Is that a shrub in your pocket...
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Seditionists Never Quit
Good Morning philosopher kings and queens, working class heroes, progressive utopians with no sense of humor, lurking conservatives.... Please come and join us at the new refuge for displaced morning seditionists. Some of the paint's still wet, and we're still trying to get everything prettied up and working right, but we hope you'll bear with us and help us build a home for progressive realists with strong senses of humor. Even if Morning Sedition is gone, we still have a lot of work to do, and a government to take back. And we damn well are gonna have a good time doing it.
Monday, November 28, 2005
It's all over....
Well, apparently the fight is over. Asshole Danny Goldberg has gotten his way, and Morning Sedition will cease to exist as of December 16th. Mark Riley will be on from 5 - 7 eastern time, and Rachel Maddow from 7 - 9. There will be no comedy, no humor to help you start your day. Just news and an incessant parade of commercials.
As for Marc, he is suposedly in negotiations for maybe a West Coast show for maybe an hour or two in the evening that maybe will get picked up on the AAR network on weekends.
Maybe.
Personally, AAR will be dead to me, in just a few short weeks.
Good night, philosopher kings and queens, working class heroes, progressive utopians with no sense of humor, lurking conservatives....
Sunday, November 27, 2005
Same as the old boss...
Congratulations to Geroge W. Bush and his administration. Iraq didn't have anything to do with 9/11, and it turned out not to have any of those nasty old WMD's, but at least we liberated all those lucky Iraqis from the torture and the rape rooms and all that (we killed quite a few in the process, but, hey, you gotta break a few eggs, right?).
Except, well, according to the Iraqi Prime Minister, Iyad Allawi, well, maybe things aren't exactly better. In fact, Allawi says human rights abuses in Iraq now are as bad, or worse, than they when Saddam Hussein was in power. Allawi says...
"...a lot of Iraqis" are being tortured or killed during interrogation."
"People are doing the same as (in) Saddam Hussein's time and worse," said Allawi, an prominent opponent of Saddam who steered the US-backed interim government in Baghdad until April this year.
"It is an appropriate comparison. People are remembering the days of Saddam. These were the precise reasons that we fought Saddam Hussein and now we are seeing the same things."
OK, but apart from the 100,000 or so dead Iraqis, and the no 9/11 link, and the lack of the WMD's, and the 2,000+ dead US soldiers, and the torture being as bad or worse than Saddam, and the blown up infrastructure, and the fact that Iraq is now (thanks to the US invasion and incredibly inept occupation) the principle base and training ground for terrorists, other than that, this whole Iraq thing really was a good idea.
Really.
Saturday, November 26, 2005
Getting Bombed
As you've no doubt read by now, a memo based on a conversation between George W. and his British puppy Tony Blair was published in the Daily Mirror that indicates dubya wanted to bomb the headquarters of the Al-Jazeera news agency in April 2004. Al-Jazeera has drawn the ire of the president, due to his inability to control them, and their insistence on a free press (much like we used to have in the US, before corporations bought them all). Al-Jazeera, you may recall, is headquartered in Doha, Qatar (not only a US ally, but a highly progressive Arab country, and one of few in the Middle East that don't actually hate us).
This would be kind of like us considering bombing the CBC headquarters in Toronto because we don't like what they've been reporting (actually, that's probably crossed dubya's mind, too). Much to Blair's credit (and thank goodness; what a mess that would've made), he apparently dissuaded Bush from carrying out the attack.
The Bush administration, of course, poo-pooed the idea as being "outlandish and inconceivable."
It's so outlandish that the British government has charged British Civil Servants David Keough and Leo O'Connor with an offense under the Official Secrets Act relating to “a damaging disclosure” by a servant of the Crown of information relating to international relations or information obtained from a state other than the United Kingdom, and Attorney General Lord Goldsmith warned newspaper editors they could face prosecution under the Act for disclosing the contents of the document.
So, even though this memo is an outlandish fabrication, it's also a state secret? Hmm.
