Anger Is The Fuel That Feeds Talk Radio...

Whatever your party affiliation, I think you'll agree that Talk Radio is fanning the flames for those that feel disenfranchised and filled with anger. The Defenders Online describes what's going on with this headline: AM Radio Declares War On The White House. Since being both critical and negative is so much easier than having faith and being positive, the majority of the successful 2,064 talk stations lean to the right. Anger and dissent sells and the most famous talk personalities are named Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, Mark Savage and Laura Ingraham. To the left, there's uh. To tell you the truth I can't think of anyone except Alan Colmes. In a 2009 interview, USA Today radio host Michael Medved expressed concern that talk shows have cultivated a "niche audience rather than the Republican mainstream." Recently, Talker Magazine and News/Talk guru Michael Harrison took the same view. Niche it is and whether or not you like the mean-spirited and controversial view they both dispense and encourage, they dominate the format...

As The Defenders Online reports, "the best means for talk show hosts to generate attention is to embrace controversy. Without controversy, radio cannot approach the allure that television uses to its advantage via imagery." To that, in addition to television, I'll add the endless number of electronic devices our culture has devised...

On a sales level, a huge advantage conservative yakkers have over their liberal counter part is the loyalty of their audience. Loyalty sells. Media buyers know how loyal the Rush Limbaugh & company audience is. So does the Republican Party. Limbaugh has more control over his party than any other person alive...

Personally, I think the country would be far better off with a stronger presence of those in opposition to the right. For all the reasons mentioned earlier, the climate is just not, how should I say it? Right???

10 Timeline Memories:

1.1775] The battle for independence: The American Revolutionary War begins with the battles of Lexington and Concord. This day will be commemorated as "Patriot's Day"...
2.1897] Patriots Day: The 1st Boston Marathon is won by John J. McDermott of New York with a winning time of 2 hours, 55 minutes and 10 seconds. The race is run from Ashland to Copley Square, same as now. There were only 15 runners in the race...
3.1981] Marathon men: The longest pro baseball game ever played, between Pawtucket and Rochester is suspended after 32 innings at the 8 hour, 7-minute mark, with the score tied 2-2 at 4:07 a.m. Two months later when play resumes, Pawtucket wins in the 33rd inning. Two future Hall of Famers played in that game - Wade Boggs (Pawtucket) and Cal Ripken Jr. (Rochester)...
4.1987] OT x 4: The Islanders beat the Capitals 3-2 in 4 overtimes to win their opening round playoff series in 7 games...
5.1989] Central Park Jogger: A white female jogger in New York's Central Park is brutally beaten and raped. Five teenagers are convicted and sent to prison but the convictions are overturned in 2003 after a serial rapist confesses to the crime and DNA evidence ties him to it...
6.1993] Siege ends in death: Branch Davidian leader David Koresh and dozens of others are killed when fire destroys their compound near Waco (TX) as the 51-day siege ends. Attorney General Janet Reno takes responsibility for the way the siege was handled by federal agents...
7.1994] Entirely too much information: When asked "boxers or briefs?", Bill Clinton replies "briefs" giving us entirely too much information...
8.1994] Blood money: A Los Angeles jury awards $3.8 million to beaten motorist Rodney King. Today King is almost penniless after several subsequent arrests on drug, assault and speeding charges...
9.1995] Oklahoma City bombing: The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City is destroyed by a bomb. It is the worst bombing and/or act of terrorism on U.S. soil until 911. One hundred sixty eight are killed including 19 children, 500 are injured. Timothy McVeigh is found guilty of the bombing in June, 1997 and eventually executed for it...
10.2005] White Smoke at the Vatican: Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany is elected pope. He takes the name Benedict XVI...

Music Memory:

• Released on this date: 1986] "Because The Night" - Patti Smith...

"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":

Maria Sharapova (23), Kate Hudson (31), Riza Vettor (39) (Happy Birthday to my sister who keeps getting younger), Ashley Judd (42), Al Unser Jr. (48), Frank Viola (50), Mark Volman (63), Tim Curry (64), Elinor ("Father Knows Best") Donahue (73) and Hugh ("Wyatt Earp") O'Brian (85)...

Timeline Countdown: 3 days until the NFL draft, 12 days until the Kentucky Derby, 20 days until Mother's Day and 42 days until Memorial Day...