508: A Show About Worcester

508: A Show About Worcester

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508: A Show About Worcester episodes

  • 508 #94: Journalism

    508 is a show about Worcester. This week, we talk with legendary Telegram & Gazette columnist Jim Dempsey and his WPI class about the state of Worcester journalism and whether bloggers can help.

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    Two possible inspirations for Worcester amateurs: the NYT’s Virtual Assignment Desk, Clay Shirky’s “Let a thousand flowers bloom”

    16 min
  • 508 #93: Faceplant

    508 is a show about Worcester. This week, Mike and Brendan discuss a skateboarding accident.

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    This week’s top story: US Rep. Jim McGovern skateboarded with Stephen Colbert. Mike compares his falling off the board to former Worcester Mayor Tim Murray’s disavowal of metal. (We previously tried to help Mr. Murray with his metal problem; we will make efforts to help Mr. McGovern as well.)

    Also: Happy birthday Jim!


    (screenshot by Jeff Barnard)

    Worcesterites are working towards a local green economy; the Neighborhood Network Center celebrated 10 years; Dismas House has a farm; the day after Thanksgiving is “Buy Nothing Day”; Brendan likes kids.woot.com; VegWorcester is holding a “feed-in” at the Shrewsbury Street McDonald’s on Saturday; you might listen to jazz and look at art at the Dzian Gallery Saturday night, or enjoy music and film about psychoanalysis at Clark on Saturday.

    The T&G followed Gary Rosen in using chess as an incoherent metaphor for local politics. (Do the proportions of the chess pieces imply our local pols are pawns?)


    (photo: Drew Wilson)

    Brendan explains the grand issue of local political succession. Mike’s mushrooms are finally growing. We recommend the Nicole, Worcester blog.

    The Colbert Report
    Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
    Better Know a District – California’s 12th – Jackie Speier
    www.colbertnation.com
    Colbert Report Full Episodes
    Political Humor
    U.S. Speedskating
    23 min
  • 508 #92: Bald eagle

    508 is a show about Worcester. This week Brendan Melican and Drew Wilson talk about a bald eagle.

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    Also: Buddha Hut’s vegan meatballs a top 10, Saturday is a VegWorcester buffet, Stone Soup porch burned, Rosen’s Roundtable talks taxes, and Hermis Yanis starts a podcast after his radio show is “terminated.”

    20 min
  • 508 #91: Fox Cops

    508 is a show about Worcester. This week’s panel is Kevin Ksen, Brendan Melican, and Tracy Novick.

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    We talk about the City Council election. We talk about the School Committee election. We talk about a new Worcester video site Mike’s playing with (and you should, too). We talk about a $10 million lawsuit against Worcester for an incident during the taping of the Fox TV show COPS in 2006.

    30 min
  • 508 #90: Performance Oval

    508 is a show about Worcester. This week’s panel is Gabe Rollins.

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    We talk about Gabe’s attempts to send his own survey to the City Council candidates; the “performance oval” behind City Hall; the Worcester energy barnraising; and the pros and cons of voting.

    0 min
  • 508 #89: Challengers

    508 is a show about Worcester. This week’s panel is Aria DiSalvo and Brendan Melican.

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    Aria DiSalvo tells us about the “Stop Spewing Carbon” anti-biomass incinerator campaign.

    Election molehills: Mayor Lukes’s husband has cars registered outside Worcester! Candidate O’Brien linked to his boss!

    Brendan talks about the police department’s latest feud with the newspaper. Mike talks about the Center for Nonviolent Solutions kickoff.

    As the centerpiece of the show, we come up with reasons to vote for every challenger in the upcoming election.

    Mike contrasts Worcester Magazine’s search for an “edgy” writer with their past claims to be “non-dowdy.”

    Worcesterites will be celebrating the October 24 International Day of Climate Action with a weatherization “barnraising” and tree planting.


    The clip on voting for challengers:

    30 min
  • 508 #88: First Snow

    508 is a show about Worcester. This week’s panel is Brendan Melican and Drew Wilson.

    This week, we are snowed upon.

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    Fresh injera is available at Fresh Farm Deli, 560 Lincoln St, Worcester, Massachusetts.

    Big Y is carrying conspicuous amounts of locally-sourced food.

    The McDonald’s vegan “feed-in” was popular; there’s a bike ride to a local farm sanctuary picnic this weekend.

    We revisit the idea of local bloggers filling a small part of the gap the T&G is leaving. At some point Mike will try to define numbers for this thing.

    Brendan talks about the recent City Council and School Committee debates and explains why you might want to attend one.

    Mike shares how much time and money it takes to do a weekly show on WCCA TV13–not that much!

    18 min
  • 508 #87: Feedback

    508 is a show about Worcester. This week’s panel includes Drew Wilson and Brendan Melican.

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    Brendan describes the recent city election debates. Drew talks about Worcester residents opposing cruelty to circus animals, another Buddha Hut buffet, and an upcoming event outside McDonald’s on Main Street; see also Futuristic Brunch. Annie loaned us a Worcester Bicentennial coloring book. You can reportedly get injera on Lincoln Street; we will follow up.

    Update: WCCA has posted videos of the mayoral debate

    Huge amounts of viewer feedback!

    • Sometime guest panelist Jack Stewart is looking for paid poll workers
    • Journalist Brian Goslow tells us what Worcester’s bloggers need to do if they want to do journalism
    • Joe O’Brien apologizes for spamming Mike
    • Another Joe says that “I feel podcasting can teach our [youth] members communication skills, job skills, leadership skills as well as help them to realize that someone who grows up in Main South, Great Brook Valley or Plumley Village can have a voice.” We definitely want to help any aspiring digital media creators learn the ropes.
    • Among other things, Nicole points out this complaint from “Members of the Commission on Disabilities, the Human Rights Commission and the Community Coalition on Bias and Hate” about this article in the InCity Times.
      • 30 min
    • 508 #86: More Worcester Journalism

      508 is a show about Worcester. This week, we talk about Worcester Magazine News Editor Scott Zoback leaving, what it would take to beef up accountability journalism in Worcester (inspired by a Clay Shirky lecture), and legalizing medical marijuana in Massachusetts.

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      In the coming weeks we will be interviewing Bill McCarthy and Rob Diaz. Feel free to suggest questions in the comments below.

      25 min
    • 508 #85: Grace Ross

      508 is a show about Worcester. This week, Brendan Melican and I talk with Grace Ross, candidate for District 4 City Councilor.

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      Also: Mike reads a great letter in Worcester Magazine and begins a Clay-Shirky-inspired rant he doesn’t have time to finish.

      The “85%” number suggests 2 projects I didn’t have time to mention on the show.

      1. Figure out how the number was calculated, then apply it to our local situation. I’ve measured the T&G against the Worcester blogosphere in the past. How do they compare by this measure>
      2. Figure out if there are ways Worcester’s bloggers can be one of the 17 5%s Shirky suggests we work towards. Along these lines, start guessing how many reporters are needed to cover City Hall, the police, the schools, and so on, and estimate how a nonprofit doing that job would compare in size with other local nonprofits.

        3. 508 contact info

        In the coming weeks we will be interviewing Bill McCarthy and Rob Diaz. Feel free to suggest questions in the comments below.

        Just the Ross interview:

        30 min

      About 508: A Show About Worcester

      From the publisher's feed

      A show about Worcester, Massachusetts.