Newsdirector's Weblog

Disorderly Events Ordinance

newsdirector — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 20:54:58 +0000

LEAVE IT AS IS! The ordinance has gone before everybody and their mother, and nobody except Councilman Scott Gruendl wanted it changed until a small group decided to try and get the ordinance repealed. Chico Mayor Andy Holcombe told the KPAY Drive at Five AFTER the group FAILED to get it repealed that he would like to see the ordinance changed because of the “perception” of the ordinance. My question is, if the group FAILED to get enough signatures why should anyone care about the perception of a small group? Now the measure is getting tossed around by the Internal Affairs subcommittee. My suggestion is to leave it alone, or get rid of it all together. Police still have the authority to break up unruly gatherings, this would have given the power to do so on a lower level.

Hahahaha…Are you kidding me?

newsdirector — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 21:28:12 +0000

Read the article below and tell me what you think.

   LOS ANGELES (AP) – The city that popularized the fast food
drive-through has a new invention: 24-hour medical marijuana
vending machines.
     The Los Angeles Herbal Nutrition Center installed pot machines
to give medical marijuana patients a dose of convenience with their
grass. There are now three so-called P-V-M’s in the city with
security guards nearby.
     Center owner Vincent Mehdisadeh says the 24-hour-a-day vending
machines offer convenience, low prices, safety and anonymity.
     But federal Drug Enforcement Administration agents say the pot
vending machine may need unplugging. DEA Special Agent Jose
Martinez says – quoting now – “Once we find out where it’s at,
we’ll look into it and see if they’re violating laws.”
     The computerized pot vending machine requires fingerprint
identification and a prepaid card with a magnetic stripe. Once the
card and fingerprint are verified, a bright green envelope with the
pot drops down a slot.
     Mehdizadeh says any user approved for medical marijuana and
registered in a computer database at his dispensaries can
pre-purchase the drug and then use the machine to pick up.

In the news business we come across some “interesting” items, but this almost seems to be a joke. ATM Machines get STOLEN, but officials think a security guard will be able to stop a gang of thieves who can EASILY benefit by breaking into one of the machines or stealing it. Wow, what will they think of next?

Thompson Out

newsdirector — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 20:53:48 +0000

NAPLES, Fla. (AP) – Fred Thompson is quitting the presidential
race, with a string of disappointing finishes for his efforts. The
Republican actor-politician is wrapping up his bid after finishing
third in South Carolina. The former Tennessee senator has not said
if he will endorse any of his former rivals.

Thoughts on the “Mainstream Media”

newsdirector — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 23:16:05 +0000

Working at a News-Talk station is interesting…you get to listen to talk show hosts bash the media and news coverage while you’re preparing newscasts for the top and bottom of the hour. I’ve always thought it was somewhat a conflict of interest to have a News-Talk format.

Rush started it all with his “drive-by media” rants. What many don’t realize is while he accuses the media of pushing an agenda, he is doing the same. Rush is a radio guy first and foremost, and for that I respect him to the highest degree. He is the reason talk radio is the Juggernaut it is today. But he must also get ratings, and rule number one in radio weather it’s writing commercial copy or doing a talk show is “Conflict draws the listener in”.

I used to (still do sometimes) get flack all the time from listeners. Although as word got out that I used to produce a conservative talk show, the accusations have become few and far between. Have I changed the way I report the news, or has the PERCEPTION of listeners changed? I also used to produce a cooking show which focused strictly on barbecue. Does that mean I’m totally against frying a hamburger?

Also, the line between what is news and what is opinion gets blurred everyday. You have Bill Mahr, John Stewart and others reporting news, and then making a joke out of it. Hannity uses the term “up to the minute news” in his show. But do you think these guys are really reporting the news, or just items they can put a spin on to get a rise or a laugh out of the listener?

I guess what I’m getting at is not every reporter has an agenda…but every talk show host does. Be kind to you local reporters as they work hard to bring you information. Whether you chose to use it for you own personal gratification or complain about it over coffee is your business. Either way, we’re doing our job.

It’s Been a While

newsdirector — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 23:18:22 +0000

I haven’t made many posts recently due to a heavy work load. However, I will be updating this blog more often with reports and opinion. In the meantime, feel free to check out KPAY’s new blog site at www.newstalk1290.wordpress.com There are no opinion blogs, but it gives the reader/listener a chance to comment and discuss.

Huckabee Weighs in on the Confederate flag

newsdirector — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 23:14:04 +0000

     It’s not up to me, it’s up to South Carolina. Republican presidential hopeful Mike
Huckabee says the decision on whether to fly the Confederate flag should be made by state officials. Huckabee stumping in Myrtle Beach, says the Government has no business getting involved in disputes over the flag. He also said that if somebody came to Arkansas and told people what to do with their flag, “we’d tell ‘em what to do with the pole.” The former Arkansas governor didn’t say whether he considers flying the flag to be offensive, which some say is a symbol of racism and others say it shows Southern pride.  While I don’t think it’s a good idea to fly a flag that the KKK considers a symbol of pride, I do agree that the National Government should stay out of state affairs unless it is asked to intervene.

