Soundbyte Planet

While you were busy fighting, thieves stole America

2012-01-22T12:06:00.001-06:00

I've suggested divisive infighting has been a useful distraction that enables corporatism. Much evidence of that in social conversations I read on facebook.

There's plenty of common ground among the wage earners, but folks in the cheap seats are paired into political and social subsets, provoked to attack each other instead of directing their energy at restraining Washington.

We're the useful idiots perpetuating the crime by doing...nothing but bickering and name-calling.

The political parties have become bastardized versions of their former selves, directed by operatives who have but one common interest: to suck from the enormous teet of the federal government.

OWS and Teaparty movements are symptomatic of common unrest by the populous, yet the perception is sold to us that their forces oppose one another.

Seeing a thread here?

We're never allowed to forget the fights. The black/white issue keeps popping up in the media. But ask yourself who is advancing these conversations. It's either those on the dole or unwitting shills for said cause.

You know the message permeates the American psychie when the talking points of group X are exalted in man-on-the-street stand-ups.

I don't know who's responsible for provoking, nor would it be useful to argue over it, but I do know the left-right, black-white, rich-poor battles are playing out in all forms of TV, talk radio, blogosphere and social media.

Whether the ones we see on TV have anything to gain personally is less important than transcending the rhetoric altogether and working as a people in this and every election, firing incumbants of all stripes until Washington is rid of the bug that sucks the life blood from this republic.

We can break down immorality into its most basic form by relating it to something as primal as suffering, something most of us can relate to on varying levels and degrees.

Abortion is subject usually presented as a polar issue, either hard-left or hard-right position. But attitudes change when you present it this way: "How about an abortion today?" In its most basic form, no one wants one or thinks it's a suffer-free zone. From that common ground, we can begin a thoughtful conversation.

Voters need a class in American Government

2012-01-01T21:08:00.000-06:00

I have a hard time understanding how such large numbers of citizens of this country don't understand what it means that states are sovereign entities. That means the federal government is restricted to power specifically enumerated in the Constitution, and all other powers of governance belong to the states and citizens. Put another way, it is required by law to stay out of the business of drug policy, marriage, education, abortion and host of other issues because these are not under the purview of the job of President of the United States, and candidates for the office thereof.

Many think of the US as a single assemblage of people under one governing body and that the President is sort of like a King commanding an army. I imagine some are just used to the fact that the federal government often comes along and tries to impose laws on all of us, even though our state-run schools are charged with the responsibility of teaching this stuff to every kid.

It is this very misguided assumption that is at the center of the confusion caused when candidates accuse Ron Paul of somehow being a proponent of drug abuse. Trust me when I say the candidates are banking on your ignorance regarding states' rights. Prove them wrong! Let them know you're more informed than they think you are.

You see this every day. The government is into everything it's not supposed to be into…and fails miserably at the very few fundamental things it is required to do, like regulate commerce, borders and currency. It's the ignorance that seems to enable the rhetoric candidates and pundits are using to describe Ron Paul, suggesting he's some sort of radical nut-job. But when you take more than a cursory look, you recognize he's the only candidate that really understands how this country is supposed to operate. He knows this stuff by heart, and he stands firmly for these principles, even against a wall of opposition. Ask yourself what might inspire opposition to what we know to be right and decent.

I feel sorry for all Dr. Paul has had to deal with and I'm truly sad so many people misunderstand such basic issues. I'm glad he's out there, that more people are beginning to figure out that he's exactly correct in his assessments, but I do fear it's too late to reach enough people to make a difference. The country's an airplane already on a steep downward spiral and any chance to pull the nose up is fleeting fast.

When I was younger I would never have guessed this country would take the very same hard-line stance in world affairs that our staunch enemies had once taken -- before their demise. Through our perpetual war footing, aggression toward innocent people, occupations and operations in other sovereign nations, we have now become the thing we once despised. All we have to do is ask the USSR how this will end for the USA. How has East Germany fared? What up North Korea? Ask Rome and Britain how their empires are doing now.

One moment you abhor Washington for their distance from Constitutional rule of law and the next you reject the most valuable morals purportedly guaranteed by that document, which was once thought to be a sacred promise to its citizens. You spout off about how our service members fight for our liberties, but you so easily dismiss those same liberties out of some irrational fear for your safety. This is disgraceful behavior and pure injustice to our military heroes. America is akin to Germany as the Reishtag burned and brought about the fear that enabled a monster to scorch the European landscape, leaving a stench that shocked the planet.

He who swears an oath to the Constitution and then so radically violates it should be exiled from this land. Yet he remains here and stands in judgment of another who committed his life to upholding those standards, calling him dangerous and out-of-touch. It is detestable these people are given any notoriety in the media. Dare I say Washington ought to be pushed into the Atlantic?

You are either for or against the principles of our Constitution. One of the very few reasons I believe it's proper to question someone's patriotism is on this point. If you want to be part of a civilized society that believes with it's heart and soul in freedom and liberty, then you should stand for that and not waiver. If, on the other hand, you wave your flag despite your ineptitude, and choose instead to advance a police state, virtual martial law, and don't mind forcing citizens to subsidize corporations and fellow politicians with hard-fought earnings, then perhaps you don't belong here, in the places where our ancestors willingly shed their blood so that their people could thereafter live unencumbered from such things.

If you can stand against man because he prefers we promote non-intervention over unjustified aggressions against other peoples, or that the federal government get out of the states' business, then you align yourself with the criminals and enemies of this nation. There might be a place for you at the axis of evil.

At some point it's time to stop blaming Congress for the shortcomings of our nation and take some responsibility for our own weaknesses; our failing to hold our elected leaders' feet to the fire. There is a proper remedy, but it takes people who will exorcise the strength and decency to cast out the corruption and greed. That means even America's most passive citizens must stop sitting on the sidelines saying, "it's not my job; my vote doesn't count."

We must ignore the electability rhetoric and vote with integrity and our brains for a leader who has spent more than forty years fighting for the same values that made America the land of the free and the home of the brave. There is only one person who has, without fail, come down on the side of Constitutional principles, even when it caused great conflict with his colleagues. One single member of Congress has stood out above the rest in defense of this nation. And this nation desperately needs him on that wall to defend the rule of law.

But true change will only occur if we dramatically change the way we think and act about our responsibilities as citizens. Every able-bodied person should get out and make commanding choices this election. By pressing Ron Paul to lead the executive branch of government, you will cause shock & awe among the corrupt and inept elements. You will horrify Washington lobbies, corporations and the media. But you will flex your muscles as a strong citizen and cause sweeping improvements in the future of our country.

Endorsements

2011-12-31T12:41:00.000-06:00

It seems like everyone has an endorsement proclamation to share, so I decided I wanted one too.

Mine is simple and based on something rational, for a change, like the rule of law. And in order to restore the rule of law, we need leaders focused on limiting government to only the powers permitted under this nation's charter.

We have been drawn so far from these core American values that they seem radical, naive, dangerous and idealistic by today's standards. But returning to these standards must be our aim if we are to preserve this republic.

Foreign Policy
It was never the founders' conception that the US government would intervene in matters of other sovereign nations. We know that doing so causes unintended blowback. One example came to us in 1967 during the six day war, when Israel blasted the USS Liberty, a ship sent to the Sinai Peninsula on a listening mission. Candidates who demonize non-interventionism, characterizing it as isolationism, either don't understand history or they fully understand, but count on your ignorance to get away with it. Wanting to withdraw standing armies deployed overseas is not naive or dangerous, but necessary to restore America's dignity in world affairs. Denying foreign countries' access to our earnings is not disrespectful toward our supposed foreign allies, but an equitable human rights policy inside our borders.

Domestic Policy
Rejecting federal interference in states' sovereignty is completely proper. Restoring sanity in monetary policy is critical to America's common welfare and failing to do so is a national security crisis. It's immoral for the US to embark on policies that cause suffering on entire segments of our population. To create laws that are tantamount to racist is repulsive. Federal regulation of marriage and medicine is an indignity on families and individuals that cannot be allowed to persist.

There's only one candidate that will resist entering the homes and pocketbooks of American families, whose aim is to put a leash on federal reach, and seek to bring costs of government back to a rational level.

The only candidate with the integrity and honor to hold the office of President of the United States of America is Dr. Ron Paul, the Republican Representative from Texas. I urge you to help me restore America to its former prestige by participating in caucusing and voting for candidates for all elected offices in this country that hold firm the principles I've outlined above, beginning with Dr. Paul.

Beware of detractors like Newt Gingrich who use inflammatory tactics to paint Dr. Paul in a poor light. They say he will not be the nominee because he is for the legalization of drugs; he blames 9/11 on America; he thinks it doesn't matter if Iran gets nuclear weapons; he seems totally unwilling to defend Israel; he basically came out for the abolition of Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security; he can't defend and won't take responsibility for his own newsletter, even when they have very negative, very destructive things in them. Newt is conning people into voting for him. It doesn't take much research to see through each of these cheap tactics he is using.

Let's face it, if you say you believe in the federal government staying out of states' rights, then you will be accused of supporting the legalization of whatever the federal government had been improperly regulating. If you say the government should not intervene in certain foreign matters, then you are for the destruction of our allies. If you criticize a popular government program whose very existence is unconstitutional, then you're too radical. The irony here is that every other candidate will spit on the very doctrine many of them have already sworn to uphold. That tells me that in American politics today, if you truly honor America, you'll be vilified by the establishment.

I would love to see Mr. Gingrich to lay his finger on that part of the Constitution that properly lays down the power for our government to legally prevent Iran from developing weapons of its choosing. I want to know where Newt thinks the federal government gets its authority to supersede a state's right to regulate plant-life.

In reality the Republican Party has become a bastardized version of itself. Its members used to purport to want to stop overreaching policies that facilitated welfare programs aimed at subsidizing individuals or subsets of society, and instead encouraged volunteerism, philanthropy and the good will of fellow citizens. This compulsory charity is now so engrained in our system that it takes radical thinkers to remind us what the charter we celebrate every Fourth of July actually says. This new version of American politics preys on the ignorance of its citizens to leverage personal gain and advance illegal policies that cause suffering within its populous.

We should ignore pundits who try to replace your intelligence with their propaganda, polling data and social engineering efforts. We should be less concerned about who is electable and more proactive about what this country needs most right now. Let's get together and start coming up with similar answers to the most important questions facing America today. Let's fire the establishment and bring equitable change to this beloved republic. We must not sit on the sidelines for yet another election cycle.

Go to Washington. Get rich.

2011-11-19T12:03:00.001-06:00

One of the reasons I enjoy working in the media is the perks. At a large outdoor concert we put on, members of the staff and clients were shielded from long lines and the general filth that the "regular" goers endured. We were treated to a better class of faire and impressive access backstage and the performers.

It's all perfectly legal, but if I were a standard ticketholder, I might not have the same appreciation for such perks, especially as I'm being herded like cattle.

The Wall Street Journal reported numerous examples where members of Congress, their staff, friends and family were able to enrich themselves through insider trading. This elite class of folks can come to Washington with only a few bucks, but leave with millions more.

Is that fair? Is it true that Congress is exempt from insider trading rules imposed on us "regular" folk?

Ron Paul recently spoke on the issue after 60 Minutes did an expose on how Nancy Pelosi and others were getting rich from this kind of criminal activity.

How the media distracts us from real issues

2011-10-29T16:13:00.000-05:00

I'm often insulted when I see in the media that the most important issues are brushed under the rug and petty bickering makes the headlines.

On MSNBC's Martin Bashir program Friday (Oct. 27), Democratic analyst Karen Finney said of the white Republican base, "They think [Cain is] a black man who knows his place."

A cohort of mine subsequently shared a link to a Weekly Standard web page featuring the exchange and remarked, "Left wing racism rears it's ugly head again. Disgusting!"

Putting aside for a moment his misuse of the contraction, my friend uses circular reasoning to arrive at a conclusion that the Democratic analyst is racist for accusing the white Republican base of holding a racist viewpoint.

This is also a classic example of feigning dismay in order to arouse the right-wing base and distract them from the truly important issues of the day, like the poor economy and the high unemployment. Anyone that's paying attention should recognize that Finney was exhibiting GOPism and not left-wing racism.

Finney's remarks are reminiscent of Rush Limbaugh's racial overtones when he made disparaging remarks about Philly quarterback Donovan McNabb:

"Sorry to say this, I don't think he's been that good from the get-go," Limbaugh said. "I think what we've had here is a little social concern in the NFL. The media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well. There is a little hope invested in McNabb, and he got a lot of credit for the performance of this team that he didn't deserve. The defense carried this team."

Was Limbaugh the racist here? Or was he accusing the media of using race as a criteria for their desire to see McNabb do well? I don't often come to the big guy's defense, but in this case, his statement was not racist.

Now onto a lesson on the use of its and it's in American English writing.

Spotify

2011-10-17T21:48:00.003-05:00

In this rant: Why I dislike Spotify.

