The only difference I can see is that the Jews, Catholics, gypsies, gays, etc., were rounded up and killed in the days of the Nazis, and in this case, we are rounding up American citizens, Muslims, and "al Qaida" members, probably torturing and killing them, but we don't know exactly for sure what the hell they are doing, in some sort of Final Solution to prevent terrorism in the United States. They have gone completely mad.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Our CIA: Acting like Nazis?
The only difference I can see is that the Jews, Catholics, gypsies, gays, etc., were rounded up and killed in the days of the Nazis, and in this case, we are rounding up American citizens, Muslims, and "al Qaida" members, probably torturing and killing them, but we don't know exactly for sure what the hell they are doing, in some sort of Final Solution to prevent terrorism in the United States. They have gone completely mad.
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Noise Chart for December
Reporting stations: WAAF, WFNX, WMBR, WMFO, WTCC, WZBC
1. Campaign for Real Time – Let it Rise
2. Christians & Lions – More Songs For Dreamsleepers And The Very Awake
3. Tanya Donelly – This Hungry Life
4. Fluttr Effect – Marking Time
5. Ho-Ag – The Word from Pluto
6. Pernice Brothers – Live a Little
7. The Snowleopards – “Hipmatize Me”
8. Bentmen – Mark of the Astro-Zombies
9. Atlantics – Atlantics
10. Cul De Sac – ecim
11. The Kamikaze Hearts –
12. Fancy Trash – Three Cheers for the Cheated
13. L.E.O. – Alpacas Orgling
14. The Vital Might – Obsidian
15. Andrea Gillis – Want Another?
16. Paul Angelosanto – Jihad CafĂ©
17. Bang Camaro – “Push Push”
18. Dear Leader – All I Ever Wanted Was Tonight
19. Lenny & The Piss Poor Boys – “Cambridgeport Saloon”
20. Melt – Melt EP
21. Corin Ashley – Songs from the Brill Bedroom
22.
23. Over the Edge – Tales from the Blacktop
24. Black Helicopter – Invisible Jet
25. Apple Betty – Let’s Play
26. The Motion Sick – Her Brilliant Fifteen
27. The Daily Pravda – She’s So Mature EP
28. Feathers – Feathers
29. Gene Dante & The Future Starlets – Gene Dante & The Future Starlets
30. Cassavetes – “On Our Own”
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Catching up on things, Part 2
Headlines
Well, here are some headlines I've found pretty interesting in the last few days. And, my Wall Street Journal finally started its subscription after almost two months waiting for the damn thing! I have the interactive site working. But I prefer to read the newspaper in my hands and not online, even if that is the wave of the future.
First, Sen. John Sununu and Sen. John Kerry may be in a little bind in the next year: ["Approval Rankings for all 100 Senators]. Look at those approval ratings. Yikes! And both are up for reelection in 2008.
Kerry is probably safe but you can see how he might not be. There is uncertainty there. Look at previous polling numbers from the state, like in 2003 when Howard Dean polled higher than Kerry twice before the 2004 primary cycle. Also, Kerry did have at least one tight race, against then-Gov. Bill Weld in 1996, with a Conservative Party candidate shaving off some support.
You could see a multi-level scenario where Kerry might have a problem getting reelected: 1) A well-funded, union-supported Democratic challenger could give him a run for his money in a primary and beat the daylights out of him; and 2) Some combination of a well-financed, popular liberal Republican was on the ballot with a well-financed and aggressive Green-Rainbow Party candidate, in the wake of the primary battle.
OK, "a well-financed Green-Rainbow candidate" is an oxymoron. But Grace Ross became very popular at the end of gubernatorial race in 2006 and both Dr. Jill Stein and James O'Keefe scored impressive numbers, granted, running against Democrats who didn't have any GOP challengers. Again, it would be a really long-shot for this to come together but you never know. In addition, I don't know if a primary challenge to Kerry would even get on the ballot since there is a 15 percent delegate threshold. It would depend on how early the candidate started and whether or not that candidate could firm up the support.
