Of course, the really kool kids will be down at First Ave this evening, blowing their ears out at The Shins concert. But neither you nor I are quite that cool (at least not cool with a “k” cool), so what are our options? By chance, there is a hip (yes, hip) theater production opening this very evening. Not that I care much for being hip, but the work and spirit of the Brit-born director Jon Ferguson strikes me as being very hip. It reminds me of my limited exposure to the famous London theater scene in that it’s contemporary, urban, and draws an eclectic–and young!–crowd of onlookers. The Sad and Lonesome Story of What’s His Name is a collaboration with some other great artists, too–namely, Noah Bremer, of Live Action Set, and Mikael Rudolph, a local musician. Seriously, folks, sight unseen, I give this my whole-hearted recommendation. I can’t seem to find a functioning ticket-buying website to direct you to, so know that the show plays the Sabes JCC and you can apparently call 952-381-3447 for the hookup.
Month: February 2007
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Always Wrong and Always Right
There is an illuminating little spat going on between Jeff Cohen, a former producer for MSNBC and one of the founders of Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR), the lefty media site and Jonah Goldberg, the syndicated right-wing columnist. (Goldberg’s mother is Lucianne Goldberg, the arch-conservative who convinced Linda Tripp there was money to be made in doing her patriotic duty by taping her “its just us girls” chats with Monica Lewinsky. The Republic owes the Goldbergs an immense debt.)
There is no doubt that Goldberg bet $1000 that Iraq would not fall into a civil war, would have a viable constitution and that in two years time a majority of Iraqis and Americans would agree the war was worth it. There is also no doubt that Goldberg, like Bill Kristol of The Weekly Standard (and thousands of hours of cable news air time) and so many other pundit-hawks have been stunningly wrong about almost everything they’ve ever said about Iraq. But that never puts a dent in their standing with “balance”-driven mainstream media.
And, sadly, there is no doubt whatsoever that mainstream newspapers like our Star Tribune will continue running Goldberg’s stuff out of a misplaced sense of balance, I guess. You know, a little Molly Ivins (RIP), who was accurate on damned near everything she said, counterbalanced by the Jonah Goldbergs of the pundit-sphere, reliably wrong about everything that escapes their brain.
But all that withstanding, by refusing to pay on his bet, Goldberg looks about as no-class as that Chicago Bears player who stiffed the cable access schlub on the training camp promise to get the guy tickets if the Bears made the Super Bowl. The way the modern media game is SUPPOSED to go is: You shoot your mouth off and win, and your publicist gets to hype it all over the planet. You’re a hero for 15 seconds. But … if you shoot your mouth off and lose, you pay up, make a joke and insist you’ll get even tomorrow … but YOU PAY UP.
If you don’t pay up and admit defeat/error like a man, you get righteously hounded — “tortured” isn’t too cruel a word — in the shiny, bright accountability chamber of the world wide web.
Goldberg is of course a putz. The kind of guy who is probably always in the john when the check comes. But what’s the Tribune Syndicate’s excuse for not paying the $1000 for him? Cohen’s description of the Tribune vulture-culture is spot on. They’ve got huge credibility problems everywhere they look. $1000 to a charity could buy a few hundred bytes of good will.
But the larger question is, “What responsible purpose are you — mainstream media institution — serving by continuing to run alleged ‘think pieces’ by people whose thinking has been proven to be consistently flawed and erroneous? ‘Both sides of the debate’, is one weak excuse, and sure, everyone is wrong occasionally. But don’t you have a higher responsibility to the truth than continuing to run stuff that the judgment of time has rendered so conclusively foul?”
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Feelin' Fishy
Are you a land lubber or a sea lubber? Or do you actively lub both, as I do?
Well, according to the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) even though there was a slight decrease in seafood consumption in 2005, we spent $65.2 billion on seafood products, a $3 billion rise over 2004.
We were hungry enough to consume 4.8 billion pounds of seafood in ’05, and are the third largest consumers, behind China and Japan, of course.
Per person, the average amount eaten over the year was 16.2 pounds, and 25% of that was shrimp! Shrimp is king, and ’05 exports reached a 10 year high of 95.5 million pounds.
Canned tuna consumption dropped a touch, which is too bad because I’m beginning to expand my horizons on canned tuna, and what can be wrought from a beautiful canned fish.
I love the NOAA. The agency began 200 years ago with the establishment of the Survey of the Coast by Thomas Jefferson in 1807. With the formation of the Weather Bureau and the Commission of Fish and Fisheries in the 1870’s, plenty of science that we know today began with the NOAA. Plus, whenever there’s a hurricane, they have the coolest pictures.
