner Show – American Exposure  - Hollywood Flair, Washington Savvy, American True Grit. Janine is a highly acclaimed public speaker, First Lady of Texas Anita Perry says, “After hearing Janine speak, I felt inspired, touched, motivated and – quite frankly – in awe. Her speech was riveting.” Ed Gillespie, former chairman of the RNC says, “Janine is a rare mix of talented actress and principled committed conservative. Her understanding of how entertainment shapes our culture makes her a potent force and sought after speaker.” Governor Sarah Palin says, “Actress Janine Turner was an eloquent supporter, particularly on the subject of women in politics and the strength and value of single moms who are committed to raising solid citizens.” On her radio website she promotes links to books and articles that claim President Obama was born in Kenya.

"Her Op-Ed articles have been published in media outlets such as Fox Opinion, the Daily Caller and she is an “Arena” contributor to Politico. She has appeared on numerous television news shows including: Fox and Friends, Hannity, Glenn Beck, Huckabee, Megyn Kelly, The O’Reilly Factor, Neil Cavuto, CNN’s Larry King Live, The Joy Behar Show and The Parker/Spitzer Show. She is a frequent guest on the Laura Ingraham, William Bennett, Lou Dobbs, Steve Gill Show and Glenn Beck radio shows and is a sought after regular guest on other popular radio shows across the country.

Along with Janine’s published Op-Eds, she has written 90 essays on the Constitution and the Federalist Papers and is a regular Blogger. The video clips of her Speeches, her Fox Opinion Op-Eds, Essays, Politico contributions, Blogs and Radio Show Podcasts may all viewed on her website. "

 We think Maggie O'Connell would say it's all bunk.

Weekend open thread 5/25/12

 This weekend we honor those who have given their lives in service to their country. While we are at it, let's thank a soldier, sailor and Marine for their service as well.

In the news: Tonight at 8PM Central Time, Republican Gov. Scott Walker and his Democratic opponent, Milwaukee mayor Tom Barrett, will square off in a debate in advance of the June 5 recall election. The debate will be carried by C-SPAN and should also be available for livestreaming. Since it is C-SPAN, it most likely will be repeated again during the weekend.

Today Vice-President Biden gave an emotional speech about loss to the Gold Star parents of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. He related how he lost his first wife and daughter in an accident, his son barely surviving, and shared how he knew a little bit about what they were feeling. He commiserated with them over the "black hole" their lives had become since losing a loved one, and there is no way the country can ever repay them for the sacrifice of that family member.

And finally, to further demonstrate that he is "on top" of things, Dori Monson sputtered his outrage that sex ed workshops were held at The Evergreen College this past week.  We are relieved that Dori follows the hard news.

This is an Open Thread.

R.I.P. KUOW2

From our friends at KUOW:

KUOW2 service will continue to be broadcast on KUOW HD–2 and streamed on KUOW2.org.

KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio (PSPR) has operated KXOT since July 2006 on behalf of the station's licensee, Public Radio Capital Tacoma – I LLC (PRC). PRC purchased the station (KBTC–FM) from Bates Technical College in 2005. The call sign was changed to KXOT.

The PRC–PSPR operating agreement was driven by the shared belief that a new program service in the South Puget Sound area could attract a significant new audience while preserving the frequency for public radio.

However, after six years of broadcasting KUOW2 programming, the KXOT audience is small. At 0.2 percent share, it is only slightly larger than when Bates Technical College students were programming the station 10 years ago. Research shows that most KXOT listeners are also KUOW listeners, meaning the station has attracted very few new listeners. New listeners are required to sustain the operation of KXOT.

PSPR explored options for financing the acquisition of the KXOT license. A capital campaign feasibility study was conducted to determine whether major gifts and grants could be raised for the purchase. The study report advised against such a campaign.

PSPR offered to re–negotiate the operating agreement to achieve terms more favorable to PSPR, including extending the agreement to 2013. Unfortunately, PRC was unable to restructure its KXOT debt service without an unacceptable increase in PSPR's capital investment.

KXOT History

• 2005: PRC obtained a bank loan to finance its purchase of KXOT.
• 2006: PSPR entered into a five–year agreement with PRC to operate KXOT, with an option to purchase the station. PSPR began airing KUOW2 programming in July 2006.
• 2009: PSPR notified PRC that it would not exercise its option to purchase KXOT.
• 2011: The PSPR–PRC operating agreement ended in July 2011. PSPR agreed to operate KXOT on a month–by–month basis while PRC sought a new operator.
• 2012: The PRC loan went into default. In April, PRC's bank informed PSPR that it intended to take over the operation of the station. PSPR will cease to operate KXOT after June 29.

Breaking: Greg Hersholt to return to local radio

Gregg Hersholt, jetisoned by KIRO in 2010 after 26 years with the station, and most recently doing afternoons at KXL (Portland), has been named morning anchor at KOMO, replacing the recently retired Bill Yeend. This will supposedly also replace Mornings with Manda (weekdays 5a-9a) co-hosted by Manda Factor and Tom Hutyler.

Stay tuned!

Weekend Open Thread

Trending on the radio waves today:

Facebook went public today on the NYStockmarket. The stock opened at 11:30 a.m. at $42.05, but soon dipped to $38.01. It briefly traded as high as $45 and by noon was at $40.40. It fluttered throughout the afternoon and hugged the $38 mark for much of the final hour, before closing at $38.23. The 421 million shares that were sold fetched $16 billion and represented 15 percent of the company's stock. Facebook got $7 billion, and the early investors $9 billion. The other 85 percent of Facebook's stock is owned by Zuckerberg and other Facebook executives, employees and early investors. In comparison, Google offered just 7.2 percent of its stock when it went public in 2004. Its stock rose 18 percent on day one. (We are confident that sometimes -poster Tommy008 made a killing today.)