It's spyware and malware and junkware all wrapped up in one cute package. Plus it incessantly announces to which song certain friends are listening, further advancing the wholesale distribution of useless information.

Join me next time as I rail against multiple entities reposting the same information to dozens of walls.

Fundamental Restructuring of the Tax Code

2011-09-05T11:15:00.000-05:00

Michele Bachmann, John Huntsman and Sarah Palin are all saying how they'd help businesses create new jobs by lowering or eliminating corporate taxes, which would shift more of the federal revenue burden on the individuals. They all mention a fundamental restructuring of the tax code. I agree.

But how is shifting the responsibility for generating government revenue to the individuals good for the American people?

I'm running for president and I have my own plan. It comes in two easy steps.

Individual income tax came about within the last century and it's resulted in a power and wealth shift toward big business and an explosive growth of government.

The fact is, the earners in this country that have the biggest need and the most to gain from lowering the federal overhead, but are the ones with the least power to influence a change, which creates a fundamental (some say fatal) flaw in the system.

Money flows in a circular fashion, from manufacturers to individuals to retailers and back to manufacturers. Government taps its revenue from various spigots to varying degrees. But because of special interests and corporate lobbies, the demand for more federal revenue is exploding because more of the money flows back to them from the tax coffers (through subsidies, loophole exemptions & reductions and bailouts). So the only way to reduce the governments appetite for money is to give big business incentive to encourage a more efficient government. And they will under my plan.

Step 1. End individual taxes.

Since all government tax money is coming from the same stream, we're simply proposing that the corporate spigots be the only ones turned on...essentially pushing the taps upstream.

Initially business will shoulder a larger tax burden because government is top heavy. But as the heat is felt in Washington, new policies will be proposed that will shrink the size and scope of government and thereby lowering the overall tax burden on society.

End all taxes levied on individuals (not including capital gains from investments like stock, bonds, commodities, etc.)
End all corporate taxes on foreign business.
Uniformly tax all revenues derived from the US market without regard for the country of companies' headquarters.
Fairly assess a sustainable road use tax on all commercial vehicles based on objective road wear studies.
Insist on local community ownership of businesses where ever possible. This should not affect manufacturing, distribution, communications network backbone providers and the like.
End federal drug laws.
Criminally punish business owners for hiring illegal aliens and deceptive pricing and advertising practices.

Taxes include all money any government agency assesses on individuals, their purchases and property, including fuel, property & sales taxes, licensing & registration fees, telecommunications fees, etc.

Step 2. Restore backed currency.

Rick Perry on the issues

2011-08-21T18:26:00.000-05:00

Payroll taxes and partisan rhetoric

2011-08-21T16:34:00.001-05:00

When a political party identifies itself as a champion against taxes, insisting on extending ten-year tax cuts that benefit rich folks indefinitely, then says it's OK to allow certain other tax cuts to expire (a payroll tax cut that would help low income earners), it becomes clear what the goal is.

The 6.2% Social Security payroll tax on employees that was temporarily reduced to 4.6% by Democrats is ending on schedule, thanks to Republicans, who want that particular tax to expire.

The tax cut only applies to the first $100,000 in earnings, meaning that a maximum of $2,000 will be gained by any earner. That is to say, for millionaires it's not that significant of a cut to be concerned with. Millionaires will forgive their Congress for such a petty loss.

But the gains for the federal coffers could be $120B. So even if it is a tough chunk for earners to swallow, Republicans really have to show fiscal responsibility at this point in time. They're running for the White House, afterall.

On the other hand, is this just a negotiating tactic? For those of us that earn less than $100,000, are we going to have to give up something enormous just to gain back the 2% of the money we worked hard to earn?

Oh, the games people play with other people's money.

OPEN LETTER TO THE GOVERNMENT:

2011-08-21T16:05:00.002-05:00

I think what Warren Buffet is saying is that we-the-people have failed the nation in regulating the money flow into the hands of the power class, that it's time to start taxing capital gains and commerce in a meaningful way and stop penalizing the hard work of the earners in America. It's time to shift the purse strings from the individuals to the revenue generators -- the power class -- in this country.

So from all American earners, I say we are sincerely sorry for our weaknesses. We thought we could hold their feet to the fire, to keep the power class honest, but through some misguided choices on our part, we have failed America.

Please help us and our nation by taking the purse strings back.

PS -- we're also returning the currency to you. It's a little dinged up, so you'll have to fix that, too. Please don't be too mad at us.

Does the Iowa Straw Poll mean anything?

2011-08-06T11:14:00.010-05:00

While most of the local media is focused on the Butter Cow at the Iowa State Fair, the national press is counting down the days before the year's largest republican fundraiser.

You might think, judging by the media frenzy surrounding this early presidential contest, the GOP gathering at Hilton Coliseum is a critical badge to earn in order to become a US president; candidates who don't participate are hurting themselves.

Not so fast, pundit breath.

Only once in thirty years has the Iowa Straw Poll in Ames predicted a presidential election, when in August of 1999, George W. Bush walked away with seemingly all the honors: Iowa Straw Poll, Iowa caucuses, other US primaries and the general election itself.

John McCain, who eventually won his party's nod in '08, earned only a tenth-place showing at the money gala.

Needless to say, as a measuring stick, it has little meaning. Only Bush 41 & 43 have eventually gone on to win the presidency after an Ames Straw Poll win -- and not necessarily in the same campaign year.

Even the early caucus and primary referendums don't indicate a winner in the general, so it makes you wonder what the fuss is all about.

National media coverage aside, the Iowa Straw Poll is a pointless exercise in the big campaign, so it's no wonder GOP frontrunners like Mitt Romney would choose to skip this particular dance. Besides, Romney has already achieved what other candidates would hope to gain from the event, so why risk potential landmines (like this video and this issue) along the Iowa trail?

Audio killed the video

2011-08-04T19:54:00.003-05:00

I'm not going to talk about the Buggles here, and how their video was the first ever to hit MTV. So if you thought that's what this article was about, move along, slick!

It surprises people when I explain how audio may be more important than the quality of their video. But it's painfully obvious when we sit together and watch a barely discernable presentation.

Watching a poorly lit video, or even one with harsh backlighting, is doable if the audio is outstanding.

Try it some time. Watch a few tutorial videos where the presenter obviously has some sort of headset where he or she is practically spitting into the mic. You hear every bad breath sound and can practically smell what was for lunch. Or one where the presenter is talking from across the room. The viewer turns up the volume only to hear a toilet flushing in the background.

The thing about video with horrible audio is that you can look away or become distracted from the visual cues, but the crappy noises permeate the air.

One super-easy fix is to treat your camcorder like a mic. Hold it close -- within 2-3 feet from your mouth. I know it sounds counter productive, but you have to stop treating your consumer-grade gear like it's top-of-the-line TV news gear. You probably don't have a shotgun mic or lav mic, right?

Believe me, ENG gear takes a lot of practice to tune and adjust -- and it really is quite expensive to own and maintain. Photojournalists have to work in some of the most challenging situations. And that is the key. If you don't present a challenge to your cheap gear, you'll have much better luck. Try to create ideal situations for your video shoots, where audio is clear and decisive.

One step back on this topic: shaky video is hard to handle too, but we've covered that topic thoroughly in previous posts.

The courageous among the 2012 GOP contenders

2011-07-23T11:17:00.004-05:00

By some measures, the 2012 republican presidential line-up has been set, and but for the primaries have staked their claim on the White House.

Despite the media's bombardment of polling data, it's traditionally too early to tell who will lead the pack during the actual election year and some of today's shining stars are likely to be flushed after Iowa's Straw Pole next month.

This is my second season shooting (with a camcorder, mind you) interviews of right-leaning candidates at WHO Radio, arguably the most identifiable radio station in the largest population center of the first-in-the-nation state of Iowa. This is where the momentum begins for every President elected in modern times.

So it matters who shows up for the party. And while my list is growing almost by the day, a few high profile nomination seekers are conspicuously absent.

If history is the best predictor of the future, then establishing a good ground game here with a personable appearance on WHO's "Mickelson in the Morning" by this point in the season -- like John McCain did in 2008 and George W Bush did in 2000 -- is the key to the convention floor.

To date I've met Rick Santorum, Tim Pawlenty, Roy Moore, Ron Paul, Herman Cain, Michele Bachmann and, as of yesterday, George Pataki. Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich have bypassed the show altogether. The foregone conclusion for the latter frontrunners is failure.

UPDATE -- (Aug. 11, 2011) Former Speaker Newt Gingrich appeared with Simon Conway at the Iowa State Fair Wednesday.

Sarah Palin has become the Lady Gaga of politics; a professional celebrity with decent fundraising appeal. She would only hurt her credibility by having an authentic conversation with the Midwest's influential GOP leadership listening.

Mitt Romney is still licking wounds received in the 2008 wringer and isn't even bothering bringing his marbles to Iowa this time. His political baggage is heavy and his slick persona is not well received.

Newt Gingrich is seen as someone whose only aim is to burnish his brand, and thereby bolstering negotiating position, for better consulting gigs.

Pataki in Iowa

2011-07-22T15:16:00.002-05:00

Former New York Governor George Pataki has been spending some time in Iowa and some are wondering if he's running for President. WHO Radio's Jan Mickelson is one of them.

Microblogging for business - keep it about customers

2011-07-20T13:03:00.000-05:00

If all you do is tell followers what you're selling, then customers stop paying attention. You can always improve your tweets & status updates by changing the focus from today's special on the menu to a special moment with customers, like photos from an event (preferably one that's related to your business over your nephew's ballgame).

Burying the coupon code and saying something about a recent winner up front is more interesting. Get the pitch in, but compelling or interesting factoids make you more of a friend than a "pitch person".

Ron Paul says US should declare bankruptcy

2011-07-03T15:45:00.003-05:00

Last month Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) told Iowa radio host Jan Mickelson that the fix for the US debt crisis is to default on its debts as a way to save $1.7 trillion in interest payments -- effectively filing for bankruptcy -- and advance bond investments. Of course he also mentioned that we, like Greece, could see rioting in the streets by people losing their federal entitlements. "We're not immune from that," the 2012 GOP Presidential Candidate told Mickelson.

Does Romney have the integrity to be President?

2011-06-19T11:09:00.003-05:00

By August of '07, Former Massachusetts Governor W. Mitt Romney had attended more than 200 campaign events in Iowa as he appeared to lead the pack in the '08 GOP run-up, according to a statement during an interview with a radio host in Des Moines.

"As you know, I enjoy getting together with Iowans all across the state." the candidate said in response to Jan Mickelson's final on-air question. But the answer didn't fit Mickelson's query at all, which was actually an invitation to join him on the radio again, but for more than the eight minute heated discussion that ensued over whether Romney could reconcile his stance on abortion with his religion.

All about being a Mormon
"I'm happy to talk about my faith," says Gov. Romney multiple times while on the campaign trail. But that doesn't square with his repeated theme in this interview, which is, "I'm not here to talk about Mormonism." "No, I'm not running as a Mormon and I get a little tire of coming on a show like yours and having it be all about Mormonism..."

When former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee surged in the polls, many felt it was because of concerns over Romney's mormonism. So Romney rethought whether he needed to address religion, and subsequently made a high profile Kennedy-esque speech on the matter.

The "hidden camera"
"I get intense," the presidential hopeful told then CBS anchor Katie Couric when asked whether there was a time when the governor got angry. Romney went on to give an example of the recent radio interview where the host had hidden a camera in the console. You'll have to evaluate that for yourself.

Mitt Romney has shown he can play facts rather loosely at times, such as when he told us his father had walked with Rev. Martin Luther King, which, of course, was demonstrated to be untrue. That claim was later characterized as a figure of speech.

Are Podcasts bad for Radio?

2011-06-16T10:38:00.008-05:00

WTEM announced it would begin embargoing their Podcasts for 24-hours after the corresponding shows air -- essentially erecting a pay wall, according to the story on NTS. If you follow this thread, you begin to realize there's a huge under-appreciation for compelling local digital content amid fears of a declining traditional audience.

And that seems to be the mentality. Indy radio notable Jerry Lee ended WBEB's streaming because he sees it as a bad business model. While I agree with the revenue challenges in digital, I think Lee misses the boat and is doing a disservice to his industry by rationalizing an inability to articulate a successful sales pitch to sell a valuable product. My response:

Jerry presumes it's not possible to sell enough advertising to support the platform, and I would have to ask, "why not?"

There's a real and growing audience in streaming, so to feign failure in digital is to fail in sales. Radio is a culture that refuses to graduate to modern CRM facilities, so with virtually no order automation, $10 spots carry hefty cost of sales; our sale-by-appointment mentality cannot sustain digital.

In fact, many successful broadcasters are commanding $35 CPM for online video, says Brian Benedik, president of Katz 360, in a conversation he had recently with media consultant Mark Ramsey. The advertising agency predicts the real growth area will be on the local level where traditional media really needs to communicate the value of the digital audience. Benedik sees the trends first hand, so his vantage point should be something direct marketers should appreciate.

