Media Watch

This is a quick demonstration of my Realistic PRO-38 10-Channel Direct Entry Programmable Scanner. The activity you hear is traffic from Des Moines PD on Sept. 14, 2013. I bought this radio new 26 years ago from the Radio Shack at Crossroads Mall in Fort Dodge. It still works perfectly. Manufactured by Uniden and sold exclusively at Radio Shack, the Pro-38 was released on Sept. 22, 1987 and retailed for $139.95. From the catalog: Ten Channels and 10-Band Coverage 139.95 [NEW FOR 88] Low as $15 Per Month* Available Sept. 22, 1987 29-29.7 Mhz 10-Meter Ham 29.7-50 Mhz VHF-Lo Band 50-54 and 144-148 Mhz Ham 136-144 Military Mobile 148-174 Mhz VHF-Hi Band 406-420 Mhz Government 420-450 Mhz Ham Band 450-470 Mhz UHF-Lo Band 470-512 Mhz UHF-Hi ("T") Realistic Pro-38. High quality and extended coverage at a break-through low price! Features LCD channel display, review key to display frequencies, keyboard-lock switch, audible low-battery indicator. Built-in speaker,...

8 oz pkg Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese 8 oz can Borden Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk 1/3 C ReaLemon Lemon Juice 1 t. Mccormick Pure Vanilla Extract 6-oz Keebler Ready Crust Graham Cracker Pie Crust 21 oz can Comstock More Fruit Cherry Pie Filling Beat one 8-oz package softened Philadelphia brand cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually add one can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk until combined. Stir in 1/3 cup ReaLemon lemon juice and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Pour into a 6-oz prepared graham cracker pie crust. Cover and refrigerate for four hours. Top with a 21-oz can of pre-chilled cherry pie filling.

An "open letter" writer apparently named "Jim" has lifted this , directly or indirectly, from a letter Kent Ashcroft actually wrote to Dr. Laura (ca 2000), which has been passed around and copied -- and sometimes claimed as columnists' own words -- for many years. The spiel was countered last year by Des Moines radio talk show host Jan Mickelson.

I'm trying to figure out how Rep. Steve King (R-Ia) rationalizes his position that Congress ought to stop California from setting higher standards for eggs sold in its state -- flying in the face of the idea that states' sovereign rights are to be preserved. It's the strangest thing. Well, California, acting well within its rights, enacted Proposition 2, the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act of 2008, which requires that certain farm animals, such as chickens, have room enough to stand, lie, turn and extend their limbs, that eggs sold in California are produced in this manner. Not all chickens, just hens, and I'm sure there are exemptions. California's not telling other states how treat hens, just to keep your stinking, tear-stained eggs out of California. The concept is really no different than how the US tells foreign manufacturers how they may not treat their factory workers if they wish to sell their goods in this country. Retailers largely support and pu...

One of my biggest disappointments is watching a video I was lured into by a very interesting topic, but then annoyed by serious deficiencies in content, composure and quality. Please seek and accept a few pointers. Stop zooming! You destroy the context and framing of your shot when you zoom in and out, not to mention drive your audience nuts! Be smooth! You can't walk your camera around a subject with shaky hands and swift motions without making at least a few people nauseous. Fix your audio! Cheap, crumby camcorders in the hands of competition shooters are acceptable because they get audo. Bad audio ruins video always. It's too faint, competes with background noise, it's overtaken by a music bed or otherwise muddy or shrill. You'll do better when you treat the internal camcorder microphone as a...that's right, microphone ! That usually means the camcorder has to be within a foot or two of the subject in order for it to be effective. Please by a cheap tripod...

A group sponsored by the out-of-state National Christian Foundation of Tampa, Florida held a rally in Des Moines Friday in an effort to convince Iowa BSA delegates to vote to deny youth who think they might be gay from joining the religious organization. The ban on openly gay scout leaders will not be affected by the organizational referendum. Demonstrators for N.C.F. held placards in front of news cameras that read, "NO ON THE RESOLUTION - OnMyHonor.net." First of all, it's an ugly notion that a personal development group for American youth would ostracize and categorically oust one of its 8-year-old members after admitting to a mentor that he thinks he might be gay. How the hell does that work and how can it be rationalized? Fortunately Channel 13 was on the ground sniffing out the truth. They inform us that the Boy Scouts of America will be voting next week on whether to maintain the ban and produced an unnamed spokesperson for N.C.F. (possibly Scott Russel...

I recently read a federal appeals court ruling that says cops can't stop people for merely giving them the finger. That would make Roger Roots, author of Are Cops Constitutional, proud. The case begins in May of 2006, when a man and his wife were visiting their daughter in Johnsonville, NY and came across a police cruiser running radar. Demonstrating his displeasure, John Swartz flipped-off the cop as the couple drove past. Piqued by this insulting gesture, officer Richard Insogna took off after the offending motorists. Long story short, he arrested Mr. Swartz for disorderly conduct. While that charge was eventually dropped, there were several court appearances, legal expenses and inconveniences associated with the charges. Swartz filed suit in district court seeking damages for illegal seizure, a disorderly conduct arrest and an alleged malicious prosecution, but his lawsuit was dismissed on grounds that cops are protected from civil actions based on qualified immunity. ...