Speed Gibson

If you've been following the KSTP-AM situation, be sure not to miss The Late Great KSTP over at Shot in the Dark, written by one who knows. In addition to their stated direction of live and local, Mitch argues that their owners also want it to be kindler and gentler. If Mitch Berg is right, Bob Davis will be the next to leave.

Rush Limbaugh described his first years in his first book, The Way Things Ought to Be. Others had tried national network radio, and aside from Larry King, it was a big flop. Still, talk radio was having some success at the local level, so it became axiomatic that "all talk radio is local" to borrow a phrase. But enter Rush Limbaugh in 1988, who not only made his show work, but changed the whole AM spectrum. Buoyed by the Reagan Revolution, Rush gave many of us the courage to finally stand up for ourselves, I think because we finally realized how many of us were really out there.

And now, the Hubbard Empire would have us believe that doesn't matter anymore, doesn't work anymore, and that we listeners don't need that anymore. We're ready to move to that higher plane of Rosenbaum's double-talk and Soucheray's "Mystery" when not counting cylinders. Only if there are no alternatives.

But there are, and not just the Patriot. Even KFAN has been peeling away listeners from KSTP-AM it would seem. While General Manager Todd Fisher pretends he's on offense, ready to announce some exciting changes for when Rush and Hannity leave, he's really on defense and has been since Jason Lewis left.

Local, live talk can and does work, but it requires talent and show prep just like national programs. I'll speculate on this next time.

From the Associated Press per the Minneapolis Star Tribune:

TORONTO -- Ontario on Monday became the first Canadian province to ban pit bulls in the wake of vicious attacks by the dogs, but defiant owners have already challenged the law.

The measure makes it illegal to breed pit bulls or bring the dogs into the province. Those already in Ontario will be allowed to stay provided they are spayed, and leashed and muzzled in public.

There's a 60-day grace period for owners to comply with the law. Any pit bull born after that will have to be shipped out of the province, sent to a research facility or destroyed. Owners who violate the law can face up to six months in jail.

The world seldom needs a new law, but I think something like this has to be a reluctant exception. Some American cities like Denver also have outlawed certain breeds, including pit bulls. Some say it's the owners, not the dogs, that many breeds can be trained to be overly agressive. So maybe the answer is to require their owners post a bond or obtain a specific rider on their homeowner/renter's insurance. Allstate will not issue homeowner's insurance at all to California residents who own pit bulls.

I only know that I'm tired of reading how surprised these owners are when their supposedly gentle Rottweiler mauls a small child.

I held out a lot of hope for AM 1500 in my recent analysis in response to the reports of their poor Spring ratings. A big part of that was putting Rush back live at 11 am. It's not going to happen. Rush is moving to FM in January, followed by Sean Hannity later next year. Both shows are now tape delayed on KSTP-AM. Both will be live on KJZI-FM. I'll have to see if their 100.3 MHz signal penetrates my AM-proof workplace.

Hannity is no loss, of course, especially given his ratings plunge. But as with Jason Lewis, KSTP-AM, the house that Rush built, now has another major gap to fill at a time when it is already short on talent.

I should pity new General Manager Todd Fisher, but did he really say this?

KTLK's launch "does not come as a surprise to us," said KSTP general manager Todd Fisher in a memo to the station's staff, which he shared with the Star Tribune. The change "dovetailed with conversations we'd already been having about our future strategies and the state of syndication, particularly the conservative political shows that have shed much of their entertainment value," the memo said.

That verb "shed" tells us a great deal, as if to suggest it's the programs' fault. But the shows he refers to really haven't changed all that much. We're just in the political dead calm of August, the calmest of the four Augusts of the Presidential election cycle. And if you think being too conservative is the problem, why is Air America struggling so? If entertainment value is king, why is Ron Rosenbaum still on the air?

Mr. Fisher sounds like he has it figured out already. The program director who went to the "Smooth Jazz" format on 101.3 FM thought he had it figured out, too.

More thoughts soon.

I'm not a union advocate, but I think the union had little choice but to go on strike against Northwest Airlines. I don't see how it can succeed on its face, but it was the only real exit strategy the union had. Their world of above-market wages, benefits, and job security is gone, strike or no strike. Even by conceding, half their membership gets laid off and the rest get significant pay cuts. They might as well go out with a bang, not a whimper. It's a better story to tell on your next job. Given the poor labor record in particular and the poor management in general of NWA, I'd rather swing than take a called strike three.

Unless a plane or two falls out of the sky, the replacement workers are here to stay. NWA had no trouble finding them and they're happy to have the jobs. The lesson here is that we are ultimately corporations of one, at least in the private sector.

I did a double take at a convenience store yesterday. By the checkout was a stack of Sunday Minneapolis Star Tribunes, bound with small strips of paper into two-packs. Instead of $1.50, you can get two for $2.22. "Twice the deals!" it said, apparently referring to having two sets of coupons.

I cannot imagine who the targeted customer is of such a promotion. If anything, they should create a "forest friendly" edition, leaving out the OpEx section, the puff pieces, the want ads, the glossy inserts, and certain columnists. That might be worth $2.50!

I saw this is Saturday's paper, and am a little surprised that it didn't draw much comment. Anti-Strib and Bogus Gold did.

The tobacco companies are suing the state, arguing that the "health impact fee" violates the 1998 Tobacco Settlement, where the "state agreed not to seek more money for health care costs". As the Taxpayers League has pointed out, smokers are already funding 100% of their supposedly added medical costs. Even if they lose on technicalities, it would appear they have a moral case here. I'm a little surprised that no one seems to have noticed this until now, be they politicians, bloggers or the MSM.

Our Governor seems unwilling to be bound by existing treaties (Racino threat to tribes) and settlements like this. I fear our existing state law requiring a referendum for the Twins stadium proposal will also soon be trampled.

The beat goes on, live from the Minnesota State Fair. It turned out to be Aaron Clary from week 3, the Economics Supper Club as he called it.

State Fair shows are completely different fare, even for the Northern Alliance. So I am going to excuse myself today and likely next week as well. I'm hoping that another one of our contestants gets the nod next week, one I happen to know would love the chance.