It's easy to find stories of account executives coming back from client meetings and reporting buyers still don't understand the cost-benefits of partnering in the digital spaces. Those clients and prospects see themselves as media savvy, many having a keen understanding of audience measurements and targeting. They are paying attention, but are they provided valid data? They aren't if they're not discussing Podcasting and online video that's significant and growing fast -- and available to advertisers right now.

Ironically, Iowa has seen amazing success stories within the radio sphere, regularly producing digital CPM rates of $10 and often as high as $50. That's what happens when you have personal relationships with the buyers that runs deeper than the rhetoric we're reading in ad pubs.

Building and growing those trust relationships with local direct customers, educating them, making sure they understand the weaknesses of old-fashioned ratings models so that they don't step over customers in pursuit of archaic ratings, seems like a pretty important thing to be talking about in sales meetings in every market.

I think it was Roy Williams who taught us that it's not the size of the audience that matters as much as super-selling the audience you can afford. This is, I think, where partnering with local digital content can be a critical foothold for bourgeoning small businesses, the nation's economic engine.

CF City Council to residents: Hand over the keys!

2011-06-12T12:27:00.001-05:00

The city council of Cefar Falls, Iowa is on its second of three readings before it casts a final vote on a law that requires commercial properties to supply keys to the city government. It's my understanding that the revised ordinance may also require owners of residential rental property to also provide access.

Not having the ordinance in front of me and not being a constitutional scholar, it's hard for me to pass judgment, but I was stunned watching council meeting highlights. It leaves me wondering from where they think they get the power to control the citizens, for whom it works.

Handing over your keys seems like giving wholesale compulsory consent, implied forfeiture of liberty. It's CF residents' & business owners' job to call BS on this.

One of the council members said, "The merits of an idea do not depend on the number of people who hold that idea". I agree with this, which is why our founders decided against a democracy where we're all indentured to a misinformed majority and where mob rules apply.

I whole-heartedly disagree with the councilman who said "[the council has] the right..." No. The council has a responsibility to the people; in a constitutional republic the people have a right to have their interests represented by the elected body, and it shall consider and respect the reasonable will of the people. The council's will, for the sake of convenience, should not trump the will of the people.

Maddow on Santorum on Weiner

2011-06-12T11:27:00.004-05:00

I can appreciate MSNBC's Rachel Maddow when she articulates a subject and can call BS when it's due, but she loses me when she predicates an entire segment on a false premise.

Here she is telling us that Sen. Rick Santorum said Rep. Anthony Weiner should resign.

But that's not what the former PA Senator said -- if you can recognize the difference between saying what you would do and telling someone else what they should do. In fact, Mr. Santorum has been pretty explicit about the distinction -- and made it when he visited Des Moines Friday.

What's wrong with your video?

2011-05-04T07:18:00.002-05:00

With so much video floating around, it's easy to be tempted to put some of your own out there. And a lot of business professionals have a pretty good reason to make video part of their marketing strategy. It can't be terribly complicated, right?

Somehow, $10,000 later, your videos aren't quite what you had invisioned. They sound terrible, the lighting isn't right and there's some jerking while panning and zooming.

Notice my first observation was bad sound. That seems to be the first thing we notice about bad video, which seems counter intuitive, but true. It's also the first thing the beginner shooter neglects. And unfortunately the fix often means a new camera or expensive audio recording gear (and an editing nightmare). The reason the audio isn't clear is because you're using the built-in microphone on the camcorder. So the camcorder becomes the mic, meaning for best results, you would have to hold the camera as if it were a mic. In that way, you capture the subject as the most prevelent source. But that makes for some extreme close-ups that would make even the most beautiful subject nervous.

The better solution is to start with a camcorder that has a microphone input. With that, you can choose a long wired mic or a wireless system for $20 to $200 (and up).

The next issue is lighting. The most common problem with poorly lit subjects is that the camcorder struggles with more light behind the object it's shooting than on the subject itself. For between $150 & $200 you can buy a professional softbox light that will give your star enough illumination to be clear and have nice color. Avoid shooting in front of windows indoors.

Finally, the jerky pans can be eliminated through creative technic and/or better stabilizing equipment. A handheld shooter should have a good grip on the camcorder, tuck in his or her elbows, find a shot and hold it as steady as possible. Operate with the zoom all the way out so you minimize the magnified motion. Try to reduce panning whenever possible. And the best answer here is to buy a professional tripod, like a Monfrotto, for $200 and up.

What you should walk away knowing about shooting good video is to create the ideal situation for your camacorder instead of settling on shooting in challenging situations. Given adequate sound, light and technique, even consumer camcorders can do a pretty amazing job.

With these tips, I can make a better video for $600 than others who have spent $10,000.

What's with my neighborhood?

2011-04-23T19:51:00.001-05:00

Crime seems to love my neighborhood, especially police chases. This is the second one that sped by my house in the past year, but the fourth that I know of to flee through my neighborhood. There was also a wanted person being retrieved across the street and a murder six blocks away this month.

Giving up your passwords for a little gadgetiness

2011-04-20T23:17:00.001-05:00

I came across a neat iPad app today that assembles aggregators' content into sets of print-style pages you can flip through, similar to a book reading app. It's called Flipboard and it really cleans up some otherwise cluttery articles from their native homes.

Out of the box it comes with some preset feeds, including facebook, twitter and Google Reader modules, all setup and waiting for you to...login. Yep, just supply usernames & passwords for your accounts and it'll take you for a spin around your social network.

But wait. Where does that login information go? On one hand, you have journalists telling you, "Never share your private information," and others extolling the virtue of this new whiz-bang newsreader.

That's a problem because this data mining operation, no matter how well trusted, could be compromised by hackers, same as credit card companies. Recently dozens of institutions had egg on their faces when they were forced to reveal to their customers that the company to whom they supplied customer lists was hacked.

So, not only do you have to wonder if your account credentials at facebook or twitter or Google is well guarded, but all of the other trollers you give up your information to, like this whiz-bangy, gadgety thing called Flipboard.

For me, I like the app, but have pushed aside the pre-built social media modules that need my password to function properly.

Ten Commandments Judge Roy Moore announces Presidential aspirations

2011-04-18T15:48:00.004-05:00

Former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore visited Iowa today.

Known as "Ten Commandments Judge", Moore made the announcement on WHO Radio in Des Moines this morning. During an interview with conservative talk show host Jan Mickelson, he said he's forming an exploratory committee for a possible presidential run.

Moore is perhaps best known for refusing to remove a monument bearing the Ten Commandments from the Alabama state courthouse.

Watch raw video from this morning's interview.

Pawlenty on coal

2011-04-03T08:07:00.005-05:00

Former Minnesota Governor and possible GOP Presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty spoke with Iowa radio talkshow host Jan Mickelson on Friday, April 1. Here is the dialog.

Mickelson: A number of people emailed me this question. You mentioned clean coal. What the heck is that?

Pawlenty: Ha ha. In South Dakota, they were willing to put up a coal plant that had the best technology of today. We approved it because they needed to run the lines through Minnesota. And it was the best of coal technology as it exists today -- or back then, 2010. And within thirty days or so of us approving that project, the Obama administration put a hold on it. And the investors said we’re not going to have this much delay and this much problem. They fled and the project got killed. So clean coal, I think, can be defined as, we need to use coal, but we...if someone wants to come forward and invest in the best-of-class technology as it exists today and build a coal plant, I think that’s something we should be inclined to do.

Mickelson: Here in Iowa we pulled the plug on one just a few months ago.

Pawlenty: Well they’ve pulled the plug all over, Jan, but there is...

Mickelson: Same way with nukes. You can’t get a nuclear power facility started. Some people are thinking about it and pre-collecting some of the funds to build a modular nuclear power facility. Would you encourage that, if you had that opportunity, at least to ponder it?

Pawlenty: Well, you know, other countries do this. By modular, what I take you to mean is this: there are certain packages or pre-existing technologies that have already been approved in other places and they don’t have to be approved from scratch every time they come through the system.

Mickelson: And they’re smaller-scale.

Pawlenty: And they’re smaller-scale, and so they’re repeatable, scalable, and you can bring them through the process without having to reinvent the wheel every time. I think it’s a good idea.

Mickelson: But as you said earlier, we should let the market decide. If the market-only were involved in energy choices, would nuclear power be on the scale? Which do you think would be the most economic, top to bottom, if the marketplace-only...

Pawlenty: I think the answer to that, going forward in the near and intermediate term, is probably going to be natural gas. And it’s here. We can Americanize it. It burns cleaner than coal, obviously. It’s less controversial than nuclear and we’ve got a boatload of it.

Mickelson: We already have something of a delivery system.

Pawlenty: We already do. And by the way, some of these old coal plants, if people choose, and think it’s economically viable, they can be converted to natural gas. We did that in Minnesota to some of our old coal plants. It reduced mercury emissions, SO2/NOx emissions. And it was a successful conversion from what I call old coal to a cleaner, better, more available and frankly more affordable energy source.

Pawlenty in Iowa

2011-04-02T15:42:00.002-05:00

Former Minnesota Governor and possible 2012 GOP Presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty was a guest on WHO Radio's Jan Mickelson Friday, April 1, 2011.

Digital ad: web metrics vs. impressions and click-through

2011-02-28T10:27:00.000-06:00

Media companies like to monetize special areas of their websites by co-branding them with their advertisers. It wouldn't be fair to hold these sponsorships to the same performance standards as one would expect with banner campaigns. Nevertheless, advertisers come along after the campaign and demand metrics.

Web page metrics are not calculated in the same way an ad server would measure impressions and click-through rates for banner campaign.

The best way to manage this post-campaign misery is to spell out the standards up front, in writing and in conversation. It must be made clear, provably, that simple web page sponsor graphics aren't for everyone, that impression and click-through data cannot be tracked or reported. If the advertiser recognizes the value of associating a particular web page and do not require performance metrics, only then should they consider placing an order for these areas.

Knowing and fully understanding this, g ahead and ask for pageviews for a given page. If it's not possible for the target web server to obtain referrer data, then you'll have to guess what a possible click-through range might be.

Where do you start when it comes to estimating click-through rates? A Michigan State University study reported the national average click-through rate is between .2% and .3%, but are largely affected by the quality and relevance of the ad, value of the offer or promise and other subjective factors.

iMedia's Andrew Stern gives great advice to AEs and advertisers in his article 8 ways to improve your click-through rate.

Off the fence

2011-02-28T00:34:00.000-06:00

Those that follow politics know that former Gov. Mitt Romney was well established as a frontrunner in the 2008 Presidential race leading the Iowa State Fair in August of 2007, by which time Law & Order star Sen. Fred Thompson had not yet announced his candidacy.

Heading into March Madness 2010, nearly all of the 2012 republican field is in place, although none are frontrunners.

The historic timeline will be drilled by talking heads over the next six months and the twelve months that follow will see regulars' eyes glaze over in rhetorical overload. But the Ames Straw Poll is still a half year out.

So who will the players be? Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee can't balance his TV & radio gigs with a real candidacy, so he's waiting in the wings. Rick Santorum made his way here some months ago, but was skiddish about undertaking the role. Sarah Palin is on the lips of many teapartiers. Michele Bachman, Tim Pawlenty and others have streaked through the Caucus state recently. But none have impressed the party yet.

So who's it gonna be? Romney will fair no better this round than last. Palin couldn't pass gas here, much less the muster it would take to win Iowa. With Huckabee aligned with Bob Vander Plaats, he appears more concerned about stopping same-gender marriage than child rape. It appears no one, at this point, is willing to boldly pursue the Presidency.

Streaming radio pitted against Pandora

2011-02-27T23:54:00.000-06:00

As the country's most formidable broadcaster of online streaming radio -- that is the company that actually provides the network bandwidth to the stations -- releases its audience metrics, some are comparing radio to a ubiquitous music provider, a measuring stick that doesn't get to America's economic momentum.

The leading provider of local information in the US, the one that gets consumers on their daily commutes, is radio. There is no more relevant ad placement for local business, the very engine that pushes the US economy. Yet analysts are suggesting that the national brand may play a more critical role for advertisers.

While that may have the potential for significant impact for national brands like Pepsi and McDonald's, Big Tomato Pizza, a Des Moines brand, would find itself drowning in a sea of clutter if it turned to Pandora for its recognition.

They say all politics is local. While the subjects of politics and local business differ substantially, the reason is identical. The only thing that matters to local brands is local clientele. And the best way to reach locals is through local media. And nobody does local media better than Clear Channel Radio and its bevy of local streamers.

In our city, the number one source of online information is the local CBS affiliate. By chance, it happened to step up to the plate in sheer manpower from the outset of the Internet boom of the 90s. They had the staff and resources to assign the task of producing local content. As marketers, we recognize that the first cows to the trough are the ones best fed. But the truth in American media is that TV is the second biggest loser when it comes to lost audiences -- right behind all things print.

