I listened to your show last night; its always a treat to us listeners when you fill in for Herman! We need you on the air every night! Congrats on your engagement!

On yesterday's show, there were lots of half-truths and misrepresentations about education. One caller commented on how kids are not getting the same quality of education as in the past. I graduated in 1985, and at the time, 2 maths and 2 sciences were all that were required to graduate, today 4 of each is required. Today, students must pass the High School Graduation Tests and meet other stringent criteria to earn a diploma that is recent. In my county, students have International Baccularriate and Advanced Placement classes that they can take to further their education. This did not exist where I went to school.
A caller mentioned how his school had 5 assistant principals, and was 95% hispanic. He and you both thought that was way too many, and the fat needed to be trimmed!! Under no child left behind, the documentation that is required to receive federal funding is staggering. The standardized CRCT tests have to be handled in very specific ways to avoid "irregularities." All of this red tape has to be cut by somebody. Over and over it was mentioned how Japan has a superior educaitonal system to the US. Japan also has the highest teen suicide rate. I lived in Okinawa Japan and was interested to learn that education beyond 9th grade is not mandatory, and that to attend high school, you must apply, and might not be accepted. A district will have various high schools, and like colleges, some are more prestigious than others. Students who are poor performers do not go on to high school, so they are not measured when Japan publishes their acheivement results. The facts are that US schools attract students from around the world. US universities are considered the finest in the world, and also attract students from around the world.

a couple of things - when traffic is backed up and you see people in your rearview mirror trying to used the shoulder to get ahead: simply plant your vehicle half-way in the lane and half-way in the shoulder area. no one can get by you (you can always move back into the lane for emergency traffic). secondly, handicapped parking - as another talk show host says: what medical school did you go to to determine if someone is handicapped? but i like your stance on the show today.

I heard the show this afternoon for a few minutes. The schedule says that it was you, but the voice didn't sound the same. Anyway, I heard the discussion about the changes in the country. There is a plan out there called GOOOH - Get Out of Out House - which is non-partisan and would restore true representation in the House (which controls the purse strings). It would be so interesting to hear some discussion about it on your show.
www.goooh.com

I would tell you that you def need to have Ray McBerry on your show. You'll never speak to another statesman like him again.

The good news Mr. Shackelford is that I forsee you having a long career cleaning peoples windshields.

Your comparison of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents that you shared tonight was incredibly accurate and simply amazing. Could you please post a copy? Or if you copied it from somewhere, could you please provide a source?

Mark, I'm listening to you this evening as you fill in for Herman Cain. I want you to know that I agree with you that talk show hosts (and you mentioned others) did not do enough to stop the passage of the bill. I've been saying that for months. The fact that members of Congress are exempt from the provisions of the bill volumes, yet that was barely mentioned. So much of the talk has served the purpose of overwhelming us, making us feel hopeless and helpless. Why weren't there announcements regarding the various tea parties? I heard a caller to Bortz this morning asking why there were so few people in Washington last Saturday? The reason is because many of us did not know about it. Thank you for filling in for Herman.

I thought Boortz's rant about your tweet was way off base. It really surprised and disappointed me.

Everyone all wrapped up in this health care stuff needs to take a couple deep breaths and get a grip.

Mark, you are tops in my book.

The was question was who was the first voice heard in the movie "The Green Mile" and that person had an Atlanta connection. Well, I believe Paul Edgecomb (the older one) played by Dabbs Greer had the first line, but I think the first voice heard was in Paul's dream, that of Wild Bill, played by Sam Rockwell. I know of no Atlanta connection to either actor. Please help!

Anyone? Bueller?

Hello, How about Mongo from blazing saddles

people, keep your pants on! mark's a busy man. he's working on it.

Where can I find the bucket list for Atlantans? I see several others have asked the same thing with no response. Would you please post it? Thanks!

I have been waiting for that bucket list! Where is it??