I've been smoke-testing my home network this weekend. I had to trip a breaker a couple of times so I could install new outlets a back bedroom. Unfortunately, this is also the circuit my cable modem and wireless router use, so I was happy to see they both came up just fine afterwards. But then last night we took a sub-second hit from Xcel, enough to make the TV and Cable TV boxes restart, which they did.

But my home network went down, and it turned out to be the LinkSys router, not the Cable modem. I had to reset it (stick the pin in the back) and re-run the install disk. As long as I'm buying other electronic toys this month like an FM transmitter to broadcast my PC audio around the house, I think I'll get a small UPS for the Cable modem, Cable TV box, and Router as well.

A couple of MOBsters have noted the article listing how high school graduates live in a world where cell phones have always existed and American Motors never did. Oh, and Jimmy Carter has been nothing but an elder statesman.

My brother sent me this link of what once was leading edge technology that the new kids on the block have never heard of either. Remember the Lisa?

It's now 6 pm on the KSTP AM 1500 schedule, six hours until "Coast to Coast AM" takes over at midnight, live until 4 am, with an hour replay to bring us around to Bob Davis at 5 am. Covering those six hours are two hours each of Sean Hannity, Chris Krok, and T. D. Mischke.

Sean Hannity's ratings are perhaps the most dissapointing of all to KSTP, down 63 percent this spring. Why? One reason IMO is the six o'clock start time. It's just not the time of day when one turns on the radio. With Jason Lewis at 5 pm, you found yourself timing your exit from work to hear him in the car on the way home. This doesn't work for hour three of Garage Logic, full of drive time frivolities ("traffic report brought to you by...") and Reusse's sports at the end. Further, host Joe Soucheray generally punches out at 5pm, cutting off any and all topics from the previous hour or two. It's time to count cylinders and do "stand-up" with the Rookie. I'm therefore guessing that GL hour three doesn't do as well as hours one and two, so I further guess that Hannity's ratings fall as a result.

Another reason is that Hannity isn't live. But the big reason I believe is the program itself. I don't listen because it's just headlines and outrage, no depth (Medved), no insight (Prager), and no perspective (Hewitt). I don't learn anything except who's going to be on "Hannity and Colmes" tonight.

Now it's 8 o'clock. What now, assuming the Twins aren't playing? Michael Savage? Lars Larson? Mike Max? Personally, I recommend "When Radio Was" on 1400/1470. Oh yeah, we also can listen to KROKTALK with Chis Krok on 1500.

I don't listen to Krok much because Krok doesn't say much. I have no real reasons not to listen; I just don't hear any reasons to listen. But the MOB community seems particularly "un-fond" of Krok, and they're correct in portraying him as a light-weight. Let's just say KSTP can do better.

The Mischke Broadcast is the most classic of all local talk radio shows. If you don't get it, I can't explain it to you. The only question still debated is when: 8 pm like before or 10 pm like now? Given the vacuum at 8 pm, I'd suggest 8 pm. Plus, I believe Mischke would seek out a favorite restaurant or pub after the broadcast in those days. It seemed so right for T.D.'s style.

So, donning my "general manager" hat, I put Mischke back at 8 pm. I replay the first two hours of Garage Logic at 10 pm, making the program available to a whole new audience segment. That leaves the old Jason Lewis slot from 5-8 pm, since I would slide Rush and Garage Logic back to their old times.

Jason Lewis's show was largely politics, somewhat more local than national. His guests tended to be experts in their fields, not political types, though they tended to see things Jason's way. So you learned something almost every broadcast. I have a nomination, in fact, as shown in my dream lineup:

5 AM Bob Davis
8 AM Bob Yates
11 AM Rush Limbaugh (live)
2 PM Garage Logic (live)
5 PM David Strom
8 PM T. D. Mischke
10 PM Garage Logic (replay of 2-4 pm)
12 PM Coast to Coast AM

Bob Yates you ask? Smarter than your average liberal Boo-Boo, this guy is a radio natural who I have always enjoyed.

David Strom you ask? I really think this could work, especially in this slot, especially if he gets a good, hard-working producer. He's good and getting better on the radio Saturdays on the Patriot.

With Yates and Strom, think concept here, not so much the personalities. But I'd certainly be willing to start with them.

Regular listeners to Laura Ingraham know that she always has an audio clip that she designates the "Lie of the Day." Most days, there are many to choose from, most just idle rhetoric to be sure. Not this one.

"As the only woman on the [U.S. Senate Judiciary] Committee, I have an additional role to play, representing the views and concerns of 145 million American women during this hearing process."

This is what U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein claimed at the L.A. Bar Association regarding the upcoming John Roberts confirmation hearings. Many of us consider Feinstein a bit more sensible than most of her Democratic colleagues in the Senate. This double-whammy of nonsense and hubris seems so beyond her and yet I suspect she believes it.

I'm really not looking forward to this, but it's time to discuss Garage Logic, the centerpiece of the AM 1500 lineup.

Host Joe Soucheray got his radio start doing "Sports Talk" on various nights before eventually landing on Saturday mornings. He got his own show in 1993 from 2-4pm, followed by The Round Mound of Sound Don Vogel from 4-6, then Jason Lewis who then I believe only had two hours. Don passed away suddenly, with Joe and Jason each taking an hour. So we had Rush live 11 am - 2pm, Garage Logic 2pm - 5pm, and Jason Lewis 5-8 pm. It worked for years, with Joe's ratings leading the way.

And then it happened. Jason Lewis left us for North Carolina and its longer golf season. For reasons unknown to me, KSTP elected to shuffle the schedule again, rather than directly replace Lewis. What finally happened as noted in Part 1 of this series, was that Rush Limbaugh and Garage Logic were shifted forward an hour to where we are today, with Joe on from 3pm to 6pm. The latter wasn't an easy decision to implement, given the successful syndication of Garage Logic in greater Minnesota.