The most valuable player to local businesses is radio, whether the digital product or its terrestrial counterpart. And that's why Clear Channel is still the biggest competitor to TV in local markets.

So you may break down the comparison between Pandora and everyone else in American media all you like; you can't hide the relevance of local online streaming media powerhouse Clear Channel Radio.

U.S. National Debt Clock : Real Time

2010-09-24T14:00:00.001-05:00

While the budget deficit is slowly being reduced, the country's debt continues to climb out of control.

U.S. National Debt Clock : Real Time

State Fair Race Riots

2010-08-29T14:04:00.002-05:00

I find it awkward watching and listening to accounts of the state fair race riots from outlets clearly practicing revisionism. Some absorb and report watered-down police propaganda without challenge. They refer to the incidents as "Fair Fights". I'd like to know in which universe an assault is referred to as a fight.

Don't forget more than a week passed between the events and the news reports.

We know the assaults were done by one racial group and the victims were of another. When a group of similar racial makeup that bands together and travels to another neighborhood for the common goal of deliberately assaulting people of another racial makeup, that's racial violence. In fact it's a riot by any definition. Numerous witness accounts, backed by at least one police report, articulated scenes with knives, fists and chants of "beat white night", a racially-flavored nod to "east side night". Fact or fiction? I think the evidence is compelling enough for the media to report it in that way.

I've spend hours listening to, reading and watching the evidence and I'm convinced that we have an issue that is hate-based and morally deprived -- and not one to which adding five squad cars is the appropriate police response.

Hate is primal and no "conversation" will quel the anger. What fuels this violence is not as important as the resolve with which it is met. We must put a brick wall between the attackers and the innocent population. We must smack down the agressors swiftly and painfully.

Police Chief Judy Bradshaw says the violence was random and unplanned, adding (after prompting from one reporter) that things just "got out of hand". These members of the community would be well advised to remember whose interests they're indentured to serve.

People want to spend too much time analyzing the root causes. I don't care who hates who enough to cause the violence. You can have conversations and discuss all you like, but when someone's rights are violated, we, the members of this community, must compel an end to it quickly and effectively, by whatever means or force necessary.

To the leaders: end the crime now and worry about feeling good about yourselves later.

Des Moines Police investigating one of its own

2010-08-24T07:42:00.000-05:00

Reginald White was arrested for his involvement in the Aug 14 state fair riots. "Reggie" White is a Hoover basketball player, along with Dwight Sistrunk, whose mother is Lillie Miller-Sistrunk, Des Moines' first African-American female police sergeant, who asked White's arresting officer to reduce his felony charges (assault with injury) to a misdemeanor and be released. When the arresting officer declined that request, Miller stated she'd bond White out herself, which we've
now learned she subsequently did.

Are cops cost-effective?

2010-07-18T18:38:00.002-05:00

I was shocked to discover several fallacies regarding North American law enforcement in reports, studies and court cases. One of the more notable ones is the general belief that a police department is thought to be a good investment.

A well foot-noted document by Roger Roots studied the constitutionality of cops generally, and along the way made some significant discoveries about costs, titling the section, "COPS NOT COST-EFFECTIVE DETERRENT".

Now that's a pretty blatant statement and one I'm sure most citizens would take issue with. So rather than simply trust the data at wholesale, I looked at Des Moines' police department budget for 2009 in search of some guidance on the issue.

The average cop's annual salary exceeds $100,000, not including side jobs where they act as security guards at convenience stores and bars.

What's an arrest worth?
I found, for instance, if you judge police effectiveness on arrests alone, they come at a cost of nearly $4,000 each. Pretty startling.

Cost of protection
If you'd rather look at the economic impact of police on residents of our city, cops' fees in relationship to the average family of 5 are $1,400 per year.

It's unnerving to realize that the police need more than $100 a month from every family. $150,000 per square mile every month? No wonder the government no longer wants citizens to police their own neighborhoods. And it makes me curious; can I look at alternative service providers? Will they guarantee that me and my stuff are safe? It's odd that we hold the cable company to higher standards than we do the police who have sworn to protect us.

Another well-promoted and self-perpetuated fallacy is that police work is extremely dangerous -- except that the numbers don't support the perception. A recent news story marking the 75th anniversary of the Iowa State Patrol had the number of killed state troopers since 1935 in the single digits. Construction is a far more dangerous job, but you never hear that on the evening news.

These things make you wonder how charities - that function solely for raising money for families of killed police officers -- manage to hoodwink their donors into coughing up cash.

Realty Market: Local broadcaster paints positive picture of Midwest real estate market, citing "new report"

2010-03-24T00:33:00.009-05:00

If you watched the news on Channel 13 last night, you saw Erin Kiernan give the glowing housing numbers. She said Midwest sales figures "jumped 10%" compared to an 8% increase nationally. Kiernan also reported that prices increased by a percentage point and that the National Association of Realtors attributed the "spike in sales" to the $8,000 federal tax credit.

The story never mentioned the author of the real estate report, but it's fair to assume the figures were carefully crafted by the N.A.R., a national group that represents real estate professionals, and then regurgitated on the late news.

Localize!

Journalists are often encouraged to put a local angle to national stories to make them more relevant to audiences. In this case, however, no such work was done. In fact, had 10 minutes been invested in some basic research, we'd have learned that things aren't so bright in the metro, where average February sales are off 15.5% from last year and the total sales are down nearly 19%, fueled by 59% fewer transactions.

And in the last 30 days, sales were down by 39.4% over the same period last year and the number of sales represented only 41% of last year's figures.

The housing story doesn't appear on the broadcaster's website.

Polk County Residential Deed Sales - by the numbers

02/23/2010 - 03/22/2010
Qty: 283
Average Sale Price: 141,504
Total sales: 40,045,690

02/23/2009 - 03/22/2009
Qty: 479
Average Sale Price: 138,083
Total sales: 66,141,700
-------------------------------
02/01/2010 - 02/28/2010
Qty: 374
Average: 126,291
Total: 47,232,820

02/01/2009 - 02/28/2009
Qty: 394
Average: 147,673
Total: 58,183,220

Saylorville: A ticking time bomb?

2010-03-22T01:33:00.010-05:00

I'm not a hydrologist or meteorologist -- or even and engineer, but I can read a chart and I see an unusual and scary trend.

The river basins that feed Midwest rivers received up to 400% of normal precipitation throughout the fall and winter months. Couple that with below average temperatures, particularly in February, the stored water potential remained stagnate until the spring melt, and that contributed to record water levels in the Rock Island District. Water at the Saylorville Reservoir has elevated to levels far above those recorded in 2008 for the same period, and heading into the spring shower season.

In 2008, Saylorville had reached 840 ft by mid-March and had begun to fall. This year, we see reservoir levels 25-30 feet higher at mid-month and continue rising throughout the month, with an expected volume to reach capacity -- leaving no room for additional precipitation in the watershed without overwhelming flood control systems.

In both 2008 and 1993, Sayorville was a lot lower than it is today, yet we still saw record flooding in those years. In fact, the lake hasn't been anywhere near this high in the 33 years of historical data on the corps' website. Most years right where they like it, at about 836 ft.

That has to have local officials at least a little nervous. But I haven't heard anyone ask the question that begs asking: what will Saylorville look like in June if it reaches capacity by the end of March?

Socially speaking

2010-03-03T14:37:00.002-06:00

I just read part of an article from yet another social media expert.

That's right, part. Why? Because I could spend all my time reading peoples' expert advice, so filter by disregarding those that come with an invitation for a free seminar. That may seem arbitrary, but I tend not to trust advice from people who are pretending to give it free while actively tossing me a sales pitch.

So as soon as I spotted the pitch, I quit reading and started to write a few thoughts of my own.

The article actually touched on a sensitivity of mine. Social media in the corporate world. I am turned off by blatant advertising disguised as conversation in social media. I tell people to either engage in open, honest discussions about issues you're passionate about or, if you have something to sell, just buy a targeted ad on facebook or promote a video on YouTube or get some adsense.

Lately I'm seeing a lot of local companies -- or principles of same -- following or friending media accounts or fan pages only as a way to publicize paid events or to sell products. For a small business whose reputation is critical, that's a bad idea. You end up alienating the very base you need to impress most.

I imagine these people are accepting free advice from veiled snake oil salesmen. The advice? Follow, link with and friend as many high profile entities as possible and get your message out there often -- and damn the consequences. To me, those people give off the same aroma as the pyramid schemers of the seventies.

My best advice is to get out there and socialize like you would normally, in a way that suits your own personality. Be authentic because your prospects can smell phonies. And when it comes time to make a pitch, don't disguise it as a "conversation"; buy the ad unit.

If you value your wares, then respect people enough to be able to judge them on merit in the light of day.

Slicing up billboard audiences

2010-01-31T12:01:00.002-06:00

We've been seeing new digital billboards popping up along the city's busy thoroughfares and they're getting lots of attention from local and industry media.

The safety concerns are obvious: as electronic billboards become more attractive, they become more distractive to commuters. That's common sense. The very idea of targeting the commuting public flies in the face of all traffic safety initiatives. And although some state laws are prohibiting animated, moving or flashing campaigns, the wholesale concept of taking drivers' attention from the task at hand is a dangerous one.

On the other hand, the outdoor advertising market has been hit hard by the economic slowdown, so the outdoor industry is struggling to innovate. And in the digiboard, they've found some new life.

But in claiming "more advertising opportunities", they're making a very thin slice of the audience even thinner. Now instead of knowing your image will appear on a busy highway 24/7, you now only get a few seconds.

The advertising market is clearly heading for a state that's so fragmented that the only survivors will be large corporations who are in a position to use duplication and automation technologies to multiply thin local profit margins into usable revenue on regional and global scales. In that vein, there's no economic benefit to small businesses, nor the local community at large.

The fact is that what's bad about billboards is even worse when you digitize them.

VIDEO: Snow Plows vs Cars

2010-01-08T15:46:00.005-06:00

I always find myself quite irritable by January, I think because the cold, snow and ice are wearing on me. One of my biggest annoyances this time of year has to be cars left on curbs during and after snowfall. Perhaps a few more of these plow vs parked car instances will get people motivated to move their cars.

click here to download

Mediacom vs. Sinclair - the public fight continues

2009-12-18T14:47:00.003-06:00

Mediacom, the cable company, and Sinclair, the TV conglomerate, are fighting in public again, just as they did three years ago. Mediacom is claiming on their website that Sinclair is trying to gouge its cable TV customers by overcharging the provider for the right to include its affiliate stations in its cable line-up.

A 3-year agreement between Mediacom and Sinclair ends December 31st and negotiations for a new agreement appear to have stalled over transmission consent fees.

HOW MUCH ARE WE TALKING HERE?

For a little perspective, on its website, Mediacom puts the demand amount at "millions", but neither party will provide a specific amount. AP reports puts the number of affected cable subscribers at 700,000 -- 400,000 of whom are in Iowa.

Let's do some rough guesswork. If Sinclair is demanding Mediacom fork over $5 Million a year, that's about 60 cents per month per cable customer. $5 M divided by 700,000 divided by 12 months. If 100 non-premium channels each charged 60 cents a month for every subscriber, that's about $60 in consent fees per cable viewer every month.

Consider also that Sinclair as more than $1 Billion in debt, nearly half of which is coming due in the next year and a half.

What strikes me in this battle is the utter lack of transparency on each party. What was the old rate? What's the new rate being demanded? What percentage of an increase would that represent? Neither are willing to have an honest debate out in the open.

Viewers who will be affected by losing a channel can complain to the cities' cable franchise liaisons and the bickering parties.

Santorum in Iowa

2009-10-03T14:33:00.005-05:00

In political circles, being seen in Iowa is synonymous with a Presidential bid. Arriving at the Clear Channel Radio studios in Des Moines cements that notion.

When Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum (R) sat down with Jan Mickelson (WHO Radio), the question had to be asked. [Watch Windows Media]

Santorum also told a story of when he introduced the "Life Amendment" to No Child Left Behind and how he gained unwitting support from democrat Sen. Ted Kennedy. [Watch Windows Media]

Few Presidential contenders escape the Mickelson program escape without being asked to defend their stance on abortion and whether Roe v Wade is settled law. [Watch Windows Media]

Minimum wage increase generates anti-Obama buzz

2009-07-26T10:39:00.004-05:00

Minimum wage is one of those touchy-feely Democratic issues that is supposed to take care of those who are mistreated by their thrifty employers, the same issue that is detested by Republicans, claiming it stifles small businesses and increases unemployment.

But in discussions about minimum wage, you hear few pundits compare minimum wage to a nominal 3% inflation rate (see chart right, showing 29 years of minimum wage vs. the 3% inflation curve).

In 2007, congress created the most recent amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act that resulted in this month's wage boost, however some are blaming the current administration for hurting small businesses through an increase put in place before the election.

