North Carolina Beef: Packingtown

If you like to eat beef (or if you love animals), you can't help but be concerned about tainted meat or the maltreatment of cows at mass-production slaughterhouses. Now this, yet another prime example of why the glorious hand of the free market is such a marvelous regulator (from the AP):

A government inspection of slaughterhouses found significant problems with the treatment of cattle and two of the nation's largest beef processors - both of which provide meat for the National School Lunch Program - were slapped with humane handling violations.

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In addition to Cargill and National Beef, the FOIA shows that the FSIS temporarily shut down Martin's Abattoir and Wholesale Meats, in Godwin, N.C., for insufficiently stunning animals, failing to make them insensible to pain on the first attempt; and issued a noncompliance order to Dakota Premium Foods in South St. Paul, Minn., for excessive bunching up of cattle going into the stunning area. Martin's Abattoir declined to comment, and Dakota Premium did not return telephone messages.

...

Um, did we learn nothing from Upton Sinclair? Fortunately for us in the High Country, there is an alternative to mass beef production--right in Wilkes County--and they sell their organic beef at Earth Fare in Boone.

Where 60 Minutes Dare Not Tread

Is there more to the story of Karl Rove and the former Governor of Alabama? You won't hear this interview in the High Country--or even on 60 Minutes. From the Thom Hartmann Program:

Thom's radio program is carried on 61 stations nationwide. Will the mainstream media pick up on this side of the story?

Weekend Video Salon: The Sound of Crickets Chirping

Almost every mainstream television news organization (and some newspapers) retained military "analysts" to provide perspective to viewers in the runup to the Iraq war and beyond. Even though it has been revealed that these "analysts" were really nothing more than propagandists paid by the Pentagon to promote the war, there has been no reaction by these news organizations as to why they hired these "analysts". In this video, PBS tries to find out why the mainstream media silence has been so deafening.

P.S. Bob Zelnick, seen is this video, is ABC's former Pentagon reporter. He is also Chair of Boston University's Journalism Department. Know what else? He's also affiliated with the very conservative Hoover Institute...how's that for liberal media bias? And the Pentagon propaganda program has allegedly been temporarily stopped.

WXIT 1200 AM: Rush's Riot Tips

We could have sworn that inciting a riot was somehow illegal. Funny, a riot was just what Rush called for during today's broadcast on WXIT 1200 AM. Because "that's the best damn thing that can happen to this country, as far as I can think," Limbaugh opined. From 7 News Denver:

Talk show host Rush Limbaugh is sparking controversy again after he made comments calling for riots in Denver during the Democratic National Convention this summer. He said the riots would ensure a Democrat is not elected as president, and his listeners have a responsibility to make sure it happens."Riots in Denver, the Democrat Convention would see to it that we don't elect Democrats," Limbaugh said during Wednesday's radio broadcast. He then went on to say that's the best thing that could happen to the country.
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"There won't be riots at our convention," Limbaugh said of the Republican National Convention. "We don't riot. We don't burn our cars. We don't burn down our houses. We don't kill our children..."
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... and riots in Denver, at the Democratic Convention will see to it we don't elect Democrats. And that's the best damn thing that can happen to this country, as far as I can think," Limbaugh said.

Here's our question: While Republicans may claim to not riot, burn their cars, burn down their homes or kill their children, perhaps Rush (and by extension, all of his Republican buddies) would like to see a whole lot of citizens, police, and firefighters get injured in a riot?

Well now. And to think that Rush's family-friendly, values centered little suggestion came to you over the public airwaves, via WXIT 1200 AM--right during the middle of the day.

Full link.

I Got Mine--Screw You: CATO, AEI & Neal

After 30 plus years of trying to change society into a privatized and deregulated paradise, turns out that this libertarian/neo-con ideological obsession has been defeated by a bunch of show tune-loving high school twerps.

To the libertarian/neo-con (LNC) set, there is nothing scarier than the phrase "we're all in this together." Because for them, life is all about getting what's yours--and the heck with everyone else--no matter what. And by god, don't use my taxes to support the public commons (public schools, water, fire, police departments, etc.) because the private sector can do that much more efficiently--and safely.

But chip, chip, chip--the LNC has manged to repeat their privatization/deregulation mantra over and over again, hoping to slowly starve the beast of government. We see their spin on TV and in the newspapers so often that it seems like a significant portion of the population has actually started to drink their koolaid.

So, how's that privatization/government deregulation thing going anyway?