Well, now the ratings for Garage Logic aren't so good, though much of the loss may be the circular dip between elections. I'm sure that's a big part of it, but there are other factors readily apparent. One of them is clearly competition from The Patriot, sports on KFAN judging by the ratings, maybe even Don Shelby at WCCO. Air America? Nahhh....

But allow me to return to the scheduling.

1. At 2 pm, Garage Logic followed a live Rush Limbaugh program. At 3 pm, it follows a taped EIB.


2. At 2 pm, talk listeners choose between Garage Logic, Michael Medved, and sports (KFAN). At 3pm, now the call is between GL and Don Shelby, and only if they aren't staying with 1280 or 1130.


3. At 2 pm, everything is an hour more current, and merely abuts the drive time ping pong of news, weather, and traffic. At 3pm, the third hour is now lost to the latter.

I'm no expert, Mitch Berg can certainly correct me, but I think this hour difference has been significant.

Now for the hard part - content. I have liked Joe's work for years. I sure he's a decent fellow, a fine family man as Lawrence Welk might have said. I think he wants his show to be competent, entertaining, and successful. But I also fear he has become a bit comfortable. In preparation for this post, I recorded his first hour today and heard this:

• An old lady drove her car in a parade wondering what was going on.
• Twins start a series with Chicago tonight, Santana pitching
• Joe got a paper cut
• Joe has his start of season motorcycle mileages printed and posted so he can later calculate the mileage and determine the appropriate maintenance required.
• Saw a piece in the Travel section about seeing classic old barns. He'd like to do that, stop for some apple cider along the way.
• Discussed talk of bobble-head controversy at Twins game.
• Mentioned Pat Robertson's idea of knocking of Venezuela's Chavez, not the best time to annoy our #5 oil supplier when gas is $3/gallon.
• Ray of Hope for doctor who told overweight patient to lose weight. She was offended, he said too bad.
• Caller phoned in a Make a Move.
• Bought a timer to limit politicians who "drop by" at his State Fair shows.
• Read four minutes on Al-Qaeda's game plan in a new book, one of the longer segments at 4 minutes, to the top of the hour news.

Not a lot of show prep here. Not a lot of program either, just banter mostly.

This is not the Joe Soucheray I remember of even five years ago, when he'd take on the schools, City Hall, catch and release justice, political correctness, lawyers, doctors, politicians of all stripes, cultural events, the enemy paper, and even gun control once in a while. He still does this, but less often. Listening to my friends who listen more regularly than I do, it's a lot less often and less aggressively when he does. The analysis now is just this "The Mystery" shtick.

I'm not sure what effect the very talented "Rookie" has had on the show. Personally, I think the Rook's mike is on a little too much, but others like Chad the Elder really enjoy him. I can see where having a talented sidekick could make you ease off the gas a little, letting him get the laughs.

So what's to be done? Not a lot really. It's still a good show, and maybe the management changes and ratings realities will help make it a great show once again. But that doesn't immediately win back lost audience. It's time to consider rebroadcasting, maybe even podcasting.

The last hour (5-6pm Fridays) is replayed Saturday mornings at 6 am, which unfortunately for me is the one hour of the fifteen each week I least want to hear. Joe himself, by his own admission, opposes replays, curtly saying once that "if it matters to you, you'll find a way to listen." True enough, thanks to the return of Internet streaming, Replay Radio and other technology. But the way to look at this is as an opportunity.

I'll discuss my thoughts for a daily replay and the rest of the AM 1500 weekday schedule in Part 3.

In today's Letters from Readers in the Minneapolis Star Tribune:

Management claims operations are normal; the union claims there are hundreds of delays.

Ladies and gentlemen, the union and management at Northwest Airlines finally agreed on something.

Aaron Pratt, Waconia.

Professor Brian Huffman of the University of Wisconsin, River Falls was featured today. His first hour was a gem of epistomology and common sense. I wish I had recorded it, for any number of points he made.

For example, he cited how anti-nuclear power types point out that "those pipes will eventually rupture." How about giving the engineers a little credit? The protesters can think these things through but the designers (mechanical engineers) can't? As a counter-example, he talked about airplane wings, made of alumninum and magnesium. Structurally, it's only a question of when, not if, that these wings will fall off the fuselage. But the engineers also desgined the measurement, inspection and replacement methods that detect the hairline fractures long before they are a threat to the safety of the airplane.

Another good piece of thinking regarded Bill Maher, who believes a six grade education should make atheists of us all. Huffman counters that Maher's own religious education is what never got past the sixth grade, a great rejoinder, and he went on from there to discuss God and science quite well.

All good stuff, but the stuff of lectures. It was more like a scientific version of the late Fulton J. Sheen, so enjoyable but not the basis of the traditional talk radio dialogue. Indeed, his points were so well presented that it probably made listeners fearful to call in, even if they think they agree. He took no calls in the first hour, and only a few in the second hour.

So while I felt that I learned something, and I liked it very much as a lecture, it missed the target of actual talk radio. My grade: a B minus.

I'm a little late to this story that ran in Saturday's Minneapolis Star Tribune, that talk radio is losing audience. Yes, writer Deborah Caulfield Rybak fumbled a previous story on Air America a few months ago, but I'll take this article at face value. She should have been more specific on the actual periods being measured, however.

There are a number of factors, some of which Rybak noted like this being the lull between election cycles and "war fatigue" as Clear Channel's Ken Kohl put it. Locally, we had "Legislature fatigue" as early as April when it became obvious that a long Special Session awaited us.

KSTP ("AM 1500") seems to have the big problem, partially for reasons of its own, largely the result of the loss of Jason Lewis. They were caught flat-footed by this, and tried some tweaks instead of recruiting another top talent for the 5-8 pm slot. The result was and is a significant drop in overall quantity and quality of programming.

Rush Limbaugh for example was pushed from live to a one hour delay. That not only took the sizzle off the steak, but also eliminated almost all callers from our area, as Rush seldom spends multiple hours on one topic. If you're going to listen to taped shows, you might as well subscribe to Rush 24/7 as I do, giving you the choice of live, archive, or download (podcast) plus its other features.