Bill Radke introduced the morning news today in rhyme:

"John Edwards' life? A big disaster.
Ads about Obama's pastor.

Last Dance for Donna Summer.
Bad Girl's gone and that's a bummer
Dim All the Lights - we loved you, Donna.
Trayvon Martin smoked marijuana.

Postal Service makes a cut.
Skechers shoes don't shape your butt

Baby names: Michael's fadin'.
Now it's Braden, Aiden, Jayden.
Girls are Mia, also Leah.
Goodbye Britney, hi Sophia.

Most new babies aren't born white.
Women might be allowed to fight.

Facebook's giant IPO --
Is it worth it? I don't know.
It's how Linda stays in touch.
Me and Tangney, not so much.

Tom is watching flicks today --
Film Fest finally underway.
Looking forward to his reviews.
This is Seattle's Morning News."

 Speaking of birth rates, for the first time, there are more black, Hispanic and other minority babies being born in the United States than white babies, according to government data released on Thursday that confirm a long-growing trend.

U.S. Census Bureau data show the United States is on its way to becoming "majority minority," with almost half of all young children currently from minority groups, including Hispanic, black and Asian.

Time Magazine this week featured a cover photo of an attractive young mother nursing her young son. Controversy broke out over the fact that the son was about 3 years old and was standing on a chair to reach his lunch. The headline read "Are you Mom Enough?" and arguments erupted on the radio waves over whether or not the boy was too old to still be nursing. (Personally, when our offspring grew teeth, the deal was off.)

Enjoy your weekend!

Blatherwatch has a new e-mail address

Blatherwatch is changing its email address! The link has already been changed, and we are posting it here as well: [email protected]

Many of you have generously sent us tips on stories, the latest radio gossip and news of backroom deals, what kind of hair color a certain host buys at Bartell's and so on. There isn't a lot going on in the talk radio world for reasons we have already explained. Your input has been greatly appreciated, and we hope you will continue.

The Yahoo account has been disabled and we have lost the addresses of many of our faithful contributors. We would be pleased if you would email us with your contact information. As always, your confidentiality will be protected and respected.

One man's religion is another man's cult

A Super-Pac supporting Mitt Romney for President is contemplating a new attack ad on President Obama, one again tossing out the name of the controversial Reverend Jeremiah Wright.  Republican strategists, including Fred Davis who worked for MCain in 2008, want to "do exactly what John McCain would not let us do"--run TV ads linking Obama to provocative comments made by Write at the same time then-Sen. Obama attended his church. The Super PAC is funded by Joe Rickets, found of the brokerage firm  TD Ameritrade.

The proposed ad campaign is referred to as, "The Defeat of Barack Hussein Obama:The Ricketts Plan to End His Spending for Good."  According to the leaders of this Super-Pac, this will "show the world" how President Obama's views of America were formed and how it has "brought this country to its knees."

Both Romney and McCain have indicated they do not support this proposed ad campaign. McCain said he is "proud of the campaign he ran in 2008 and he stands by the decisions he made."  Romney's campaign said they were running a "campaign based on jobs" and that Obama was the one who was running a "campaign of character assassination."

Conservative author Ed Klein recently interviewed Rev. Wright .  Of the Obamas, Wright said, "Church is not their thing. It was never their thing."  Apparently Klein was shocked that Rev. Wright was calm and polite and very soft spoken. "He was nothing like I have seen on the videotapes," he told Sean Hannity.  "...There was no sense that this guy could go off the deep end."

One reason Romney is downplaying the idea of such ads is that he, himself, would end up having to face questioning about being a Mormon. Romney has very carefully not mentioned his religion, and non-Mormons are not allowed inside the Temple to hear what the church Elders are saying, like the press was able to do with Rev. Wright.

We know Romney would be  loathe to having the press question him about polygymy, or how Joseph Smith was arrested numerous times for conning people out of their money in the days before he "found" the "Golden Tablets" that explained to  him how he would be the mighty leader of an enormous religious movement.  (Oh, and, how these Golden Tablets happened to be destroyed and disappeared.) Or how Smith put a seer stone in a hat to reveal what God was telling him..inside the hat.  Or how Mormon's believe that when a man dies, he will be made a god on his own planet and be given 100 wives, or that when Jesus returns, it will be in Missouri.

"The separation of church and state" is a phrase used by Thomas Jefferson in his 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptists, who were concerned about the threat to their religious liberty in the State of Connecticut. These Baptists were concerned that there was no protection  in the state Constitution from legislation about religious matters. "  It is a term used often by the Supreme Court when dealing with the collision of someone's religion and the government.

America is a country of many religions, including atheism. We have enough challenges to solving our nation's problems without the added burden of a varying set of beliefs.

Radio out of the box, coming to Tacoma!!!

 For only $10, 97.3 KIRO FM is coming to... Tacoma.  Yes, for ten bucks plus tax, you can watch a Kiro host in what they describe as "an intimate" setting.  Insert 10 dollars for the next ten minutes. 

 In what is being called KIRO Radio On Tour, KIRO FM will be visiting cities that evidently are unaware of their presence.

 

 

 

 

 

The event proceeds go to a good cause, the Fisher House which constructs comfort homes to provide free, temporary housing to the families of service members receiving medical care at Veterans Affairs and military hospitals around the world.  Dori might even be frying up  his Pink Slime burgers.