As we've seen, Kerry's support is fickle at best. He is aloof, out-of-touch, and hasn't passed any significant legislation in his years in the Senate. Although, he always manages to pull it off in the end and there is something to be said for that.
Sununu is a different story especially in the wake of the results of the mid-term elections where no one expected Carol Shea Porter to do anything in District 1 and she cleaned Rep. Jeb Bradley's clock. Again, a well-financed, aggressive, and popular Democrat would have to be on the ballot to challenge Sununu, whose name is a legacy in some ways in this state. Although with the dynamic trends of population shifts in New Hampshire, who knows whether that all matters any more.
Gov. John Lynch has already ruled himself out of that one. There have been some rumors that former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen might end her job at Harvard's JFK School and try again. But that 2002 race was a bloodbath and Dems can't use that GOTV phone-jamming scandal as a reason why they lost that one. They lost it because Shaheen was suffocating her own base - like claiming to be for higher defense spending on radio spots which aired on Seacoast radio stations. Who thought of that one?
Second, Sen Russ Feingold has decided not to run for president: ["Feingold rules out 2008 run for president"]. This is terribly disappointing. Sen. Feingold was the only senator to vote against the Patriot Act. He was one of the only ones considering a run who voted against invading Iraq. It isn't good enough to say some of the things that Sen. John Kerry and Sen. Hillary Clinton have been saying to cover their asses on their invasion votes or their Patriot Act votes. I'm sorry. If the regular folks of America knew that these votes were unConstitutional and unneeded, then they did too and just ignored the facts.
Next, daddy Bush gets shellacked by Arabs in what he thought was going to be a soft crowd: ["Pop rocked by criticism of W, U.S.A. "]. I'm surprised that guy didn't get his tongue cut out! Oh, that's right, we don't run the world ... yet.
The Boston Phoenix recently turned 40 and put together this Web site in celebration of the milestone: ["40th"]. There are some pretty cool articles in there, which, obviously, I never got a chance to see because I only started reading the paper in the early 1980s.
Have sex on a plane? You're a terrorist!: ["Mid-flight sexual play lands US couple afoul of anti-terrorism law"]. Obviously, they were being stupid. But come on. Does Homeland Security really have to be called for a bit of nookie?
More stupid stuff from that hack Robert Rubin: ["Rubin's Tax Gambit"]. When will the Clintonistas learn? When will they go away? The government doesn't need more money - it needs to spend what it has more wisely. And, if it does need more money, then it needs to get it by ending corporate welfare, subsidies, and giveaways and stop taking money from us working stiffs.
Rehash, rehash, rehash. Do we really wonder why the music industry is in such dire straits? Could it be rehashing the same old thing every year?: ["An Oldies Christmas"]. I am, though, intrigued by the Beatles compilation especially since they have been using pieces from one song, and splicing and mixing them into another. Interesting, indeed.
I meant to post this months ago but spaced. When I was looking for other folks who had been banned from the Daily Kos site, I found this blog entry from another person who was also participating in the site during its early days: ["Payola at DailyKos?"].
Here is another old post which has been sitting the saved bin for awhile: ["Media ownership study ordered destroyed"]. While this is a couple of months old, it points out a number of problems with the commissioners currently running the FCC. And, in the wake of the Clear Channel sell-off in Northern New England and the problems over at Nassau Broadcasting, one has to wonder why anyone would try to squelch this stuff.
The impending change in the Senate and Congress, however, should make things a tad better - or, at least not any worse. Although, I don't know, since it was Clinton and the Republicans who got the Telecom Bill passed in the first place which created this mess. Before the election, I started working on a post about the need for the reinstitution of the Fairness Doctrine, which I never finished. I hope to finish it soon though.
Another old post I've been meaning to put up is this one: ["Longtime Rock Critic, Christgau, axed at 'Village Voice' in Latest Layoffs"]. This is sad. When I lived in NYC and later, when I moved to Boston, I would pick up the Voice religiously just to read the guy's reviews. After reading this piece, I did a Google on "I f*cked Christgau with my AIDS-inflicted dick," which was the name of a song put out by Sonic Youth - or some other downtown art band of the early 1980s, I'm getting so old - which was put together after the band received a bad review from the guy. Imagine being immortalized like that! Christgau has his own site here: ["Robert Christgau"].
