A Public Radio Synopsis: Some fun, some not so much.

I don't often listen to the radio around home.  I have trouble with the extra noise in my life.  But when I'm in the car, I do like to listen.  Especially if I have a car full of kids, I am much more able to tune out the backseat commotion, if I have the radio to concentrate on.

Generally, I listen to conservative talk radio.  But on weekends, or on the winter evenings after the sun goes down and our AM stations power down for the dark hours, I listen to public radio.  Usually I listen to the news/ talk public radio, but I will also very occasionally listen to the music stations.

I had to go into town this evening.  On the way there, I heard mark Levin interview Sharron Angle, the Senate candidate who is running against Senator Harry Ried in Nevada. I've heard much about her, but this is the first I've heard her interviewed.  She seemed very knowledgeable on the subjects and very fluid in her communications.  She had a pleasant speaking voice and seemed able to laugh at some of the difficulties her opponent has thrown in her path.

On my homeward trip, it was already dark (6:30, grr.  I know, in two weeks it will be an hour worse, then by the winter solstace, it will be worse yet again, double grr).  I was unable to get reception on any of my normal stations.  I first tuned into an AM Canadian station.  I didn't catch any of the names or even the station, but the topic was Canada's being awarded the Dodo award at the biodiversity conference in Japan.  The Dodo award is "named after the dodo bird, the quintessential symbol of biodiversity loss."  One of Canada's sins...they allegedly hold too rigid a position on the use and promotion of biofuels.  Apparently African nations are concerned that after all these years of developing agriculture in their countries, they will have to use their land for fuel rather than much needed food.  There is also concern that global trading of carbon emission will also take crop land out of food production.

Imagine being concerned about something like that.  What's feeding the people compared to biodiversity, anyway?  This is so symptomatic of this crowd.  Mother earth and plants and animals above humans.  At first glance, I'm glad the developing nations are rebelling against it.

I should add that although the station, being Canadian, only mentioned Canada as the Dodo recipient, the EU also shared that honor.   It almost seems backward to me.  I mean, the award is supposed to be given to the nation or group that hinders the efforts at biodiversity.  But the biodiversity nazi countries who seem to want to cram it down everyone's throat are getting the awards.  If anyone can explain this conundrum, please do.  Perhaps there is more to it than meets the eye.


After this cheery interview, I switched to MPR station 102.7 FM.  I tuned into Lisa Mullins and her PRI show, The World.  More cheery news.  Apparently Afghan President Hamid Karzai has been speaking out of both sides of his mouth.  Our American soldiers are putting their lives on the line, our National budget is funding the expense of rooting out Taliban forces from Karzai's country, and American dollars are helping him to develop his country and economy.  Meanwhile, he is also taking money from Tehran to support the Taliban.

But now we get fun.  Sony will no longer be manufacturing its Walkman.   This little blurp is great to listen to, if only for the retro music they pipe in behind the interview to get us all in our Walkman mode.  Great fun.  Unfortunately the clip on the website doesn't include the final music which was a song I haven't even thought of for years and cannot even now remember.  It was a good one, too.  As my kids would say, "Oh, snap!"

 Then came an interesting discussion of Isreal's growing ultra-orthodox Jewish community and the burden this community is putting on Israel national economy since the men don't work, but study Torah all day.  It reminds me of Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof.  He wanted to sit at the city gates and advise people on spiritual matters.  But Tevye was not wealthy, so he had to provide for his wife and daughters.