Radio Books

This is a very good book on UMTS concepts. Although the title emphasizes air interface techniques, this book pay attention both on UTRAN and core network as well. There is good enough detail on core network also. There are many good diagrams which help to understand. This book is rich in mathematics and covers theory also in some details. It is not for pure academic studies but perhaps this book could be more suitable for engineers rather than managers and marketing people. There are good books in the market on UMTS explaining how it works (Kaaranen and Korhonen). But if you were an engineer and if you wanted to know why it works that way and what is behind it then perhaps this book is the most suitable one for you. Warmly recommended.

I bought this as a gift for my Grandmother. She said it was a blast from the past and wants to give it as gifts to her friends.

There are so few analog AM stereo stations broadcasting these days, however the technology does exist! This book describes the four competing systems in use in the mid-1980's. It also covers MTS television stereo. Very informative from Meduci.

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"If men could learn from history, what lessons it might teach us! But passion and party blind our eyes, and the light which experience gives us is a lantern on the stern, which shines only on the waves behind us!" --Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Many people use the word "propaganda" in a blatantly pejorative sense. For those utterly convinced they know the Truth, any counter argument is by definition wrong and therefore nothing but propaganda. It reminds me of an old World War II film in which a GI is shocked to hear that the Germans consider him "the enemy." After all, he reasoned, he was one of the Good Guys.

Nevertheless, from the moment that news of Pearl Harbor came over the airwaves back on December 7, 1941, we were the Good Guys, those "Nazis" and those "Japs" were the Bad Guys; and the propaganda machines got rolling to reinforce that message in every possible way.

For those who did not experience those days--and (alas) those years that followed December 7--one only has to think back to last September 11 to imagine how our United States reacted to the news over the radio and later in the papers and even later still at the movies where they could actually see the results of the "day that will live in infamy." But history has this funny trick of repeating itself; and for a marvelous example of that fact, it would be a very good thing to get a copy of "America at War" from Radio Spirits.

Here we have 20 tapes (there is also a CD version)of original broadcasts spanning the decade from12-7-41 to 4-4-49 that were designed to keep our hope up during the conflict and give us a positive view of things after it.

In the past, the sets from Radio Spirits that contain 20 tapes have given us 60 hours in all with 1.5 hours on each tape. There has also always been included a wonderfully prepared booklet with lots of illustrations and background information. Therefore I was a little surprised when "America at War" arrived with only an hour on each of the 20 tapes and no booklet at all. However, a few moments' consideration (and an e-mail inquiry to the publicity person) made things clear. The events of September 11 prompted the company to compile and release as soon as was possible this collection of shows related to World War II--and the message therein bears a frightful resemblance to what we are being told at present. Back then, however, there was a lot more poetry, purple prose, and (in short) style.

Among the many shows offered in this set are 7 Lux Radio Theatre dramatizations of then current war films: "Wake Island," "The War Against Mrs. Hadley," "The Navy Comes Through," "Air Force," "So Proudly We Hail," "Salute to the Marines," and "Pride of the Marines." There are 2 from the "Cavalcade of America" series, 4 from "Command Performance," and some miscellaneous dramatic presentations, two of which benefit greatly by the commanding voice of Orson Welles. From the great pool of "team" shows, there is only a "Fibber McGee and Molly" and a "Vic and Sade."

Some of the shows go a little too far for modern tastes in their highly poetic passages and idealized "typical" bits of Americana, no matter how sincere they might have been. Only in the opening "Gulf Screen Guild Theatre" episode and in one other is there even a hint that not everything is absolutely perfect in our country. However, it is the essential message is that our way was still the best in the world, mostly because of the great diversity of our population. I recommend you play tape 11, "New York: a Tapestry for Radio" as your first selection as a great example of what great cities were like (or people wished they were like) before the rage for hyphenated identifications began.

