Meet Maxie... or NOT?

There is evident in this clip—taken from the close of the open session of the 4 October PNB Meeting—sharp division as to the newly appointed Executive Director, Maxie C. Jackson III.

Listen, if you care to, and learn…

⭅⭅⭅🔻⭆⭆⭆

My 2¢ Not a good start for this new guy—Steinberg really needs to be shown the door. —Chris

New Pacifica ED

Constellation of Arachnid Spies:

Hasty Initial Analysis and Report,

Subject to Revision and Correction.

Subject: Maxie C Jackson III, Human

This particular human appears to the Constellation of Arachnid Spies, as evaluated by relevant colloquy, to be at first sight a low-level low-achievement media management drone of some sort, with little distinction.

We hasten to add, to repeat, that this is a first overview, based on limited information and within time constraints.

He describes himself, professionally, as a ‘Change Agent, Innovator, and Multifarious Content Creator’ in the Washington DC Metro Area.

We have no idea what this means, actually.

The arachnid colloquy is unable to assign any actual meaning to this self-description, but assumes it’s typical human organizational buzz-nonsense.

It’s also, the colloquy feels, impossible to evaluate, which the colloquy feels is quite possibly a deliberate feature.

A valued feature.

His stated educational background consists of a BA from Morehouse and an MA from MSU, both in ‘Mass Communications’ and ‘Telecommunications’ with ‘Management’ as appendments. Note: This is not an MBA or equivalent in any way. These are gut courses and gut degrees, in both human and archnid terms.

Nor are these Harvard, the Sloan School, Wharton, Stanford, etc etc.

Not even close.

No academic distinction is stated or claimed.

His presently available CV clearly favors massive gobbledygook and meaningless buzzwords of the customary and expected sort, with no indication of actual significant or meaningful accomplishment, nor of significant awards, which are generally given freely in media.

At present he may be self-unemployed with MaxWorx Media – this is unclear as is the actual character of his previous positions in that positions are identified but actual claims of accomplishment and advancement reflecting accomplishment, ordinarily customary if not pro forma, appear to be absent.

The arachnid colloquy briefly considered the possibility of his having actual achievements, accomplishments, awards and the like, but preferring to conceal them from a sense of modesty or a need for secrecy… but this seems unlikely.

The colloquy has limited ability to make sense of CV’s of this sort, as they include very few bits of actual information as opposed to various bits of puffery and time-gaps here and there.

This particular human’s focus appears to be on racial considerations in broadcast.

This, for example, is his description of his present focus:

Public Media Consultant specializing in analysis, innovation and cultivation. Actively engaged in providing solutions to public media challenges relative to diversity, inclusion and the opportunity in serving emerging demographics. Producer of Dreams for NYC Inspired by MLK live event at the Apollo Theater. Provides strategic consulting services for MAG Advisors Group/VME Television (spanish language public television service), WMNF (Tampa Bay, FL community radio station), WJSU (Jackson, MS African American public radio station), WVAS (Montgomery, AL African American public radio station), and Next Tier Solutions (public media diversity initiative - New Vision New Voices).

The Arachnid Colloquy, in summary, while aware of this particular present human fixation is understandably able to offer only limited insight.

None, pretty much.

It does appear, however, to be in conformity with Pacifica ‘Values’ with respect to an emphasis on aspects of official ‘minority’ status.

Perhaps, therefore, for Pacifica, an ideal candidate.

Of particular note, the colloquy feels, there is no claim or any evidence of turnaround ability.

Nor of the ability to draw forth function from profound strife and dysfunction.

Nor of creative brilliance as to programming.

The colloquy wondered if there might be some evidence of miraculous previously secret or otherwise invisible qualifications…?

We should note that when this first report was first presented to Indigo Pirate, Spider Friend, he appeared to be less than impressed.

We share his perception and judgement,

Sincerely,

Wolf Spider

WBAI LSB Head Quits

This was posted Wednesday, October 3, 2018. No explanation.

Does anybody know why Bob Young made such an abrupt departure?

Caught in PNB Web

Fifteen human months are thought to have passed since the designation, appointment, and delegation of relevant responsibilities to the Pacifica National Board’s Programming Committee. In that time no actions appear to have been taken. Nor to have taken place. Indeed, until very recently no meetings took place.