You may want to sit back and take a Vioxx or two. Did you pack your Heparin in your carry-on luggage? You know how these flights get delayed for so long--but at least they're safe, right? Don't forget to take that medication with some water. Oh, hey--let's watch the debate on the inflight TV. But before you take off, give your broker a call on the cell phone to see how your company's stock is doing--your retirement, remember? Don't forget to get a gift for Junior while you're away--he did such a great job on his report card. Betcha can't wait to get home so you can breathe in that clean, crisp mountain air, huh?

But at least there is one company out there that really did benefit from old Ronnie Reagan's sarcastic quip, "I'm from the government, and I'm here to help."

And to think: we could have had it all--if it wasn't for those pesky kids. How dare they repudiate our glorious ideology?

Pentagon Knows Best

When it comes to the dissemination of domestic propaganda, it's pretty important to understand who the willing enablers (registration required) are, and what the law says. Make no mistake: the corporate media has willingly teamed up with the Pentagon to spread domestic propaganda--something that many legal scholars say is illegal.

While it may seem shocking to see this sort of propaganda actually being carried out in the U.S., events like this only reinforce what has become obvious to so many--that in many ways, the corporate media in the U.S. effectively functions like the state-controlled mouthpieces so frequently condemned by the U.S.

So, this is what the corporate media brings us. How many more events like this will we have to endure until we fully appreciate the degree of collusion between big media and the state? Or perhaps the deep financial interest that the corporate media has in this war?

Weekend Audio Salon: Dissent

If we view the internet as vital to nurturing a healthy democracy, something that allows for the free exchange of ideas, then why on earth would we think that a profit-driven internet service provider would want the internet to be the same thing?

Left unchecked, corporate ISP's can stifle debate by charging outrageous fees, censor content that they deem to be offensive, or consolidate to such an extent that no real competition exists.

Take a listen to the closing arguments at the latest FCC hearing on net neutrality. Because who knows, if the net doesn't remain neutral, you may never hear this type of dissent broadcast on the net again.

Audio link here.

Green Air

As Aisling Broadcasting casts about for a solution to their problems while operating under receivership, they would do well to examine some other formats which might be more suitable to some of the other potential demographic listener segments here in the High Country.

Take the growing "Green Programming Movement."

Some radio stations around the country are beginning to flip their formats to "green programming" which tends to focus on sustainability issues, in addition to a certain type of overall station format. And they sell commercials...some of them even get good ratings...and some even make MONEY.

With the large and well-established sustainability movement here in the High Country (not to mention the highly desirable younger college demographic at ASU), as well as the increasing number of jobs associated with this movement being created here, one would have to wonder why Aisling would not try to do something innovative--like trying the Green Format one of their stations.

It's a stretch, we know. But one can hope. Anyway, it's not just big city radio stations that are switching to this new format. Some of these stations are even in Texas...Texas? Yep, and not just in Austin.

DNHC Interview: The Magpie

Is Sasquatch REAL?

Maybe it was that banner headline in the Appalachian that made them do it. Or maybe it was the scant attention the Appalachian newspaper paid to viewpoints which were not in line with those of the administration at Appalachian State University. Either way, the emergence of the Magpie, the High Country’s new alternative newspaper, seems to mark a healthy and long awaited challenge to the status quo.

DNHC sat down recently with Amanda Cardell, Nation and World Editor and Melissa Hanson, Distribution Manager of the Magpie for a wide-ranging discussion about the series of events which led up to the emergence of the new alternative newspaper, their views on the state of news coverage on the ASU campus and in Boone, and their assessment of the impact of media consolidation on democracy.

Hanson, who is affiliated with the Campus Anti-War Network (CAN), pointed to several incidents prior to the creation of the Magpie which led her to question the ability of the Appalachian to accurately cover even the most basic elements of a news story. In particular, she noted errors in the Appalachian’s coverage of CAN events: basic items such as meeting dates, locations, and times. For Cardell, it was a general “dumbing-down” of the Appalachian’s news coverage (she mentioned the “Is Sasquatch Real” article in the Appalachian), along with the Appalachian’s tendency to give voice only to “viewpoints which were similar in philosophy to those expressed by the [ASU] administration” that intensified her interest in developing the Magpie. But for both, it was “the Appalachian’s poor journalistic standards,” whether that meant misquoting interviewees or the newspaper’s tendency to just plain get things wrong - that finally led to the creation of the Magpie.

