BellGab.com Archive

Quote from: BobGrau on May 14, 2012, 08:33:27 AMthe strange thing is that I'm a big Ian fan, yet I AGREE with most of the criticism of him being argumentative and so on.

No one likes redundant posts, so I'll just say that I share Bob Grau's opinion. I lied. I have a bit more to say. Ian's an energetic and engaged host. He's a truly gifted conversationalist with few peers in that regard. However, there's another side to him that bugs. Most of PB's criticisms (repetitive or not) ring very true to me. My biggest complaint is that Punnett has to be right, even when he's wrong. He once made a mistake about a historical event, and a caller pointed it out to him. Instead of doing a mea culpa, he went off on the guy. Ian acted like the caller challenged his manhood. He tried to make 2+2=5 in a convoluted tirade rather than just admit that he was [Fonzie] wr-wr-wr-wrong [Fonzie]. Here's another thing that aggravates me: he jumps to unfounded conclusions at times. It's as if he suspects that callers are bigots and/or zealots if they don't share his views on certain subjects. One exchange was hilarious.
(paraphrasing)
Caller: "I think that genes play a huge role in determining traits. Look at the NFL; two brothers are quarterbacks."
Punnett: "That's racist!"
Guest: "Uh, I think that he was talking about Peyton and Eli Manning."

Ian laughed, to his credit. Still, I think that he sometimes assumes the worst about his callers and his guests. I just get that vibe when I listen to him. Maybe it's just me. I could be wr-wr-wr-wrong.

Two Fridays ago, Noory played a "prank" on an apparently hapless caller (or plant). He told the guy that he called the wrong number. The guy replied, "you sound just like George Noory". Noory claimed that, no, he wasn't George Noory. He didn't disguise his voice at all BTW. He then dropped the call, and he went to the next caller. After that, he returned to the "prankee", and he prolonged the hilarious hijinks for a while longer. He did this routine two or so times in the past, but this time might have been the worst. It failed on so many levels. It was like an interlude from Bizarro World or a parallel universe. Who would buy such a poorly executed gag? I hope that some of you also heard this!

Quote from: McPhallus on March 21, 2012, 06:22:56 PMIf something's dead, let it die: you're just going to tick off the original crowd and confuse those who weren't around to enjoy it the first time.

Truer words were never spoken....about Noory's version of Coast. He turned a Mustang into a Yugo.

Does Noory hold his feet to the fire? No, Dames' tootsies are colder than penguin balls. Bad George can't challenge or question his guests because there are too few of them left these days. He can't afford to alienate anybody because there's bound to be booking problems. Any con or crank is welcome, and it doesn't even matter if the guest is a quack who tells dying people to swap their chemo for snake oil at just fifty dollars a bottle. One such guest attacked the Mayo Clinic, and he said that Louis Pasteur was a fraud. They must find their guests in Bizarro World.

Quote from: Eddie Coyle on March 16, 2012, 12:48:49 AMIt was better than his two prior hits "Spies Like Us" or "Press"...but like you say, it's not what made him famous. Actually, "My Brave Face" was his last top 40 single to date(left charts in July 1989) on the Billboard Hot 100. So McCartney hasn't had a hit single since the Berlin Wall was standing.

I can't decide which was worse, the song or the movie. The Berlin Wall? Dang, that's depressing. I didn't realize that it had been that long. I saw him in concert a few years back, and he put on a great show. He still had the chops and the licks. It lasted about as long as a Springsteen gig too. For full disclosure purposes, I'm one of those annoying Beatlemaniacs.

Quote from: Michael Vandeven on March 15, 2012, 02:35:31 AMthat might be true, and it might not.  however, we were here for 4 years before art posted, and we'll be here long after he stops (if he does).

I'd bet the bank that it *is* true. I'd be happy to be wrong, but I wouldn't blame him if he got turned off by some of the posts in this thread. JMO

Quote from: Morgus on March 16, 2012, 12:08:56 AMThe c2c staff played the song "Head Games" for bumper music just now before bringing on guest Major Ed Dames.
Are they trying to be funny since for years on the internet some have called him Major Head Games...

Some celebrities gave head to get ahead. As for Dames, his schtick went from head games to mind f__ks. You gotta be f_____d in the head to buy (literally and/or figuratively) his mind games. I'm not listening, but I can remote-view Noory *not* challenging him.

