Possibly the Most Boring Post Ever

There's not much new to tell right now, and the fact that I still have no internet service at home keeps me from writing much. I'm working on getting SBC DSL right now, but there's some confusion about the phone lines in my place. My apartment is in a 100-year-old house (pictured above- I live upstairs), and with the business downstairs and numerous lines, it's not clear what lines go where. Once it's straightened out and I've got internet access at home, I hope to update this blog more frequently.

In the meantime, I thought I'd write about my talk radio listening habits. It may be of no interest to anyone, but it's my blog, right? I think I was probably influenced by my parents' listening habits when I was a little kid- they listened to KABC "Talk Radio 79" (790 KABC today) every single day. It was always on in the house- Ken Minyard and Bob Arthur in the morning, Paul Harvey (good day!) "News and Comments", food critic Elmer Dills, Michael Jackson (not the singer, but and liberal English commentator), Ira Fistell and Ray Briem. God, they listened to that stuff all the time! Some of these guys are still around. I can't imagine how old Paul Harvey is. Listening to him is like taking a step back in time.

There's something comforting about talk radio. It's nice to listen to interesting conversation, especially while commuting to and from work. It's also fun to listen to local personalities while on road trips, talking about what's happening in Bakersfield or Visalia or whatever. I like it when it's kind of slower, folksy kind of stuff, nothing too hyperbolic.

There are a few shows I listen to almost daily, though rarely in their entirety. The best show out there, in my opinion, is the Dennis Prager Show, which is on KRLA 870 in L.A. This guy is an intellectual with common sense- he somehow completed his university studies without losing his logic and ability to reason. The guy talks about everything; this differences between men and women, politics, religion, the media, history, philosophy, whatever. He's the most intelligent, humble, calming, logical and sincere presence I've encountered on the airwaves. Whatever your philosophies or political leanings are, the guy makes you think. Here's a recent piece he wrote for the L.A. Times.

I think Larry Elder on KABC 790 is also good, but he's a little more over the top. He's a very sharp guy, and he loves to call out liberal leaders and challenge their ideas and commentary. What I really respect about the guy is that although he's black, he thinks for himself and doesn't "think black". He's constantly ripping black "leaders" like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton for their vicitim mentalities and race card playing. He's against affirmative action and big government, and because of his independent thought, he's been physically threatened on numerous occasions by fellow blacks who consider him an Uncle Tom for not thinking like they do. You have to admire a guy who speaks his mind knowing what the consequences may be.

There's a guy named Michael Savage who's very smart, well-read and interesting, but he's a little out there. He can be a little radical, but he does make good points regarding immigration and defending our country. He's an acquired taste, but he does make you think. If you check out his link above, be forewarned- he's got some gruesome photos of the violence in the Arab world.

Sometimes I listen to Michael Medved on my lunch break, but he's a little predictable. Smart guy with decent common sense, but I sense his conservative agenda shaping too many of his arguments. Plus, for some reason that I will never comprehend, he seems to think that Bigfoot exists! This idea of his defies his normally fairly sound logic, and it makes me laugh.

I can't get into the Sean Hannity/Rush Limbaugh/Bill O'Reilly types too much. They just seem a little to into the rah-rah patriotic American stuff.

Then there's sports. I used to listen to XTRA Sports 690 out of San Diego (with their super-powerful antenna in Rosarito, Baja California, Mexico), but when they changed it to the "Super Station" and moved to L.A., it fell apart. Now it's some of the crappiest "sports" talk I've ever heard. It's always 2 or 3 guys cracking stupid jokes, guffawing and talking over each other. The absolute worst is a guy named Vic "The Brick" Jacobs, the single most annoying radio announcer I've ever heard. He and his "Loose Cannon" partners talk about the Lakers constantly, never saying much. If Vic wants to say Shaq O'Neal is a solid player, he'll say something like, "The Big Blessing shows love on the court every night with his divine spirit and thunderous game!" It's pure garbage.

The Mighty 1090 is now the local San Diego sports station (with that antenna in Rosarito), and they have some of the original lineup from the old 690 days. It's decent, and probably the best thing out there. L.A. sports talk blows.

Of course there's Howard Stern, who's making news with his move to satellite radio in January. Though he can be crude and isn't as funny as he used to be, I do give him credit for revolutionizing radio, and to some extent, TV and movies. Despite the vulgarity, he's really somewhat of a radio genius. His innovation and talents get overlooked because of the crude nature of his show, but he really is unique and he can be hilarious.

I also like NPR and 89.9 KCRW, which has very good news coverage and interesting commentary, albeit with a bit of a liberal slant. KCRW also has great music; it's the best music station in L.A. by far.

I've also tried KPFK, a public station here in L.A., and it's basically a socialist station. I try to listen and take it seriously, but it's so leftist it's almost funny. I'm sure they worship at the feet of leftist hero Noam Chomsky. If you want to feel guilty for being an American, give it a listen.

Anyway, if you're still reading at this point, it must be a slow day! I appreciate it anyway...and I promise some photos next time.