Recently in Larry's World Category

We received a few complaints this week about our coverage of health care reform. People thought we let Sen. Durbin off easy.   One viewer thought the story about President  Obama's  response to Palin's "Death Panel"  comments was not fair, saying we made Palin sound like a nut instead of further explaining her position.  The reality is, there is no media conspiracy here.  If  a politician wants to spew canned, vague soundbites there is only so much we can do in a live, three-minute interview.   If I had 15 minutes like they do on MSNBC or FOX, or if it was a taped interview,  I could  really hammer a politician into answering the damn question, but it doesn't always work in a three-minute live interview.     In regards to Palin---again---it was a 15 second story, not much time to get beyond the  "he said this"  and "she said that." 

I have heard complaints that the "liberal media" is focusing on these town hall meetings that are critical of the president but failed to focus on liberals protesting Obama with the same anger.   My response?  We can't win.  If we focused on the liberal protestors than we're "giving them a voice"  if we don't focus on them then "we're hiding the embarrassment."   You can't win.  It's not biased media--it's a biased media consumer.

 

  In our morning meeting,  I suggested that instead of focusing on the  "event"  (people angry at town hall meetings) as the cable networks had done for days, that we focus on the "content;"  what is actually in this health care bill?   Some of it is so vague  (probably by design---to avoid derailing it early)  that people have taken it upon themselves to interpret what the legislation "could" do or "might" do.   Is the Death Panel a board of government bureaucrats that will decide whether to pull the plug on Grandma or is it simply counseling on living wills?
Limbaugh, Gingrich and Palin have all supported the idea of living wills, but perhaps they believe government bureaucrats would at least twist Grandma's arm in hopes of saving some of the government funded tax dollars that would be spent in the final years of someone with serious illness.    Perhaps Democrats feel if taxpayer dollars are going to be used for healthcare, that counseling about living wills would be an efficient approach to health care management.   

 

 Now, a look at a democratic argument.  Democrats say a new government health care plan  won't add to the deficit, but most government programs tend to grow rapidly.   In the end, we can't know people's motivation---all we know is what comes out of their mouth, and lately it's been vitriolic or confusing.  

 

 If you're not in the "center" but rather you are loyal to the left or right, it might serve you well to stop being so loyal to the media outlet that makes you feel comfortable.  Conservatives should read the NY Times editorial page and liberals should read the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal.  This will give you a better  appreciation of the other side, beyond the yelling and screaming of cable networks and the town hall meetings they cover.   It might not be that what Fox (right) or MSNBC (left) tells you is wrong....it is that they're often selective in  their focus.   You are always going to get "part" of the story.   The other side (in their attempt to be 'fair and balanced') is twisted, or simply gets left out. 

 

Here are a couple of links that might help you sort out the health care mess:

 

 

http://factcheck.org/2009/08/seven-falsehoods-about-health-care/

 

www.PolitiFact.com

 

Have a great weekend.

Next week:  Flavor Flav,  Brad Pitt, Mike Tyson and Billy Ray Cyrus. (I don't think they're in the same segment.)

 

 

 

BEHIND THE  SCENESE NOTES

You may have noticed Val was not here for the Kids Fair.  That is because she was at the NABJ conference---The National Association of Black Journalists.  This infuriated Paul, who has been trying to find a way out of doing the Kids Fair for years. (He has a phobia of children.)   Starting next week he will be starting a new organization: The Local Association of Austrian Weathermen.  Next year's conference will be either in Rio or Paris during the week of the Kids Fair, so Paul will be missed.  

If you thought you saw Wink Winkle picking up trash after the show---you were right.  He bathed in a tub of anti-bacterial gel after the post-show meeting.

Next year, we need a new security person at the front gate---preferably someone who works at WGN and can distinguish between the general public, and the General Manager.

To accomodate autograph-seekers, Pat Tomasulo has volunteered to set up a booth from 5-10am to make sure no one leaves empty-handed.

