Comments on: The Medium Isn't the Only Message Here. http://www.radioopensource.org/the-medium-isnt-the-only-message-here/ Christopher Lydon in conversation on arts, ideas and politics Sun, 12 Feb 2012 19:09:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: anne http://www.radioopensource.org/the-medium-isnt-the-only-message-here/#comment-63348 anne Sun, 05 Jun 2005 22:07:59 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/2005/06/01/the-medium-isnt-the-only-message-here/#comment-63348 I'd really like to hear more about stem cell research about the science but also about the money. Do I donate an egg the way I donate a kidney? What in the process is proprietary? Who is making money? And what is it worth to extend our lives by 5 years(?) in the 21'st century when we haven't even got antibiotics (1940s technology) to the 3'rd world? My uncle, a Jesuit priest in India, says the greatest medical discovery of the 20th century was rehydration drinks (gatorade) because it allowed so many infants afficted with diarrhea to live to their 1'st birthday. I’d really like to hear more about stem cell research about the science but also about the money. Do I donate an egg the way I donate a kidney? What in the process is proprietary? Who is making money? And what is it worth to extend our lives by 5 years(?) in the 21′st century when we haven’t even got antibiotics (1940s technology) to the 3′rd world? My uncle, a Jesuit priest in India, says the greatest medical discovery of the 20th century was rehydration drinks (gatorade) because it allowed so many infants afficted with diarrhea to live to their 1′st birthday.

]]> By: Naomi http://www.radioopensource.org/the-medium-isnt-the-only-message-here/#comment-63347 Naomi Sun, 05 Jun 2005 15:49:31 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/2005/06/01/the-medium-isnt-the-only-message-here/#comment-63347 Great suggestions, Mattwalton & Jackson! I'd love to hear that debate. Real debate, not Crossfire-style platitudes and screaming. Great suggestions, Mattwalton & Jackson! I’d love to hear that debate. Real debate, not Crossfire-style platitudes and screaming.

]]> By: Jackson http://www.radioopensource.org/the-medium-isnt-the-only-message-here/#comment-63346 Jackson Fri, 03 Jun 2005 02:49:43 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/2005/06/01/the-medium-isnt-the-only-message-here/#comment-63346 Why stop at evolution? Boston is, of course, the home of the Christian Scientists, who have intriguing ideas about the treatment of all ills. SO, for example, where do the snowflake embryos and rationalized stem cell lines fit in this scheme? Why stop at evolution? Boston is, of course, the home of the Christian Scientists, who have intriguing ideas about the treatment of all ills. SO, for example, where do the snowflake embryos and rationalized stem cell lines fit in this scheme?

]]> By: mattwalton http://www.radioopensource.org/the-medium-isnt-the-only-message-here/#comment-63345 mattwalton Thu, 02 Jun 2005 22:00:22 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/2005/06/01/the-medium-isnt-the-only-message-here/#comment-63345 I’d love to hear a show about American religious opposition to the teaching of Evolution in schools - but only if at least 50% of your panelists were against such teaching. I would especially love to hear from a Creationist Scientist, or best facsimile. I would trust Open Source to search diligently for the most authoritative and articulate such person -- because we intellectuals need to hear their side, if we truly value dispassionate inquiry. Do we really understand well enough how it is that we KNOW things? I’d love to hear a show about American religious opposition to the teaching of Evolution in schools – but only if at least 50% of your panelists were against such teaching. I would especially love to hear from a Creationist Scientist, or best facsimile. I would trust Open Source to search diligently for the most authoritative and articulate such person — because we intellectuals need to hear their side, if we truly value dispassionate inquiry. Do we really understand well enough how it is that we KNOW things?