And now I’m hungry for fish tonight. So I might thaw some scallops I have in the freezer if I’m feeling lazy, but more likely I’ll pop down to Coastal and see what looks good. A bright and sharp tuna ceviche might be just the ticket to cut through the ridiculous perma-chill.
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Fashion Weak
Very calm now, I am going to type about how I can’t take this cold much longer, but then leave it at that. Better to hole up indoors and distract yourselves by looking at pictures of the pretty girls in all the Fall 2007 fashion collections, which are being presented in NYC right now at Fashion Week. My favorites? Vena Cava–which is always a fave. (I troll eBay for their wares, but never win anything.) Derek Lam… I guess I ought to come right out and say–I must be forgiven my grunge sentimentalities.
On the subject of fashion, I’d be very interested to hear what you think of the much-anticipated Proenza Schouler for Target line. I purchased this jacket, a full-figured thing that looks so much better on me than on this waify model. And, um, speaking of full figures, I can’t get the bustier dress over my person. (What’s that, a B-cup?) What do ya’ll think on PS Target?
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New Rules for Real Journalists
Dan Froomkin of the Washington Post made my “Best of” list for his superb blogging on press performance and accountability issues. (No doubt he has the clipping framed over his computer.)
Here’s a piece up today on the Nieman web-site. Its basically a refresher course for tough-mindedness, something in short supply when a politician’s popularity polls turn publishers, news directors, editors and reporters anxious and fretful about appearing too “adversarial”.
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Unsung Heroes of Beer
Yesterday, I spent a few delicious hours as a judge for the Town Hall Brewery’s Chili Cook-Off. There were definitely interesting ingredients used in some of the dishes: zucchini, venison, curry, cocoa. Challenging the very definition of chili was one dish with a cream base and another that consisted solely of beef cubes and sauce, no beans, nothing else. Sadly, there were no entries that could be called blow-up-my-membranes hot, as I was gleefully expecting. I know we’re Minnesotans, but come on people! Can you really find any other folks more deserving of fiery foods than those willing to venture out on a briskly -4 degree day?
I think of myself as a chili traditionalist, but I have to reward the innovators. I gave the dish that used cocoa powder high marks because, What A Pleasing Surprise!
The bigger surpise was the Town Hall Brewery itself. Even though it is located in the Seven Corners area, it’s not your average slimy-floored college bar. It’s smart and comfortable and above all, a kick-ass brewery.
While I was waiting for the tasting to begin, I was introduced to a seasonal beer named Retreating Darkness (points for that). Brewed with Peace Coffee (more points), this American black ale has the darkness of a stout with all the rich aromas and java overtones, without being a full meal. I could never have had a Guiness while sampling 18 chilis, but the two pints of Retreating Darkness served me well. Maybe that’s why I liked the cocoa laced chili so much, it complemented my beer perfectly.
More points for Town Hall:
1. They do this chili thing (on a smaller scale) every Sunday night. For a measly $6, you get a pint of beer and all the chili you can eat. Sounds like a perfect Sunday Night Blues beater to me.
2. Humble and diligent (admirable qualities in a brew-pub), the brew boys are serious about crafting the best beers around. Don’t just take my word for it, take the word of the judges from the Great American Beer Festival.
3. Although you can’t buy bottles from your local liquor store, you can buy a big jug of beer, known as a growler, directly from the bar. And it’s cheaper when you bring it back for a refill.
I don’t know, maybe a growler full of Retreating Darkenss and a scorching bowl of chili could be the ultimate Valentine’s Day dinner set-up.
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Roe Family Singers
I’ve been meaning to mention this: If ever you’re lookin’ for a pleasant Monday night outing, consider a trip to the 331 to catch the weekly concert put on by The Roe Family Singers. Quillan Roe is the frontman of this new-ish, husband and wife band. Some of you might remember him from his days leading the excellent country group Accident Clearinghouse–their heyday was in mid to late 90s, and perhaps encapsulated by the catchy tune “I Wasn’t Ready.” Accident Clearinghouse is still considered a band, probably. But the Roe Family sound strikes me as being a lil’ bit softer, a lil’ bit more palatable to this thrity-something listener. Quillan’s voice, as always, is just delicious. Check ’em out, hey!
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Morning Drive Radio Ratings
A few people have asked about ratings for Twin Cities radio’s morning drive shows, usually the biggest revenue producer of the day for most stations. Here they are, with exclamations of bewilderment at the bottom.
Share of Twin Cities adults 25-54 listening from 6 am to 10 am, Oct-Dec. ’06.
