June 16, 2005
Disheartening
Just called with my pledge to our local National Public Radio station. Couldn't get through for about ten minutes, which was heartening, though I may have missed my bonus gift from Ira Glass about disappearing Chicago architecture. NPR will lose 100 million dollars in government funding and, if Ken Tomlinson has anything to say about it, will soon go back a classical music format. You can be sure that Ken is not advocating program change in order to deepen our appreciation for the arts.
Soon we will have to use our crystal sets to tune into the Voice of Europe or the BBC in order to hear the real news, just like folks under fascist regimes around the world. I personally am carving out a secret place under the stairs in which to hide my receiver. But, then, again, I'm just a suspicious liberal, err..rr , I mean a spiritual progressive.
As long as we're wallowing, the avian flu has made the leap to humans. When Dr. Michael Osterholm , director of The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy was asked what we could do if a bird flu pandemic hit today, he said "I don't know what we could do about it except to say 'We're screwed'". Eloquent.
Dear ones, have you ordered your Tamiflu yet? While you're at it get yourself a short wave radio .
Photo note: Dying on the vine. Need I say more?
Posted by Dakota at June 16, 2005 11:13 PM