I had a discussion with von Lahr when he visited this board. He dismissed my theory that some legends were based on smaller natives who hid from larger new-comers. They hid in places like caves and woods, and they gave rise to local stories about elves and fairies. I think that this was especially true in the British Isles.

You would never hear Bell or Knapp doing this. You wouldn't even hear Punnett doing this when he talks in his sleep. Bad George is the asbestos host; he's fireproof. The only pink slip he'll ever see is under his pants.

Quote from: Eddie Coyle on March 15, 2012, 11:07:56 AMThough he lacks their social skills and persuasive ways.

Even they might get turned off by his Albert Fish news segment. Wayne Williams, on the other hand....

Quote from: Eddie Coyle on March 15, 2012, 09:49:12 AMMcCartney wasn't on that exact episode,I believe. However he did have an album Flowers in the Dirt forthcoming and new single "My Brave Face" out at the time.

I forgot about that song, which makes me glad that I don't have hyperthymesia. I'm a McCartney fan, but "My Brave Face" ain't exactly "Yesterday".

Quote from: The General on March 15, 2012, 09:39:01 AMI had the biggest crush on her in the 80's.  I was just a kid, but damn, I watched Taxi reruns just for her.

I watched the show after it was syndicated, and I had a bigger crush on Latka's girlfriend. I was a weird kid.

Quote from: Harmness on March 15, 2012, 04:16:57 PMTSA employee.  There was no thinking.

It's a job disqualification. "IQs above ninety need not apply."

Quote from: Eddie Coyle on March 15, 2012, 01:09:45 AM
      Yes indeed, I remember watching "Later with Bob Costas" on Tuesday May 16,1989 when she told him about her ability. (Technically May 17- it aired at 1:30 am)

         He did that annoying thing(for us freaks) by picking out a "random date" that wasn't random at all...his choice of July 20, 1969 was insulting. Jesus H Christ, the fucking moon landing!

           And I don't buy her tale of losing her virginity on that night. Too convenient...and I doubt she lost her virginity at 17.

That's frightening and impressive at the same time (referring to your memory, not Marilu's sex life). You're like a human TV Guide. Paul McCartney was on that episode too. What did he sing? ;-) Seriously, you should sell books and tapes on infomercials, like the human calculator does. You could be a contestant on "Jeopardy" too. I have a gift for remembering useless information, but I'm an amnesiac compared to you scary people. BTW, do you recall the exact date when Coast officially jumped the shark?   

Quote from: Eddie Coyle on March 14, 2012, 08:44:45 PM
       I'm a "Rain Man". Hyperthymesia is the technical term,. I remember every day of my life vividly since I was 2...October 18, 1977(a tuesday) is the first day I can go back to. It's often associated with autism, but by some odd chance I'm not autistic. Just crazy.

Marilu Henner has that ability too. Pity her poor husband.

Quote from: Lovely Bones on March 14, 2012, 09:21:18 AM
For the life of me, I could not figure out the logic of this demand.  Fill up these bottles and prove to us that you weren't going to transport air??

Your plastic knives and aspirin made me think of the kindergartner a couple years ago who was suspended on sexual harrassment charges because he hugged a little female classmate.  What a great message to send to a five-year-old, who likely learned at home that showing affection for his parents and siblings and playmates was perfectly fine. 

Hope I'm not taking the OP's original intent too far astray--still looking at essentially the same question, which is this: when are laws/policies legitimate to protect citizens, and when do they cross the line into trampling on our rights as citizens?  That's not a new question, but it's far from resolved, IMO.

I couldn't figure out his thinking, either. It made no sense. I thought that they banned certain liquids and gels, not air. It almost seemed like an experiment to see how far they could push people. Few of these rules and regulations make sense. One moron puts a bomb in his shoe, and all people have to remove their shoes. One idiot plants explosives in his underwear, and all passengers get searched like prisoners. It's all disproportional and reactive theatre, at best. It's a gross abuse of people's human rights, at worst.

It's fine with me if the thread goes beyond the issue of infantilization. Speaking of which, I just heard that a large number of older children can't even tie their shoes. They better not ask any students or teachers to help them when they're in school. There's probably some policy that prohibits it. Your story brought to mind something I read back in February. A kid was charged with assault because he touched a kid's leg during a game of tag. You also read stories about police using mace or tasers on grade school students before they're dragged off in handcuffs. One girl was arrested when she wrote on her desk. What explains this nonsense? I think that they're petrified of liability to the point where they lose their collective minds. They replaced common sense with Orwellian insanity. Morality and reason are things of the past because it's safer to rely on one-size-fits-all bureaucratic regulations instead of value judgments.