If you look at minimum wage since 1980 -- when conservative Republican Ronald Reagan was elected President -- and plot where it should have tracked (through conservative economic incentives designed to produce growth in American industry), it always seems to trail inflation and economic growth by a significantly margin; the US Congress has to make substantial corrections to boost it toward, but never up to, a nominal inflation rate.

Health care workers and agricultural producers are barely getting by, if at all, and corporate CEOs are making tremendous gains.

Why is it that top-end wages have skyrocketed while those of the real laborers have declined or stagnated? In the land of opportunity, this is symbolic of the way opportunity tends to shift toward the wealthy and away from the actual producers and this is yet another example.

In 20 of the past 29 years, you hoped that Republicans would have used their power for the good of main street America, but instead have lined the pockets of their most important constituents; big business lobbyists and their crony political action organizations.

2009 Fair acts: Firefall, Headeast & Pure Prairie League

2009-07-20T14:22:00.004-05:00

It's wanting to see shows like these that make me feel both old and nostalgic at the same time. See you old-timers there!

2009 Iowa state Fair, Budweiser Stage sponsored by ABC5:
- Firefall, Thu & Fri (Aug 13 & 14) @ 7:30 & 9:30
- Headeast, Sat & Sun (Aug 15 & 16) @ 7:30 & 9:30
- Pure Prairie League, Mon & Tue (Aug 18 & 18) @ 7:30 & 9:30

HD poorly implemented in Des Moines

2009-07-17T07:07:00.003-05:00

Since the digital TV switchover last month, it has become clear that local television stations have not fully embraced their new hi-def capabilities.

Watching channel 8-1 this morning, it's obvious they still use their old standard definition video cameras in the news studio and are simply up-converting the signal to high definition; it's a blurry picture.

Same story for channel 13-1. But in addition to using older SD cameras, whenever they slap in their lower third ticker, they have to drop the 16:9 image back to a 4:3 aspect ratio. So they use SD to shoot news talent, up-convert to HD for a wide-screen shot, then reduce back to SD when using a ticker. Watching this in glorious 16:9 hi-def is a train wreck!

And it appears that channel 5-1 isn't even pretending to be an HD news shop. If it weren't for their low-end SD studio gear, I'd say this is better. Unfortunately, of the big 3, our local ABC affiliate's newscasts remain the most difficult to watch.

So what did we gain in the digital switchover? We do receive more channels (channel 5's retro feed of old TV shows and channel 8's all-weather source) and most prime time network shows are much more crisp. But sadly for analog set owners, many of the bugs and lower thirds are clipped at the far edges of the screen.

I can't imagine the expense of a full HD transition, so I forgive local stations for a gradual upgrade -- especially in the face of a recession and lower ad revenues -- but I sincerely hope station managers are watching and recognizing how hideous their product looks.

Shawn Johnson with Murph & Andy

2009-07-15T07:17:00.001-05:00

Click to Play

Shawn Johnson sat in with Murph & Andy on KXnO Monday.

DMR: Climate bill unfair to Iowa, utilities say

2009-06-22T07:47:00.000-05:00

Burning fossil fuels is a fundamentally flawed plan when it destroys the landscape and detracts from quality of life -- saying nothing of what it may or may be doing to the environment at large. It just makes a lot more sense to intercept the existing energy all around us. Unless, of course, you have an enormous financial stake in traditional energy production and any of the supporting industries. The industry should want to modernize and be more efficient, but the reality is that it's been cheaper for them to pollute the air.

Every rooftop and back yard could have some form of energy collection, whether solar, wind or hydro. The initial costs are coming down and ongoing maintenance is relatively inexpensive compared to all of the oil refined and burned to deliver coal to consumers as energy -- however considerably less profitable for MidAmerican Energy.

Follow the money and use your common sense.

Bob Vander Plaats on Mickelson.

2009-06-19T17:40:00.002-05:00

Bob Vander Plaats appeared on Jan Mickelson's show Thursday (6/18/2009) and explained his positions on a state constitutional amendment for banning same-sex marriage, legislative activism and the governor's power to use executive orders to remedy bad court decisions. Bill Salier was guest-hosting that day.

click here to download

Real estate sales: no good news

2009-06-16T16:05:00.005-05:00

The local media has widely reported improved real estate sales from April to May of this year, citing figures furnish wholesale by the Des Moines Association of Realtors, the real estate lobby group.

Despite those claims, the Polk County Assessor's database shows there were 2,860 residential deeds issued in Polk County, Iowa in the last six months (Dec-May), compared with 4,013 issued during the same six month period a year earlier. That's a 29% drop, not an increase.

The total sales numbers for that period are even worse, suffering a 45% decline from more than $600 M last year down to about $400 M this year. And while realty agents are doing their best to stave off commodity pricing through incentive kickbacks and other perception management practices, even the average sale price took a dive from $152 K to $140 K, an 8% loss.

This look is a broader picture than the one being offered by the realty association because it covers six months, but even residential sales between April & May of this year (and compared to last year) look dismal.

While my research did involve only one county, can the picture for the greater metro look remarkably better? No matter how you slice & dice, there's nothing good in these numbers.

So what's the deal here? Are reporters too lazy to do their own research? Or is there a bigger menace lurking, like media influence? Or maybe I'm just wrong.

Everyone's a social media marketer. Not.

2009-06-16T15:11:00.003-05:00

I hear a lot of social media marketing advice pointed at business and it's being circulated by people who've been around a long time. I suppose they're seasoned, and I imagine their audience feels they're adequately qualified.

Nevertheless, this is worth considering. Educated marketing managers have become dispensible comodities because every Joe thinks he's a marketing whiz and can take the reigns on a moment's notice. And largely due to the boardroom's GMOOT syndrome, they get their chance -- for about two years.

Still, almost without regard for the quality of the CMO, budgets often get fixed in the marketing dept. instead of examining the sales strategy.

Real estate numbers drop again

2009-06-11T14:11:00.003-05:00

It shouldn't surprise anyone that the National Association of Realtors finds some good news in the realty market, but the real story for Polk County isn't good, according to the County Assessor's numbers.

Residential sales in terms of total sales in May of '09 compared with May of '08 figures are down by almost half. That's inline with the quantity of sales, reflecting 44% fewer sales. The average sale prices was 5% lower than last year's sale.

And the spring numbers aren't getting better, as we might expect. Instead, compared to April of this year, May sucked for real estate pros. A $10M drop in total sales, more than 100 fewer and average price fell by another $10k.

Those are the real numbers, provided by the Polk County Assessor, but don't expect NAR to advertise this fact with the media.

FCC warrantless searches?

2009-05-25T10:38:00.002-05:00

According to this story, an FCC agent investigating a possible pirate radio station in Boulder, Colorado this month, posted a note quoting FCC policy at the residence suspected of hosting an unlicensed transmitter. The statement apparently said, “Whether you operate an amateur station or any other radio device, your authorization from the Commission comes with the obligation to allow inspection.”

This statement alone has spurred concerns by citizen groups that FCC officials might, at some point, engage in warrantless searches of private residences. It doesn't seem so.

While the statement might look to be asserting authority that transcends Fourth Amendment protections, one should consider the intended audience of this notice and the actual practices of government enforcement officials. I don't think we're talking about baby monitors rated in miliwatts of transmitting power or devices that generate minimal levels of RF interference. If a cop asserts some official-sounding administrative rule in order to trick a subject into consenting to search, that's an entirely different matter.

Yes, the Fourth subjects the government to a probable cause standard in the case of private homes. It seems plausible that if there's an unlicensed station operating on the premises, probable cause is met and a warrant could be issued on that home and its occupants. If the station is licensed, then it seems that implied consent to inspect is already established.

However, is a warrant even necessary if we're talking about a business, which is generally held to be open to the public during business hours?

And by broadcasting to the public over the public's airwaves, is one holding himself out as a radio station (which is a business operation), therefore no longer a private residence?

One essential question is, does a private residence lose its Fourth protection when it looks and acts like a radio station? The FCC's position has been that radio stations are open for business during all hours of operation.

If an inspector (or firefighter or rescue worker) observes the presence of contra ban, they can report it to law enforcement. I believe the Supreme Court has maintained that this is probable cause to issue a search warrant.

Lauren Zakrin interview at 105.1 Channel Q in Ames

2009-02-25T15:53:00.001-06:00

Click to Play

Lauren Zakrin talks to Tony Tarbox of 105.1 Channel Q in Ames, Iowa about the theatrical musical production of Legally Blonde at the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines through February. Lauren has been playing Belle and will play other roles thoughout the musical's tour.

Lauren Zakrin interview

2009-02-25T13:29:00.001-06:00

Click to Play

Lauren Zakrin speaks with CJ of Kiss 107 FM in Des Moines, Iowa about the theatrical musical production of Legally Blonde at the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines through February. Lauren has been playing Belle and will play other roles thoughout the musical's tour.

ADS: Media struggles to monetize wares

2009-02-11T22:48:00.003-06:00

A Time article suggests that CNN, AOL/Time/Warner, etc., aren't making a go of it online and their bean counters are marking down the value of their companies -- in some cases to zero + hard assets.

This is a horrible time to judge the value of content in an advertising environment that has lost 30% of revenues...and more. The ugly truth is that media companies and businesses in general don't understand the new media enough to leverage its major strength, which is to highly target consumers in a meaningful way -- both with bona fide content and advertising.

Companies, with guidance from Madison Avenue, should be partnering with social media developers to find the best way to localize their message, learn all it can about the online creature, and finally stop being so annoying.

Media still thinks in terms of channel brands and they should be focusing on the quality of their individual products.

We need a watch dog on the school board

2009-02-07T10:28:00.000-06:00

There are six school staff for every student listed on the books, a cost ratio of $87k. It costs $14,500 per student, whether active or inactive. That's $80 per day. For that kind of money, students should be eating gourmet meals and enjoying the safety of steel-reinforced bunkers while receiving the best, most intense education in the world. But they're not getting that because the money goes to administrative BS and world-class salaries instead.

On top of that, the sense among many of us is that the school board approves questionable big money deals and its members have questionable ties to notorious crooks.

So as taxpayers and parents, we need a watch dog to follow the money and hold the school board's feet to the fire. Sure, I'd rather have someone who could effectively communicate with parents instead of making unsubstantiated claims or feeding us shovels full of incomprehensible drivel, but Jon Narcisse is all we've got.

Bob Vander Plaats (R-Sioux City)

2009-01-26T23:42:00.003-06:00

Bob Vander Plaats (R-Sioux City) announced his forming of a candidate committee to organize and raise money for the 2010 Gubernatorial race in Iowa on Jan Mickelson's program on WHO Radio (Des Moines) this morning and we caught up with him in the afternoon on Steve Deace's show. Watch the video below.

Click to Play

Grassley to meet with Des Moines "Tweeps"

2009-01-25T11:45:00.003-06:00

Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) wants to meet with members of the social networking web site "Twitter" in what's called a "tweet-up", a physical gathering intended for discussion and networking. This town hall-style "#dmtweetup" is scheduled for Friday April 17, 2009 from 3:45pm to 4:45pm at Impromptu Studio, 300 SW 5th St, Suite 220, Des Moines, Iowa.

Communism is here

2009-01-24T15:57:00.002-06:00

The Associated Press reported that an Iowa state trooper pulled over Michael Spahlinger of Cleveland Heights, Ohio on Thursday. According to the story, the trooper pulled the vehicle over on Interstate 80 near Council Bluffs to perform a routine search and eventually discovered 48 pounds of pot.

Without getting into the whole drug debate, let's stick with the Constitutional issue, specifically the Fourth Amendment, which supposedly protects citizens from unreasonable search and seizure. The part of the story that bugs me is the phrase "routine search". As near as I can tell, any systematic searching of vehicles would be prohibited by the Constitution.

Fourth Amendment -- "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

In the years since this was written, the probable cause requirement has been somewhat weakened by the courts. A cop no longer needs probable cause of a crime to search your car without your consent. Now if an officer has reasonable suspicion that you may be armed and dangerous, he may do a weapons check without asking your permission.

Let's assume the trooper asked Michael Spahlinger if it'd be okay if he looked around. The Supreme Court has said that without reasonable suspicion, the trooper cannot demand to search the vehicle unless the driver consents. So at that point, Spahlinger could say simply that he doesn't consent to any searches.

At that point, the trooper either has to let Spahlinger get back on his merry way or call in a drug-sniffing dog within 20-30 minutes of the traffic stop.

For the most part, they've done away with road blocks for the purpose of detecting drugs, although they still get by with them for finding drunk drivers. But even then, cops would have to have a good reason for searching you or your car; they can't arbitrarily search anyone they feel like because they think they might find contraband.

I'm not an attorney, but I've studied the law and court cases regarding search & seizure issues as a hobby.

ADS: Trust between an AE and an advertiser matters

2009-01-17T23:36:00.005-06:00

Here's an example of trust breaking down at an important moment, during the production of a radio commercial.

