SERVICING DONKEYS EDITION

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Yo, yo, yo, MacYippers! What up?
After several days of deep and profound thought about an issue I originally had mixed feelings about, I have come to a thoughtful and I believe well-reasoned conclusion.

Duquesne U sucks donkeys.
Great big, smelly, defacating, braying, honking, bonking, loud, annoying donkeys.

And THIS JUST IN... The New York Freaking Times is doing a story on this fiasco!
And among those who have been interviewed, one of my heroes. Lynn Cullen!
Of course that means MacYapper isn't the only local media type recently quoted by the NYT any more. Damnit. Well, you can't have everything.

Admittedly, I can now only occupy the shallow space of a bandwagon jumper. But better late then never.

Rejecting Planned Parenthood's sponsorship on alleged public radio station WDUQ is bullshit. They do offer counseling. They do offer prevention advice and services. It's not just a happy-slappy abortion mill.

Somewhat more eloquent in the defense of this noble organization is Daniel Noam Warner who wrote this op-ed piece.
POST-GAZETTE.COM:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07289/825677-35.stm
After all, Planned Parenthood is a regular part of Pittsburgh, especially the Duquesne community. Duquesne students utilize its health services and are a common source of its volunteers. While some of Planned Parenthood's services violate parts of contemporary Catholic dogma, a general tolerance among the student body and faculty facilitates a meaningful relationship.

MacYapper - Gee, ya think college kids might need some advice about contraception to prevent unplanned pregnancies? Hmmm. Maybe that WOULD be a good idea.

General tolerance? What does that have to do with Catholicism as practiced by the lords and masters at Duquesne?

POST-GAZETTE.COM:
There has been no clearer sign of Duquesne's efforts to be a part of the wider, secular Pittsburgh community than its sponsorship of WDUQ -- the area's premier National Public Radio affiliate. The "public" in NPR has historically meant that the radio network addresses issues of common concern among all communities in the United States.

MacYapper - Yes, the "public." That would mean the Catholic and non-Catholic public. So it's simple. Either get rid of your "public" radio affiliation, or change your narrow minds and accept the Planned Parenthood sponsorship.

You don't deserve to have NPR corresondents on your air.

POST-GAZETTE.COM:
Thus I am unsure of what happened last week, but Duquesne administrators (woefully out of touch with the realities of daily life at Duquesne) ordered WDUQ station manager Scott Hanley to refuse Planned Parenthood under- writing. Mr. Hanley buckled and notices of Planned Parenthood's contributions were abruptly taken off the air after only two days.

MacYapper - I believe the key word there is buckled. Well, woefully is also a key word. Yes, woefully, and buckled. Indeed.

But my man Daniel really kicked ass when making the following points:

POST-GAZETTE.COM:
Regardless of the stand on abortion that some Duquesne administrators may take, the procedure is legal and a part of the available health services in our community. Further, none of Planned Parenthood's underwriting messages noted abortion. UPMC medical facilities also offer abortion services -- will their underwriting also be refused at Duquesne?

MacYapper - Oh yeah, IT IS LEGAL ISN'T IT!
And that's an excellent point about UPMC. Can you imagine WDUQ or any institution in this town turning its back on money and/or any association in general with the humungous 'Burgh dominating entity that is UPMC? Of course not.

The best thing of all? They're getting flack and it's hurting their fundraising, as my favorite radio reporter Yo Adrian McCoy reports today:

POST-GAZETTE.COM:
http://post-gazette.com/pg/07289/825687-80.stm
"It's been admittedly much lower in response than normal for a fall fund-raiser," said Scott Hanley, the station's director and general manager. "The drive started off very well. We're not too far behind where we typically would be, but we're concerned that the controversy is distracting from the fact that the station still relies on contributions."

Of more concern, he said, is that callers have expressed concerns that the station's editorial integrity is compromised. "That's not the case." He noted that the station was the first to air a news story about the rejected public service announcements. "I hope people see that as an indication of the integrity of our news operations."

MacYapper - Of course the station's editorial integrity is compromised. A blatantly political move like this one coming from your superiors at any broadcast facility is going to have, dare I use the cliche,' a "chilling effect" on the editorial process.
And sorry Scott, you don't get oints for breaking the story. Of course they want you to crow about being anti-Planned Parenthood... they're the freaking neanderthals who made the decision!

POST-GAZETTE.COM:
Hanley said that both the radio station and the journalism department at Duquesne were founded in the 1940s with "the intent to be catholic with a small 'c' -- open to ideas and to serving the whole community."