Now Labour Party Minister Peter Kilfoyle has filed a motion calling for publication of the document.
"I would hope we can have a fair and full discussion of the very important issues that were discussed at that meeting," Kilfoyle, a former defense minister, told British Broadcasting Corp. radio.
"The information is out there in the public domain and it seems ludicrous that the media can't discuss it in its entirety," he added.
It's amazing what this country has come to.
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Get Out!
So, we all know by now that war hawk (and highly decorated Marine) John Murtha says we should get the hell out. Our recently installed purple-finger puppet government says we should get the hell out. The Iraqi people that we liberated clearly want us to get the hell out. The American people want us to get the hell out. The military has a plan to get us the hell out.
So why don't we get the hell out?
Ah, because the people who brought us WMD's, mushroom clouds, yellowcake, greeted as liberators, the whole thing will be paid for with Iraqi oil money, there won't be any insurgency, OK there's an insurgency but it's in its last throes, oh, and Terry Schaivo's gonna get up and start tap dancing any day now, because these fucking geniuses are telling us it would be a baaaad thing to get out. Because if we set a timetable for getting out, the insurgents will stop blowing us, the Iraqi's and themselves up until after we're gone. And that's a bad thing, for some reason.
Well, if these people say so, who are we to argue?
Friday, November 18, 2005
Who needs their Morning Sedition?
I compiled a list of all the unique locations where people who have so far signed the Keep Marc Maron on Morning Sedition Petition are from (in other words, I only listed, say, Portland, OR once, even even though there were multiples).
There are folks from big cities and little towns, red states, blue states, and around the world from Switzerland, S. Korea, Japan, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands...well, you get the idea.
It's at: http://www.pjsdesigns.com/blog/mmSigsLocations.asp
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Attack of the Chicken Hawks
Rep. John Murtha, senior Democrat on the House of Representatives subcommittee that oversees defense spending (and military hawk who supported the Iraq war), today called for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
"The U.S. cannot accomplish anything further in Iraq militarily. It is time to bring them home."
Murtha served in the Marines in the early 1950's, and then re-enlisted in 1966, at the age of 34, to serve in Vietnam where he earned a Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts and the Vietnamese Cross for Gallantry. When he won his House seat in a special election in February 1974 he became the first Vietnam veteran to serve in Congress.
Typically, Republicans attacked:
Dennis Hastert said Murtha and other critics "want us to wave the white flag of surrender to the terrorists of the world ... We must not cower like European nations who are now fighting terrorists on their soil."
Hastert, born in 1942, avoided the draft, and did not serve in the military.
White House spokesfuck Scott McClellan said "it is baffling that he is endorsing the policy positions of Michael Moore and the extreme liberal wing of the Democratic Party."
McClellan never served.
As for the rest of the Republicans you're likely to hear from in the upcoming days?
- Disgraced former House Majority Leader Tom Delay - avoided the draft, did not serve: "So many minority youths had volunteered ... that there was literally no room" for patriotic folks like himself.
- House Majority Whip/Acting Majority Leader Roy Blunt - did not serve.
- Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist - did not serve.
- Rick Santorum, R-PA, - did not serve.
- Former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott - avoided the draft, did not serve.
- GW Bush - decided that a six-year Nat'l Guard commitment really means four years. Still says that he's "been to war."
- VP Cheney - 5 deferments, "had other priorities than military service"
- Jeb Bush - did not serve.
- Karl Rove - avoided the draft, did not serve.
As for Murtha? He had this to say:
"I like guys who got five deferments and never been there and send people to war, and then don't like to hear suggestions about what needs to be done."
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Danny Goldberg - asshole
A staff member associated with Air America Radio (with a blog of their own) posted a little bit of an insight into Danny Goldberg and AAR. When that blog got noticed, this staffer felt compelled to remove the entry, and asked others who had seen and quoted some of this material to do the same. Apparently, besides being not too bright when it comes to radio, Goldberg isn't crazy about freedom of expression, either.