 

 

Much to my surprise, I was chosen as a  candidate to co-host on Regis&Kelly.  Since I did not campaign for this, I don't know much about it....but the voting starts Monday.  I imagine they'll show some video,  and/or  have clips on their website.

Nothing against Pat, but he's young and has a long career ahead of him.  I, on the other hand,  have little mouths to feed at home and I'm tired of waiting for the year-end WGN bonus.  Because, as I've learned,  'bonus' is actually two words at the Tribune Company.

I believe the co-hosting spot would be a temporary gig but you never know where things might lead.  Sitting next to the smooth, sexy, smart, Kelly would be like my bizarro world.  She's the anti-Robin.  I think we'd make a great team.

 I haven't won anything since I earned a fifth place ribbon in a youth track meet in 1976...when a fifth place ribbon meant something,   before the  "all kids are winners" philosophy and "participation trophies."

So WGN viewers---help a guy out---this week marks my 15th anniversary at WGN.  Cast your vote for me at Regis&Kelly's website starting Monday.

http://bventertainment.go.com/tv/buenavista/regisandkelly/contests/guestcohostsearch/index.html

By, Larry Potash

 

Monday marks the 40^th anniversary of the lunar landing and we will talk to a scientist about aliens.   He will address the evidence.

I'm talking the real evidence....not the  stuff they debate at the UFO Congress.  Yes--there is such a thing.    It's a place where UFO enthusiasts can congregate without being laughed at, and where UFO authors and lecturers can make their wallets thicker.

Perhaps the recent sighting of "mysterious lights" at O'Hare peaked your interest in UFO's. Who could resist? The idea of there being life on other planets is thrilling. The universe is so vast, it would be naïve to think there's no life out there. But that's a separate issue from someone paying us a visit. The problem is, it's difficult to get your mind around just how big the universe is. Try this: of all the little stars you see in the sky at night, the closest is four light years away, according to Stephen Hawking, and it would take the fastest space ship thousands of years to get there.

''Ok, then perhaps they have some super-duper technology that helps them travel light years in a blink?'' asks the UFOlogist. That raises two points:

1//Last I checked, not one good piece of credible evidence exists. Not an alien rock, or piece of clothing, or video. Nothing's ever landed at State and Madison at high noon.

2//If they have the technology to travel light years, wouldn't they have the technology to do so undetected by us humans, who get excited about the new cupholders in their car that's designed to last only four years.

Of course, none of this discourages the attendees of the UFO Congress from trying to make their case. Skeptic and researcher Robert Shaeffer visited a previous meeting. He dressed in black, from head to toe. When he walked in, everyone stared. One UFOlogist finally asked, "So are you one of those Men In Black?"

Shaeffer replied, "Sorry, I'm not at liberty to discuss that."

He expected a laugh, but instead, the man slowly moved away, confirming the paranoid spirit that runs through the UFO believer.

Here are the hot topics at this week's congress:

A couple of congressmen videotaped an interview ten years ago with an attendee who claimed to be involved with a crashed saucer recovery mission. The congress promised not to release it until the attendee gave permission but it seems the attendee has disappeared (Men in Black?) in the last ten years so they're setting up the video screen. Attend---if you dare.

Another participant will debut his research on the Starchild skull which "should soon prove to be the most important relic in human history." I checked out the website of presenter Lloyd Pye. It says the Starchild skull is most likely a human-alien hybrid. (Hey didn't Steve Guttenberg do the wild thing with an alien chick in the swimming pool in 1985's Cocoon?) Note that Pye also describes himself as a researcher in the field of "alternative knowledge," which I believe is a nice way of saying "subject that sounds important but doesn't exist in any major university."

An engineer and scientist found a way of calculating the duration of long-term magnetic reversals on the Sun. Using this ''knowledge'' he was able to break the codes of ancient sun-worshipping civilizations. He'll explain how the sun is the cause of all our problems although there is no plan at this time to erect the Montgomery Burns sun-blocker contraption.