MacYapper - It's a new day Scottie. Welcome to the BIG C.

Meantime my two favorite liberals, WPTT's Lynn Cullen and Squirrel Hill's Rep. Dan Frankel are also kicking some serious DUQ ass:


POST-GAZETTE.COM:
WPTT-AM (1360) liberal talk host Lynn Cullen voiced the opinion of many who oppose the university's move on her show yesterday, and said the phone lines lit up when she brought the topic up.

"I heard from a lot of people like myself who have always supported public radio and who will no longer do so until this is remedied, or until DUQ surrenders the license to some other entity that will deal with it in a more responsible manner," Cullen said. "I feel sorry for the station. But I can no longer support them."

On Friday, state Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Squirrel Hill, called on Duquesne to reverse its decision and to respect the station's editorial independence. He stressed that he's not advocating that people withhold pledge support from the station.

Rep. Frankel said he has been getting calls and e-mails from constituents. "There is a great deal of concern out there [about] the ability of a public radio station to be independent, not only in dealing with sponsors, but also in the way it reports the news."

MacYapper - They need not be concerned. The issue is settled. There is no editorial independence at DUQ. Take back the sponsorship or get out of the public radio business.

You have your orders. That is all at this time.

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED IN POLICE-DOG-GATE?
Now that I'm on the OFF Q panel I get to reconnect with my old girlfriend Recorder Of Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, the lovely and talented Valerie McDonald Roberts.

She gave me the poop on what really went down with that poor son of a bitch Kenneth King when he was thrown in jail for allegedly taunting a police dog.

POST-GAZETTE.COM:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07284/824536-53.stm
A North Side man discovered the hard way that taunting and threatening a police officer's K-9 dog is a felony offense in Pennsylvania.

Kenneth King, 23, of 106 Sherman Ave., has been in the Allegheny County Jail since Sunday because he has been unable to come up with the $100,000 bond set by District Judge Eugene Ricciardi.

MacYapper - Here's what Valerie's sources tell her.
King was with his white girlfriend. Don't know if that triggered any particular emotions in the Pittsburgh police officer or what. I'm just sayin.'
He gets out of his car to go to the Sunoco next to the Poor Man's Giant Eagle on Cedar Avenue on the North Side, a service station frequented by MacYapper.

Suddenly the dog, inside the police car, starts barking at him. He yells at the dog, possibly in an apparent attempt to show off for his girlfriend.

Then the cop comes out of the Sunoco station and says "I'll let the dog out," to the kid. And the kid says something like "oh yeah, we'll I'll shank him," or something similar, which is a far cry from the guy actually threatening the dog directly.

Valerie says her sources describe this kid as pure as the driven snow. Sounds like we have a cop out of control here folks.

I love jumpin' Gene Ricciardi, the former councilman turned Your Honor guy.
But the judge was a bit over the top in slapping this kid with a $100,000 bond, even if he only has to come up with 10 grand to get out.

And so far as I know, the poor s.o.b. is still in the slammer.

This story smelled funny from the beginning. Coudl we get this poor slob out of jail please?

MAC-YAPPER ANNOYED ONCE AGAIN
I go to the bagle shop. I ax for an everything bagle. I ask for honey walnut cream cheese on the side. Why? Because these bagle boys either slather it on like (pick some over the top metaphor for really slathering it on), or they barely put any on.

But I ask. Clearly. On the Side. Please? Yes.
But noooooooooooooooooo.
He slathers it on like (metaphor... or is it a simile?)and then says "you said on the side?" This means, of course, he did comprehend. He just didn't listen.

The kicker for my whiny story here? It was the last everything bagle. Unless I was willing to wait. And I wasn't. So I got a sesame bagle. Not nearly as satisfying.

Now I realize it's better than being in Darfur. But why oh why does this shit constantly happen to me? Am I the only one? Are the service workers in Pittsburgh really that bad? Or is it everywhere? Let me know if you like:johnmcintire@comcast.net

MAC-YAPPER COMEDY!
The free kind baby... at the BackStage Bar on Penn Avenue next to the O'Reilly Theater, presented by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, so you know it's classy assy.
Gab Bonesso and myself are assembling the edgiest Pittsburgh comics. See yinz there.
9:30 Saturday night.

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ALSO LOOK FOR GENE COLLIER, GAB, AND MYSELF AT THE IMPROV THURSDAY NOVEMBER 1ST!
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email me at johnmcintire@comcast.net