Another problem Rush now has is Paul Harvey, his lead-in. I shall regret and honor his last broadcast, which I suspect will be soon given his failing voice. I grew up with "Good Day!" as far back as I can remember, at least 40 years. But it's time for him to retire, and for ABC to retire the Paul Harvey News and Comment concept with him. It's as out of date as network televsion evening news.

But Paul Harvey takes only 15 minutes, 10 really since he overlays the normal network news. Before Paul is Ron and Mark, some of the most unlistenable talk radio on the air other than Air America. This should be one of the showcase times for KSTP. Yes, I like Laura Ingraham, but a quality local show could draw me away. (OK, I subscribe to her site, too, so I can listen that way.)

You've got a winner with Bob Davis (I think and hope), but you can't work him four hours a day plus burden him with all this drive-time nonsense. My first official action should I find myself in charge of KSTP would be to eliminate scheduled traffic reports and extended weather reports. Bill Bennett is rather boring, but I often find myself switching from 1500 to 1280 during the second half hours which are largely devoted to non-host content on KSTP.

So there's part one of my plan to revive KSTP. Let Davis be Davis, go for solid, local quality in the 8-11 period, and get Rush back live where he belongs to set up the afternoon.

Part two will deal with Joe Soucheray.

On the Almanac couch this week to discuss the new "Q-Comp" program were

• Alice Seagren, Commissioner of Education
• Ben Kanninen, Superintendent of Burnsville Public Schools and 2005 Superintendent of the Year
• Barb Sykora, State Representative (R, 33B) and Assistant House Majority Leader
• Judy Schaubach, President of Education Minnesota

I think I can safely characterize this panel as bi-partisan.

And what flowed from this panel, all four of them, was a painful litany of all things mushy said politically correctly. It made me think of the O Jay's "Love Train" (Join hands!) I had an initial urge to transcribe some of this, but I can't bring myself to do it. Then I thought of another tune, "It's the Same Old Song" (Four Tops).

No, there will be no "destructive competition" among teachers trying to earn additional pay. Instead, we'll use that money to "develop" skills and "share" new methods. The Prime Directive of non-interference with the comfortable, unaccountable status quo remains in full effect.

Craig Westover and others have charged that the requirements that Q-Comp pay only for performance are toothless and I agree. This broadcast removed any remaining hope I had that this will do anything besides just raise spending.

It's so easy to be negative when blogging. Even the humor has a negative base in reality. But I idly followed a blogroll link at Fraters to find Press Think written by Journalism Professor Jay Rosen of New York University. I really like what I read.

Currently, he's asking, "[What did] I used to teach that I no longer believe?". One answer he gave was an old Marshall McLuhan bromide.

When I started I would commonly say to students, “it’s not the content, it’s the form.” (Or: the medium is the message!) I thought this was very wise. Then I learned that content is king, sort of an opposite lesson, and it seemed wise for its time too. Now I don’t see either statement as useful or wise. To figure out when content is king you don’t need slogans like “content is king.” They hurt more than they help.

I'll have to give this some thought, as regards computers, retail, and business. Prof. Rosen has many other fine posts ought there that I'll think you'll enjoy as well.

In the Taste section of today's Minneapolis Star Tribune is a profile of a local good cook. She has a garden and as a co-op shopper, seldom buys anything out of season. As expected, we get a couple of recipes, for vinaigrette and croutons. Let's do the easy one first, the croutons. You'll need:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups bread cubes
• 1/2 teaspoon each of seasoning (your choice, like cumin, garlic, fennel, oregano ...)

Mix them in a cold heavy pan, turn on the heat, remove when done, let cool before using. This technique is going to save me a lot of time and frustration, avoiding the hassle of getting those little bread cubes in and out of the toaster.

Now, the salad dressing, made from:

• Vinegar of choice
• Oil of choice
• Seasonings of choice, like the above list
• Powdered or prepared mustard to taste

With such flexibility, how can you miss? About the only specific is that the ratio of oil to vinegar be 3 to 2, half the cookbook standard of 3 to 1. With strong vinegar, 4 to 1 is often used, and Julia Child liked 5 to 1. So imagine how acidic this dressing must be for most palettes.

I'm not making fun of the cook at all, which is why I'm not including her name. I am having some fun with freelance writer who submitted this to the paper and perhaps the undemanding layout editor who accepted it. Sadly, I bet that this cook has any number of much more interesting recipes that would take full advantage of her garden.

I've devoted several posts to State Senator Dean Johnson, architect of the partial shutdown, and to Governor Tim Pawlenty, the faux conservative. But there's another that has, however mildly, disappointed me for many years now, State Representative and Speaker of the Minnesota House, Steve Sviggum. What prompted this now is this all-too-typical posturing as reported by Dane Smith in the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

"Waiting till next spring would cause some problems with all four of those issues," Sviggum said. "Whether you're for it or against it, you should be willing to vote and show that opinion to the citizens."

Stadium proposals stand a worse chance in the regular session in 2006, an election year, Sviggum said, and construction projects also will increase in cost with further delay. [Emphasis mine.]

"I agree with the governor about not calling a session unless we have prior agreement for a one-day session," he said. "But from a timing standpoint, it's important to get going."

Get going on what? The Maple Grove hospital question can easily wait for 2006. Much more time is clearly required on the Minneapolis Teachers Retirement fund bailout, to insure that it doesn't happen again. It should wait until 2006. But these are just opening acts for the stadium show.

Remember the recent Minnesota Poll which showed that Minnesotans oppose any and all publicly funded stadium proposals? Even though this poll typically skews 5-10 percentage points toward the Tribune's editorial positions, it could find no demographic favoring these bills. But there is Steve Sviggum saying we need to pass them now, so that the anger will die down in time for the November 2006 elections, including his.

I attended all five of the Jason Lewis April tax rallies on the State Capitol steps. We whooped and hollered for Jason, Phil, Gen, Dan, even Jesse, but Steve Sviggum got booed. "You don't know what it's like in there," he would say, "and what you're up against." But the real truth is that Sviggum is talks more coservative than he votes. He's a decent guy, not really trying to deceive, but he's not very good at communications.

