Always great to welcome back Martin Solomon, the man behind the outstanding local blog Solomonia.
Martin does a great job covering Israeli-US politics, antisemitism and Islamic radicalism. Given the talk of Democracy in Egypt, and the rather stunning Pew Research polling of Egyptian citizens, nobody really know what the future holds. Last week's events were certainly transformational, we just don't know in which direction it will go.
The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 6-9pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
Bruce McQuain from Blackfive joined us once again for Someone You Should Know, our weekly tribute to the troops. Bruce spent 28 years in the U.S. Army and he is a veteran of the Vietnam war. He brings a perspective and understanding to these stories that we could never match.
This week Bruce told us about Army Sgt. Donald Ralph Walters. From the AP,
A year after he was buried, the Army honored Sgt. Donald Walters on Monday with the Silver Star for the actions in Iraq that cost him his life. Walters, 33, formerly of Kansas City, Mo., received the commendation posthumously during a ceremony at Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery, where he is buried. Walters was a member of the 507th Maintenance Company from Fort Bliss, Texas, that was ambushed in southern Iraq on March 23, 2003.
Lt. Gen. William S. Wallace, who served in Iraq as the commanding general of the Army’s V Corps, presented the Silver Star to Walters’ widow, Stacie, and his mother, Arlene Walters, who has sought a better accounting of her son’s death to reflect his actions. In the ambush, which occurred just days after the start of the war, 11 soldiers were killed and six captured, including Pfc. Jessica Lynch, who was initially credited with putting up a fierce fight during the battle. Lynch has said she did not fire a shot during the ambush. Lynch was later rescued from an Iraqi hospital.
“The exact events during the ambush in Nasariyah will never be completely known but to God and by those who perished in the struggle,†Wallace said.
Walters, of Salem, Ore., had initially been awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. Autopsy reports indicate he died of gunshot and two stab wounds to the abdomen. Wallace said Walters displayed a courage that reflected his gallantry to serve his country and fellow soldiers caught in the ambush.
His mother and U.S. Rep. Darlene Hooley, D-Ore., have sought an Army investigation to correct earlier reports that credited Lynch with holding off Iraqi troops. Walters, a veteran of the 1991 Persian Gulf War, is also survived by three daughters.
The Someone You Should Know radio collaboration began as an extension of Matt Burden’s series at Blackfive. Bruce does an incredible job with the series every week. The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 6-9pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
Matt Lewis of Politics Daily is one of my favorite journalists covering politics in Washington. I invited him back on the show because he was among the first, on the day of the shooting, to call out those on the left who were using the tragedy to score, or attempt to score, cheap political points.
Here is our discussion on the shooting and the attempts of the "professional left", to steal a phrase from press secretary Gibbs, to make this about politics.
The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 6-9pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
Bruce McQuain from Blackfive joined us once again for Someone You Should Know, our weekly tribute to the troops. Bruce spent 28 years in the U.S. Army and he is a veteran of the Vietnam war. He brings a perspective and understanding to these stories that we could never match.
This week Bruce told us about Army 1st Lt. David R. Bernstein. From his Silver Star citation,
…while on patrol in Qutash, Iraq, during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. First Lieutenant Bernstein, under extreme enemy fire, risked his life in an effort to rescue one of his soldiers. Although suffering from a mortar wound, First Lieutenant Bernstein extracted the driver to safety, directed the security of his objective, and repulsed the enemy forces before succumbing to his wounds. First Lieutenant Bernstein’s actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflect distinct credit upon himself, the 4th Infantry Division, Combined Joint Task Force SEVEN, and the United States Army.
The Someone You Should Know radio collaboration began as an extension of Matt Burden’s series at Blackfive. Bruce does an incredible job with the series every week. The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 6-9pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
A secret Gift is one of the best best books I have ever read. Written by Ted Gup, currently the chair of the journalism department at Emerson College, and before that, an award winning investigative journalist who learned the ropes from none other than Bob Woodward.
So what is this Secret Gift? From the LA Times review,
On Dec. 18, 1933, an ad appeared in the Canton, Ohio, paper offering financial aid for 50 to 75 families to help them have “a merry and joyous Christmas.” The benefactor asked simply that the applicants write of their “true circumstances” and, when the letters arrived, felt compelled to help twice as many. Before Santa arrived, $5 checks from B. Virdot, as the paper noted, a pseudonym,reached 150 people. Virdot’s identity remained a secret for 75 years, until his grandson, Ted Gup, opened a suitcase to discover a bankbook and the cache of letters.
They could hardly have landed in better hands. Gup, a former Washington Post reporter who now chairs the journalism department at Emerson College in Boston, dived into public records to trace what happened to the recipients of his grandfather’s generosity-and to their children and grandchildren. When he could, he interviewed the families connected to those long-ago, modest gifts. In telling their stories, the book becomes a portrait of endurance and recovery, as well as of a community in the throes of the Great Depression.
It was a honor to have a journalist of Ted’s caliber on our little Sunday evening show. I hope to have him back again to talk about the future of journalism real soon.
The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 6-9pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
We’ve had the honor of speaking with Michael Yon many times from the front lines of Iraq and Afghanistan these past five years. Last night, we caught up with Michael while he is in Thailand, recharging his batteries before returning to the front lines of the war in Afghanistan early next year.
I checked the archives because I recalled a rather grim assessment of Afghanistan Michael gave us. That was back in August 2006. I wondered if after all these years, and lives, how he felt about the situation today. Michael was exceedingly cautious, but he did say that under the command of U.S. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus things are starting to improve. What’s not improving is the Afghan’s ability to govern themselves, starting at the top with President Karzai.
Michael is a truly independent journalist, supported by his readers. Please support his work by checking out his amazing website.
The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 6-9pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
Well, Producer Rob hit another home run with his suggestion that we do a fun topic, a segment on Favorite War Movies. When it comes to movies, Producer Rob has a Rain Man quality about him. The guy knows movies, what can I say? This was a ton of fun, we had full lines for the entire hour. We even took a call from a listener in Mongolia! I now have a long list of movies to watch in the coming weeks!
The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
On Boston’s Talk Station WRKO since 2005, Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to the radio every Sunday evening from 6-9pm on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.