]]> By: Naomi http://www.radioopensource.org/the-medium-isnt-the-only-message-here/#comment-63344 Naomi Thu, 02 Jun 2005 20:14:20 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/2005/06/01/the-medium-isnt-the-only-message-here/#comment-63344 I agree with others above about balancing the tech topics with human topics. I personally would love to hear a show about childbirth. Look at the cultural forces behind the alarming increase in Caesarian births, including elective C-sections. Talk to the Cambridge Midwives. Ask mothers (non-expert experts) about their birth experiences and how they do or don't affect their relationships with their babies, partners, the wider world. We all start out at birth; why is our culture so allergic to it? I agree with others above about balancing the tech topics with human topics. I personally would love to hear a show about childbirth. Look at the cultural forces behind the alarming increase in Caesarian births, including elective C-sections. Talk to the Cambridge Midwives. Ask mothers (non-expert experts) about their birth experiences and how they do or don’t affect their relationships with their babies, partners, the wider world.

We all start out at birth; why is our culture so allergic to it?

]]> By: avecfrites http://www.radioopensource.org/the-medium-isnt-the-only-message-here/#comment-63343 avecfrites Thu, 02 Jun 2005 19:55:47 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/2005/06/01/the-medium-isnt-the-only-message-here/#comment-63343 That's it: the show is "open source", not "open mike". Use the Internet (real-time email, instant messaging, comments posted to a web form, SMS messages, etc.) as ways for people to interact with you during the show, and to discussions after the show, but don't make the show ABOUT the technology. The whole point of having a Christopher Lydon is to get a better product (radio show) than untrained people could create. Chris brings deep knowledge about human topics, deep experience with interviewing, a deep sense of how to encapsulate an issue for us to understand, etc. The conceptual problem with the Internet focus is that while the people most likely to "get it" are those who work with technology for a living, the last thing most of us want is further isolation in our specialties. We want Chris to bring us the wider world. I'm into jazz now almost completely because of Chris' "The Connection" shows on the topic in the '90's. I appreciate Boston's history and architecture more because of Chris' time spent exposing us all to them. I want shows on global culture, cooking, jazz, art, pandemics, nuclear proliferation, adoption, writing, work/life balance, community activism, mid-life crisis, the changing definition of family, the unchanging nature of man, etc. An analogy from the real-world: in the past decade, the companies who gained the most from technology are those who use it most effectively (Wal-Mart, e.g.), not those who create and wallow in it. Open Source | Open Eyes | Open Mind | Open Up That’s it: the show is “open source”, not “open mike”. Use the Internet (real-time email, instant messaging, comments posted to a web form, SMS messages, etc.) as ways for people to interact with you during the show, and to discussions after the show, but don’t make the show ABOUT the technology.

The whole point of having a Christopher Lydon is to get a better product (radio show) than untrained people could create. Chris brings deep knowledge about human topics, deep experience with interviewing, a deep sense of how to encapsulate an issue for us to understand, etc.

The conceptual problem with the Internet focus is that while the people most likely to “get it” are those who work with technology for a living, the last thing most of us want is further isolation in our specialties. We want Chris to bring us the wider world.

I’m into jazz now almost completely because of Chris’ “The Connection” shows on the topic in the ’90′s. I appreciate Boston’s history and architecture more because of Chris’ time spent exposing us all to them. I want shows on global culture, cooking, jazz, art, pandemics, nuclear proliferation, adoption, writing, work/life balance, community activism, mid-life crisis, the changing definition of family, the unchanging nature of man, etc.

An analogy from the real-world: in the past decade, the companies who gained the most from technology are those who use it most effectively (Wal-Mart, e.g.), not those who create and wallow in it.

Open Source | Open Eyes | Open Mind | Open Up

]]> By: David http://www.radioopensource.org/the-medium-isnt-the-only-message-here/#comment-63342 David Thu, 02 Jun 2005 15:45:52 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/2005/06/01/the-medium-isnt-the-only-message-here/#comment-63342 Lisa: yes, record some sound. Talk to the mascot, the bat boy, the old woman with the scorecard and the play-by-play in her headphones who doesn't miss a game. But. most of all, think about talkers. To put a show on we need not only an interesting topic and, ideally, a little bit of interesting audio, but most of all a great talker, someone who can make the topic come alive. Jeff Sharlet did it last night, to my ear. Give us a great talker and we'll give you a show. Lisa: yes, record some sound. Talk to the mascot, the bat boy, the old woman with the scorecard and the play-by-play in her headphones who doesn’t miss a game. But. most of all, think about talkers. To put a show on we need not only an interesting topic and, ideally, a little bit of interesting audio, but most of all a great talker, someone who can make the topic come alive. Jeff Sharlet did it last night, to my ear. Give us a great talker and we’ll give you a show.