I've heard judges and teachers complain that they're hamstrung by all of this red tape, but no one had the courage to cut any of it. It likely will get much worse, and many people won't even notice it because the statists remove our freedoms in stages. It's like the proverbial frog in the pan. Fortunately, more frogs feel the heat.

I missed the first story. My guess is that it wasn't about the fingers. However, he mentioned a mysterious illness that's killing and sickening Ugandan children. That wouldn't be odd by itself, but he read the same story just last week.

Quote from: HorrorReporter on March 12, 2012, 05:49:31 AMI expect push back but I really liked the most recent conspiracy Wells show..

There's no need to feel embarrassed. It was an entertaining, informative show. Some conspiracy theories turn out to be historical facts. You just have to separate the wheat from the chaff. Go where the truth takes you. It's fashionable to make smug and snide remarks about *all* facets of the subject. IMO, reflexively dismissing all claims is as wrong as reflexively embracing all claims. It's fine to disagree with the debunkers when you think that they're mistaken. (rant over)

Quote from: Lovely Bones on March 13, 2012, 09:34:33 AM
Thanks for your comments, Seamus.  You are too kind.

FWIW, I completely agree with your observations about government intrusion into our lives.  Have you followed the food police stories where elementary school children had their home packed lunches taken from them only to be replaced by chicken nuggets supplied by the schools?  Chicken nuggets supposedly superior to turkey breast sandwiches, banana, and apple juice?  The little ones were actually told their mothers had not packed them nutritious enough meals.

I indeed saw a few news segments about the lunch lady on a power trip. I share your feelings about that event. It seems like we see a new scene from "Idiocracy" every day. You sometimes don't know whether to laugh or cry. There are so many stories from which to choose, but the ones that take place at airports are among the worst. Just this month, a security drone noticed that a new mother had some empty bottles (for her breast milk) while she waited to board her flight. He told her that she had to fill them with breast milk before she could proceed any further. Sadly, she went to a public restroom and complied with this bizarre and stupid demand. It was wrong on so many levels. If you're not familiar with this inexplicable tale, you can be forgiven for not believing it. It sounds too weird to be true. The TSA is my own "1,001 Dalmatians" of pet peeves. I also have zero tolerance for zero tolerance laws in public schools. You've heard the stories about how students are punished for bringing "hard drugs" (Bayer aspirin) and "dangerous weapons" (plastic knives) to school. We could write a book, as thick as "War and Peace", filled with such examples. The most tragic examples arise from the draconian three-strikes laws that may sentence a repeat offender to life in prison for stealing a slice of pizza! :-(

I apologize in advance for the hyperbolic thread title. However, I *do* have a prediction for the 3/14 Coast. I predict that Gomez Addams will mention the story, about the child's fingers that were found in a trashcan, during his Albert Fish News segment. It's a dead baby story *and* a Drudge Report story, so I'm not really going too far out on a limb with this one.

Why is Noory so obsessed and preoccupied with horrid, tragic stories about minors? This is the guy who once asked, "is there a chance that the devil will win and all the children will be horribly butchered and burned alive?" That's an actual verbatim quote that came out of nowhere, seemingly appropos of nothing! Would *any* of the other hosts ask such a disturbing question?

Quote from: Paper*Boy on March 12, 2012, 05:01:43 PMIan is just so smart.  There is nothing a listener can think to add or ask that Ian himself hasn't already thought of, and if they do he gets angry, argumentive, accuses them of trying to take over the show, mutes them, talks over them, dumps them, and then says in his sad radio guy voice that all he wanted was to have a conversation with them.  Why would he be interested in emails or fastblasts.

As much as I complimented Punnett in the past, I must admit that most of your criticisms ring true. There are two sides to the Ian coin.

Quote from: Oversoul on March 13, 2012, 01:16:20 AMGo figure it out, yourself.  It isn't difficult.

That's true. It took me one second to find the hypocrisy.

Quote from: EnterDragon on March 11, 2012, 10:21:46 PMKnapp is the best right now, the way he starts of a show with the monologue and all. I don't mean his opening intro, its what he says after the intro that is nice to listen to, a true pro.

I agree with you. I would be ecstatic if he was the main host. It's a shame that he has one or two other careers that prevent him from hosting more often. He's the best fit for Coast IMO.

Quote from: Oversoul on March 13, 2012, 01:04:50 AMJust speaking from real life experience.  Go figure.  You're barking at the wrong tree.

