Monday, August 29, 2005

Today on NPR

How many people who read this blog also listen to NPR? Well, I listen to it quite frequently. Today I was doing my other job that doesn't require meter reading, so I was driving all day and listening to the radio. I like to listen to the NPR program Talk of the Nation. So at several minutes past 1:00 PM I switched from my jazz station to NPR and was utterly astounded to hear them giving air time to Casey Sheehan's mother. I couldn't believe they were going to actually waste airtime on her. Anyway, their usual format is to spend the first 2/3 or so of the hour on one topic, and then switch to some other topic for the remainder. She was supposed to be the guest for that first segment. When Neal Conan asked her about why she changed from her first meeting with President Bush, she said that she had already talked about that numerous times and suggested he ask about "what is going on now." He answered that she hadn't answered the question for him. She hemmed and hawed a little (as we say in Texas) and then said that she only had two minutes left. "Oh, I thought you would be on much longer," said Mr. Conan. She repeated that she only had two minutes. So he asked her to answer the question anyway. She regurgitated her apparently much-reheared and standard answer which is the exact opposite of what she originally said about the meeting. As he tried to ask her more questions, she began faking a bad cell connection by repeatedly saying "hello? hello?" as if she couldn't hear him. Then she abruptly said she had to to go, and hung up.

After this a new guest was brought on named Gary Qualls. If you haven't heard of him, check out this post: Nailed to a Cross at Moorewatch. He said that he has tried to contact her several times, and the one time he did get her on the phone she pulled the same stunt with him.

Casey Sheehan's mother apparently doesn't realize that a cell phone is a two-way radio communication. If it doesn't work one way, it doesn't work the other way, either. Her words were coming through 59 to Mr. Conan, but she was acting like she had lost him. It doesn't work that way. Her transmissions should have been breaking up as well, instead of coming through with perfect clarity. If the idiot can't handle the heat, she shouldn't have thrown herself into the oven.

By the way, this is the only post I have had, or will have, on this subject.

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