]]> By: natep http://www.radioopensource.org/the-medium-isnt-the-only-message-here/#comment-63341 natep Thu, 02 Jun 2005 13:51:39 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/2005/06/01/the-medium-isnt-the-only-message-here/#comment-63341 In response to theananda's suggestion, if you want to talk about this, you should contact one of the members of my dissertation committee, Prof. Beth Simmons. She is a political scientist at Harvard who specializes in international law, particularly on international human rights law (who follows it, why they follow it, and so forth). In response to theananda’s suggestion, if you want to talk about this, you should contact one of the members of my dissertation committee, Prof. Beth Simmons. She is a political scientist at Harvard who specializes in international law, particularly on international human rights law (who follows it, why they follow it, and so forth).

]]> By: Jackson http://www.radioopensource.org/the-medium-isnt-the-only-message-here/#comment-63340 Jackson Thu, 02 Jun 2005 12:15:11 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/2005/06/01/the-medium-isnt-the-only-message-here/#comment-63340 How about "unintended consequences"? The internet offers a thousand -- nay, verily a million -- examples of how postings go awry. Nifty MIDI files turned to crap by nasty software synths, Atrios and his fabled "Torture Lou" motif, where the blogger urges his readers to drive a meaningless online poll toward an entirely unexpected outcome. How about “unintended consequences”? The internet offers a thousand — nay, verily a million — examples of how postings go awry. Nifty MIDI files turned to crap by nasty software synths, Atrios and his fabled “Torture Lou” motif, where the blogger urges his readers to drive a meaningless online poll toward an entirely unexpected outcome.

]]> By: Lisa Williams http://www.radioopensource.org/the-medium-isnt-the-only-message-here/#comment-63339 Lisa Williams Thu, 02 Jun 2005 05:39:48 +0000 http://www.radioopensource.org/2005/06/01/the-medium-isnt-the-only-message-here/#comment-63339 Super minor league baseball. Opening night for the North Shore Spirit is tomorrow at Fraser Field in Lynn. Best entertainment for $4 for bleacher seats I ever had. Bill Lee -- the Spaceman -- recently wrote a book called Trying to Save an Old Ballpark which is about trying to bring this kind of ball -- below even farm leagues -- to upstate New York. Worcester has a new team coached by ex Sox Rich Gedman. A few weeks ago there was an *open tryout* where anybody who showed up could try out. Anybody. Bill Murray (yes, that Bill Murray the actor) owns a piece of the Brockton Rox, and grew up in Brockton. All these teams belong to the Can Am League, but there are plenty of semipro leagues that are just packed with interesting stories and people and talkers. I'm thinking of going to the game tomorrow. Maybe I'll record some stuff and send it to you. Super minor league baseball. Opening night for the North Shore Spirit is tomorrow at Fraser Field in Lynn. Best entertainment for $4 for bleacher seats I ever had. Bill Lee — the Spaceman — recently wrote a book called Trying to Save an Old Ballpark which is about trying to bring this kind of ball — below even farm leagues — to upstate New York.

Worcester has a new team coached by ex Sox Rich Gedman. A few weeks ago there was an *open tryout* where anybody who showed up could try out. Anybody. Bill Murray (yes, that Bill Murray the actor) owns a piece of the Brockton Rox, and grew up in Brockton. All these teams belong to the Can Am League, but there are plenty of semipro leagues that are just packed with interesting stories and people and talkers.

I’m thinking of going to the game tomorrow. Maybe I’ll record some stuff and send it to you.

]]>