I think it's time that Steve Sviggum pass the Speaker's gavel.

We must be nearing the end of The Next Big Thing. This week's entry, a group effort called the "Business Building Network" or BBN was dreadful. However good and noble their intent, it was tedious, slow-paced radio, like public radio.

As with other entrants, a radio program would give these professional business consultants a great marketing opportunity. But here the audience segment truly interested in this, and from a largely academic point of view, and willing to endure the pedantic format has to be microscopic.

I said academic because they seemed out of touch with real business as I've observed it for nearly 40 years. A caller described a restaurant opportunity, where he would buy out a small failed operation grossing maybe $60,000 a year. As the caller described it, I was amazed to hear the deep analysis being performed, discussion of marketing and so on. I kept asking, "What are you buying? Where's the assets? Why do you even need the existing owners? Where's the beef?" There was no evidence of goodwill, no unique asset like a choice spot or unbreakable, transferable lease.

I must, with respect for their resumes and with regret, hand out an "F".

Thandiwe Peebles, Superintendent of the Minneapolis Public Schools just got her second strike. After a reprimand and long list of inadequacies she needs to address earlier this year, she now stands accused of using district staff and facilities for personal use.

Gosh, you mean like Minneapolis DFL Chairwoman and assistant City attorney Lois Conroy's use of her office PC for a DFL fundraiser? Or St. Paul School Board member Al Oertwig's significant night and weekend presence in their offices? Nothing much will come of these, and probably shouldn't. But Peebles won't be so lucky, even if her offenses turn out to be no more serious.

No, she appears to be a reformer, which always draws the same reaction from Education Minnesota: "Out!" Peebles might as well quit now, meaning negotiate the usual portfolio of severance pay, health care extensions, unused sick and vacation time, and so on. For there is little chance of justice here. The lawyers that will be hired to investigate the charges will really be amassing paperwork to fight off any lawsuits for her termination. (Why is it they always seem to hire lawyers in these situations? Why not real detectives?)

So unless history doesn't repeat itself here, both Minneapolis and St. Paul, the two largest and two most enigmatic school districts in Minnesota, will both likely be looking for new Superintendents in early 2006. (Pat Harvey of St. Paul announced in June that she will be resigning at the end of this year.)

Suppose you had what it takes to turn around such a district? Even if you don't, why would you apply? You won't be given the authority to implement most of your ideas.

The power of the Dark Side is strong this month. I have never been an anti-Mac bigot, but their high prices, limited software titles, and Apple's own seeming disinterest in seeking corporate sales (meaning I use Windows at work) have kept me in the Windows-Intel side of the home PC debate. I've also been a great fan of Visual Basic in all its forms, from Release 1 in 1991 to Visual Studio 2005 (.net) now.

I wasn't really looking, but someone has me looking at the new e-Mac as recently souped-up this year. It's an unprecedented bargain by Apple standards: 512 RAM, 160 GB disk, and a CD/DVD/DL ("SuperDrive") burner. But it's also a fifty pound integrated unit with a 17 inch flat screen. At $999, about half the sleeker flat panel iMac, that's something I can overlook.

Now this will be our second home PC, replacing an old Windows 98 relic. But what if I like it? Next year, do I replace my workhorse Windows/XP Sony VAIO with a Mac? What if the family starts whining to use my Mac? And as a blogger, do I care one way or the other?

Save me, somebody! Tell me why I shouldn't cross over!

Power Line, David Strom, and others have been talking about the rise in violient crime in Minneapolis (and St. Paul). After years of decline, the mayor is talking about adding back a few dozen more police officers despite a supposedly tight city budget.

The City of Minneapolis has a comprehensive web site showing the budget for the past five years, both where the money comes from and where the money goes. I was astounded to see that the total budget in 2005 is 1.27 billion dollars! That's well over $3,000 per capita.

And how much of that goes to the Police Department? Eight percent, just over $100 million. Meanwhile, "Community Planning and Economic Development" (CP & ED) chews up 13%. Shifting just 2 percentage points from the latter to the police would pay for the much-needed expansion of the police ranks. The effect on CP & ED would be difficult to measure other than the head count reductions in City Hall.

As David Strom points out, of what use are these other efforts if people don't feel safe living in Minneapolis, either moving out or not moving in?

My annual bout with ragweed or whatever it is has begun as usual in mid-August. It stays about six weeks, to the first frost or so. It's a mild case, just a sneezing attack every few hours, but what sneezes! Over the counter medicine helps a little. But I blow my nose, I sound a little nasally for maybe 20 minutes and that's that until the next one, so it isn't worth seeing an allergist for something stronger.

I shouldn't complain. This didn't start happening until I was in my late twenties, so I keep thinking maybe this is the year it will suddently go away, too. Not this year.

Cindy Sheehan has apparently entered her "15 days of fame" with extensive national coverage of her camping near Crawford Texas where President Bush is vacationing. Many of our blogs have noticed this too, among them Shot in the Dark, Power Line, Bogus Gold, Anti-Strib, and Centrisity. Michelle Malkin has a good recap.

But respectfully, I think these fine bloggers, including Flash, are missing a key point. Cindy Sheehan needs professional help, as I blogged on July 1. I drew this conclusion listening to Nick Coleman interviewing her that day. I still have the MP3 and I just listened to it again, confirming my amateur diagnosis of acute paranoia. I found then that I was not alone, that several on the left such as Michael Kinsley had already distanced themselves from her and Gold Star Mothers For Peace organization for that reason. Dennis Prager put it succinctly this week: she snapped. The death of her son in Iraq was ultimately too much for her.

But that doesn't matter to people like Maureen Dowd, whose column appeared in Thursday's Minneapolis Star Tribune with an oversize picture of a despondant Cindy Sheehan along side. Many have argued that Maureen Dowd has had her own mental health issues the past few years. I won't go that far, but I enjoyed her columns of ten years ago. She also changed, and her columns now reflect only a bitter, uninspiring, tired version of her former self. Both Dowd and Sheehan seem to blame George W. Bush for everything.