How about a lecture on "Exopolitics: How Does One Speak To A Ball of Light?"

(I am not making this up.)

"Hello Mr. Light? I'm Mr. Johnson. Damn glad to meet you."

"Many people have made huge psychological investments in this 'alien visitor' world-view," Shaeffer said. "It's like a religion to them, they can't understand why other people don't 'see the light,'"

That's how they counter the naysayers like me. They might explain that I am just part of the cover-up conspiracy. Of course any conspiracy would have to include governments from around the world. And as we see on a daily basis--whether its celebrity gossip or political sources leaking dirt to the press--most people can't keep a secret.

By, Larry Potash

 

WGN is enduring a construction project  in our newsroom which means the medical team of reporter Dina Bair and producer Katharin Czink have moved into the office of legal analyst Terry Sullivan.

 You know how well this worked out for Jack, Chrissy and Janet on Three's Company in 1977.     While in 2009, Terry doesn't have to pretend to be gay, to convince landlord Sam Zell that there's no hanky panky here, Sullivan is concerned about Dina and Katharin  "femming" it up in his office.     Sullivan put him a large photo of Harry Caray in his boxers.   Dina is planning to put photos of ballet dancers, and photos of little babies dressed like flowers, or posing in a pea pod.

The fun never ends, at WGN's version of Three's Company

By, Larry Potash

 

You may recall we interviewed James Van Praagh on the show last week.  His appearance always generates a lot of feedback.  The "behind the scenes story" is that he asked the make-up artist  "Is that &*%$# Potash going to interview me?"

"Why do you call him that?" the make-up artist inquired.

"Because he's not a believer!" said Van Praagh.

(How spiritual of him.)

There's an old saying:  "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence."

No "psychic has ever passed scientific scrutiny."

Van P claims his "ability" is beyond scientific scrutiny.

Oh really?

I suppose that's fine if there are no consequences to his predictions...but would you get on a plane built on "intuition?"  Would you let someone who didn't go to heart-surgery school to perform heart surgery on you based on the info he was channeling from the greatest heart surgeons in heaven?

 

The Center for Inquiry West in California offers $50,000 to anyone who can prove paranormal ability.  Chicago native Jim Underdown, of the CFI would welcome Van Praagh to take a short drive to Hollywood and win the  money.

"If he says he doesn't need it or do that for money," said Underdown,  "ask him how much he charges for a reading."

 

People like to pass of "intuition"  as supernatural.  It's not.

 

"Intuition can be explained scientifically in terms of thoughts, experiences and memories that may give subconcious clues to a person about another person or situation," Underdown said. "If Van Praagh is hearing info from an alleged other realm, that info should be accurate all the time."

 Below is what the CFI hands out  to audience members when psychics come to town:

 James Van Praagh's "powers"  may not be what they seem. Here are some simple hints you can use to evaluate his performance.

1.         Demand Specifics

a.         Mary is not Margaret, Marie, or Maria

 

2.         Count the Missed Guesses

a.         The correct guesses pale when compared to the wrong answers

 

3.         Beware of Generalities

a.         Most people in a given culture experience fairly similar lives

 

4.         Be Conscious of Giving Information When Being Read

a.         If a psychic asks questions, you are giving the answers, not him or her

 

5.         Watch for a Shift in Direction

a.         Do they jump to another subject when they hit a dead end?

 

6.         Ask for Last Names

a.         Everyone knows a John, a Mike, a Sue, a Mary or a Pat

 

7.         Don't React!

a.         Psychics use your visual clues to assess if they're on the right track

 

8.         Who, Specifically, is the Guess Aimed at?

a.         A guess directed at couples or groups is more likely to be correct

 

9.         Remember Why People Go to Psychics

a.         Psychics are like police stations, psychiatry offices and hospitals - most people go there with a problem. Love, money, job, health, grief are the most common reasons, and psychics know this.

 

Here's THE CFI fake test which reveals some tricks...

 http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6911186994223979328

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