The most recent meeting appears to have consisted of various bits and pieces of nothing much and something-even-less-than-that, viz:

A passing thought appeared to float by to the effect that an Executive Director had been selected but that this ‘selection’ would not be ‘official’ until completion of a background check – it would seem that Pacifica prefers to make its selections and decisions absent such information with respect to the ‘final pool’ of candidates. The spider-observer colloquy is unable to fathom any rational explanation for this Pacifica ‘procedure’.

The hope was expressed that this ‘official’ selection might be completed within days.

A survey seems to be continued to be pondered, contemplated, and lazily discussed from time to time, such survey to be presented to station program directors (in those cases where program directors exist) and enquire, basically, as to whatsup and howyadoin and whaddayathink – from which survey results the Programming Committee appears to feel it can better inform itself and further consider possible mandated changes to be discussed at an undetermined date (though it should be noted that ‘mandated’ changes very nearly nevernevernever actually happen, Pacifica seemingly having an organizationally-defined definition of the word ‘mandate’, which appears to translate as ‘unenforceable suggestion or non-mandate’ or something of that sort, so far as any outside observers are able to determine).

As to these and other Pacifica ‘procedures’, one of the members observed ‘This is Democracy!’ The spider colloquy believes that this is some sort of sacred secular term largely absent actual definition.

The earnest hope was expressed that by proceeding with great speed and maximum effort it might be possible to hold meaningful discussion and debate as to suggested ‘mandates’ some time before the end of the human calendar year or early in the next calendar year. Some doubted this rapid a rate of development, but it appeared to be an earnest hope.

Indeed, hope, earnest and otherwise, seemed to be something of a leitmotif if not in fact a dominant theme.

This, in turn, with intermittent outbursts of pointless dysfunctional strife, appears to be a common pattern in all things Pacifica.

There followed discussion and debate as to hoped-for Pacifica National American National Midterm Elections Coverage. This would, it was hoped, present publicity and fund-raising opportunities. It was felt to be important to specifically mandate semi-quotas for ‘minority’ human representation in the presentation of Pacifica’s Coverage.

It was unclear as to how Pacifica hoped to compete with innumerable more capable organizations in providing this coverage, but it appeared to be deemed important by members of the Programming Committee.

There then followed a lengthy discussion-debate as to the question of Underwriting. So far as the spider-observer colloquy was able to determine, this constituted a discussion-debate which had been carried out since at least the mid-seventh decade of the human nineteen hundreds larger-scale time-rendering notation.

There appears to have been no evolution of progress with respect to this discussion-debate, the usual pro-forma heartfelt arguments being presented, eg, We’re progressives! Not capitalists! We need the money! It’s not so bad! We can have Committees & Rule to Approve Things! We’re progressives! Not capitalists! We won’t be corrupted! We won’t be corrupted!

etc ad tedium ad absurdum

The colloquy is largely unable to parse these arguments.

The Constellation of Arachnid Spies therefore presents this information as best derived to the estimable inestimable Indigo Pirate, Spider Friend,

Sincerely,

Wolf Spider

ps: You owe us one.

DUMB - all caps

He may have been a good bus driver, but Michael Haskins is a total idiot when it comes to radio. This morning, WBAI kicked off its umpteenth lengthy fund drive for 2018 and you will find it difficult to believe what Haskins did. 

There is a link below—it speaks for itself, as it were, and all I added was the music. I don't know whose idea it was to interrupt Democracy Now! with a commercial for the city's most embarrassing, dishonorable radio station, but just as Amy Goodman asked a guest a question on Kavanaugh, the subject du jour, idiot Haskins breaks in with an ill-advised, poorly pitched commercial for WBAI, the station he so endlessly declares commercial free.

There were six minutes of DN! left to go, but Haskins—who loves to hear himself stumble of the English language—broke in and asked listeners to forgive the unforgivable.

It was a totally gratuitous, extraordinary demonstration of cluelessness and an insult to the listeners, who—given Amy's popularity—surely number more that Haskins' regular dozen.  

Whether this was Haskins' own decision or one dictated by the equally clueless Berthold Reimers, the move was one of inexplicable idiocy, that does not bode well for a fund drive scheduled to run into November.

It also again raises the question of why Pacifica hasn't stepped in to decontaminate WBAI. Yes, they have put Linda Perry in charge of programming and she has made some improvements, but was this her idea? Did any reasonable person at the station protest? 

Haskins spoke of loving the calls coming in, but were they mindless contributions or justified complaints?

Listen to this excerpt.