Tiger Woods portrayed himself as a family man making himself attractive to endorsements (i.e. cute family pic with new #2 baby and dogs--awwww--released by such a "private man") If he showed his true self, I'm sure many, not all, but many endorsing corporations except maybe VD pharmaceuticals wouldn't want to throw millions his way. Positioning himself as a champion of youth, he has let many down. The 25th player on the Braves bench can go home with as many bimbos as he likes.....he's not parading his family in front of my and my family's face like he's Joe Wholesome. And I'm with Tom Watson when he calls Tiger's on course behavior immature too. Mark, you can have him!

We don't all check into rehab clinics either. For many of us 12-step programs work just fine.

Dear TBC: A "decade" is a ten-year period. Where did YOU go to school? Somewhere that didn't teach how to turn the caps lock off obviously.

I heard your show a week or so ago where you (Mark) kept saying Republicans were more fiscally responsible than Democrats. Consider this: 1) all four years of budget deficits in the Carter years added together were less than any one of the Regans years. 2) The national debt quadrupled over the 12 Regan/Bush years 3) Clinton actually had budget surpluses, 4) The national debt doubled during the 8 years of "w" Bush. Next you will be claiming the media has a liberal bias when there are conservative talk shows on the airwaves 24/7 while there are almost no liberal talk shows.

The Saturday after the Earthquake, I heard a stupid remark from your amateur talk show host, Mark Arum, saying he thought Haitians lived in "huts with thatched roofs". When he said that, I posted his picture right next to Pat Robertson, Rush Limbaugh and Forrest Gump. I thought to myself that this has to be a slip of the tongue, but he kept repeating that line over and over the entire show. What an idiot I thought! I guess he also thinks that Voodoo is Haiti's national religion and Tarzan is the "King of the Jungle". It is very obvious that this guy is not only ignorant, but he is also very stupid.

Listened to you for the first time tonight. The only disappointment was when I decided to turn you off on my blackberry, you were also on my local station.

Arum, listened to your show tonight, and your take on Tiger Woods is flat out wrong. Tiger's problems are public knowledge and deserve a large degree of coverage b/c he's a public figure, but more importantly, b/c he's made millions of dollars endorsing products based on an image that turned out to be false. You can't reap the benefits of publicity on one hand, then not expect to be the target of it when it's not favorable towards you on the other. His buddy Michael Jordan should've at least imparted that bit of knowledge to Tiger.

Also, you said Tiger didn't need the sponsors and the fans. You couldn't be more wrong. He's going to need corporate and fan support. If he doesn't have that, he's not relevant. I'm not saying this is going to happen, but he's smart enough to know this, and that's why he's going to do something out of his comfort zone here in the next couple of months to win back the fans and sponsors. Just watch. If Tiger did what you said he could do, basically gave everyone the middle finger, that would not be good, for him or his wallet.

Ricardo Mantablan

Georgia person of the year 2008???? A murderer? and why have the witnesses now recanted? they should be put in jail for lying then and we'll see how quick they can change their story. While we're at it, let's make Cynthia McKinney Georgia's person of the year 2008!

I know you don't like her or think she's qualified for VP, etc.
During your show last Saturday you kicked around the idea of opening and taxing casinos here in Atlanta and how it would great for the budget.
Mark, We don't have a revenue problem. We have a spending problem and the local, state and fed politicos just can't quit their addiction of spending our tax dollars so we must make them do cold turkey.
Enter The SarrahCuda. The real solution to the problem. She sold the Alaskan state lear jet and now she's in the news for not taking or accepting a $25k pay increase as Gov. Who else in politics has done all this be it on the local, state, or fed level? Answer-NO ONE!
She's more qualified than you think because she thinks like us lowly serfs who have to live within a budget. I say Ms. Shirley Franklin could stand to learn a thing about managing a city from The SarrahCuda.
Sarah can see the black in her state budget from where she lives. Shirley just sees where she can add new taxes.
Keep up the entertaining gab and try to clear your head about Sarah, Later.