Happy Holidays!

newsdirector — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 17:43:42 +0000

CIGNA Saves Money, but Teenager Dies

newsdirector — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 22:26:01 +0000

   After CIGNA Health Insurance allegedly flip flopped on it’s decision to pay for 17-year old Nataline Sarkisyan’s liver transplant, the Los Angeles teenagers family says it will sue the company.
   Attorney Mark Geragos said he also plans to ask the L.A. district attorney to press
murder or manslaughter charges against CIGNA.
    Accordingto the Associated Press,  Geragos says the insurer “maliciously killed her” because it did not want to bear the expense of her transplant and aftercare.
    Sarkisyan died Thursday after battling leukemia.

Hopefully the family is successful in its lawsuit, as this is just another reason this country needs healthcare reform. It’s been documented that President Nixon KNEW about the real workings of HMO’s which pay for check-up’s and preventative medicine, but also MAKE A LOT of money by NOT paying doctors and for surgeries. HMO Executives have climbed the corporate ladder by turning patients down for expensive surgeries. I’m not sure a universal government run healthcare system is the answer, as anything the government gets it’s hands on will run on the cheap. People will also be upset that they have to pay higher taxes, and we may loose doctors as they will go to other countries that pay more. Let’s hope whoever gets into the White House in 2008 comes up with a solution, so that young people like Natalie don’t have to pay the price of a flawed system.

No Real Suprisies in Mitchell Report

newsdirector — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 22:40:20 +0000

The long awaited Mitchell Report looking into Major League Baseball players abusing performance enhancing drugs has been released, and there are no surprises in it. However, I am shocked at the extent of the problem. One part of the report claims a clubhouse executive looked the other way after a shipment was received, and another says Commissioner Bud Selig didn’t pursue an investigation following a shipment to the Arizona Diamondbacks clubhouse because the player the drugs were sent to was no longer in the league.

I’m also shocked by the reaction from Commissioner Bud Selig. When asked by a member of the Associated Press how much money it cost to produce the report, Selig replied sometimes it costs more NOT to do something. The reporter failed to follow up with the question ”how much it is costing the game of baseball NOW because you didn’t do anything UNTIL NOW?” (oh yeah, our fearless leader also hadn’t READ THE REPORT before reacting to it!!!!)

Selig turned a blind eye to the problem a long time ago because of revenue. Let’s face it, we have a dime store clerk running a multi-billion dollar operation. Selig has basically alienated an entire generation on the east coast by having games played at 10pm eastern, and now he’s he’s trying to correct a problem that has already spiraled too far out of control. Baseball is a joke.

     NEW YORK (AP) – The following are some of the drugs baseball
players are accused of using in the Mitchell report:

     ANABOLIC STEROIDS – Come in dozens of different forms with names
such as nandrolone, trenbolone and stanozolol. All are easier to
detect than so-called designer drugs. All work in subtly different
ways, but the main function is to increase muscle mass and decrease
symptoms of fatigue, making it easier to recover and work out more.

     ANDROSTENEDIONE – Better known as Andro, this became well-known
when Associated Press reporter Steve Wilstein noted a bottle of the
pills in Mark McGwire’s locker in 1998. It’s a steroid precursor,
naturally produced in the adrenal glands and gonads, that serves as
an intermediate step toward producing testosterone. Banned by
federal law in 2004.

     THE CLEAR – Full name is Tetrahydrogestrinone. Known as one of
the most effective anabolic steroids, it’s a so-called designer
drug made specifically for athletes looking to escape detection.
Developed by Patrick Arnold and distributed by BALCO and others, a
syringe of THG was provided to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency by track
coach Trevor Graham. USADA then developed a test to detect it.
Barry Bonds is accused of using THG but said he thought it was a
flaxseed oil supplement. The drug shares traits with steroids such
as nandrolone and trenbolone but is much more potent.

     THE CREAM – Ointment with testosterone and epitestosterone. A
doping screening test measures the testosterone-epitestosterone
ratio. Often used in conjunction with THG, “the clear.” Some
believe “the cream” was used to try to deceive laboratories.
Using “the clear” could suppress natural steroid production but
adding “the cream” could give the appearance of a “normal”
urine steroid profile.

     HGH – Human growth hormone. It has become popular because it’s
hard to detect and is believed to work well in combination with
other steroids. Naturally produced in the pituitary gland.
Stimulates liver and other tissues to secrete chemicals that
stimulate growth. No test yet available to detect this substance on
a reliable basis. Prescribed for children with growth issues and
adults with pituitary gland problems, its brand names include
Genotropin, Humatrope and Nutropin.

Clinton Volunteer Calls it Quits Over Email

newsdirector — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 23:10:27 +0000

After forwarding a hoax e-mail suggesting Barak Obama is a Muslin who wants to destroy the United States, a Hillary Clinton volunteer is stepping down. Judy Rose forwarded the e-mail to eight people, according to The Associated Press. Ironically, one of the recipients was a Chris Dodd Supporter who posted the email on a liberal blog. In response the Clinton campaign asked Rose to step down.