Probably the most powerful political ad of the 2006 election cycle: ["Body Armor"].
Can she get sworn in first?
I can't believe the 2008 Congressional elections are already starting: ["Shea-Porter: Republicans are already campaigning"]. And Bradley, what the heck is he thinking? He gets swamped and he actually thinks he has a second chance? Unless Shea Porter really, really screws up, he doesn't stand a chance, especially in a presidential election year with New Hampshire shifting and becoming a slightly more liberal state with each year. And I don't think being concerned about Katrina victims is going to cost her the Congressional seat. We are all still concerned about Katrina victims and we should be.
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Thankful
I'm thankful for life, in general. I'm thankful that I have my health and family, and that they are healthy and safe. I'm thankful that I'm gainfully employed and that I have a great, loose network of friends and acquaintances. I'm thankful that I have more than I will ever need and that I'm not that worried about the future, despite dark times. I'm thankful for the seasons changing, for the natural resources we take for granted as human beings, and for things that make you feel like you are alive.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Catching up on things, Part 1
Press releases
One of the neat things about working in the news business is the press release. In some ways, press releases are a nag; the people who send them, usually paid press relation reps., can be difficult. Some, can be very cool. But the information you get in a press release - barring political ones, which can often be biased or manipulated - are pretty interesting. If you don't have a ton of time, and you get your news from briefs, there is a good chance it came from a press release. In addition, press releases can serve as a good source of helping a reporter to get to a story which is important to readers.
Here are a couple of I have gotten recently which I thought were interesting but which weren't really relevant to a local radio station.
This first is from the group known as Consumers for Cable Choice. They are essentially trying to break open the cable monopoly. The flack sent out a quick release - late, albeit - trying to get people to look at the cost of cable in a new light. Thanksgiving dinner this year will cost American families a little under $37, which is up a bit from last year. "Too bad for American consumers that the cost of watching the big parade and games on television will cost significantly more than that," the release notes.
The release goes on to say that according to the FCC, from "Report on Cable Industry Prices" from Feb. 2005, cable rates rose 86 percent between 1994 and 2004, with all the major cable companies raising rates in 2006 and Comcast, my cable company, announcing another 6 percent increase in January 2007.
But compare this with other services which are becoming modern necessities, during the same time period: The average cell phone bill has decrease by almost 6 percent over that time, with three times as many people owning cell phones; long distance rates have dropped 50 percent; PCs have dropped 78 percent; electricity has dropped 6 percent [Sidebar: I wonder about the electricity rates. Maybe these are national rates but I can tell you that per kwh, I'm playing more than I was in 2004, never mind 1994!]
Here is another one from a representative of Experian entitled "Consumer Borrowing Trends Released As Holiday Shopping Kicks Off." It should have been called "Borrowers in trouble as the holiday approach."
Since 2001, according to the release, "there has been a near 17 percent decline in the rate at which consumers are opening new credit accounts, and a near 13 percent increase in the rate of late payments. The study also revealed a 7-point decline in the national average credit score from 2001 (682) to 2006 (675)."
Now, the bad news is pretty clear - people are having problems paying their bills and it is effecting credit reports. The net positive is that with fewer cards being opened, there is less debt, although that probably comes from problems with current debt.
But here are some other problems: During the same time period, auto loans are down 17.5 percent ... that's not so good for the auto industry which is already hurting; Installment loans are down 15.6 percent ... this could be a positive or negative though, as more people could be paying off their loans or budgeting better as to not have to take out installment loans; Nationwide, the percentage of consumers late on their installment loan payments in the last 90 days increased by 15.5 percent ... again, missing payments on installment loans is kind of the point before bankruptcy; and lastly, what should be considered positive news, late payments on car loans and credit cards have declined by 4.1 and 11.9 percent, respectively.
Here is an opinion piece from Mother Jones I finished reading the other day, granted, written before the election, but which outlines some of the issues about the lack of a war dividend: ["The Firing Line"].