I like your segment on meeting famous people- it's a fun thing.
I have seen several famous people in Atlanta- The most famous was Tom Cruise years ago right before he made Interview with The Vampire-
One Halloween night I was at Petrus (a club located behind the Womens Club on Peachtree St.)I saw this guy wearing a cape and lion head in the club- he took it off to reveal short dyed blonde hair-he had a nice smile. I spoke to him briefly- saying something in passing like"kinda hot under that, huh?" he smiled & laughed it off-I passed by him several times in the club and he would just smile and wave. Now Mark, this is really bad- I did not realize who he was until later when his picture with the headgear on was in Creative Loafing.
I thought he was just a nice guy. I did think it was strange that people were standing away from him and his friend (who had long stringy blonde hair-Brad Pitt)I thought people were being rude because the two guys were wearing jeans and everyone else was dressed up.
This was also the night that Tupac Shakur traded gunshots with two off-duty police officers.
That's my little story-I don't barhop anymore and Atlanta has changed so much since then-Petrus is no longer there, but I have memories of the feel of the city back then-a sleepy city.

I'm not a radio caller, but if someone doesn't call this in I'll feel so ashamed...Duluth isn't quite Atlanta but it's definitely the Metro Area, and this was BAD embarrassing@

Mark
I listened to Barack Obama's entire acceptance speech last night on WSB (I no longer own a TV in my home) - I am actually a regular WSB radio night time listener. Anyway, I was glad to hear you come on afterwards - taking calls - and giving your support to our new President Elect. I said this once before, and I am saying it again , YOU ARE THE MOST FAIR AND BALANCED of all the personalities on WSB. I liked the way you stood up for Obama and rallied all of us to accept him and support him as our new President. The road he will now travel will not be an easy one and he does need our support. I did vote for him and was elated to see his victory. I think some of the comments written here against you are in poor taste by people who are rather brainless and narrow minded.

Its really a no brainer to intelligent freedom loving Americans. Be true to thine own self and put away your ego and hatred for this country all you sick, indolent liberals. you wont like what Obama does to this country, this election is not about R vs D its about freedom vs slavery. This country will enter a level of decline thats sure to make even the most passive, ignorant, quisling freedom hating, America hating liberal do a double take. The Liberals forget that they could not run their mouths and spew their hatred for this country if it was not for the brave soldiers who fought in ww1 and ww2 so you liberals could show the world how degenerate and perverse you all are.
not to mention completely out of touch you marxists liberals you. Obama will not win, there are enough good men and women still remaining in this country that will stop the communist takeover of America. GOD BLESS AMERICA.

Spoken like a another liberal, Obama kool-aid drinker!!

I did not hear you question D-obama's experience?? Where is the outrage for his actions.
Its funny how in the 60's these hippies fought against "the Man" but now fight to be "the Man"
Please stick to traffic

I heard some of your show 10/20/08 and I must admit I was very disappointed in you. Your comments were very childish sounding and you did not sound as intelligent as Sean Hannity and Neal Boortz at all. There you were talking about Palin's intelligence (or lack of). I thought....here is a grown man (what's your age? about 35-40?) doing commercials on the radio talking about his "girlfriend" and a dog named Bosco. PLEASE, that sounds very immature..kinda wussy. And you have the nerve to call Sarah Palin unintelligent in a whiney little kindergarten school yard bully voice then hang up on people who don't agree with you! Doesn't feel very good to be told you're not very intelligent does it?

Please get rid of this guy! I'm sure he can get a job at MSNBC or Air America. I could go on and on about his mind blowing comments based on liberal talking points...but instead I'll just change the channel. Anyone who talks out of "both sides of his mouth," does not have any strong convictions, and therefore lost me at "hello." What a waste of radio space.

I turned on the radio last night (10/21/08) expecting to hear the intelligent and insightful Herman Cain and instead heard your strange ideas of what would make Governor Palin qualified for VP. I couldn't believe that you would actually say that it would have to go back to her parents and their education. After listening to you make strange and unfounded analysis like this, I changed the channel. I hope to find Herman Cain back in his spot for the next show.