I've been hearing a spot for a service company on the radio recently that I find alarming from an imaging standpoint. The problem is that the client isn't enunciating well throughout the spot, particularly in stating the name of one of his primary products. I don't mean a slight enunciation error, but a whopper! In fact, "airgsher" is how it comes out.

If you heard the spot, you'd probably know what he meant by its context, so you might think I'm nit-picking a bit, but the problem is that the spot makes the business owner seem like a dolt.

I don't want to beat up on the concept of business owners voicing or appearing in their own commercials because history proves they can gain fame and fortune doing their own. Wendy's founder Dave Thomas, popcorn magnate Orville Redenbacher and KFC's Colonel Harland Sanders come to mind immediately as huge success stories. And you might remember local celebrity and college ballplayer Bill Reichardt as the man who owned Reichardt's Menswear -- or Jack from Irwin’s Bike for promising no pressure or hype ever.

But these were successes for specific reasons that have nothing to do with their ability to deliver the intended message; they were great communicators with solid reputations.

At issue is branding, the thing that influences consumers' emotions about things like the professionalism of a particularly business, contributing to overall company image. If you don't exhibit effort to speak clearly while showcasing your products in front of your prospective customers, how hard will you try to perform their installation? Or address service issues after a sale?

Lack of professionalism can become an intrinsic part of your brand; any positive image you hoped to gain from your ad can be lost because your consultants let you sound like dolt.

In this case, I suspect both the account executive and producer both held their tongues while their customer massacred his lines. They should have stepped up and respectfully recommended the client re-read those portions. In all likelihood, he would have done so graciously.

Being afraid to offend a client and risk a cancellation is no excuse for allowing his brand (and the station) to take a hit. The bigger risk is that your client discovers the trust he put in you to help bolster and grow his brand was misplaced. When that happens, he'll never darken your production studio again.

E-mail 'drafts' on Glenwood death kept secret

2009-01-10T14:24:00.001-06:00

A couple things:

1) There's a death at a state-regulated care facility and the state regulators appear to be asleep at the wheel; and

2) The Des Moines Register reports that, during this period of time, the governor and his family are on holiday in Florida, at the residence of their longtime family friend of nearly 40 years, Bill Knapp, who coincidentally happens to have donated $112,500 to Culver's '06 campaign and at least $25,000 toward his re-election.

Well, three things, counting the comments readers posted.

3) Wow, commenter JackDM, you sound like a government insider. But like many people who post comments on the Des Moines Register's web site, you perpetuate ignorance. And by the way, if you want to refer us to a law, just give us the code chapter and section so a few of us can at least try to follow along, instead of ensuring none of us can because you don't have the digital fortitude to paste a functioning web address.

As a member of the free press, I feel the Register has an obligation to get to and report the facts regarding the handling of public government matters, just as any other citizen. As regular citizens, we should encourage their efforts to shed light on matters of public interest.

After all, public employees and elected officials have no right to privacy in their government jobs and offices, except in narrow and well defined circumstances. Nearly every action they take should be known or knowable to the public. If they act reasonably in their dealings, then they have little cause for concern. This issue isn't remotely related to the right of privacy we enjoy as citizens in our own homes. Public business on taxpayer time isn't protected.

So to the state, I say open up and be transparent; own your actions, whether right or wrong. People have a tendency to forgive honest errors in judgment, but lack of honesty and integrity is shameful.

And to the person that said court records aren't available online, check the state's judicial web site, if you have the brains, and you'll see they are!

If the story's true, I say good job Register!

People as brands

2009-01-07T23:03:00.003-06:00

I hadn't been paying attention close enough to really embrace that people could be brands, although I think we all understand the power of certain individuals (Oprah).

The amazing thing about this dynamic is that there are actually individuals with active audiences. Large audiences. And extremely active. One person has 30,000 people that follow his tweets. When he makes a remark, tens of thousands of people get it, as if he were a walking, talking radio station. And he is, with his wireless device.

There's more about this in this really nice free mini-seminar by David Armano...

Watch Personal Branding, David Armano, Critical Mass in News Online, Webisodes, and Game Videos | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

So you got fired from your media job?

2008-12-31T18:45:00.001-06:00

If you're one of the sad sacks that works (or worked ) for a company that doesn't think a web site is of any consequence...well, that's telling of your company AND you.

Commercial media is about attracting an audience and convincing advertisers you have a big one. The only remaining issues are value, orders and collecting revenue. That's been a constant for hundreds of years and the dynamic is not likely to change this century.

However, it's not gonna be 1970 forever; audiences, advertises and technologists change their minds about the particulars from time to time. So the recipe for success? Adjust methods accordingly. Season for taste. Always serve hot.

ffn-banquet-final

2008-12-12T10:24:00.001-06:00

Click to Play

Shawn Johnson Interview on WHO Radio

2008-11-14T16:02:00.001-06:00

Click to Play

Olympic Gold Medalist Shawn Johnson visits with Van & Bonnie on WHO Radio, Des Moines, Iowa.

Unsustainable realty market continues off track

2008-11-02T22:27:00.003-06:00

According to the Des Moines Association of Realtors(tm), over the past 30 years, the median price of existing homes has increased an average of 6% every year. And since 2000, the average home sale price has increased more than 25%. Sound sustainable? If the median inflation rate is 3%, then for the past 30 years, homes have outpaced inflation at twice the rate. And in the last decade, the sale prices have skyrocketed. And the only thing that can mean is that people are able afford less home than in years past -- unless, of course, you remove borrowing restrictions and open up mortgages to people who can't pay back the money.

Ads: My first professional gig

2008-10-12T16:21:00.001-05:00

My first paid ad was for a place called “Computer Center”, located in Central Plaza in Fort Dodge and I got the gig as a creative contest winner while in college. Their business was computer training and troubleshooting. Their goal was clear; they wanted walk-in business prospects. The spec was for a 15-second ad:

(SFX: Downward sweep to bass chord)

“Computer Center will train you. Computer Center will troubleshoot. Computer Center. Computer Center for today's competitive business. Central Plaza. Fort Dodge.”

(SFX: upward sounder)

The strengths of the ad were bullet-point branding and memorable audio punctuation. Unfortunately they vacated the campaign in short order and failed altogether by the following year.

Web 101: it's a sales brochure, stupid!

2008-10-12T15:52:00.003-05:00

Hopefully you're already sold on the fact that you need a web site. Now we're planning what should be presented therein.

Remember to give your customers a point of action that’s easy, like visiting your easy-to-remember web site, the half-step between your advertising and your brick-and-mortar store. Therefore, it should identify clear benefits to the visitors.

Every step of marketing is a sales pitch. From the first words in your advertising, you're trying to convince people to stay with you throughout the pitch. Later in the process, you're asking prospects to take specific actions. After they've visited your web site, the next step should be clear: to call, email or visit.

Unless you're closing the deal on an ecommerce web site, its purposes should be as sales literature and a point of contact, not a dumping ground for hard-nosed disclaimer speak, dry facts and boring data that makes legitimate prospects cringe.

Some business people have become hardened by a few unappreciative customers. Don't let your resentment be your prospects' first impression of you. Focus on the same benefits one would find in your printed brochures.

Business 101: It's okay to be judgmental

2008-10-12T15:20:00.004-05:00

When you run a business and wait on customers who have chosen you over a sea of competitors, you owe it to them to objectively judge how well you're doing.

Put yourself in the shoes of a customer from time to time. Look at the hoops they have to jump through before they’re able to get back to their lives. Pay attention to wait times, and what people see while they're waiting. If someone’s standing at a counter waiting, they're keenly aware of the performance of your employees. They see your people plod along oblivious to customers.

I actively count employees are on the job and compare them to active orders being filled. I tend to resent watching employees perform tasks unrelated to serving customers ahead of me. When nothing is being done to advance orders, the wait seems endless.

It’s frustrating to watch servers stand in one spot as they wait for people who plod along behind the scenes, who have no sense of purpose and who are oblivious to the business at hand -- all the while condiments are depleted, trashes are full and tables are disgusting. The server's job is simple, but requires constant discipline: provide fast, friendly service.

You can't fix problems you don't see. So thank customers first by judging your service.

Ads: Pick radio, it’s more effective

2008-10-12T11:11:00.001-05:00

Magazine advertising aside, newspapers get the bulk of ad dollars, far ahead of radio. And in fact, more is spent on Internet ads than radio campaigns by $1 billion. But none of that changes the apples-to-apples demonstration that proves radio’s response is 14 times more effective than newspaper’s when it comes to driving traffic to a web site. Want to see the test?

http://www.mondaymorningmemo.com/?ShowMe=ThisMemo&MemoID=1768

Ads: replace hype with authentic grabbers

2008-10-05T22:55:00.002-05:00

If you're in retail business, don't make the mistake of thinking you're in the entertainment business in your marketing. Awards don't sell snow blowers.

Be cautious not to use cute ideas for cute-sake. Grab attention in an unfamiliar, attention-getting way, but remember to bridge your opening line in a believable way, and support the opening and bridge in your copy.

Opening example: "Now would be a horrible time for a flat tire!"

If you've placed this ad during morning drive, at the height of morning rush hour, you now have seized the attention of every driver on the road at that moment, and each are now imagining what a flat tire would do to their day.

The ad doesn't have to be about tires or tire repair. In fact, that would be too obvious an opening even for a towing service. But now that you have their attention, carefully craft your bridge to bring people into your story.

Bridge example: "You don't have any spare time today and there are probably a pretty good number new tasks waiting for you when you hit the office."

See, a flat tire would be inconvenient because your customers are time-starved like the rest of the free world. This ad now can take any direction it needs to.

Body example: "Since the odds are squarely against your actually getting a flat, you now have a few more seconds to stop at the Barry's Good Java drive-thru to pick up an exotic coffee reward. And when we hand you the cup, we'll also give you a card good for another cup tomorrow -- on us -- as a thank you for trying us out. Barry's Good Java. A few more extras; no nickels & dimes."

Notice how we got attention without hype? Then we bridged into our story. Then we told the story, and made a suggestion that offered a benefit to the morning commuter along the way. Nothing terribly devious, just good clean attention-getting.

PLACEMENT
Now we wouldn't have been terribly selective about which radio station we used to placed the commercial; we're interested in reaching as many people as we can afford to reach. That simple. For this we pay attention to CUME (total weekly station audience) or AQH (total simultaneous listeners within a day part) during the 5a-10a (AMD) day part. Our major focus is on placing one commercial an hour M-F on the station you can afford.

Ads: A clever attempt that fails is not clever

2008-10-05T22:49:00.003-05:00

I recently saw part of a silent television commercial for a local car dealer, and I'm frankly surprised I even noticed it. I missed at least the first half of it because I was enthralled by a piece of lint that was hovering in the air at that fleeting moment. Then my advertising brain took note of the spectacle before me.

As a broadcaster for more than twenty-five years, I've learned the power of sounds in advertising. I'm a huge believer that the right sounds are capable of longer life in the mind than a visual. I'd never let a client of mine waste that moment. It was reminiscent of that cable TV channel that's dedicated to placard advertising with some generic music in the background.

Back to the car ad. It was clearly trying to be clever in its silence, but failed miserably in the message, which unsurprisingly I cannot relay to you.

A silent television ad may as well go into a newspaper or on a web site. Use clever audio to get attention if you think it's right, but silence is anything but clever -- unless it's a well-placed pause -- and always a wasted opportunity.

Billy McGuigan on KXnO

2008-10-02T17:56:00.001-05:00

Click to Play

Billy McGuigan is as comfortable playing Beatles or Buddy Holly music and he demonstrates the ease as he sat down with Larry Cotlar on Cotlar & Company on KXnO. Billy's next stage progect involves Beatles music, which you can see him play here.

Michael Gartne on Van & Bonnie

2008-10-01T13:09:00.001-05:00

Click to Play

HTML clipboardMichael Gartner was the "Designated Bonnie" Monday, September 29 with Van Harden on WHO Radio in Des Moines, Iowa. Michael is a past president of the Iowa Board of Regents; was a sports reporter and eventual president of the Des Moines Register, executive of Gannett and USA Today; writer for the Wall Street Journal and USA Today is currently Chairman of Racoon Baseball, owner of the Iowa Cubs.

Erin Kiernan on Van & Bonnie

2008-10-01T10:37:00.001-05:00

Click to Play

Erin Kiernan guest-hosted the WHO Radio morning show along with Van Harden as "Designated Bonnie". Erin is the co-anchor for Channel 13 News at 5, 6, & 10 -- and is married to Des Moines City Council Member Michael Kiernan.

Stacy Keach interview

2008-10-01T06:59:00.001-05:00

Click to Play

Stacy Keach in Des Moines for his part in the theatrical production Frost Nixon at the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines through October 5, 2008. He visited the WHO Radio studios and talked with morning show host Van Harden about the performance, golf, favorite leading ladies and recent project.