These statistics shouldn't be that surprising but they are if you consider that millions of people think the economy is great. As the political slogan goes, are you better off than you were four years ago, or eight, or 12? Maybe, maybe not. But is it better for everyone else? Clearly not. Those less fortunate are falling through the cracks during a modern time where everyone is expected to not only keep up with the Jones but to surpass them. Some of those things can be controlled by subduing desire and teaching our children what is worth valuing. But that is work on top of the work a person is already performing to survive. Life isn't easy, as the saying goes, but life is good.
Taxes
In keeping with the theme of press releases, I did want to post this one by the people who organized the recent gubernatorial campaign of Rep. Jim Coburn, the GOP's sacrificial lamb, who ran against popular Democratic Gov. John Lynch this year.
They have formed the New Hampshire Advantage Coalition, a PAC which serves "as watchdog protectors of
I'm afraid that I'm with conservatives on the issue of the pledge. I've seen first-hand, living in Massachusetts for many years, how income and sales taxes, with little oversight, can lead to wasteful spending and no solution to the nagging problems of society.
The 2006 election wasn't about more taxes and more spending - it was, however, about oversight, accountability, and prioritizing our taxes and spending. It was a solid vote against badly planned wars, with no end, which are ripping our nation apart. It was a solid vote against spending hundreds of billions of dollars turning the deserts of Iraq into glass. That is what the vote was about and anyone who can't see that will unfortunately risks the return of swing voters sending Republicans back into power. Don't screw it up, Democrats!
Back to the Coalition for a second, it is made up of former Superior Court judge and U.S. Rep. Chuck Douglas, who can be thanked endlessly for spearheading a ballot question to protect New Hampshire citizens from the U.S. Supreme Court's eminent domain ruling, Coburn, Tom Thompson, the son of former conservative icon Gov. Meldrim Thompson, and State Rep. Pam Manney of Goffstown.
One cheap shot side note though, which is important to state: Heath's group, Meridian Communications, didn't do the best job spending Coburn's money, IMHO.
During one campaign press release, Meridian announced the launch of some radio spots for the campaign. The ads were aired on a few stations and it wasn't a bad run of spots. But, the airing of spots on a well-known Top 40 station with high ratings in youth numbers was a waste of money. Young people don't vote in high numbers in New Hampshire. Compare their audience with that of smaller AM stations with less expensive ad rates and adult numbers - i.e., people who actually vote - and it is clear that Coburn's media buyers were throwing some of his money out the window. While I have no love lost of Coburn losing - like many others I think Gov. Lynch is doing a good job - I hate to see political parties unable to compete for the hearts and minds of voters.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
A blogger gets elected
Politizine: Why did you decide to forward yourself as a candidate?
Margaret Evans Porter: The short answer is that I believe in public and community service. I've been involved in different ways, but this is my first time holding a position in government.
I ran for the same office four years ago, when our district had been newly expanded to include Hooksett--which was a very inappropriate match, demographically, with Allenstown, Epsom and Pittsfield. At that time I said if another re-districting occurred, removing Hooksett, I would strongly consider running again. It did, and I did. I had a sense that the Democratic Party might ask me to run. I made an independent decision to run again, so by the time I was contacted (which I eventually was), I had already filed my candidacy.
P: In what ways did your skill as a writer and blogger help your campaign? Did voters know you were a blogger?
MEP: Writing skills always come in handy when putting together ad copy, and writing/designing a candidate flier for mail-out! Because of the public nature of my writing career, I'm comfortable with public events and talking to people.
My blog readers--all over the world--knew I was running for office. I blogged on the day I filed. As far as I know, the voters didn't know I was a blogger, except for the voter who lives in my household. Some of them surely knew I am a writer.
A lot of people voted for me who don't know me and never met me. I suspect they made their choice more for my party affiliation than any other factor. I will work hard to live up to this act of faith!
P: What are the three top issues you plan on working on and why?
MEP: The most important issue facing the entire Legislature is defining educational adequacy, because we have a deadline for that. Then a funding mechanism will have to be decided and agreed upon--I have no pre-determined agenda.
I would support a raise in the minimum wage, and substantial LCHIP funding. Safeguarding our environment and protecting natural resources is a priority.