Obviously Mark Arum is trying to provoke people to call in when he makes these ridiculous statements about Sarah Palin's intelligence (and her parents' lack of adequate intelligence) as reasons why she is not prepared to be running on McCain's ticket. He is a sorry replacement for Herman Cain who is the complete polar opposite when it comes to informative talk radio. I changed the channel tonight because it was a waste of time listening to him.

Why the need for all that you cant see....gots so much to say and he's saying...ah t'aint the stuff for him.

Arum is JUST AS relevent as The 1966 San Francisco 'Trips Festival'....ad nauseum....so what else is new?

Try Letterman, Kimmel, Conan...your services are VERY welcomed der.....Entertain me......

I just wanted to finish my comments on the evening of 10/20 when you were filling in for Herman Cain, Mark.
I appreciate what you're saying, but while you're right, a President does need to be intelligent, he or she needs even more to surround themselves with people who are even more knowledgable. The success of Ronald Reagan's first term certainly can be attributed to him, but also to his advisors, who then went on to OTHER key roles in his second term.
Regardless of what Senator Obama says about his plans for talks with nations that hate us, he has not once proven that he can be trusted. His record does not show that he believes in what the founding fathers believed in - a free country. He certainly does not support the second amendment, and his running mate does not either. The first amendment would become an issue, and your job could even be threatened by the Fairness Doctrine which would sail through without a Republican to stop it. Do you want to give these 2 men the power to create a socialist United States during their reign? Think of it - 4 years of Obama/Biden. 4 years to wreck a nation. I don't know how old you are, but it took a considerable amount of time to get over Jimmy Carter's term. Trust me on the burden he placed on Americans. Surely you wouldn't be able to bear that.
As a Jew, I suggest you contemplate Sen. Obama's questionable attitude on Jerusalem. Check out the Republican Jewish Coalition's (RJC)website, and in particular the fact sheets:
http://www.rjchq.org/Newsroom/newsdetail.aspx?id=86d88740-11ca-4e15-bd4d-f9e3b5651109
In fact, Herman Cain will be speaking at the RJC at the Atlanta Republican Headquarters on Sunday morning. You should join him. My husband and I even pay for your breakfast!

When is WSB going to give you a weekly show? You are a welcome addition to WSB and we want to hear more of you!

Are you single? Love your show! Do a book signing or something so that we can meet.

Mark
I listened to your entire broadcast after the final Presidental debate last night, 10/15. I find you to be one of the most FAIR and HONEST of all of the wsb personalities. You are quick witted, lively, intelligent and have a pleasant radio voice. Your broadcast kept me up listening until the wee hours of the morning. You know how to handle the more "weird"callers without being rude. KUDOS ! I think we should hear more of you. YOU'VE GOT MY VOTE !!

Mark,

Normally I don't respond to anything I hear on the radio, as I don't really believe my comments will be heard, but I've decided to make an acception.
First, I am a registered Republican who actually considers himself a conservative, not that this should make any difference in answering your question.
While I would agree that Sarah Palin may not be the most highly-educated person of the current group of presidential job applicants, I do not believe she is not intelligent. Furthermore,those so-called highly intelligent people that you say you want running our country and making those tough decisions, have, so far, not proved themselves very capable, be they Republican or Democrat. Mr. Obama, as well educated as he is, cannot speak intelligently in public without a teleprompter. Education does not necessarily make a person intelligent.
Also, just so you don't think I am just a Republican who is aggravated with your comments, look at our Supreme Court justices. Whether they are conservative or liberal, they are so far removed from mainstream America that they, many times, make decisions without any clue as to how it will affect the so-called "average American". (I also do not approve of the Supreme Court making the law of the land, but that is another argument).
Certainly Ronald Reagan's acting abilities (or lack thereof) did not qualify him to be President, yet many believe him to be one of our best. I'm not sure, but I do not think advanced political science is a requirement in acting school.
So, I believe that maybe we need someone in that position who can relate to the "average American", someone who thinks more like us, and does not look down his/her nose at us. I, for one, am sick of lifelong politicians who long ago forgot the people who elected them to office, and no longer live in the real world.
It appears that you are not willing to have a "trainee" in the Vice Presidential seat, but seem to have no problem with one as President.

