Holy shit I hate Emily Harris. I stopped giving OPB money when they put her on the air. I know that's wrong, but I can't abide her. I almost wrote a scathing letter, and I don't write letters.

They let you turn the station dial on the radio now, I heard.

"think out loud" is 10x better than "world have your say" and "talk of the nation" can be good. "the world" usually has some good programming. It's not totally difficult to get on the radio, so maybe you (Logan) should make it better. Go volunteer at OPB.

And yes, after briefly looking at your writing for the merc, you are a snob, or at least someone who writes only about things you dislike.

Re: Suz

You stopped giving them money without letting them know why? Why not at least tell them your complaint so they have a chance to respond to their listeners' preferences?

3x post FTW

btw, Science Friday on Talk of the Nation is one of the most valuable programs I've heard on the air. If any of the presidential candidates had listened to the energy solutions discussed practically every week on that show, we would have a much better chance of actually attaining energy independence in the next ten years.

I like Talk of the Nation (depending on the topic), but the other two are just a bunch of shrieking jackasses and knobends. I was really disappointed when OPB took off Performance Today and replaced it with that dreck.

For the record I am a member and do volunteer at OPB.

I HATE "World Have Your Say". I change the channel when it comes on. My co-worker used to make me listen to it but I finally convinced him that the basic premise of the show was cheap (propose a topic of conversation guaranteed to be incredibly controversial, bring in a couple polarized "experts", listen to people get progressively pissed off).

"Think out loud", I never hear because i'm not awake & functional at that hour. "Talk of the Nation" is hit or miss.

Talk of the Nation is fine, but I totally agree about Think Out loud and ESPECIALLY World Have Your Say. In fact, I emailed OPB about how much I disliked it about 6 months ago.

Their response:
"World Have Your Say has an extremely loyal and interested audience here in Oregon. In fact, more people from Oregon participate in the program than from any other city in the world! It is part of our effort to provide varied perspectives and styles that range from great local programs like Think Out Loud to important international perspectives."

I think we're stuck with it.

TOL would not be so bad if they had a different host. Or if Emily Harris would at least stop stuttering so much. Sweet freaking LORD that drives me crazy.

Talk Out Loud and World Have Your Say are just regular run-of-the-mill awful.

If you want really truly next level bad, it's those two cackling fucktards on Car Talk.

They are in my nightmares.

"Eager coeds" is a pretty anachronistic stereotype. It's still sexist, though. I feel like at some point you learned that you couldn't write "dumb bitches" because people "just didn't understand"; instead you substitute this code you found in your cool uncle's old copies of National Lampoon. Whatever the motivation, it's lazy writing that's completely out of touch with our modern world.

what would you rather hear? KZME is accepting program submissions now! Check http://kzme.fm/ and make the airwaves what you want.

world have your say is the worst...it is a call in show with thick accents and bad connections...

chad from bfnowhereastan...you are breaking up...and even if you weren't i wouldn't know what the eff you were saying anyways.

@tarnation is mean. For all we know, Logan could have gone to Radcliffe in 1963.

Think Out Loud is pretty good readio. Whoever said it's 10x better than world have your say is right.

I don't really care what other people have to say anymore so, meh.

Emily Harris can't speak. TOL is below second-rate and makes me hate that I live in OR. Bring back Robin from Boston for the 9:00 slot!

I can't believe that people aren't thrilled about talk of the nation! It's one of the best news shows and Neil Conan is a dream host with intelligently phrased questions and the skills to grease any conversation. World have your say is just terrible. I'd rather take a bath with Rose O'Donnel. Think Out Loud is a little amateur, but I like it fine.

I like "TotN" and can live with "WHYS" because it's so damned odd. But "TOL" is shite. Shite. And -- did I mention -- shite?

Think Out Loud drives me crazy. It bums me out that they dropped Performance Today for that dreck. I mean, 90% of the callers on Talk of the Nation are from Portland -- why do we need a local call-in show? Erck. And World Have Your Say is awful. Just awful. If we have to listen to a call-in show, can it just be one please?

I did give my annual donation and told OPB that 9am-10am and 9pm-10pm are the only time I turn OPB off! I can't listen to TOL and I have tried because the 9-10 time slots are my commute time - both ways. Just be happy you aren't me.