Now I have to believe that Susan Albright, Editor of the Editorial Pages for the Star Tribune knows all this, given her high position. So why publish Dowd's column at all? And why the huge picture? As I like to say, was there nothing better on the wire to print? And is it fair to take advantage of Dowd and Sheehan's problems to further your own political agenda? I don't think so.

Cindy Sheehan has suffered a great loss. We all feel the loss, for as John Donne wrote, "any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind." But for others to take advantage of her this way, enabling her dysfunction, distracting her away from getting the professional help and closure she needs, this is inexcusable.

I heard that the "Dukes of Hazzard" movie was number one over the weekend. Only in America.

This is but one example why the DVD peddlers are a little worried about Christmas sales this year. The summer blockbuster season has been lackluster, mostly just for a lack of trying. Remakes and sequels are to Hollywood what reality shows are to TV these days. Whether big or low budget, they generally aren't overwhelming the box office. So, DVD makers are also repackaging old TV series like "Friends" and "CSI."

An increasing problem with DVD's in my opinion is the post-release doctoring. The computer graphics are tweaked, sound effects are added or enhanced, and scraps from the cutting room floor get new life as part of the "Director's Cut." They just aren't as we remember them. The merchants are right to worry.

But maybe Santa will also bring me a DVD burnnig computer this year. I'd love to take the scissors to "Major League" and "Caddyshack" to get rid of the unrelated footage.

Man, I miss Hugh Hewitt. I know he needs and deserves some quality time off, but the substitute hosts aren't doing a thing for me. I want Mark Larson for permanent HH fill-in host, except when the NARN is available of course.

***

As a result of Hugh's absence, I found Wendy Wilde being replayed at 5 pm. I decided to look at the Air America web site to see what her exact schedule is only to find that Nick Coleman had disappeared. I thought this was more family leave, but many blogs say he's done. Morning Sedition (which I think is Air America's best show, such as it is) now goes until 8 AM, and Wendy gets a 8-9 AM as her third hour.

***

I don't know why but I find myself increasingly listening to Wendy Wilde at work via streaming. I'm getting used to the constant flow of slurs and sneers, but it's still amazing to hear what she says with abandon and without facts. She's not afraid to say anything as she thinks it is or should be.

***

How much longer will Salem hang on to Bill Bennett's 5-8 AM show? Maybe it's doing better than I think, but if so, I can't imagine why. I think the Patriot should consider doing a local show, like Bob Davis, who's very good. But the AM 1500 format keeps interrupting the flow, especially in the second half hours.

In a Commentary in today's Minneapolis Star Tribune, Minnesota State Bar Association President Susan M. Holden argues that:

Judges occupy a unique position that requires independence from politics and popular opinion.

I reject this if the alternative is our old system of uninformed election of judges, your only clue being the "INCUMBENT" label so conveniently provided on the ballot.

Politics can be very useful. If the DFL says their candidate is committed to social justice and the GOP says theirs is a strict constructionist, this is significant, competent information that can honorably be used to decide your vote. Popular opinion can also be useful in the same way.

Yes, these can be abused, but from where do you expect to draw unbiased information? The candidates? Their parties or other members thereof? The Bar? The Minneapolis Star Tribune? Ron Rosenbaum?

I fail to see why more information is worse than less information. As I always say to those who would cancel their newspaper subscription just because they don't like the Editorial Page and related bias in the News sections, get over it. Just learn how to read around the bias. Don't read Molly Ivins. But don't dumb yourself down out of spite.

As a responsible voter, I can research and interpret what is presented as fact by judicial campaigns. And I much prefer to err on the side of excess than restrict campaign speech, which Holden thinks "is a really bad idea for a lot of reasons." It turns out that the only reason she gives is money.

Here again, of what use is money if neither the candidates nor the electorate is not corrupt or easily fooled? I suppose we all have our price but we're talking at least seven figures before I would vote against someone like Antonin Scalia. But if as you imply Ms. Holden, having knowledgeable voters in the booth is a high priority, repeal same-day registration now, then call me back. Not until.

I think the Bar's real problem with "money" is that it would have to be raised, whereas now, once you're in, you're all but certain to be re-elected every time.

I will agree that allowing judges to be seated by election alone is problematic, made worse in fact by the now outlawed cone of silence. Actually, were it not for a gentleman's agreement that retiring judges step down before the next election so the Governor can appoint the successors, we have that now. An amendment to change to appointment with subsequent re-appointment by election is worth considering.

Goodfellows Restaurant is closing. In the Minneapolis Star Tribune article by Rick Nelson, Goodfellows closed Saturday night after nearly 18 years. The reasons cited were:

• A movement away from high end dining


• Changes in the City Center tenant mix

But as regards the smoking ban - not a word.

In related news, Nelson notes that fellow City Center tenant T.G.I. Fridays decided not to renew its lease. Copeland's shut down in a corporate downsizing. Again the obvious question about the smoking ban goes unasked and unanswered.

The Next Big Thing continues, though I've heard a couple of hints that either a second round or an appointment is coming soon, more likely the latter. But meanwhile, we start the sixth month of this experiment.

This week we heard Lawrence Ellis with Mike Jordan in a supporting role. Hour one was largely spent on celebrity vs importance vs intelligence. He saw the Bill Gates family at Chicago's O'Hare airport, not drawing any attention. Brittany Spears would be mobbed, but Gates' contribution to the world is several orders of magnitude larger and more important. All true, in fact rather obvious. As Dennis Prager says, being famous doesn't make you important and vice versa.

The second hour opened up a little more but the show remained on a very calm, ordered basis. It wasn't NPR-boring, but it was definitely "FM" in nature. But KSTP-AM is just that - AM. They don't want or need "shock jocks" like Hugh Hewitt as he was once called, but the show needs a little punch to be successful.

It wasn't a bad effort within these lines. Everything worked pretty smoothly, so I'll give this week's duo a "C".