P: Describe your district and tell me about some of the issues facing voters in your area.
MEP: My district is made up of three towns strung along the Suncook River. Each has a population of between 4,500 and 5,000 people. In addition to population, they have similarities in their demographics and history, and available services. However similar the residents may be, each town has a distinct character.
There are plenty of small business owners and the self-employed in this district. For them most especially, health care and health insurance are enormous concerns.
The towns also serve as "bedroom" communities for many people working in Concord, including many state employees.
Each town is a hub for small local businesses and outposts of larger companies (fast food outlets, gas stations, etc.) There are still several working farms (mostly dairy), and tracts of undeveloped land--rapidly being developed, which is good for the loggers and the developers and people looking for homes and good quality of life. But the added population has an impact on the schools and the other town services--there is disagreement about whether such growth can actually pay for itself. Epsom has a master plan and limits on building permits.
All three towns have budgets that are stretched. Pittsfield has a low tax base and extremely high property taxes, and struggles to support the schools. Allenstown, which incorporates Suncook village, is the largest town in terms of infrastructure and population. Epsom operates under default budgets for school and for town budget, because it instituted SB2 (ballot voting), and lately both budgets have been voted down at the polls.
Both Allenstown and Pittsfield were plaintiff towns in the Claremont lawsuit, so the educational funding issue is great importance.
Everybody has issues with escalating property taxes, and the impact of more frequent re-evaluations by state or local mandate.
P: No one can remember exactly the last time the Democrats had control of the state legislature, the state senate, the executive council, and the governor's seat. What do you think some of the challenges will be for Democrats in the next session?
MEP: The Democrats are unsure exactly what their mandate is, other than change. For whatever reason, the divided government was voted out--by a combination of Democrats, Independents, and Republicans.
That said, our governor has set a high standard for bi-partisanship, and it's my hope--and intention--to follow his example, because working majorities are necessary for progress. The greatest danger for Democrats is over-reaching, or making the wrong assumptions about why they were swept in to power in such great (and unprecedented) numbers. So far, from what I've gleaned from the press, and from talking to people, they seem to know this.
I'd really like to know the impact of the changes to the ballot, and the re-ordering in an attempt to add fairness to the process. For all we know, Democratic majorities might have occurred sooner, if we'd had a different ballot!
Crossposted at Area603.com
Wednesday, November 8, 2006
Democratic tsunami ...
There were a lot of firsts tonight and the Democratic wins were downright astonishing.
Here in the state of New Hampshire, the Democrats are poised to take control of the State House ... for the first time since 1911! They will take control of the state senate, the executive council, and will hold the corner office, with Gov. John Lynch winning by a landslide.
The people of our great state elected its first female representative to Congress, a social worker and mother from Rochester, Carol Shea-Porter. A virtual unknown just six months ago, Shea-Porter shocked everyone by beating a better financed Democratic insider endorsed by everyone. She proved that yeah, in America, anyone can be elected to the People's House. They also elected Paul Hodes handily in the Second Congressional District.
If fact, the Democrats took the House tonight, gaining seats in red states all across the country. In January, Rep. Nancy Pelosi - not someone I particular like, but she isn't Newt Gingrich either - will become the first female Speaker of the House.
As of this writing, the Democrats held their own in the Senate, picking up three seats, including clobbering Sen. Rick Santorum in Pennsylvania, a guy who was floating himself as presidential timber, by 18 percent. This guy was openly advocating bombing Iran into the Stone Age. This, from a man who claims to follow the path of Christ.
The first Muslim-American was elected to the Congress from Minnesota. Keith Ellison, a 43-year-old Democrat has one the seat, which according to AP has been held by Dems for more than 40 years.
The key now will be to figure out a way to keep the Democrats in check and not let them go crazy with gun control and other nonsense like they did when Clinton was in office.