1. KQRS-FM 19.1
2. KTIS-FM 6.7
3. 93X -FM 5.7
4. K102-FM 5.5
5. KS95-FM 5.2
(tie)KNOW-FM 5.2
7. WCCO-AM 4.5
8. WLTE-FM 4.2
9. KDWB-FM 4.1
10. JACK-FM 3.7
11. Cities 97 3.7
12. KFAN-AM 3.5
13. KOOL 108 3.1
14. B96-FM 2.5
15. Air America 1.9
16. The Current 1.9
17. AM 1500 1.8
18. KMOJ-FM 1.7
19. FM 107 1.6
20. KSJN-FM 1.6
21. KTLK 0.9
22. The Patriot 0.8A few things that should jump out at you here:
Head-banging 93X pulling a bigger ADULT audience than K102, KS95 and a couple other middle-age venues? WTF? I thought the younger crowd was dialing OUT radio for MP3, iTunes, etc?
KQ92 still dominates — hell, CRUSHES — the competition. Proving the eternal appeal of bowel and feces humor.
JACK FM is tied with Cities97. Is one on to something while the other is slipping? Is Cities’ crowd the real personal music crowd, and therefore weaning itself off radio?
KNOW, significantly ahead of WCCO, (through an election season), is now, without question, the area’s principal source for actual news, as opposed to feel-good infotainment or partisan bullshit. ‘CCO might ask itself how to go about grabbing back some of MPR’s well-heeled, well-educated demographic?
Air America — the woefully produced, low-powered, miserably underfunded “lefty-liberal” AM station is not only marginally ahead of AM 1500’s stale, formulaic morning acts, but is DOUBLING the audience of lavishly-promoted 100,000 watt, Fox News-based FM KTLK, (where I briefly worked). Two words: “Holy shit.” OK, three words: “Holy f**king shit.”
Oh, wait. It gets worse. KMOJ-FM, with a signal that barely exceeds a 10-block radius and is now operating out of a broom closet, has as big an audience of adults as KTLK and the hyper right-wing Patriot … COMBINED.
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Russert V. Edwards
When I’m in the market for Sunday morning Beltway bloviation, I generally prefer Stephanopoulos to Russert. A: I like ABC’s roundtable, especially when Fareed Zakaria and George Will lock up. B: Cokie Roberts perfectly personifies D.C. group-think. There is no better example of limp. Georgetown cocktail punditry this side of David Broder. And I like that. Roberts provides a valuable service. I think its important to maintain contact with so reliable a barometer for craven pandering to shifting political fortune. And C: For as connected and savvy as Russert is about horse race politics, I’m constantly dismayed at the way he maneuvers for the “gotcha” question and resulting simplistic headlines.
With the ’08 election only two light years away I remain a fan of former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards. In stark contrast to the confederacy of cynical dunces who have driven the truck of state so deep into the ditch, Edwards has always impressed me as being both serious and smart. Very smart. Smart enough to know there’s no way to explain his vote authorizing force in Iraq other than to say it was a mistake and hope that the public is finally in a mood to appreciate a politician willing to say he, (or SHE), was wrong and has recalculated accordingly.
Russert had Edwards on for the entire hour this morning, (which he says he will do for other major candidates … but I’ll be amazed if he does for the likes of Sam Brownback and Tom Vilsack). Russert played the usual tapes of Edwards supporting the war resolution in ’02 and tap-dancing around the question of pulling the plug in the last weeks of the ’04 campaign. Edwards didn’t flinch. He continued to concede his error and say that, like everyone else, he should be held accountable for what he says and does.
All that was fine. Holding government accountable is a primary function of the press. But the example of Russert maneuvering for low-brow, “gotcha bounce”, where The Drudge Reports of the world can grab a headline pulled straight ” … from ‘Meet the Press’ “, is when like some B-list Buffalo radio jock … he asks Edwards, “Are you saying you’ll raise taxes … ” to pay for various improvements in health care coverage.
Edwards’ response was a quick and honest, “Yes.” Which gets points for honesty. Anyone who says they’ll improve one thing about this country’s health care mess without taxing SOMEONE is swimming in bullshit. But obviously, everything about health care reform is eye-glazingly complicated, including how and who you tax to improve it. Edwards, well-prepared like a top-rate trial lawyer, had his ducks in line and ran through a sound-bite tested string of likely fixes, including pulling down Bush’s tax cuts for the upper 10% and perhaps adding taxation to the health care industry. (More taxes on, say, United Health!? The horror! The outrage! Can’t you just hear Limbaugh spinning that into new, onerous taxes on “working class Americans”?)
Anyway, Russert nodded as Edward ran through his checklist of possible new funding sources and responded, not by asking for a specific on who in the health establishment might be in his gun-sights for new taxation — which would have been interesting and truly NEWS worthy. Instead, Horse Race Russert’s only reaction to Edwards’ quick list of revenue options was to repeat, for headline writers everywhere, “So you’d raise taxes?”
You run a tightly scripted show, Timmer, but occasionally I’d like to see a heightened level of nuance in those follow-ups.