The guy, who made the comments about Asians, might say that he was speaking from his real-life experience too. What's the difference (ruff)?

Quote from: Oversoul on March 12, 2012, 08:04:41 AMThey [SE Asians] are very hospitable to foreigners -- it is ingrained in their culture[/b], so unlike Americans -- specially the Caucasian or White-trash variety -- who can and do discriminate against their own countrymen of other color.

LOL Seriously? That's like saying that male sexists are members of the inferior gender. You complained about racist comments and stereotypes right before you posted racist comments and stereotypes. Go figure.

Quote from: BobGrau on March 12, 2012, 05:00:53 AMilluminati farmers use those missing hours to conduct their dread rituals.

I bet that they hold their main meetings during leap years too. They just want us to *think* that there's a missing day in February.

@Blossom: Don't give them any ideas! I don't wanna see a sign, that says "you must be taller than this to drive without a booster seat", when I renew my driver's license. The lines and the waits are already too long at the DMV. I'd hate to get stuck behind a group of angry short people, waiting to purchase their mandatory booster seats. I also don't wanna have to stand in front of a height chart while they take my photo. At the rate we're going, we'll soon be forced to use crash helmets and roll bars when we drive. It takes just one rare tragedy to pass one short-sighted new law when do-gooders in government see an opportunity to generate more revenue. BTW, it really *can* be disconcerting to see those "haunted cars" on the road.   

@Bones: I doubt that you've ever rambled in your life. You're one of the most coherent and sensible individuals on the internet. You were raised well too. Your parents gave you the freedom to explore the world around you within limits based on common sense. They weren't neglectful *or* overprotective. Most people over thirty can relate to your post in some way. It made me more appreciative of my own childhood.

@Pertzborn: Thanks for the link. I'm sure that manufacturers are part of the equation too.

@Usagi: I respect your right as a parent to make informed choices for your children. However, I don't think that the federal or state government should force all families to make the same decisions. I got the idea for this thread after I saw a bigger, older kid in a booster seat, and it looked strange to me. I didn't want the  conversation to get lost in the thread about things that annoy us.

Quote from: Morgus on March 07, 2012, 04:02:50 PMDaylight savings time changing so early nowadays - coming this Sunday March 11.
Changing to daylight savings (which is for the summer months) before winter is even officially over is just weird... 

Arizona and Indiana have the right idea. It's time to scrap this antiquated practice, especially since it's backwards. It would make more sense to fall back in the spring and spring forward in the fall since the days are longer in the summer and shorter in the winter, and we no longer base our economy on agriculture when this practice started. Romney would win the presidency if he promised to end daylight savings time.

It's fine to put babies and toddlers in car seats or booster seats. It's weird to see older kids in them, though. Am I the only person who thinks this? In California, kids under eight have to ride in booster seats if they're shorter than 4'9. Some legislators want to increase the age and height/weight requirements. One helicopter mom advocated putting small teens in them! This kind of infantilization would have been unthinkable when most of us were kids. It wouldn't even occur to most people. I sat on my mom's lap or my sisters' laps while riding in the front seat of our car when I was a toddler. I rode with uncles, who drove like Jimmy Johnson, when I was in kindergarten. All of us rode in the backs of pickup trucks. All of us played in the rears of station wagons.  We also managed to ride our bikes without safety helmets too. Only challenged kids did this when I was in grade school, and no older kids rode in baby seats. We also drove home-made box cars, and we rode home-made go-carts, sometimes improvising for brakes (crash).  Somehow, we all managed to survive into our thirties. Are we infantilizing our younger generations via the growing and spreading Nanny State?     

Quote from: Michael Vandeven on March 11, 2012, 09:13:49 PMoh, and by the way... most of the murdered were children.  just wonderful

It was an aberrant and barbaric act committed by a mass murderer who does not represent his peers in our armed services. However, it's yet another example that underscores what you said in another post. We've been in the Bermuda Triangle of world empires for far too long now. We fought two world wars in less time, and the Revolutionary War and the Civil War didn't last as long as the occupation of Afghanistan. Ron Paul was right when he said that they don't hate us for our freedom. It doesn't take a diplomatic genuis to find the root cause of their hatred, as it has more to do with their freedom than our freedom. Let them decide and define their fortunes and their futures without our interference and our intervention. Our ways are not their ways, and forcing democratic values at the barrel of a gun is like forcing Christian beliefs at the point of a sword.