Principal confirms firearm found on campus

2008-09-30T19:55:00.002-05:00

A paper note was issued to students today referencing the firearm incident:

Dear East High Community,
I want to make sure you are aware of an incident which occurred at school on Monday September 29th, 2008.
While conducting a routine investigation into another matter, it was discovered that a student had inadvertently left a small caliber target rifle in their vehicle. The weapon was not loaded and was cased. There was no ammunition found. There was no evidence of any sort of threat against a student or staff member.
However, we take any incident involving the possession of a weapon on school grounds very seriously, and students who violate the school district's weapons policy are subject to disciplinary action, which may include expulsion.
I am thankful to our staff at East High School who worked on this situation, and I want to make sure that you heard from us first hand about what happened. The safety of our students is always a top priority. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Sincerely
(Signed)
Mike Zelenovich, Principal

Brandon McHose - Token

2008-09-24T10:51:00.001-05:00

Click to Play

Brandon McHose performed the title song from his new CD Token on KXnO's Cotlar & Company, Des Moines, Iowa.

State school network

2008-09-21T23:46:00.003-05:00

You've probably heard of the web sites that let you logon and see how your kid's doing in school. Not in Des Moines's district, but in many progressive communities. Sure, we get a notification in the evening (when it's too late to call and find out why) that your student missed a class, but you can't reply & hope for any further details.

In 2008, I'm floored that our school's in the dark ages when it comes to useful technology. There's a lot that should be going on that isn't, as I eluded to in a a recent business discussion group.

I would propose a state-wide network that connects all able students via connected computers. They logon to the school server every morning when school commences and their entire day is managed within their account. Exercises and assignments, including tests and reports are done through their accounts. School administrators, teachers and parents can watch, in real time, student activity and progress.

Statewide standards can be implemented by massaging the core curriculum components from year to year; teacher performance can be measured and overall accountability is enhanced.

An an excellent example of the benefits of getting our schools on the same page with state and national education standards, all 7th-grade English classes follow the same curriculum and performance standards.

Snow days are no longer non-productive because students are online from home. Teacher in-service days are eliminated. Parent-teacher interaction is maximized, engaging parents, so conferences are nearly eliminated. Teachers spend far less time grading papers. Roll call is automated. School supply costs are dramatically decreased. Layers of administration could be eliminated, and that would undoubtedly save millions.

In our schools, we're so far behind the tech curve and it makes you wonder why.

Scared of surveillance?

2008-09-13T12:09:00.004-05:00

I'm a nut for the Fourth Amendment and I think privacy is an important right that can't be taken lightly. So it's from this basis that I'm inspired to comment on the growing level of general video surveillance by US governments, locally and nationally.

Europeans have installed millions of surveillance cameras they call CCD, a name derived from ‘charge-coupled device’, the actual electronic retina of a video camera.

The US is playing catch-up in major metropolitan areas, implementing their own camera programs. It’s all in the name of security, but some wonder if Uncle Sam is becoming Big Brother and challenging our rights to privacy.

In assessing whether government surveillance of ordinary citizens in public view goes too far, we have to analyze whether citizens should have a reasonable expectation of privacy in any give area or circumstance. The constitution provides for the right to privacy, but that doesn’t apply in open areas where you or your personal affects are on display for public viewing, or in plain sight.

The technology is fascinating.

State-of-the-art surveillance units
If you believe that bad things happen in the dark, that a fully transparent government would be a good thing, then 360º full motion video surveillance cameras equipped with bio-chemical sensors, gunshot detectors and infrared & laser imaging have the ability to lift the vale of secrecy, which is only somewhat incompatible with crime -- but a significant deterrent.

But to prevent the abuse of this technology, we have to be watching the watchers too. That has to be a critical element in any blanket surveillance program.

Painting a picture of a crime scene
Imagine three such surveillance units setup in a town square where a theft has occurred. This gives me three camera angles of every square inch of that space, in which the x-y coordinates of every object are stored every 30th of a second. This creates a photo-perfect SecondLife-like virtual space that can be monitored, not only in real time, but generates a recording of the events, in movie-like form, that can be carefully analyzed to get to the actual facts of even the most minor infractions. Having such an accurate record not only identifies the theif, but provides documented proof of innocence for the rest of us.

Also imagine, as a police officer, you type a license plate number or name into the computer system and the system can then begin searching for recent records in its recognition results. It can also monitor in real time and alert the cop if a camera spots the subject in question. Incredibly useful stuff! (But easy to abuse!)

While you’re walking along a sidewalk, you’re out in public view. Anyone that cares to glance can see you. Passersby can possibly hear what you might be saying for the brief moments they’re within hearing range. Knowing this, people generally tend to behave themselves.

There’s no difference between this scenario and the one in which surveillance units are placed. You’re provided no more or less privacy in these public spaces – until a crime is committed. When that happens, the public has a pretty solid record from which to gather evidence to identify the crime, the victim and the perpetrator.

If the aim of surveillance is limited to those elements, and public interest is key with respect to the use and management of the surveillance program, then big brother objections are muted.

On the downside, these kinds of high-tech surveillance eyes and ears can and will be abused. For instance, images of the insides of people’s homes will be captured and recorded. Privileged conversations will be made public. The private lives of citizens will undoubtedly be exposed to a greater extent. There is no question that privacy at times will be compromised as a direct result of general surveillance programs.

The public will want to take greater care in guarding their privacy. The public will also take steps to safeguard surveillance records and prevent abuse.

All in all, general high-tech surveillance programs will keep everyone a little more honest. On balance, I see it as good thing.

And remember that while we, members of the general public, are being watched more carefully, so are public officials. If there's balance like this, and the demarcation between public and private is vigorously guarded, I have very few concerns about pervasive video surveillance in public spaces.

Olive Court now closed to Hawkeye Tailgaters

2008-09-04T20:24:00.003-05:00

For years, football fans have parked at Iowa City's Olive Court and passed a ball, grilled brats and enjoyed a beverage. But the former owners say they're tired of cleaning up the mess.

Sheryl Neuzil is quoted on KGAN's web site as saying they parked 700 cars every home game for a fee of $25 per car. That comes to $17,500 per home game. At that rate, six home games per year generates $105,000.

Were they really tired of it or did they see much higher dollar signs by selling it off to a developer? KGAN: "Neuzil signed a deal Wednesday and 31 condos will be here next fall."

She said she was sorry it happened, but "...that's the way it goes."

The "it" being business, I imagine.

Filenames

2008-09-01T13:15:00.003-05:00

I like complaining about the way media professionals misspeak regarding the Internet, not really understanding how it works. They'll skip the "." between the "www" and the domain name and say, "w-w-w-c-n-n-dot-com". Or they think they have to refer to a slash in a web address as a "backslash" (clearly a regular old "slash").

My other big pet peeve is putting spaces in filenames. This would've been unheard of back in the DOS days, when filenames were limited to 11 characters ('mypost10.txt', for instance) and when spaces were simply not impossible. Filenames were also not case-sensitive. But today, with long filenames, people try all sorts of crazy things, like long desriptions, complete with caps and spaces and bizarre characters. And while most technology supports long filenames, not all are fully friendly to them, most notibly web browsers and email programs.

Case in point: when you upload a file that has spaces contained in it, diffrent programs treat the spaces differently. In some cases, the space is replaced with a '%20'. But not always. In the graphic above, you see the URL, which is sent via email, is showing has a filename that clearly has a space, but the hyperlinking stops before the end of the URL, causing a click to result in an incomplete address.

We should still be using short, descriptive filenames without spaces.

DMPS: $14,500 per pupil

2008-09-01T12:17:00.004-05:00

I'd put Des Moines' school district budget at $385M, from the State of the Schools speech last fall. That's wildly outdated today. Board member Jon Narcisse said [on WHO Radio] on August 2 that the budget was $415M this year. Plus he said the district had tapped its $20M reserve. Assuming that's accurate, I'll adjust my figures and restate the cost per pupil is now $14,500 this year or $80 per day, assuming 30,000 kids still attend school in the district. $80 per day! With a student-to-staff ratio of 6:1, that's like paying each of the 5,000 district staff members an annual salary of $87,000 to teach your kids.

If you could entrust three competent people with 18 students and say, "go spend 180 days with these kids, secure the needed resources, and teach them what they need to know," would it cost $261,600? For that, you could build the classroom, feed and cloth the students, equip them each with notebook computers, fully loaded with world-class educational software.

If you think you're being fleeced, you probably are. But at some point, we have to stop blaming the leaders we choose and begin to take responsibility as members of the community -- citizens and media alike -- or ineptitude and greed continue to flourish.

$70 per student per day

2008-08-29T22:21:00.000-05:00

I was reading a welcome message by Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Nancy Sebring (http://www.dmps.k12.ia.us/schoolboard/1sebring-index.htm) and her State of the Schools speech entitled. "EDUCATING DES MOINES. THEN. NOW. TOMORROW." (http://www.dmps.k12.ia.us/schoolboard/1stateoftheschools07.pdf) from October of '07.

From these two sources, I retrieved some facts that paint a picture. Here, let me help you with that brush.

The budget for school year '07/'08 was $385,500,000.00 (that's 385-point-5 Million dollars). There are 30,000 students and 5,000 staff. That seems like a lot of money and a lot of staff, doesn't it?

I think so. I'll break the big numbers down into the most singular form possible for context and to help us get our mind around what they represent. Let's start by figuring the per-student dollar figures. It's $12,850.00 per year and $71.39 per student per day for 180 days. There's a 6:1 student-to-staff ratio.

It takes the Des Moines Public School District more than $70 per day, per student, to teach the three Rs. Amazing!

Another way to look at this, in somewhat equivelent terms, each member of the school staff could be paid $77,000 to handle six kids for 180 days per year. That actually seems pretty doable. And you wouldn't need actual teachers; just teaching facilitators. Each TF could pay a monthly fee and get all curriculum materials via a teaching server on the Internet. Student logins, attendance recording, testing, etc., all done by computer, with you as their facilitator/principal/custodian/cook.

Imagine that you're one of the TFs. You'll have to hold class at your house because you (and 4,999 others) are receiving the balance of the annual school budget to take care of all six students' educational needs.

You're gonna have to buy a few things, like computers, desks, supplies and internet access, but you could still perform OK in an average house. No bussing required because the students probably live within a block or two.

Might want to install a basketball hoop.

HOT LUNCH PROGRAM
You don't have to buy their lunch (unless they can't afford), because the district doesn't have to. You do have to prepare lunch though. That's OK because the $210 per week the students bring you to make lunch will easily cover all the hotdogs, hamburgers, mac & cheese, tader triangles and fish portions you'll be needing. Really, a pan of boiling water and an oven are all you really need to cook school-like food.

Smartphone Start-Ups Have a Friend in This Fund - NYTimes.com

2008-08-23T14:12:00.000-05:00

Smartphone Start-Ups Have a Friend in This Fund - NYTimes.com

This could be something. iFund invests in select startup companies that write applications for the iPhone. To give you an idea of popularity of these apps, Apple's iPhone App Store has served 60 million of then since the store's launch last month. Blackberry maker RIM (Research in Motion) sees this trend and will announce a yet-to-be-named fund specializing in developers of applications for its smart phone.

Are we paying attention? One thing we don't fully appreciate about hundreds of millions of smartphones in users' hands is that they have eyes, ears, know their location and are connected to the Internet. Developers can leverage these assets to unimaginable ends -- with potentially questionable aims, possibly creating a transparent world or the mother of all big brothers.

Gannett 2Q profit falls by 36 percent

2008-07-17T01:48:00.002-05:00

I don't believe the paper's decline is because of any perceived liberal bias, dittoheads. Fewer readers get their information from print because there are so many free and instant sources -- including this web site. 1. Local delivery audiences are dying off -- literally; and 2. local advertisers don't understand how to market to an audience that's obviously shifting to online sources. Consider that a typical newspaper reporting staff today is comprised of two-thirds online content producers.

That's telling. And it lends a lot of credence to the Craigslist argument in the comment section of this story; my baby boomer mother uses it.

And partly because...it's the economy, stupid.

This is an awkward time for traditional media, but I assure you that "liberal bias" is nothing more than a branding campaign aimed at the feeble-minded.

To fix the nation's problems, circle the wagons

2008-07-13T13:28:00.002-05:00

When we see what has become of our nation and the impending crisis that faces it, we the people should take action and not wait around for the next election cycle.

Problem
The economy, the war, forced taxpayer charity, immigration issues, diminishing standard of living and inaccessible health care in this country are all related to the ineptitude of congress, who acts as agency for corporate and foreign interests instead of its constituents.

