2-10-15 Great Guests for Your Show

1. James Hirsen: Plagiarism Claim over Sam Smith's Grammy Winning Song is Settled

2. Bill Tatro: You Gotta Love the BLS and the BEA

3. Dave Bego: Reprise - Beware the Ambush

4. John LeBoutillier: This Week on Political Insiders

5. Michelle Seiler-Tucker: The Grammys - An Expensive Show for Show

6. Joe Messina: Do You Know What You Stand For?

Plagiarism Claim over Sam Smith's Grammy Winning Song is Settled

By James Hirsen

At the recent Grammy Awards ceremony, British soul singer Sam Smith snagged some major attention by taking home four Grammys, which included awards for Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Album. His biggest hit, "Stay With Me," was in contention for both Song of the Year and Record of the Year and took both trophies. However, the tune was also the subject of a news story that involved a fellow musical artist, who this year was up for a Grammy as well, the famed producer-singer-songwriter Tom Petty. Many inside and outside of the industry had noticed Smith's song bore an eerie resemblance to Petty's signature 1989 hit, "I Won't Back Down." Lawyers ultimately weighed in on what in fact turned out to be a music copyright infringement claim, or as the press were labeling it, "song plagiarism." [more...]

You Gotta Love the BLS and the BEA

By Bill Tatro

In the '70s inflation was so high that incomes were being eroded on a daily basis.  In addition to wage and price controls, initiated in 1971 and later removed due to no positive effect and dramatic increases in interest rates, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) decided to redirect people's attentions.  No longer would inflation measurement contain the dreaded food and energy, both of which were running rampant.  Everything else would be included and it all would be designated core inflation.  If we weren't told the truth at least we would feel better as we sunk into the inflationary abyss. In 2013, the National Bureau of Economic Research (BEA), concerned that so-called recovery was not on track, decided to revise the figures to "include new measures and data to better capture the U.S. economy."  The BEA Director said that the revisions were to keep the GDP "up to date and relevant."  Miraculously, thanks to recalculating R&D, entertainment and promises made for pensions, our GDP rates increased by some 10%. [more...]

Reprise - Beware the Ambush

By Dave Bego

The following is a previously published blog in which I encouraged the Republican Party to take action against the Rogue NLRB and its "Ambush Election" rule making, stating: "It is Time for Republicans to Go on the Offensive, expose this President’s Divide and Conquer agenda and The Taking of American Freedoms." I am happy to report that they listened to this advice. [more...]

This Week on Political Insiders

By John LeBoutillier

On this week's POLITICAL INSIDERS, we discussed the change in the war against ISIS and the new leadership role of Jordan's King Abdullah, the 2016 GOP presidential race, and the overall decay of America's political class. Watch our shows here: Sunday Part 1, Part 2, Part 3. [more...]

The Grammys - An Expensive Show for Show

By Michelle Seiler-Tucker

Music is a very big business, but does an artist who has a Grammy really make them worthy of going down in history? Unlike many other music awards, the Grammys recognizes artistic and technical achievements rather than sales success; but looking back at history, there have been times that amazing artists slipped through the cracks. Take for instance the fact that both Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley never won a Grammy. There are times in history that suggest the Grammys is mostly for show. Nevertheless, the show is more popular in the U.S. than the news! [more...]

Do You Know What You Stand For?

By Joe Messina

Getting ready for one of my faith radio segments, I read that a private Catholic school was suspending, and trying to fire, a professor for a blog post he had written. He called attention to a class where the substitute teacher told a student they couldn’t discuss gay marriage because it fostered homophobic feelings. Seriously? First, it is a private college, so I guess they can dictate what is acceptable to speak about and what isn’t. But, don’t people go to college to foster open, honest, intellectual discussion? Or is it now a place to foster politically correct conversation only? [more...]