Talk show host: "I drove drunk. I was arrested"

If admitting to being stupid takes tons of courage, David Karlsruher is a walking lead weight. The likable but frequently half-cocked and rant-prone KQBU (AM 920) talk show host, who calls himself DavidK on the radio, sent out a message on his blog refusethejuice.com Tuesday: "No need to blackmail me - I admit I was arrested for DUI." The infraction apparently took place some months back. Soberly, Karlsruher wrote on his blog, "I drove drunk. I was arrested. It's the dumbest thing I've ever done that's fit to print. I'm sorry I put all of you in danger." For the record, I happen to like young Karlsruher's spirit and admire his chutzpa. But like others, I wonder why he waited for someone else to bring up his motorizing misdeed before admitting to it. I don't particularly care to make a big deal out of Karlsruher's massive indiscretion. However, I must point out that any notable person in the community who gets popped for something as intolerable as drunk driving can't expect to escape the resulting public scorn and ridicule - especially when it involves a guy who goes on the radio every day and moralizes against such things. No need to martyr yourself, Dave. Just take it like a man.

Name Game

It's an issue that would never see the light of day in El Paso, but it's developed into a full-blown media   debate in Dallas. WFAA-TV (ABC Ch.8) news anchorwoman Cynthia Izaguirre is fending off criticism from viewers who object to the way she pronounces her name. Izaguirre, who is of Ecuadorean ancestry, takes pride in the appropriate rolling of the two r's in her name. However, many viewers in her largely conservative TV market would prefer she anglicize her name by softening the "r" sound. "Some people said it felt I was throwing my name in their face," Izaguirre told the Dallas Morning News. By the way, you can see Izaguirre in El Paso on Texas Cable News (TXCN) on Time Warner Cable Ch. 18. As far as I  know, no Hispanic TV news person in El Paso has ever been criticized for the way they pronounce their name. Frankly, I think it matters little to viewers in El Paso if someone like  KTSM-TV's Oralia Ortega rolls it - or not.

Comments

[maryp]

Mr. Ortega: regarding DavidK - his arrest (no conviction) was in 2001. It was not "months" ago as you reported. It's amazing to me that you are critical that DavidK didn't tell this story earlier - unlike the Times that puts on the front page the DUI's of basketball coaches, car dealers, TV anchors and Sun Bowl Team coaches - some people keep matters private until such time as they are threatened with blackmail. I assume he simply did this to take the "wind out of the sails" of someone who wanted to embarrass him. Otherwise - it's not a story.

[Brad Kanus]

Yeah - I was arrested in 2001 and admitted that no less than three times on the air on KHRO when talking about the terrible crime of drinking and driving.

I decided to post it less than 24 hours after the first message was sent to me threatening me through an intermediary. It was posted less than hour after a second threat from a second intermediary was delivered to me. It's always been public record and I declined to have it expunged off of my record because I do not every want to forget about what I did and how serious it was.

"especially when it involves a guy who goes on the radio every day and moralizes against such things."

that's a funny statement given that I readily admit that I'm a very heavy drinker on days ending in Y and support the legalization of drugs.

Listen to the show sometime - you might find a different me.

[M.A.D.D]

"I readily admit that I'm a very heavy drinker on days ending in Y"

Unrepentant jerk.

[maryp]

to M.A.D.D. (if you really are) - if you ever followed DavidK's radio humor and blog humor and NPT humor you would understand his comment about heavy drinking on days ending in "Y" - he loves to express himself in a "tongue in cheek" manner. I can understand the MADD organization would not think it's funny. Do you really think he was serious with that comment? Don't you think he did it to get just the reaction he got from you? Don't give him what he wants - ignore him.

[Old Joe]

2001? Eight years ago? And this is news?

[Roy Ortega]

Editor's note: Joe, the fact that the incident happened in 2001 is beside the point. Karlsruher himself wrote about it on Tuesday in response to what he says was a blackmail threat. That's what prompted me to comment on his remarks. Again, I don't particularly care about Karlsruher's past or present behavior. However, his admission to being arrested for drunk driving regardless of when it happened leaves him wide open to public scrutiny. I did not out him - he outed himself. The public will either praise him or scorn him for that. --Roy Ortega

[fromthesatcenter]

so he was arrested for dui. what happened after that? was he convicted of anything? did he do any community service? has it happened since?

and big deal that he admits to drinking heavily. most people have some behavior that they engage in behind closed doors that would cause them embarrassment if it came to light. the only difference is dk tells us about his. i'm not condoning his actions, just wondering why everyone is shocked, shocked! to find out that people are fools and make foolish decisions sometimes. thank goodness WE'RE not one of those people!

[THE Newsguy]

Actually in El Paso you find people being criticized for NOT pronouncing their Spanish names correctly, quite the reverse.