Solution
A temporary national charter mandating the legislature, executive and judicial to implement and support the following measures immediately:

Recall all diplomatic personnel, armed forces and materiel to US soil and ports
Withdraw from world financial complex
Eliminate Homeland Security
Secure all borders and waters
Place a moratorium on all all foreign trade and aid
Eliminate national income tax
Redesign transportation infrastructure to support universal electrified rail
Replace coal and petroleum derived energy with wind, solar, hydro and nuclear

Interesting comments regarding FEMA buyouts

2008-07-13T13:25:00.003-05:00

In 1794, Congress appropriated $15,000 for relief of French refugees. James Madison stood on the floor of the House to object, saying, "I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents." James Madison, you'll recall, is the acknowledged father of the Constitution, and he couldn't find constitutional authority for spending "on the objects of benevolence."

Your congressman might say, "Madison was all wrong; after all, there's the 'general welfare' clause." Here's what Madison had to say about that: "With respect to the two words "general welfare," I have always regarded them as qualified by the detail of powers connected with them. To take them in a literal and unlimited sense would be a metamorphosis of the Constitution into a character which there is a host of proofs was not contemplated by its creators." Thomas Jefferson echoed similar sentiments saying, "Congress has not unlimited powers to provide for the general welfare, but only those specifically enumerated."

Walter Williams, http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/williams111302.asp

I'm all for giving. Giving is the duty of private citizens, both individually and collectively via charitable organizations. The federal government has no authority to take money from taxpayers for the purpose of giving it to the needy. Charity is a personal, voluntary act of love toward our fellow man. Don't confuse charity with taxation, a compulsory act under duress.

When the government takes over, the whole transaction becomes less personal and more clinical. Giving gives way to taking. Gifts give way to entitlements.

Any of you who believe charitable giving is the duty of government should ask yourselves (and James Madison) if you're living in the wrong country.

Politics is a useful smoke screen

2008-07-13T12:59:00.003-05:00

Narrow-minded partisan hacks look pretty silly calling each other names, while extolling the virtues of politicians who facilitated the sale of our country to China and the Mideast at bargain-bin rates. Because of these petty distractions, people still hope, sadly, that the outcome of the presidential election will make a difference.

And before long, they may also feel silly.

The power base is comprised of banks, insurance companies and investment houses who derive immense benefit from war, open borders, free trade and skimming your paycheck -- and they care not about national boundaries. It's laughable that they watch the money flowing into the Mideast and China, yet they sit in their protective bubbles and engage in ignorant online debates about which idiot will be most useful, as US President, to the quality of their individual lives.

The FEMA flooded home buyout program is forced charity

2008-07-13T12:08:00.002-05:00

Under what authority can the government buy flooded private properties? James Madison said it doesn't exist, referring to "objects of benevolence", which is a compulsory levy, usually assessed by kings, with no other authority than the claim of prerogative. When the government is in the business of charity, like funding and administering buyouts of private homes, it becomes taxation without representation, which you're compelled to hand over, as if a king had demanded it.

My fear is that we're moving fast toward a nation where lazy, ignorant clods comprize the majority, who elect criminals to lead.

Identity theft solutions, not blame

2008-07-13T12:02:00.002-05:00

My 17-year-old son, a multi-generation US citizen, was approached recently by a foreign national living in the US illegally, who solicited his identity for the sum of $5,000 to help him bring members of his family to the US and work under assumed identities. Fortunately, he declined the offer. But others will accept. Far more citizens will have their identities compromised.

There's great value in the identity trade, which has become a commodity industry, and there's a reason for it. And while the political class watches you all bicker about who's fault it is, your fellow citizens are getting soaked by the financial complex and raked over the coals.

The solution is to make compliance the new path of least resistance -- a financial no-brainer -- by causing great expense to the individuals reaping the benefits of cheap labor, who promise the cheapest possible labor force. You'll know who they are because they speak loudest for immigrants' rights.

One of the extremely few true responsibilities of the government is to guard against foreign invasion, but a nation rife with ignorance will never demand it.

Types of Internet access

2008-06-28T21:45:00.002-05:00

DSL
Over-the-phone-line (sometimes called PSTN or Telco), the "digital subscriber line" is piggybacked data over regular copper phone wires, doesn't interfere with normal phone calls, but data noise (hissing sound) must be filtered or most telephone equipment will not function correctly. Special customer equipment, service and ISP are required. With DSL service, you're getting a special data connection between you and the phone company, but not to the internet. You will also have to enter into an agreement with an ISP (Internet Service Provider), who then makes the fnal connection between the phone company and the Internet. In many cases, DSL and ISP are bundled, simplifying your installation.

Cable
Through your cable-TV provider (sometimes called CATV), the data is passed on the same coax cable as your cable television signals. A special cable modem is required, as well as a special high-speed cable internet service, also through your cable company. No additional ISP is needed; the cable company handles the ISP duties as well.

Satellite internet
If you use Hughes/DirecTV satellite television service, you may have heard about their HughesNet internet services, in which an installer replaces your receiving dish with a special Internet dish, which is oval-shaped. As with satellite television, you must have a clear view of the southern sky in order for this to work. The service is ordered through Hughes/DirecTV.

WLAN
Wireless Lan (WLAN) is an extension of your ISP's network that covers the last mile using towers (often rented cell towers, water towers, grain elevators or other tall structures, to beam an 802.11 wifi radio signal across a wide area (often several miles). While traditional wifi gear works on this type of network, you'll probably need an antenna mounted on the side of your house and pointed in the general direction of the nearest WLAN tower, as well as a cable that plugs into a special network bridge inside your home, then into your computer/network.

WiMax
Similar to the above, but doesn't use tradition 802.11 (wifi) protocols, but a proprietary network protocol and special equipment at your home.

Cellular
Your cell phone company probably has a data plan, through which you can access the internet. In some cases, if your phone and computer are both equipped with Bluetooth, you may be able to setup an arrangement between your phone and computer in which your computer goes through your phone to access the internet, a sort of wireless Internet connection. This may be a slow, clunky and difficult option, but with a little guidance from your cell phone provider, it may be your only reliable option if you travel a lot or live in an area where DSL or cable Internet are not available.

Internet Over Powerline
Not available in our area, but would pass a data stream over powerlines to your home. You would need a special receiver that connects to the household power and your computer or home network.

Nurturing the festering

2008-06-28T07:11:00.004-05:00

Howard Fineman appears to be reasonably intelligent and is good for political insight if you pull his chain -- and NBC does quite a bit of chain pulling when he's in the room. But the more I see him on the various talk shows and read his op-eds, the more I believe his function is to feed the discomfort level of enthusiasts.

Kill troop morale
A favorite tactic in any battle is to try to add to the discontent of the groundpounders on the other side. The purpose is, of course, is to weaken the position of the other side. But the battle's won, so what's Fineman trying to accomplish? To pour salt in wounds and watch them fester. To cause a reaction that will be heard around the world.

Being one of NBC's go-to guys for punditry is probably a pretty good way to get paying customers, but none of this advances political discourse. Fact-based analysis isn't supposed to inject emotion of itself, but to reflect the facts.

This adolescent tendency to want to be seen as the insider is sophomoric. Children like to say words that produce a "wow" from their audience. Makes them feel relevant, purposeful.

I wish Fineman and the rest of the beltway insiders would mature.

Immigration officials charge a Postville illegal

2008-06-23T18:18:00.003-05:00

In this story, the DM Register says the Chief of Police of Postville claims his department doesn't routinely act as an immigration-enforcement arm because it can't afford the training, and that he wants immigrants to feel comfortable reporting crimes to his officers without fearing that they will be deported.

Well, actually, the police chief is referring to illegal immigrants, foreign nationals in this country without a visa or other authorization -- referred to as "illegal aliens". Let's be honest.

What if the chief had said his department doesn't go after shoplifters? And that he didn't want drug users to feel uncomfortable reporting other crimes for fear of arrest? That's an equivalent argument.

In the military, I believe we refer to this as "dereliction of duty", punishable by death in times of war.

Food for thought.

As I've always said, if the laws are wrong, then let's change them. If we can fairly increase the number of immigrants and successfully integrate them into our country, then let's up the numbers. But if we're being over-run by foreign nationals who have no intentions of assimilating, then we're being invaded and our pocketbooks are being raided -- and sworn officers of the law are accessories.

Des Moines Floods of 2008

2008-06-11T09:08:00.003-05:00

Des Moines residents and officials brace for flooding, the likes of which have not been seen in 15 years -- and more, in some cases. This playlist as a day-by-day visual account of the flooding.

Allen Bishop show notes

2008-05-26T18:19:00.002-05:00

The Allen Bishop Show
Monday, May 26, 2008 - Memorial Day

Misc
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killer twisters rip through Oklohoma and Iowa this weekend.

Politics
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You may remember I predicted Obama would claim victory as his party's presidential nomination. Well, he made the trip to Iowa last week to bring his nomination fight to, symbolically, do just that.

Defending staying in the race, Clinton brings up the June '68 RFK assasination in California. Media feeding frenzy ensues & predictions are that she spends the rest of her Presidential run on the defense. She has one hope left; that something terrible will happen to Obama before the convention.

Obama & McCain will exchange barbs through November. But neither have a sustainable healthcare plan, effective economic package or a realistic foreign policy.

Ron Paul nailed healthcare, saying we don't have free market medicine (or government medicine), but soft fascist or corporate healthcare -- which needs to change...like yesterday. Paul also understands the currency crisis; problems with fighting an undeclared war and he knows the constitution.

Bush Attack Dog Karl Rover had guts appearing on ABC's This Week with George Stephanopoulos. He's accused in playing a role in Attorney-gate, the firing of select US Attorneys who didn't play ball with the White House, and dozens of other throat-cutting missions for the neo-cons. He's also accused of corruption in the railroading of Alabama Governor Don Siegelman. Now Fido (Rove) is under Congressional subpoena to appear on these matters, but he's hiding under executive privilege. Rove says the matter of subpoenas will be faught and decided in court. He says he heard about the Don Siegelman indictment, read about it, learned about it for the first time by reading about it in the newspaper.

Technology
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VIACOM, YOUTUBE, FIGHTING
Why is it that you never see clips from MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount, Deamworks or shows like Comedy Central's The Daily Show? Little lawsuit between Google's YouTube and Viacom is most likely. To the tune of a Billion Dollars. Google said YouTube was faithful to the requirements of the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act, saying the federal law was intended to protect companies like YouTube as long as they responded properly to content owners' claims of infringement. Viacom said YouTube consistently allows unauthorized copies of popular television programming and movies to be posted on its Web site and viewed tens of thousands of times, that it identified more than 150,000 unauthorized clips of copyrighted programming — including "SpongeBob SquarePants," "South Park" and "MTV Unplugged" episodes and the documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" — that had been viewed "an astounding 1.5 billion times." And that only scratches the surface. And furthermore, Viacom says making available a vast library of the copyrighted works of plaintiffs and others is the cornerstone of defendants' business plan," Viacom said.

IPHONE GEOTAGGING IN NEW FIRMWARE
iPhone's newest firmware is expected to possess geo-tagging function. That is, adds location data to a photos & other media files. While a GPS receiver is not present in the current iPhone, it is expected to be part of an upcoming 3G iPhone. However, the current iPhone can approximate a user's location by triangulating with cell phone towers.

DIGITAL INDY
18 years have paassed since the last Indiana Jones movie. The first three were gritty, sweaty and tactile and everything onscreen physically existed. But Crystal Skull is mostly present in the digital realm.

Exclusive footage of The Miz in Des Moines

2008-05-20T11:00:00.001-05:00

Click to Play

The Miz came down the the KXnO Studios May 20, 2008, before his appearance at wells Fargo Arena. Contains exclusive footage of The Miz performing for our cameras as he left the building.

Bush rails on Obama

2008-05-18T16:56:00.002-05:00

Bush says those who want to negotiate with terrorists are taking the false comfort of appeasement. Sen Joe Biden didn't care for that remark. He appeared on This Week telling George Stephanopuoulos "This is raw, raw politics, demeaning to the presidency of the United States of America".

Can Obama claim it yet?

2008-05-18T16:54:00.001-05:00

ABC asks if Obama's delegate lead create an insurmountable problem for Clinton's campaign. That lead and powerful symbolism may provide Obama with an opportunity to claim victory this week over Clinton.

Kennedy seizure causes earthquake

2008-05-18T16:53:00.001-05:00

Sen. Ted Kennedy is in the hospital after he had a seizure at his Cape Cod home Saturday. His condition is serious, but he's not in imminent danger. Doctors original thought he was having a stroke. By day's end, Kennedy was watching the Red Sox and joking with family members and friends who were summoned to the hospital. ABC reports the event sent an earthquake across the political world.

Colbie Caillat - Bubbly

2008-05-17T20:04:00.001-05:00

Click to Play

Colbie Caillat performed at Capital 106.3 (KPTL-FM, Clear Channel Radio) "Studio C" in Des Moines, Iowa courtesy of Universal Music Group.

Colbie Caillat - Realize

2008-05-17T20:00:00.001-05:00

Click to Play

Colbie Caillat performed at Capital 106.3 (KPTL-FM, Clear Channel Radio) "Studio C" in Des Moines, Iowa courtesy of Universal Music Group.