After the second presidential debate Mr Arum took a call from someone who mentioned that it was important for any president of the united states to acknowledge, God, The Flag and the national anthem which are all very important to free market capitalist Americans as well as the majority of the christian population of America. Mr Arum made is biased views clear that this country,God and the flag should not be of consideration when determining the next president of the USA. I dont think that it is the place for Mr. Arum to issue this type of biased view although it is clear that Mr. Arum has socialist leanings and prefers that the Government change his diaper for him. Dont be a bolshevik Mr Arum, I personally dont want to hear your communist leanings, you are in the wrong country for that. Sure its a free country you may argue but your perceived socialist leanings are to the contrairy.

Mark,
I don't usually listen to talk radio during the day but I was suprised at how much attention I paid to your show this past Saturday. I didn't agree with you at all times though.

Sarah Palin is not just an average American. She is an above average American. This however, does NOT make her qualified to be Vice President of the United States. It definitely doesn't make her qualified to sit in the seat that could potentially lead her to the Presidency pending McCain cannot serve anymore.

I'm glad that there is someone like you on the radio in Atlanta. Not everyone out there is sitting far to the right with no ability to think independantly. We appreciate you. Keep up the good work.

Mark, I had never heard your show until last Saturday and I am surprised by your comments claiming to know how "stupid" Sarah Palin really is and offering to put $50,000 to put her IQ against Obama's.

You then backed off a bit by saying that stupid may be much but then went on to say that she lacks intelligence.

You must be a genius, the woman has given four interviews, a few speeches and one debate and you were able to gauge her intellect, and maybe we are witnessing the coming of Mark Arum, the Einstein of the 21st century.

Sean Hannity, we will agree was an easy interview based on his conservative views. Couric is a communist and has no credibility, Charlie is well left of center and played gotcha with her, I am sure your mother would have performed better than Palin with him as you suggested on your show.

Obama did receive his education at very elite universities and I am sure he must be a smart man but to put the woman down because she did not go to Columbia or Harvard?

You claim to be an independent and maybe you are, I won’t judge you because I don’t know you, you should attempt to do the same because it is a very rewarding trait.

I also heard you call Reagan stupid, which did not surprise me after listening to you for two minutes. Maybe you did not like him but I am sure you would admit that he is regarded as one of the great presidents of the United States. Reagan was popular because he had many great policies not because he had stupid policies.

I noticed that you got plenty of passionate responses to your “stupid” comments. Keep up the bad work, maybe some day you can grow up to be like Neal Boortz.

One time Listener, lasted almost five minutes.

Alex

Yo main, you think Obama is bright, yet he sat in a church for 20 years and didn't know what say being said. He praised his father with a book, while tossing Grandma under the bus, cause she might have been afraid of black people. Jesse Jackson said he was also afraid when walking down the street being followed by a group of black kids. He's associations are totally overlooked ACORN, Flager, Ayers, Resco, Wright, frank Rains, Joe Johnson... If you had that many questionable associations I wonder about your intelligence too.

As for Sarah, straight talk -- looks you straight in the eyes and speaks plainly. Obama doesn't know that small business's don't pay capital gains -- Biden says 95% of small businesses don't make more than $250K -- pure BS.. look up the definition of a small business and you'll those can go as large as 1000 employees... If they aren't making $250K they're a dumb as the DemoCRACKhead ticket.
I could do this all day, and you're talking about Sarah purely from a gut feeling. If our representatives truly represented the people, instead of their favorite groups, there'd be a lot more who looked like Sarah and we'd be better off. C. Dodd, C. schumer, B Frank, and B. Obama all received large political donations from Fannie and Freddie -- Why would Fannie and Freddie be making political donations, they're a quasi governmental agency? And why are their hearings about this money elected officials to help them be elected again... They should be kicked out of Congress and the people on the right who are taking money should be gone with them... GO SARAH... If nothing else, she's better for Israel that is Obama, but you probably work harder to downplaying Israel than you do Sarah....