I would also like to congratulate a couple of acquaintances of mine in Massachusetts who did swell tonight. My good friend James O'Keefe virtually doubled his percentage in this year's Treasurer's race, getting 17.2 percent of the vote. In 2002, he received 9 percent of the vote. Dr. Jill Stein received 17.7 percent of the vote for Secretary of State. These returns by O'Keefe and Stein guarantee the Green-Rainbow Party will have major party status for the next two years, including in the presidential race in 2008. In addition, acquaintance Rand Wilson, a man who swore off independent years ago, received 21.5 percent of the vote in his race for Auditor, establishing the Working Families Party as a major party in Massachusetts as well. Congratulations!
Lastly for tonight, because after four hours of election night coverage on WKXL 1450, I'm a bit tired, congratulations to Howard Dean for having the guts to implement a 50-state strategy to make Democrats competitive in precincts where they never were competitive before. It worked, Howard, and you were right to ignore the naysayers.
In the coming weeks, when I get a chance, I will re-analyze the issue of electronic voting. I think tonight, we can put the Diebold conspiracies to bed. But that doesn't change the need for paper ballots to be installed in all precincts across the country. I will also put together what I believe is the second thing the new Democratic-controlled Congress needs to implement: The re-regulation of media and the reimplementation of The Fairness Doctrine.
Tuesday, November 7, 2006
VOTE
Sunday, November 5, 2006
A few quick Sunday night things
Very, very interesting but at the same time, I wonder: Why would companies advertising with Google just order print in the first place?
Say you are Company X. You make a buy with Google but they don't have the room for Company X's ad. Shouldn't Google refuse the ad because they don't have room? Accepting the ad, and then shifting it to print, would seem a tad deceptive without prior knowledge to Company X ... which really wants Google not print. The only way I see this is any benefit is the auction aspect of the program which potentially lowers the price for advertising.
The dMark Broadcasting program which Google runs with radio is similar but often lowers the rate for perspective advertisers which bid for radio spots. But, as the article remarks, this could potentially backfire as advertisers could bypass print and go directly to the auction system. In the radio case, the only thing auctioned is open radio inventory. I guess, if it works in a similar fashion, it might work for them.
'Studio 60'
Here is another article about whether or not "Studio 60" will get canceled or not: ["Can a TV Show With Dream ViewersBut Low Ratings Survive? Stay Tuned"].
This one has some background and media scuttlebut in it, including some numbers of viewership and other information. It's sad to see a good show like this one get ignored. Dropping 13 million to 7 million viewers isn't going to cut it with such high production costs. Damn.
Where was this when I was gigging?
The new Boss GT-8. Wow, wow, wow! Where was this when I was gigging?!
Thursday, November 2, 2006
Article roundup
Let's start with this one first: ["Newspaper circulations continue to fall"]. It is really sad to see the decline of the newspaper industry. Newspapers are a great tool. Most are important to society. But in some ways, you can understand why newspapers are in decline. There is an arrogance and elitism about some of them unlike any other industry I have ever encountered.
Of course, the Internet and technology has had a role in the demise of newspapers and there is no fighting technology. But, should they embrace every aspect of it? Here is an interesting note about a new feature over at the New York Times: ["NYTimes.com Launches Daily 'Urbanite' Email on City Living"].
Congrats to Adam Reilly over at the Phoenix: ["Boston Phoenix’s Adam Reilly to Revive Weekly Media Column']. I am soooo jealous! You can get a sense of his writing here in this great analysis of WRKO: ["Republican radio"].
Here is an interesting column by a Republican who is leaving the party and not voting for Sen. George Allen in Virginia: ["I should be supporting Allen. Instead, I'm leaving the party"].
Here is more on the Kerry situation: ["Kerry's '72 Army Comments Mirror Latest"].
Here is a nice editorial in the Boston Globe which surprisingly congratulates the Mass. Green-Rainbow Party for forwarding more candidates than the MassGOP: ["Downballot doldrums"]. What a change in how to look at things. It took them long enough!
This is not surprising and I would bet will soon become a standing head: ["Glitches cited in early voting"].
This may not be: ["U.S. Investigates Voting Machines’ Venezuela Ties"].
This is bumming me out, probably the best new show on television: ["'Studio 60’ Cancellation Imminent"].
And a movie I can't wait to see: ["Shut up and sing"].