The gist of the post was that Goldberg began making changes and firing people from Air America (that everybody else liked) from day one. As we all now know, the latest Goldberg brainstorm was to get rid of Marc Maron. No doubt the plan was for Marc to just quietly disappear, the way Lizz Winstead was suddenly just gone one day (soon to be followed by the demise of Unfiltered). While I don't know Marc personally, I somehow don't see him as the type to quietly disappeari from anything. So Marc let us know - as best he could, without being yanked off the air immediately - what was going on, making things a bit more complicated for poor old Danny.
Apparently Danny-boy thinks that Air America pulls its listeners from NPR (which is news-based and supposedly "balanced," although NPR has pulled decidedly to the right in recent years, and has become - for me, anyway - unlistenable). Air America - this is for your benefit Danny, since you apparently never got that memo - was supposed to be an alternative to the massive right-wing, Konservative media machine that has taken over the broadcast media in general, and AM talk radio in particular.
Goldberg wants to take Maron (and comedy) out of the mornings to attract the NPR people to Air America for 4 hours of straight news programming.
Danny, why the fuck do you think people left NPR to listen to AAR in the first place? For straight, "balanced" news? NPR has an international news organization with public funding. AAR has an internet connection (when it's working). Don't you think if we wanted straight news programming we'd have stayed with NPR? Do you think we listen for the fucking Wendy Friesen hypnosis ads, or Ovaltine, or those insipid, inane anti-drug ads? Are you that fucking stupid and humorless?
If I want NPR, I'll listen to fucking NPR, you idiot! I don't suffer through 20 minutes of commercials per hour whilst trying to tune in a crappy AM signal because I want to listen to some NPR wannabe.
Morning Sedition has become something very special that, when it's gone, will never be duplicated (or even approached). It's informative, has biting satire, goofy humor, and a cast of characters that are committed to the progressive cause. AAR will be greatly diminished by its passing.
I understand that you don't "get" the show, Danny, but get past your own personal feelings and listen to what I know are the thousands of people who appreciate and have come to depend upon it. You don't have to "get" it. We do.
How can you possibly consider getting rid of a funny, smart (somewhat raunchy) guy like Marc, who knows how to stick it to the Bush Administration and make you laugh out loud (at 6 o'clock in the morning, for chrissakes) at the same time. People get up EARLY to listen to Morning Sediton.
Here's another tip for you, genius: Howard Stern is leaving broadcast radio in, what, a couple of months? You think Howard's audience will be looking for NPR with commercials? Fuck no; anybody who doesn't have Sirius (another genius move, by the way, but that's for another time) will be looking for humor and a little rowdiness in the AM, and Morning Sedition would be the perfect place to go. And while they're laughing, they'd get the truth about what the Bush administration is doing to this country - this world. That's right, it would be a chance to motivate - to activate - young people, to energize them politically, and to get them to the goddamn polls in '06 and '08. Wasn't that what we were trying to do here? Actually make a difference? What about that teen spirit Danny?
According to someone who knows, everyone - staff, listeners, - Air America's board of directors (except for Danny-boy), even Rachel Maddow herself knows this is an awful idea.
Let go of your ego, sign Marc - and Mark, and Jim, and Kent, Bruce, Chris, and whover else I've forgotten - to a contract that will keep them coming to work in the middle of the night for as long as they're willing to keep doing it. And then go back to your office, fire up the solitaire, and turn on Imus.
To quote Frank Zappa:
Hey! Do you know what you are? You're an asshole! An ASSHOLE!
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
France on Fire
France continues to burn in riots sparked by the impending cancellation of Morning Sedition. The unrest was first thought to have been sparked by the deaths of two youths in the run-down Paris suburb of Clichy-sous-Bois. Now, however, it seems clear that the actions of Air America Radio have pushed African and Arab communities where unemployment is rife and residents complain of racism and discrimination over the edge. One rioter was quoted as saying:
US Officials fear the carnage could be even worse throughout the United States if this thoughtless, ignorant decision actually comes to pass.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has indicated that the national security level may be raised to Orange - or High - should an official announcment be made on the fate of the show.