Scott Johnson at Powerline is as quick to praise as he was to criticize Minneapolis Star Tribune Reader Representative Kate Parry. Her Sunday column showed the courage and honesty we all expect from her. The subject was the inconsistent labeling of our enemies, but for me the money quote was near the end:

Whether suicide bombers and others deliberately blow up children and their parents in Oklahoma City, New York, Baghdad, London, Netanya in Israel or Sharm el-Sheik in Egypt, at that horrific moment the perpetrators become terrorists, wiping away all complexity and nuance regarding their cause. [Emphasis mine.]

This is something that has bothered me in news reporting for years, that the motives of a murderer matter. They don't. The moment you commit an act of murder, whether successful or not, you cease being a human being. You are now just an animal that needs to be caught and removed from human society. But the news media spends endless, pointless hours on "why did he do it?" Too often, they present a needlessly sympathetic view.

So it should be with terrorists. Whatever their cause, it ceases to matter when they take an innocent's life.

Today's Minneapolis Star Tribune has another article on the smoking ban, the kind its Editorial Board never reads. It seems that Bloomington is now rethinking its ban, with a study due August 15.

Last year's vote in favor of the city's ban was strong, 6-1. But the strength of that support is softening.

Council Member Heather Harden was proud enough of her vote for the smoking ban last year to write about it in the Star Tribune. But Thursday she said temporary relief ought to be provided to businesses whose main customers are smokers -- primarily, she said, those offering charitable gambling.

"The lightning bolt idea" -- the best way to limit smoking without hurting business -- has yet to hit, Harden said. "But I'll listen," she added.

The losses are far beyond what anyone expected, even the bar owners. The numbers would be worse still had not a number of them built or expanded outdoor deck and patio areas. Winter will close them in 3-4 months, and the politicians know it. If a number of well-known establishments go under, places like Nye's and Mayslack's not to mention all those VFW and American Legion posts, there could be political hell to pay. Some places already have closed, though it's difficult to claim this was the primary reason.

The pipe dream under all of this was that the State would pass a ban, only it didn't this session. And given the results we've seen locally, it would seem to me that rural legislators would be crazy to inflict this on their already fragile local economies.

Is it too much to hope for that now that the "explosion" fizzled, the "implosion" has now begun? Unless the surrounding counties benefiting nicely from these bans lose their minds, can Hennepin County, Ramsey County, Minneapolis, Bloomington, and Golden Valley go it alone, resist the pressure, and watch their affected establishments die or move?

As Hennepin County Commissioner Gail Dorfman correctly (for once) observed, if Hennepin adopts a Ramsey County style exemption system, that won't be the end of it. Those just short of that criteria will demand still more concessions - as they should. The only real answer, as it was for Prohibition in 1933, is a complete repeal.

Ironically, the politically expedient way out might be for the Legislature to ban these bans.

Our usual habit of eating out Saturdays mornings (now in Anoka County) precludes my hearing as much of "Taxpayers League Live" (TPL) as I would like. But we decided to just do waffles at home today, so I got to hear all three hours today (and the NARN, too) as I attended to some housework.

Today's show was boffo, three solid hours, and without the usual technical snafus that seem to disproportionately affect TPL. My theory is that the Patriot technical staff are not early risers, can't focus on all those dials and buttons until about noon.

The first hour we heard from Dave at Dave's Smoke Shop. We learned that the wholesale tax is all that and more. The state is demanding the 75 cents on existing inventory as of July 31, not just new purchases, and they want it by September 7. Dave has to in effect pay taxes health impact fees to the state he has yet to collect from his customers. I wonder: does he mail the check to the Health Department or the Revenue Department?

The second hour featured the author of "The New New Left" by Steven Malanga of the Manhattan Institute. The interview was great and I'm ordering the book.

The third hour we were introduced to the new tag team of Mark Yost and Craig Westover, the "Right Brothers" as David and Margaret called them. Though a little unfocused, it was an entertaining discussion mostly about sports, stadiums, mascots, and team names.

As I said, I don't get to hear as much of TPL as I'd like, but this was the best edition of TPL to date in my book. It truly was Radio The Right Way.

In flipping through my new digital cable channels I chanced upon 806, the Hennepin County government channel. They showed the Open Forum, perhaps the whole Board meeting of August 2. I tuned in late, but saw at least 25 speakers speaking about the smoking ban, as in revision or repeal. I'll see if I can catch and tape another replay to hear all of it. I may even attend the next meeting on August 16.

My heart went out to these bar owners, restaurant owners, liquor salesman, bartenders, vending machine operators, VFW/American Legion Post Commanders, even a musician, all hit hard by the smoking ban. About half would accept a bar exemption similar to Ramsey County, the rest nothing less than a full repeal. Apparently this was preceded by some "expert" medical testimony and a State Legislator urging the board to stay the course.

I watched the reaction of the Board. Gail Dorfman kept deflecting the discussion, to the .08 alcohol limit. Randy Johnson, who along with Dorfman introduced the measure, was clearly not interested in any facts or tales of hardship. Penny Steele was clearly the one, best hope the protesters had, easily dismissing the "we need to study further and longer" argument. Mark Stenglien, who had voted no along with Steele had less to say, but clearly heard every word said. Peter McLaughlin seems open to some change, as his campaign sees fit, no doubt. Linda Koblick gave away nothing, one way or the other. Mike Opat, who voted for the ban, acted as if he hadn't originally, and that he was there to help them.

Apparently one prior speaker I hadn't seen lumped these owners testimony together as anecdotal evidence, as some took umbrage during their remarks. But as I said, I saw at least 25 establishments represented. I saw no establishment support the ban. That's a bit above anecdotal in my book, especially given the figures they cited of 25-50% losses in business.

It comes down to this. Either all of these owners and suppliers are lying or the Hennepin County Board made a serious error. The Board may have underestimated the impact, overestimated the likelihood of the Legislature passing a statewide ban, or both, but it was a major lapse in judgment regardless.

I guess we're just not virtuous enough to understand and accept their anointed vision of "the Hennepin County experience."

Per Policy Guy, I see that Iowa is having a big two-day sale on "select clothing and footwear", today and tomorrow only!