[Jaadam]

I agree with THE Newsguy.. I am constantly criticized for not pronouncing my last name correctly. If I had the spanish tongue, I would, but I don't.. so get over it!

[Rufus]

I moved here from Canada and have had to Americanize my anglo name, not by softening it but by emphasizing the syllables. (Think I-Ran and A-rabs). I am even corrected when I say my name the proper way - "Oh, you mean...."

[citizenxyz]

i think davidk may be in trouble over at npt.
his blog has been pulled. he and his boyfriend strelz have broken up.

[appalled]

i was appalled that on channel 9 tonight at six during the officer arrested story, monique griego referred to the victim as the suspect's estranged wife (i believe something like "this just in" preceeded the identification). are there no standards anymore? do journalists just not give a shit? since when do they identify sexual assault victims (alleged or not)? i thought this was totally classless and horrifying. everyone who looked over that script and didn't bother to change it should be fired. there's your next promo "newschannel 9: we're too busy making fun of the competition to give a damn about journalistic integrity."

[NC9 Watcher]

On a much lighter note, Oralia Ortega looks super beautiful on HD!!!

[The Optimist]

I think we should follow 92.3's example of "Tell me something good..." more often...

[Mike]

Geez. Now he's claiming to be the victim of a blackmail attempt? First it was eggs on his car (something that's happened AT RANDOM to me many times), now someone is threatening to "out" him for a measly DWI?

This David K guy is a real piece of egotistical paranoid work, man. Next thing you know he'll be talking about being 'gang stalked'. No kidding, such a think exists.

Finally, if he wasn't convicted or rather, had the charge 'dropped' via a pre-trial diversion program, he CAN'T have it expunged. That's part of the pre-trial diversion deal.

[Richard]

"The Dog Whisperer" is one of my favorite shows. It's just great. But it bothers me that the host César Millán goes by "seezer milán"

[Nunya]

I've never heard someone botch their own name as badly as Israel Balderas over on KFOX. I find it odd how anglicized he pronounces his name... its actually a bit offensive.

[M o n r o y]

Israel Balderas... Have you heard Marissa Monroy over at KVIA she's bad!!!!! she seems to forget that her last name is spanish/mexican not american like she pronounces it

[-Setting the record straight]

Dear M o n r o y,
Are you a lost relative that is angry at the way Marissa pronounces her last name? I am going to tell you "the rest of the story" in memory of Paul Harvey. I've know Marissa and her family since before she was a twinkle in her dad's eye (God rest his soul.) When Marissa went to Jeff/Silva she pronounced her last name with a Mexican slant unlike her dad who said it as she does now. Go figure, he went to "La Jeff" for high school. Maybe his teachers encouraged him to do this (back then, there was a lot of anti-speaking Spanish.) Her dad passed away shortly before she started her career. Maybe she is honoring him by saying her last name as he did. And now my friend, you know "the rest of the story." God Bless Paul Harvey and his family.

[Mike]

LOL. I love hearing Hispanics argue about how they should pronounce their names. Wouldn't it be funny if blacks chided each other for not speaking in a Kenyan accent, or whites used Irish accents?

You people that are mentally trapped in "the borderland" and so self important as to criticize the way someone pronounces their own name are just pathetic and funny.

[Real Lawyer]

Who cares how Ball-DER-us prounounces his name, the man's a lazy moron.

[monroy2]

Dear setting the record straight,

what does he went to "la jeff" FOR highschool mean? shouldnt it be TO highschool?????? now the question is did YOU go to school know-it-all?

[HISPANIC]

To the hater (mike),
well if you people from ireland don't care about your heritage enough to pronounce your name correctly don't have a cow if others-hispanics- do take a little pride in their last name.

[last name]

dear record setter,

you say that teachers probably encouraged her father to pronounce his last name this way so even you the person that claims she knows the story isn't even sure! also, the teachers told her father not marissa. We don't live in the past it's okay these days to be hispanic. repeat after me
m o n r o y

[Gary Clarke]

Come on folks! Just let people pronounce their names however they please. It is, after all, their name.
We are living in a truly global community. Many Hispanics in this country are 3rd or 4th generation and don't speak Spanish well, or even at all. For this reason, they may not pronounce their names traditionally. This does not make them bad people, or it doesn't mean they hate their heritage. It is just the reality of life for them. It's not fair to be critical of their choice.
Many people working in TV don't use their real names anyway. The great Mr. Gary Warner was not really Mr. Warner. He Americanized his very German last name. That was his decision, and he was one of finest El Paso journalists ever. Ms. Cynthia Yzaguirre chose not to change hers. Good for her. I hope she does not listen to the critics. Marissa...don't listen to the critics either. You seem like a nice person, and that is what really matters. There is nothing wrong with Monroy or Balderas, no matter how you say it!