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Last Live Show for Morning Sedition?
Today was billed as the last live show for Morning Sedition at O'Neal's in Manahattan. Since today was my birthday, it seemed like something we ought to go to, so we did.
What a great show. As much as I enjoy listening on the radio, to see everybody together live, with the energy of a live audience was truly incredible. It's now even more amazing to me that anybody could be so fricking dense as to do away with this show, and these people. They're a truly unique bunch, making the kind of show that I don't think anyone will ever even come close to approaching. For chrissakes, take advantage of these folks for however long they're willing to get up in the middle of the night and put this stuff out there.
We left at about 11:30 last night, not knowing just how long it would take to get there, find the place, and park. As it turned out, we made great time (even had time for a half-hour nap at a rest area in New Jersey), got to O'Neal's a bit after 4:30, and found a garage across the street. We figured we'd just hang in the car for a while, but it wasn't a park yourself place, and so we found ourselves out on the very cold street with a good hour to kill. We wandered around Broadway for a bit, but the wind was whipping along pretty good, so we decided to stand outside O'Neal's. I could see Mark Riley and Goliath already in there, so I waved. Mark waved back, with a "who the hell is that" expression. Goliath cam nearer the door, ascertained that we weren't anybody, and wandered away. As my wife fiddled with her laptop looking for a Wi-Fi signal (there plenty) Mike O'Neal (the owner) came by and said hello. After a while Marc's car pulled up, and I said good morning as he headed inside. My wife said "we're the crowd," and he laughed, and said "you might be the only ones coming." Not hardly.
By the time they let us in, there were 20 or so people, with a good size crowd on hand before the show started. By the end of the show, the place was packed.
Everybody was terrific, and all the favorite characters were there: Marc the Shark, Cardinal Milfington, Lawton Smalls, Johnny K-Street. Everybody was so funny, and there was so much energy - a lot to do with the "last show" feeling that I think crowd and crew all felt, though I, at least, am quite loathe to even think it. The guest were great too, of course, but, in the end, it's all about Marc and Mark. They've taken the show so far since March '04. Again, how in the hell can AAR possibly think of killing Marc and/or the show?
Toward the end, a guy in a suit (who I later realized from watching "Left of the Dial" was Carl Ginsburg, AAR COO) accompanied by a woman came in. I took him to be some sort of mucky-muck - though reasonably liked, judging by the greeting he got from Marc. The woman he was with asked him "did you hear Kent [Jones] this morning? He made me want to cry. He did this really funny bit [Lawton Smalls] offering Marc work with the other side" (or words to that effect). She asked Carl if he had plead Marc's case (which he said he did), and asked if "Doug" had, too (my assumption is that she meant Doug Kreeger, former CEO of AAR who helped to bail the network out of the mess left over from the original mamagement). He said Doug had, too. Carl said, "it's very tough, but it's not over." So, I guess we'll see. If the phone calls and e-mails and signatures peter out, I suppose it'll be pretty much done with. I hope everybody keeps up the pressure.
Tim Robbins strolled in toward the end of the show and hung out (he waved around the "M&M Forever" sign that someone had brought in). When the show ended, O'Neal's exploded with applause as everyone jumped to their feet, and gave a standing ovation that must have lasted at least ten minutes.
My wife had to work at three this afternoon, so it was back to the car for the long ride home. We made it back at 2:20 (with a couple of wrong turns and a hell of a lot more traffic than there was at 4 AM), just in time for my wife to change into her nurse clothes and head to work. Better her than me; I'm beat. I'm running on about three hours sleep in the last 48.
But I have my "bootleg" recording and a few photos (plus an AAR/WLIB T-Shirt, which I'll piss on - maybe line the cat box with it for a couple weeks - and mail back to Danny Goldberg if Marc and Morning Sedition go away), that I hope will come to remind me not of the end of the best show that's ever been on radio, but of one of the best birthdays I've ever had, and the beginning of the next phase of Marc, Mark, and Morning Sedition.