It's a simple enough idea. No sales tax on clothing and footwear selling for less than $100.00. But to see how complicated government has to make it, see the Iowa web page on this.

Ten states engage in this sort of "back to school" tax holiday. I think it's simple bi-partisan pandering as the Tax Foundation observes. I'll add that this creates systems (cash register) and accounting (tax filings) work for the retailers.

The list of reasons why I will not be voting to re-elect Governor Pawlenty continues to grow. Patricia Lopez in the Minneapolis Star Tribune wrote a good summary of the latest reason.

Essentially, Pawlenty wants the Legislature and Governor to lose some pay if they go beyond the May deadline in budget years. Whom does this help? Essentially, just Tim Pawlenty.

It sounds plausible enough, and no doubt many deserved such treatment last session, notably Senator Dean Johnson who so clearly wanted a shutdown. But it puts no pressure whatever on, say, Senator Matt Entenza for whom the entire $31,140 annual salary is mere pocket money. On the contrary, it puts pressure on Legislators of modest circumstances to knuckle under to their well-heeled "peers". All Legislators will be equal, but some will be more equal than others, i.e., more free to act than others.

No, this is simple, obvious triangulation by a politician increasingly obsessed with staring at himself in the political mirror. "I'm not with them! Why, if it hadn't been for me, The Great Compromiser of 2005, we would still be in session!"

This is something we might expect from a Ventura administration, but this is disappointing at best from someone as capable as Tim Pawlenty, allegedly our "best governor within memory".

Pawlenty wants it introduced as the first bill in 2006. It should be the first bill to die in committee as well.

It was time once again to replace a computer mouse, this time my main (blogging) PC. It's the same old story, the trackball sensors wear out, get dusty, accumulate dirt etc. You can only clean them so many times. So this time I decided to buy a Microsoft optical mouse.

I had a bad experience three years ago with a "wireless" mouse that was soon replaced again for sluggish performance, so I was more cautious than curious about this concept, too.

But I must say, it works, and better than any mechanical mouse to date. Only in America would somebody even think about this pressing need!

The Kelo decision's overly broad definitions of "public good" and "public use" has me thinking about the concept of "public health" as well. This is why we must prohibit smoking in bars we are told. It's a public health issue. But is it?

Classically, public health addressed infectuous diseases spread by common incidental contact or poor sanitation. Monitoring of the food supply and preparation for the public became an accepted extension. The idea was literally that an ounce of prevention was worth a pound of cure. By quarantining victims of polio, tuberculosis, and other virulent diseases, the spread could effectively be limited in the general population. By imposing inspections, inattentive or intentional lapses in cleanliness were identified to reduce the general dangers of hepatitus and food poisoning.

But with second hand smoke, where is that danger to the general public, the end that justifies the means of suspending property rights and individual liberty?

Suppose you visit a "smoky" bowling alley, bar, or bingo parlor twice a week after work. Does your "vice" endanger the general public? No, the smoke goes home with you and no one else.

Suppose you own a "smoky" bowling alley, bar, or bingo parlor. By permitting smoking, do you endanger the general public? No, because nothing in the law requires that your patrons visit your establishment. Whether they do or not, and whether they smoke or not per your policy has no health consequences beyond themselves, i.e., the general public.

Suppose you work at "smoky" bowling alley, bar or bingo parlor. Are you endangering the general public? No. Whether you in particular work there or not is irrelevant. And don't say that you have to work there, let alone forever. There are plenty of smoke-free jobs out there at every level. Remember that there's a certain amount of risk in every job, and many are far more dangerous than these.

No, there simply is no significant risk to the general public being avoided, none they cannot remove for themselves without the force of law.

We can guess what the motives of our anti-smoking zealots might truly be, but framing it as a "Public Health" issue is an obvious non-starter.

So far, it looks like Air America received about $800,000 in illicit funds from a tax-supported charity. That's a lot of money to you and me. That's a lot of money to Air America. But it's a weekend for our liberal elites.

Why doesn't one of them come forward and write a million dollar check to repay the charity and cover the collateral damage? Barbra Steisand? John Kerry Heinz? Michael Moore?

The immediate problem is that the charity is now defunct. But a million dollars would put at least part of it back in operation, seemingly a worthwhile organization. But if not the Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Clubs, then find another similar non-profit.

But still, why is no one stepping forward from the left? All sorts of reasons come to mind. Maybe it's just too soon, that not all of the problems have come to light. Maybe the whole operation is simple too fragile, that it would be throwing good money after bad. Maybe they really don't like Al Franken.

For that matter, maybe someone from the right should step up. Decades ago, when William F. Buckley's Firing Line program was on the ropes, liberal Steve Allen wrote a big check. He believed the debate was important.

Peoples Republic of MN noticed an almost silly editorial in the Minneapolis Star Tribune urging the Hennepin County Board to stay the course on the smoking ban. The solution is to make everyone else equally miserable in true leftist fashion. As to the owners and employees adversely affected, they are to eat cake.

I'm also reminded of Atlas Shrugged when steel magnate Henry Reardon is told about the glorious new Steel Unification Plan that requires he produce at a loss for the benefit of his politically-connected competitors. How am I to do that he asked? Dr. Floyd Ferris, a government scientist says something like, "Oh, you'll figure out something. Your kind always does."

It's time that Hennepin County recall what they predicted would happen and what the establishment owners said would happen, the latter being correct, even underestimated.

It seems to me that if you pass a law and its effects are so significantly different from your expectations, you obviously were out of your depth on the issue. When, as here, the evidence so brutally demonstrates a serious disconnect with reality, the honorable thing to do is repeal the whole thing. Start over if you feel strongly about it, but don't let needless tax and job losses accrue in the meantime. That's what happened with the ill-fated luxury tax years ago that put many yacht builders out of business before it was wholly repealed. Would that those Hennepin County Commissioners could also say, "I was wrong."

But the worst answer of all? Make it statewide. Watch the convention business walk away. Watch the VFW, American Legion, and outstate entertainment businesses collapse, especially near the borders. Watch tax revenues drop. But whatever the public health benefit (possible negative per the latest UN study), it will be too small to measure.