Herculodge

Amazon Selling the Invicta Venom F003 for $20 Price Cut: $365

This is a huge attention-getting Invicta Venom, sold exclusively at Amazon. It has a 52 mm bezel and rubber strap. Luminous hands and markers make it very appealing. 

My Daughter Julia Getting Ready for Her First Halloween

Michael Moore's Open Letter to Juan Williams

Paul has apprised us of this pungent ironic letter to Juan Williams. 

Sony Has Ceased Making Cassette Walkmans

Chris has apprised us of this article that explains the end of the Sony Cassette Walkman.

Radio Eye Candy: Galaxy R-530

An ultralight DXer from Italy, G.Galassi has apprised us of this Galaxy R-530.

How to Turn Off the Beep on Your Grundig Satellit 750 and Other Radios

 

(Re-post)

Thanks, Gary:

(from Yahoo Satellit-750 group, message #1148)

 To turn off the beep: power off the unit. power-on the unit THEN press 0 for 3 seconds it should turn the beep off. ----------- (someone else commented that it might be closer to 5 seconds) Apparently this only works with a newer version of the Sat 750. For the early ones, some folks on the Yahoo group have disassembled the radio and physically crushed the beeper. Why they released any units that can't have the beep canceled via firmware, I have no idea. BTW, on the PL-380 the beep can easily be eliminated. I suspect the PL-390 is the same.

 

Does NPR Regret Firing Juan Williams?

 

Angelo and I agree that it is disappointing that someone as educated and cosmopolitan as Juan Williams has such an irrational fear of Muslims, but we both think NPR made a big mistake in firing him. As Angelo writes:

For those of you who are saying that NPR had a "right" to fire Williams ("employers can fire employees") I think you are missing the point. Most of us aren't saying they had no "right" to can Williams, but instead we're saying it was a bad decision.

It's similar to the NYC mosque argument----of course people have a "right" to build the mosque (assuming it meets code and zoning requirements). Again, it becomes more a question of the wisdom of doing it. In the Juan Williams case, I'm a conservative guy who normally doesn't see eye to eye with Williams' political views. But I find that he frames his arguments well and seems to be intelligent and very well reasoned. Debate makes the world a far more interesting place and I enjoy hearing opposing points of view from people who are measured and informed, like Juan Williams.

I really didn't understand his "fear" or "anxiety" about traditionally dressed Muslims being on the same plane with him. As a Washington, DC resident, I see this all the time---I've flown with Muslims, been in line at banks with them, eaten in the Mall food courts with them, talked to Muslim business owners while eating at their restaurants, filling up at their gas stations, etc. They're just people to me, and I doubt they'd board a plane in traditional dress to blow it up. But the fact is, Williams just said what he felt. It shouldn't have lead to his firing in my opinion. NPR shouldn't be funded by taxes anyway----so I'd have defunded them years ago, not just because of this. Let George Soros write a check to them or let their listeners pay----they are not neutral enough to warrant my taxes going to them. It would be like asking Tom W. to send a check to Fox News.

Juan Williams Resented That NPR Didn't Annoint Him in Daniel Schorr's Throne

 

More causes of acrimony between Juan Williams and NPR being revealed. I just heard on KPCC's Madeleine Brand interview with LA Times reporter that Juan Williams felt he should be the next "wise man" to fill the throne of the late great Daniel Schorr. 

Perhaps a macrocephalic ego clash had been in the works for some time. 

Juan Williams Fights Back: Says It's Time to Defund NPR and That NPR Is "Low"

 

 

 

 

 

I'll have to assume there's no love lost between Juan Williams and NPR as he's now arguing that NPR's government money should be "defunded." 

And to add to the acrimony, he says NPR's claim that Williams sees a psychiatrist is a "low blow."

Howard Kurtz on the Firing of Juan Williams: NPR Handed Fox News a Victory

 

Howard Kurtz on The Daily Beast explains NPR's decision to fire Juan Williams backfired with even liberals castigating NPR for their decision.