Sunday, May 9, 2010

“Aspiring Rush Limbaughs take to Web radio” plus 3 more

“Aspiring Rush Limbaughs take to Web radio” plus 3 more

Aspiring Rush Limbaughs take to Web radio

Posted: 08 May 2010 08:54 PM PDT

Rock music blared, then faded as the host — in his best talk-radio voice — began throwing out red meat: Tea party poll uncovers liberal bias! Democrats take advantage of black voters! Healthcare reform a sham!

"The whole entire welfare system is designed to enslave you. This whole thing about the healthcare bill, this wasn't about, 'Oh, we really care about these people.' They wanted to enslave more people."

But abruptly, the speaker tossed the microphone to his partner, saying, "You continue. I've got to talk to my kid who knows he shouldn't be talking to me right now and should be in bed."


So it goes with "Two Hours of BS with EJ and the Bear."

As best it can, the show follows the format of traditional talk shows, but this is talk radio homemade-style — virtual talk radio. No fancy studios needed. EJ and the Bear use the Internet to deliver radio to listeners' laptops and PCs.

They're part of a growing group of aspiring Rush Limbaughs and Sean Hannitys relying on inexpensive, easy-to-use online technology to take their turn at the microphone. And though they're less formal than their better-known counterparts on "terrestrial radio," most take their mission just as seriously.

"The Internet is going to be the place that becomes the new farm team for traditional radio," said Michael Harrison, founder of the trade journal Talkers Magazine. "These are people who are interested in emulating terrestrial radio, and they're doing it from their kitchen table."

Not just the kitchen table. One conservative show host, Marie Stroughter of Santa Clara, Calif., often does her program from her bedroom. She interviewed former Bush White House advisor and political strategist Karl Rove over the telephone in her pajamas.

Some of the at-home talkers are bloggers learning a new medium. Some are former terrestrial radio personalities looking for a new home.

They give voice to nearly every issue and political view across the political spectrum, but the format has found a strong niche in conservative circles.

"I think that concept of talk radio is just one that resonates with more fervor in the conservative dialogue, and it's translating through to the online platforms," said Alan Levy, the founder of BlogTalkRadio, which is perhaps the largest Internet platform for free call-in radio.

It also appears to be growing. On BlogTalkRadio, the number of conservative talk-show hosts has grown 25% this year, compared with a 14% increase for hosts labeled progressive. Those shows have generated more than 1 million "listens" in the last three months, according to statistics provided by the site.

The chance to host a show has resonated throughout Stroughter's life. A homeschooling mother of three and self-described "Chatty Cathy," Stroughter said she was frustrated by how few fellow African Americans she saw in conservative politics.

Along with her husband and a friend she met on the social networking site Twitter, Stroughter created a website called African American Conservatives, and planned to use it to link to news stories and post interviews with newsmakers.

When a interviewee suggested she use BlogTalkRadio, Stroughter thought it was a "neat idea." Now, a year later, she hosts a weekly show that counts among its guests Rove, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Senate candidate and Orange County Assemblyman Chuck DeVore and conservative media entrepreneur Andrew Breitbart.

"It's just turned into a big snowball," Stroughter said.

The show — with the tagline "the soul of the conservative movement" — has had 8,000 listens, enough to make her something of a star in the BlogTalkRadio community.

"If this turns out to get bigger, that would be great," she said. "But I didn't set out to be Oprah."

kathleen.hennessey@latimes.com

Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Sunday Profile: Tara McGuire

Posted: 09 May 2010 03:15 AM PDT

(4 of 4)

"It was interesting being almost a bystander in someone else's pregnancy," she says.

Her youngest child, Grace, was born without assistance or the typical frequent doctors' visits. All her children were born at home.

"This time, I had tons of ultrasounds and blood draws," she says. "And the deal was that I would give birth in a hospital."

Fatigue, practice contractions and achiness forced Tara to leave her job teaching yoga and working as a marketing director at Indigo Wellness Center two months before the baby's due date Dec. 20, 2009.

The couple flew to Oregon in November — when the baby was 37 weeks along.

Even with a planned hospital birth, 7-pound 2-ounce Mikayla came "fast and furious" into the world in Tara's bathtub. Tara's midwife friend attended the birth.

In keeping with the rest of the pregnancy, it was an unusual labor: severe back labor, extreme pain and hemorrhaging afterward.

It was in the weeks after the birth, however, that Tara felt true pain.

"When she was born, I had no attachment," Tara says. "But over the days and times nursing her, I felt it harder and harder to not be attached to her."

She nursed Mika until Jan. 3 and continued to pump breast milk for four months. In that time, she shipped three coolers of frozen milk to Australia; at a cost of $850 per shipment.

"I recognized that if I hadn't nursed her, it would have been easier," she says. "But it felt like real healing after such a difficult pregnancy and surrogacy."

Tara says she couldn't be a surrogate mother again, but she doesn't regret it.

"It is the biggest and most wonderful thing I did in my life," she says. "It was as low and difficult as it could have been but so much sweeter than I could have imagined."

On her blog post from Jan. 4, Tara wrote:

"As the time goes by, I know that I can think of (Mika) and feel the joy and love and not the pain, so much. In the end, I am in awe of how grand this journey has been and how deep the feelings. All of the feelings, in fact. The joy, the pain, the love. And I am proud of myself for being open enough to accept it all."

Now, five months after Mika's birth, Tara is recovering well.

"I'm feeling like me again," she says. "I have energy. I am optimistic. I feel strong mentally, spiritually and physically."

bcasper@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 589-6994

Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Valley Home Schoolers to hold curriculum fair on Thursday

Posted: 09 May 2010 02:25 AM PDT

NEENAH — The Valley Home Schoolers will hold their annual curriculum fair from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at Faith United Methodist Church, 1025 Tullar Road.

There will be a wide variety of curriculum to examine, as well as the opportunity to visit with homeschooling parents to see if it's right for you.

There will be a display of of curriculum catalogs and resource books on homeschooling.

There is no cost to attend this event.

The Valley Home Schoolers organization was created to encourage, strengthen, and provide resources to its members as they pursue excellence and unity in the Christian home education of their children.

For more information about the curriculum fair or the Valley Home Schoolers, visit www.valleyhome schoolersinc.org or contact Karen Anderson, a member of the Valley Home Schoolers, at 920-462-0547 or e-mail busymom19@ yahoo.com.

Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Liberty

Posted: 08 May 2010 09:06 PM PDT
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