I will chime in at this point since I am professionally qualified to administer IQ tests.

IQ is determined through a process of evaluating how a person exhibits judgement, comprehension, and reasoning.

There are also many characteristics evident that are commonly displayed by a person with a higher IQ.

Sarah Palin has shown that her expressive language is highly developed and that she has many traits of being, “highly gifted,” in the area of emotional judgement.

Sarah Palin is basically a very intelligent person, and is without a doubt, within the 9th stanine range of intellectual functioning.

Sarah Palin’s list of accomplishments, in her various roles as an executive, are a result of being able to sort out important factors and then being able to use sound judgement to successfully solve problems.

Her ability to deal with stressful situations has been significantly superior to the characteristics that Barack Obama has exhibited under similar stressful situations.

Obama has shown weaknesses in decision making and the use of even, “adequate,” judgement. He is constantly saying that he used poor judgement here or didn’t use good judgement there. If we take Obama at his word, he is telling us indirectly that he just isn’t up to the task of being our President.

Palin is fine, and just needs to increase her knowledge base regarding foreign policy/affairs.

Meanwhile, Obama is the REAL problem!

So Mark...
"Stupidity," is in the eye of the beholder, but intelligence can be measured and evaluated!

So, you're opinion about Sarah Palin's intellect is ___________.
A. Stupid
B. Really Stupid
C. Extremely Stupid
D. All of the above

If you need help answer this, perhaps you can ask Neal or Sean to help you.

Mark, I caught your bit about Sara Palin's eduacation background and qualifications today on WSB. If you can recall, our past two presidents, have degrees from Yale and Harvard and look at the mess that our country is in.

I heard you for the first time and you turned me off with your comment about Sarah Palin that she is mentally limited and that she is just an average american... Why didn't you say than, that Obama and Biden are the same and that there are no exceptionally unlimited mentally to fit the role of president? Because Obama is no better than Sarah and he runs for president, not vp. And you forget that some presidents were previously governors. Biden doesn't prove that he is smarter. Your remark was so very unfair!

Sarah Palin is smarter, more high achieving, and better looking than you, and you just can't stand it. No governor in the U.S. is an "average" American. You, my dear, are a VERY average man.

ITS EASY MARK SARAH IS NOT A COMMUNIST NOR A SOCIALIST. END OF STORY! DON'T WORRY YOUR TOO OLD TO WORRY ABOUT YOUR PROFESSOR DROPPING YOUR GRADE ANY MORE.

Pumpkin,

Please finish your sentence.
A d-bag that still has not received any supporting data to answer the direct question that was ignored in a typical spineless manner.

You just made my point in four brief paragraphs!
Thanks for listening.

Mark,
Props to you for "telling it like it is", in regards to how the partisan, kool-aid drinkers on the far right & the far left, need to be overruled by the more open-minded, independent-thinking majority!

I'm a fairly liberal, but staunchly independent voter, who feels the left & the Democratic Party "left me".
Of course the right & hardcore GOP never had me, but I certainly do have views & positions that would be labeled as "conservative", simply because I believe they make sense, not because they follow some party platform!

Keep on standing up for honest, intelligent dialogue, & a coming together on what best serves our nation, not our party....

Mark,

Enjoy your show on Saturday nights. It makes my 75 mile commute home suck just a little less.

Where did you get your information about the olymics swimmer's comments about Obama and the bald eagle...

Thanks to you and WSB for the tribute show. The world has lost a great guy and a consumate professional. Wether it was the Crackers, Hawks, Braves or another TBS assignment he was great. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife and family and to all of his extended radio family.

I cannot tell you how much I am enjoying this show tonight, even though I am somewhat ignorant of sports and was only an occasional Braves listener. What a great man he was, and what a great thing you are doing for him...and us! Thank you, Mark.

HISTORY OF THE WORLD PART 1