From about day 3 of the debut of Think out Loud, I started calling it Stink Out Loud. I think my head will explode if I hear the phrase "Let's bring so-and-so into the conversation" anymore. Or "start the conversation..." Since many things go in cycles, I'm truly hoping we are nearing the end of this fascination with talk "masturbation of my thoughts" radio.

Hey Logan,

I was at my desk at 10am sharp this morning, eagerly awaiting your arrival to record "Shut The Fuck Up"—the Mercury's new version of Think Out Loud.

Don't tell me you had second thoughts on this marvelous idea?!

I agree completely with the Mercury writer and am so glad you've spoken up. When OPB replaced WGBH's intelligent, professional, world-class interview (not call-in) show "Here and Now" with TOL, it was a huge let down. TOL is amateurish and, at best, boring. It sounds like a college show where they fill airtime with ideas like "what do you think of the new cafeteria menu, students?"

Glad you brought this up. No real opinion on Think Out Loud, and I actually like Talk of the Nation (at least when the topic interests me, sometimes it's a little dull), but World Have Your Say is cheap, manipulative, full of loaded questions from the hosts, and just plain annoying to listen to. It's Jerry Springer on BBC.

I have been suffering in silent eye rolling since I first heard Emily Harris! I guess I thought it was so obvious was a mistake that it couldn't last long. Much as KBOO has my moral support, I don't listen because it's just so unrefined, uninteresting, and amateurish. Imagine my disappointment when my morning radio time was hijacked by someone who makes KBOO sound far superior; the someone is Emily Harris. I teach high school and can think of many students, even freshmen, who are more articulate, informed, and genuine than she. I can tell the difference whenever she is reading scripted notes (because they at least make sense and convey info) and speaking from her head (lots of uh's, quick stuttering, and meaningless pandering to guests). For 20 years we've given generously to OBP, last year we even donated a car. I will boycott all fundraisers until they regain dignity by replacing her.

Logan, Yes, I you are a huge snob. You make a huge assumption when you say that a professor or someone who is older than you has something more valuable to contribute than I do.

Wow...I'm so relieved to hear that I'm not the only one that gets a daily dose of irritation every morning during TOL! I actually think the topics could be relevant and interesting most of the time, but the facilitation often leaves me frustrated and underwhelmed. I can often detect irritation from the guests, too, when Emily is inarticulate and redundant!

SOLUTION 1: Let David Miller take over. He's fabulous.
SOLUTION 2: Emily- stop repeating your questions 6 times, and incorrectly paraphrasing what the guests and callers say. They are all intelligent and made their points more clear enough the first time. Less is More.

I agree with the TOL solutions above. Every time David Miller fills in for Emily Harris I think, "Oh, thank gawd! They've finally replaced her!" But no. She keeps....coming...back. Despite her inane, awkward and frankly ignorant hosting style. I think the show serves a valuable purpose by highlighting local issues that a national call-in show, even one dominated by Portlanders, would never touch. Anyone thought of a letter writing campaign to OPB calling for her resignation/shit-canation? A FB group?

It is refreshing to read what others say about Emily Harris....and not in a positive light.
How tortuous it was to watch her play 'hostile host' during last evenings debate between Dem candidates Bradbury and Kitzhaber (05/04/10). What is it with her, and her condescending/Dick Chaney snarly look. And what's up with David Miller....constantly giving her a glance to make sure it's ok for him to speak or he'll get the hostile look of Emily Harris. Get her off that show!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I found solice in this blog seeing that there are others out there who also really reallly don't like Think Out Loud! I thought I was the only one. Her uuuuhhhhhhh qua qua qua qua stuttering is soo grating, like scraping your knuckles across a cheese grater. Her idiot questions like on that one episode about public art "why do we need art?" are like from a third grader. What's worse is that I get it coming and going--it's on when I get ready for work and also on my commute home. Double torture. I've been listening to it despite hating it, in a eye rolling way. I too have dropped OBP from my charity list. At least they got rid of World Have your Say. aaaaahhhh.

I will never give money to OPB until they take Emily Harris off the air. She is HORRIBLE. She makes me yell at my radio more than Rush Limbaugh and Lars Larsen combined.