Sinclair Broadcasting script

Here's how they demonstrate freedom of speech these days: TV news readers all reciting the same exact speech, about reporters avoiding political manipulation.

link to story at ThinkProgress

Nice cutup, too.

The original script:





Hi, I’m(A) ____________, and I’m (B) _________________…

(B) Our greatest responsibility is to serve our (AREA OF U.S.) communities. We are extremely proud of the quality, balanced journalism that (STATION) News produces.

(A) But we’re concerned about the troubling trend of irresponsible, one sided news stories plaguing our country. The sharing of biased and false news has become all too common on social media.

(B) More alarming, some media outlets publish these same fake stories… stories that just aren’t true, without checking facts first.

(A) Unfortunately, some members of the media use their platforms to push their own personal bias and agenda to control ‘exactly what people think’…This is extremely dangerous to a democracy.

(B) At (STATION) it’s our responsibility to pursue and report the truth. We understand Truth is neither politically ‘left nor right.’ Our commitment to factual reporting is the foundation of our credibility, now more than ever.

(A) But we are human and sometimes our reporting might fall short. If you believe our coverage is unfair please reach out to us by going to (WEBSITE) and clicking on CONTENT CONCERNS. We value your comments. We will respond back to you.

(B) We work very hard to seek the truth and strive to be fair, balanced and factual… We consider it our honor, our privilege to responsibly deliver the news every day.

(A) Thank you for watching and we appreciate your feedback.

Touch screens are gross

I mean those point-of-sale terminals, in stores, although it's spreading to other things; we have a copier at work, where the display disappears after it's been off for a minute.  You can tell where to turn it on by the big, greasy fingerprint.

But stores are the worst.  It's not just touch once to get through it, either.  Touch it put in your PIN number, touch it to go, touch it for no cash back, touch, touch, touch.  Why don't they just ask us to lick it?  It'd be as sanitary.  I'd rather peel a tenski off a smelly roll of bills, than repeatedly press down on some grease-encrusted piece of plastic the whole neighborhood's had a whack at.

Larry Adler on the BBC

No cutup, just music.  I was listening to an old Goon Show, the BBC radio comedy series, and this scintillating sound came dancing out of the speakers.  And not cornball "filler" music, like most shows ran in the breaks.

Adler had quite a story.  Discovered playing for pennies in Times Square, he hit it big in vaudeville, and I mean Big.  Famous composers writing things for him to play, kind of big.  And no one had ever thought of the harmonica as a serious instrument.

The Commie Fighters turned his name into mud, after he fought back and sued them for libel.  But they kept it in court until he ran out of money for lawyers.  Couldn't buy a job in the US after that.  He moved to England, where at least he could work.  And thus to the Goons, where he regularly performed as "Max Geldray".

Probably the greatest harmonica player we'll ever hear.  His birthday was Feb 10th.

Larry Adler, 1955: Brazil

William S Burroughs, Cutup Lecture On Cutups

For his birthday, Feb 5th, a bit originally posted 4 years ago, back by popular demand (mainly, mine!)

WSB 100th Birthday

cummings/Cohen: in just spring

I've often wondered what Linda Cohen's piece would sound like with the poem it's named after.  Sounds like this.

Wilhelm, the Immortal

If a coward dies a thousand times, it must be this guy.

In explanation: "the Wilhelm Scream" is a sound effects clip of a man shrieking.  It was first used in western movies in the early 1950's.  At some point, foley artists-- who put together film sound effects-- made it a running gag and started using it all the time, in dozens, maybe hundreds of films.  This piece was created from one of many compilations available on YouTube.

About the bit: it sounds like the scream is on a loop and all the other sounds are tossed over it.  Not quite.  It's actually a bunch of clips played in sequence, and the screams are all synced to a click track-- which I left in for the rhythm.

Wilhelm, the Immortal

We Scold These Truths

Created from We Hold These Truths, a radio play by Norman Corwin.

New audio.