The type of news coverage which led to the rise of the Magpie can be directly traced to the institutional support the Appalachian receives from ASU. To Hanson, ASU’s financial support of the Appalachian results in the “monopolization of news coverage” which is “not safe” for a community which depends on the free exchange of ideas. In turn, ASU’s financial support for the Appalachian can lead to “limitations being placed on the range of acceptable discussion,” said Cardell.

The relationship between ASU and the Appalachian can be likened to the larger relationship between corporate-owned newspapers and the quality of news coverage that they provide to their readers. Few would expect the reporters of a newspaper owned by a large corporation to aggressively report on their corporate owners, lest they risk losing their jobs. At the Appalachian, who would expect the reporters there to risk offending the hand that feeds them? Indeed, the lack of airing of differing points of view at ASU extends to the campus radio station, WASU-FM. The radio station serves as a laboratory for students majoring in communications, thereby providing the students with the opportunity to learn about the day-to-day operations of a radio station. Hanson said that when she approached WASU-FM with the idea that the station broadcast DemocracyNow!, she was told that she would have to take several classes, and after taking the classes, she might be given some air time – though most likely considerably less air time than the hour-long DemocracyNow! program. While Hanson acknowledged the usefulness of having a technical training ground for students interested in careers in radio, she also noted that the goal of WASU-FM was “profit, not education.”

If you’ve ever wondered what happened to quality investigative journalism, you’re not alone. Hanson and Cardell expressed their concern about the tendency of journalists to engage in stenography as opposed to quality reporting. “Watergate should be a journalistic role model – in terms of the responsibility to be accurate,” said Hanson, when asked what type of journalism she was interested in pursuing. So it should come as no surprise that many of the staff and Editorial Board at the Magpie have their roots in ASU’s Watauga College, a unique living/learning arrangement which allows students to engage in thoughtful discussions and challenging debates with other students and members of the faculty. Students who enroll in Watauga College do so with the expectation that their ways of thinking will be challenged, that difficult questions will be asked of them, and that their academic skills with be tested. Watauga College also requires their students to engage in rigorous research and analysis – in short, all of the basic skills that are required for quality reporting. Cardell said that the Magpie owes much of its existence to Watauga College, which provided a sort of “built in network” of individuals who were interested in establishing a newspaper which was willing to ask serious questions.

Since the start of the Magpie, Cardell said that she has noticed some changes in the way the Appalachian covers the news. “The Appalachian has started covering things that we thought they should cover,” adding that the Appalachian’s improved coverage “allows the Magpie to cover other, more challenging issues,” she said. As the Magpie moves forward, Cardell envisions the newspaper becoming more of a bridge between the campus and the community, one which will approach news coverage from a different direction – neither from the institutional (ASU) point of view nor the corporate point of view.

The results of the current crop of professional journalists, with their unquestioning “reporting” of the events leading up to the Iraq war are in – and they are not good. We hope that the Magpie will continue to ask the questions that need to be asked. In doing so, the Magpie will demonstrate the principle of unembedded journalism – to a new crop of journalism students who will hopefully not allow themselves to become war cheerleaders or corporate enablers.

Amanda Cardell is reading I Couldn’t Keep It To Myself, by Wally Lamb.

Melissa Hanson is reading Expect Resistance by Crimethink Workers Collective.

ASU Students Arrested

...for protesting ASU's habit of purchasing university licensed clothing made in sweatshops...why is it that the eternal quest for finding the lowest price always seems to trump morality?

From the AP:

BOONE (AP) — Six students were arrested at Appalachian State University, ending a sit-in protest about working conditions in factories where school-licensed clothing is made.

The Winston-Salem Journal reported that the students were charged Friday with disorderly conduct and trespassing. All posted their bail.

The sit-in began Wednesday morning in the school's administration building. It involved members of United Students Against Sweatshops, which wants Appalachian State to join the Designated Suppliers Program.

...

Link.

WATA 1450 AM

Tune in to the Neal Boortz show tonight on 1450 WATA AM (or perhaps 1200 WXIT AM), and you'll get to listen to some good old fashioned libertarian racism. See, Boortz claims to be a libertarian (whatever that means)...but mostly he uses his show to launch into racist diatribes (more on that it a second).