The last side of the 20th tape gives us the most important broadcasts of all: Roosevelt's "Day of Infamy," John W. Vandercook's "Announcing VE Day," "Churchill's "Blood, Tears," on-the-spot reactions to VE Day in New York and Los Angeles, "Bob Trout's "WWII is Over," and MacArthur's "Japanese Surrender." There isn't a social studies teacher in this country that could not use this tape alone for a fantastic unit about life in those times.

The cover carries a warning that "the content of these programs reflects certain racial and ethnic stereotypes that were prevalent during that era." I winced when a character playing a motorcyclist in one of the shows said that he passed "a Jap" and maybe he should have run him over! But that kind of moronic thinking has been repeated quite recently by those who are mindlessly advocating "killing the whole bunch of them," meaning members of a certain religion. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

I hope the Radio Spirits people do eventually come up with a booklet for this one; but do not wait until then. You need this set now, especially in the schools.

"American Eagle" is a gripping political thriller by Bidwell Moore. The novel presents a fascinating account of the fierce campaigning that takes place in the time preceding the U.S. presidential elections. Candidly portraying the dirt and grime of politics, Bidwell writes of power hungry politicians and money-wielding businessmen who play the deadly game of politics to suit their own ends.
Congressman Bedford Jones seizes the opportunity of his lifetime and becomes the Democratic candidate for the presidency. He is a seasoned politician who endorses the liberal ideology of the Democratic Party. He is very confident that he will win, but he makes one big mistake when he undermines his opponent. His rival Jeff Morgan is an independent candidate who gained popularity as the host of the talk show, "American Eagle." In his show, he highlighted important issues that affect the common folk. With his background of supporting regular people, Morgan rises to prominence; and people overwhelmingly back him and his conservative and revolutionary ideas. In an attempt to preserve his idea of the distinct American identity, Morgan supports an all male army, racial segregation in prisons, and anti-immigration laws among other things. This starkly contrasts the Democratic Party tradition of supporting a multi-racial, multi-cultural, pluralistic society.
Will the experienced Congressman win without much ado, or is his entire political career under threat from a novice? This riveting novel meticulously presents the intense campaigns of both the candidates who have a lot at stake in the elections. As the campaign fever rises, both camps are willing to go to any lengths including using money, sex, lies and spies to secure a victory.
Will Jeff Morgan or Bedford Jones prevail? Who will become the most powerful man in the world? This political novel is absorbing and full of suspense from start to finish.

It's quite hard to teach American students about fascism, which they seem to initially misconstrue as either political anti-Semitism or as a variety of Communism. This video documentary about Father Charles Coughlin and other American fascists and proto-fascists in the United States in the 1920s and 30s beautifully demonstrates, with lots of evidence, that there is a whole lot more to it than that -- that it is even harder for a communist to be a fascist in the "low, dishonest decade" of the 30s than it is for a Jew (or a black) to be one. And, on the whole, easier for a Catholic.

We don't want to hear it. No wonder demand for this video is too low to warrant re-release. But please, PBS, bring "The Radio Priest" back into circulation. We will find it especially useful during the 2008 election season rollout of pastoral endorsements of candidates for president by the Reverends Wright, Hagee, and Pat Robertson.

-WRE

This is a fabulous and compelling study of the complex relation between technology and modern religious faith. The book crosses multiple disciplines including media studies, religious studies, and sociology. If you are interested in understanding the development of American Protestantism in the 20th century this book is for you. It is well written and suitable for undergraduates, graduate students, and the general reader. Probably the best book on American religion that I have read.

GREAT SERVICE, EXCELLENT PRODUCT.

Leroy Rollins

The poems in this book brilliantly connect imagism with subjectivity, nature with memory and emotion, the tangible with the intangible. They are richly imaginative, multi-layered, warm, intelligent and deeply perceptive. They are not to be read just once, but meditated upon until various meanings shape themselves. They are also musical and structurally concise. I believe that Mr. Hoeppner's poetry is some of the best that I have ever read. My favorite poem in this collection is "East Dakota."