RadioCarla

When I first moved to the Cincinnati area in 1998, there was a small local barbecue chain called Burbank's.  It was named after a local radio personality who had ties with the company somehow. Having just moved here from western Tennessee, all I really cared about was that they served Memphis style barbecue and that their corn bread was the some of the best I've ever had.

Now, in 2009, the "chain" is down to one location, Gary Burbank retired from radio and they changed the recipe for their corn bread.  But, have no fear!  I have a recipe for a knock-off version of the original Burbank's Sweet Corn Bread. Yeah, it uses mixes, but it tastes just like the original version.

Sweet Corn Bread

3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 box Jiffy yellow cake mix

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, beat together the milk and eggs. Add the mixes and stir by hand. Pour batter into greased 9x13 inch pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Enjoy!

Nothing like waiting until the last minute... But here they are!

Carolina @ Atlanta*
Minnesota* @ Detroit
Cincinnati* @ Green Bay
Houston* @ Tennessee
Oakland* @ Kansas City
New England @ NY Jets*
New Orleans* @ Philadelphia
St. Louis @ Washington*
Arizona* @ Jacksonville
Seattle @ San Francisco*
Tampa Bay @ Buffalo*
Pittsburgh @ Chicago*
Baltimore* @ San Diego
Cleveland @ Denver*
NY Giants* @ Dallas

Monday Night: Indianapolis @ Miami
Combined Score for Monday Night Football = 38

One of the joys of staying downtown for Oktoberfest Zinzinnati weekend is walking around Friday night watching large crews of people transforming 4th Street into the miniature city that will be Oktoberfest for the weekend. One big difference is that you are going to notice all of these signs. Besides having two beer platz this year (Fountain Square and Government Plaza), there seems to be a Sam Adams beer truck every half block. Not that I'm complaining, mind you!  It's certainly much better than seeing a Bud Light truck every 100 yards.

Part of Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, recorded on September 18, 2009 in Fountain Square, downtown Cincinnati, OH. George Wendt (Norm from "Cheers) was the official starter for the races.

The Oktoberfest Zinzinnati weiner dog races, that is!

Michelle finds a friend.

Homer waves "hello."

In 1974, when I was in the 6th grade, then President Ford came to tiny Melvin, Illinois to give a speech in honor of Les Arends, member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 40 years. The only place that could host the President's speech was the Ford County Fairgrounds grandstand that usually was the location for fair queen pageants and demolition derbies.

Somewhere in a shoebox, I have a very blurry photo of President Ford's limo entering the fairgrounds. Even though it was a week day, the schools in the county were closed so we could go hear the president speak and honor Les Arends. And even though Ford County (and much of downstate Illinois) is very Republican, this was a time in US history when we were recovering from the Watergate scandal and President Nixon's resignation.

Ford had just pardoned Nixon. And Les Arends had defended Nixon all through the Watergate investigations and beyond. Voters were wondering about the actions of both Ford and Arends.

And yet, my sixth grade teacher urged us to go see the President speak that day. I remember her saying, "Even if you don't agree with his views or actions, you should go see him. He is still our President after all."

When President Obama wants to speak to the school children of this country about working hard and staying in school, the far right acts like he's going to give a recruitment speech for Communist party. Parents plan to keep their kids home from school. Many schools are deciding not to even show the speech. We now live in a country where ministers are telling their congregations to pray for Obama's death.

So what happened to the "He is still our President after all" concept? Well, I can tell you one thing that happened. We became the country where whoever shouts longest and loudest wins. And where did that come from? Talk radio.

Believe me, I know from whence I speak. I produced and sometimes co-hosted a call-in talk radio show in Terre Haute, Indiana in the late 1980s. After that, I began doing research on talk radio for my graduate work. The early 1990s is when the shift in talk radio began to really start. It was when Rush Limbaugh and others began to take hold. And Howard Stern added to the on-air yelling.

This was also the time when Clear Channel began to emerge. The FCC rules used to be that any one company could only own one AM, one FM and one television station in any one market. This insured multiple voices and points of view on the air waves. The loss of this rule and the closely related Fairness Doctrine meant the loss of multiple voices and points of view.

The loudest and longest yelling few are now dictating the actions of the many in this country. It's time for the many to politely speak up and firmly say to the yellers, "He is still our President after all."