But you know, the last time we listened to Boortz's show on 1450 WATA AM to see which local businesses sponsor the show--there were NO local commercials aired at all. Which seems to indicate that 1450 WATA AM is willing to air a show without having any local sponsors--essentially airing it for free. Lucky us, we get to listen to subsidized racism--on the public airwaves. To wit (from mediamatters.org):

On the April 10 edition of his nationally syndicated radio show, Neal Boortz asserted, "I would make a lousy Mexican." Engineer and "sidekick" Royal Marshall asked Boortz: "Why is that?" Boortz responded, "Well, because I wanted to scrub the hangar floor the other day, so I went and rented one of these big buffers," later adding: "I turned on that buffer, and it damn near killed me! It was dragging me across the hangar floor, throwing me around like I -- it was like a dog shaking a cat or something like that. You know, that's skilled labor."

Funny stuff. We'll have to listen again to see if WATA 1450 AM is still spreading this kind of vitriol for free.

Full transcripts and audio here.

Above The Law

How does this not make them war criminals? (from Reuters):

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush's most senior advisers approved "enhanced interrogation techniques" of top al Qaeda suspects by the Central Intelligence Agency, ABC News reported on Wednesday, citing sources it did not name.

ABC reported that the so-called "principals" discussed interrogation details in dozens of top-secret talks and meetings in the White House.

Then national security adviser Condoleezza Rice chaired the meetings, which took place in the White House Situation Room and were typically attended by a select group of senior officials or their deputies, ABC said.

"Highly placed sources said a handful of top advisers signed off on how the CIA would interrogate top al Qaeda suspects -- whether they would be slapped, pushed, deprived of sleep or subjected to simulated drowning, called waterboarding," ABC reported.

In addition to Rice, the principals at the time included Vice President Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Colin Powell, CIA Director George Tenet and Attorney General John Ashcroft, the report said.

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Waterboarding has been condemned by many members of Congress, human rights groups and other countries as a form of illegal torture. Bush and administration officials have said repeatedly that the United States does not use or condone torture.

Rummy works at Stanford University. John Yoo (the torture memo author) teaches law at UC Berkeley. How could these universities even want to keep them employed?

Geneva Conventions

What's Your (Local) Beef?

Sometimes it's a challenge to envision how a locally-based economy would actually work. How would we cope up here in the High Country without our huge supermarkets shipping in food from all over the planet? How could we really re-localize our High Country food economy and not get caught in the "localwashing" trap?

It's already happening. In addition to a great network of local farmers markets, it turns out that we can get organic, locally-supplied beef too. If you don't get the print edition of the Wilkes Journal-Patriot, you may have missed this story completely--but we wanted to be certain to let everyone know about it. In the March 28, 2008 WJ-P, Jule Hubbard wrote:

Seth and Jenn Church of Hays are capitalizing on growing consumer interest in naturally-produced food by selling premium beef cuts from locally-raised and processed cattle. Apple Brandy Beef LLC, started by the couple in April 2007, sells beef to retailers and individuals and continues to grow.
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Increasing consumer interest in "natural" or "organic" food and meat from animals that were humanely treated on the farm is part of an overall push for locally-produced food, giving rise to the term "locovore."
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Church said the cows are raised without the use of synthetic hormones or antibiotics.
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About 90 percent of Apple Brandy's Beef's sales are now at the Earth Fare store in Boone, part of a chain of "healthy supermarkets" with natural and organic products across the southeast.

This is how real change begins. Think about how much energy is saved by having this beef driven to Boone instead of being brought in by truck from who knows where.

Now all we need to do is support these and all of the other locally-based food producers up here:
Apple Brandy Beef
Earth Fare - Boone

Weekend Video Salon: Post-Carbon Cities

Here's a 30 minute show from Peak Moment TV. Contact us if you'd like to join our effort to try get this show carried on Charter Cable Channel 2, Public Access. Maybe the revolution will be televised after all. Enjoy!

This Will Go...

...on your PERMANENT record!

Since we're posting this, does it mean that maybe a few words on our site will be changed here and there to destroy the site's credibility? From the Center for Media and Democracy:

Source: Wired.com blog "Danger room," March 31, 2008

"Hiring a block of bloggers to verbally attack a specific person or promote a specific message may be worth considering," suggests a 2006 study written for the U.S. military's Special Operations Command. "Information strategists can consider clandestinely recruiting or hiring prominent bloggers or other persons of prominence ... to pass the U.S. message."

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the study suggests hacking an "enemy blog" to use it "covertly as a vehicle for friendly information operations. ... Subtly changing the messages and data -- merely a few words or phrases -- may be sufficient to begin destroying the blogger's credibility.

...

Yikes. Enemy?