Patty's words of wisdom!

[shipping troll] 11:11 am: I think the people in the media should just rebel and take
back the airwaves
[Cashman] 11:11 am: this business will implode and then from the remains left will
radio rise from the ashes and become relevant again
[Pattycake] 11:11 am: yep
[Pattycake] 11:11 am: like the phoenix ... like everything
[Cashman] 11:11 am: big business is the reason it's so bad
[shipping troll] 11:11 am: It got too big and now it needs to get small again
[Pattycake] 11:12 am: big business is why EVERYTHING is so bad
[Pattycake] 11:12 am: the PEOPLE lost the power!

These were the last words in the Wease chat room today (Thursday May 6). The reason I am reposting them here is that they underline a recurring theme along the airwaves this week. As is my habit, I pick up on the cultural buzz in blogs, via Twitter, around the office coffee pot, on television and RSS feeds, and the buzz reveals that people are just plain frustrated, either with the status quo or what they percieve to be a threat to Life as We Know It. In usual fashion, during my passive listening to radio programming on my long commute, I was listening to the Diane Rehm show (WXXI 1370 AM). Her guest, author Joshua Cooper Ramo, was discussing his new book The Age of the Unthinkable: Why the New World Order Constantly Surprises Us and What We Can Do About It and something he said caught my attention. In essence, and I quote Publisher's Weekly on this because they said it best: "(Ramo) argues that there must be some audacity in thinking before there can be any audacity of hope." He stated in the interview that it is not only enough to be audacious in our thinking, there must be action also.

The spirit of this morning's conversation prompted me to recall this because there are more than a few folks who visit the chat room who are feeling the effects of an imploding economy and wondering what to do. The above discussion attempts to head in the direction of a solution and it got me to thinking that we MUST think of alternative ways of facing the future or we will not survive. This does not mean rejecting any of the old ways; on the contrary, we need to figure out what has worked in the past and combine it with innovative NEW thought and action if we are to insure a future for ourselves and the generations to come. Not to mention that innovative thought and action is a gift to the next generation, especially those who are graduating from high school and college right now and facing a bleak employment future. Big business has laid this at their feet. It is almost as if audacity of hope, on the part of recent graduates, is in hoping that they can find a way to make their place in the world. Big business is in trouble right now and perhaps entrepreneurship is going to be the next big wave. I could be wrong, but judging from the number of chatters wanting to do work independently, this may be the best we can hope for. Since loyalty to one's employees went out the window in the 1970s, we can no longer rely on the corporation, especially since the advent of outsourcing. Now, with unemployment at record highs, the fact remains that people must earn a living, so I predict we will see more audacious thinking when it comes to people eking out an existence.

How this ties in to radio has everything to do with the collapse of the media as we know it. Just two days ago the Boston "Globe" fended off closure with concessions from the unions but their days are numbered and we know that Gannett is in its own death spiral. Paper news is rapidly disappearing and so the nature of journalism must change. This is a job for Audacity of Thought Man! Even radio is not immune: since the FCC tied the hands of broadcasters everywhere, the corpration has insured that a career in radio is no longer enjoyable. Ask any one of the chatters who has ties in the business. We remember when radio was fun and when the threat of a six-figure fine did not hover over every live minute like a black cloud because someone out there might be offended. Tom Petty was right. The Last D.J. is an appropriate message about the state of radio broadcasting. Digital media might only be yet another way to regulate the airwaves.

The last time people felt constrained by bodies that govern public media, they created Pirate radio. Granted, the rules back then were loose and rarely enforced, especially by the FCC in the United States but the Europeans were once the rulers of the airwaves when it came to piracy. I see this happening again but in what fashion? That remains fuzzy on my horizon and this is where audacity of thought, innovation in action, a rethinking of the status quo, seem timely and appropriate right now.

The more things change..

It's funny how things that seem different on the surface, are truly the same as they ever were. As Shakespeare wrote ( supposedly), "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." And then there is the old saying that, "No matter what you call dog shit, you still don't want to eat it." So what am I referring to?

The show of course. The personnel changes, but the overall atmosphere stays the same. Lilly is the new Tommy, negative to the extreme and refers to porn constantly. Jamie remind me a lot of the old BJ Shay, he has the quick quip for every discussion and he is good with the back relate. If you're not paying close attention to the show, you can miss it, and think he's just making stupid jokes.

I haven't quite figured out where Anthony's anti-intelligence fits the pattern, but Nick is the resident Righty/devil's advocate. He plays to the more common man in the audience to counter the flaming liberal that is dear Brother Wease.

With Anthony, I just don't ever remember there ever being such a Goombah on the show. And sadly he is not even pure I-talian, he's a Don Juan! A real Puerto Rican Italian. He never fails to remind us that he is half Rican, but that he is much closer to his Italian side, because of his mother and grandparents. He has no reference for life but Brooklyn, any Mafia Movie, and his catholic upbringing. He seems like a genuinely nice guy, but he also seems to be dumber than a bag of hammers. Oh well. I guess ya can't have everything.

I enjoy the show as I always have, but somethings annoy me, as they always have. The difference is that so far tha annoying thing are far outweighed by the things that I like, so I will stick with it. Besides, now I actually have friends who are listening too, and when we can discuss the show as it's happening, or our own stuff on the side it makes it much more fun. Too, having some actual contact with certain elements of the show make it seem more personal as well, even when it really isn't.

Little Chemistry Lesson...

Lawrence Livermore Laboratories has discovered the heaviest element yet known to science.
The new element, Governmentium (Gv), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.
These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons.
Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert; however, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A tiny amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction that would normally take less than a second, to take from four days to four years to complete.
Governmentium has a normal half-life of 2- 6 years; It does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places.
In fact, Governmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes.
This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as critical morass.
When catalyzed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium, an element that radiates just as much energy as Governmentium since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons.

What's on my Zune?

Here's my list of tunes that are on my 'Zune.

Iggy Pop "Shakin' All Over," "Lust for Life," "Real Wild Child"
David Bowie "China Girl," "Ziggy Stardust," "Changes," "Heroes"
Outkast "The Whole World," "So Fresh So Clean," "The Way You Move," "Hey Ya"
Babyface "Change the World" (Instrumental)
Talking Heads "Life During Wartime" from Fear of Music
George Harrison "That's What it Takes" from Cloud 9, "All Those Years Ago"
Gorillaz "Feel Good, Inc.," "Clint Eastwood"
Squeeze "Up the Junction"
The Rolling Stones "Gimme Shelter," "Shattered"
Jim Carroll Band "People Who Died"
Grand Master Flash "Don't Push Me Cause I'm Close to the Edge"
The Beatles "Oh! Darling" "Paperback Writer"
Fleetwood Mac "Heroes are Hard to Find," "Hypnotized," "Bare Trees"
A Tribe Called Quest "Scenario"
The Cars "Candy-O," "Let's Go"
Pretenders "My City Was Gone"
Mott the Hoople "All the Way to Memphis"
The Specials "Ghost Town"
Pink Floyd "Shine On You Crazy Diamond," "Have a Cigar"
Dream Academy "Life in a Northern Town"

That's plenty for now ... I'll be adding more later. I have a vast list of "want" music for my MP3 player.

Bumper music

So here's the thing, in chatting with Nick last week in the Nation, patty and I mentioned to possibility of a Chindo Nation Bumper music day. Nick was amenable and said to send him some play lists. I asked him how many songs he needed on average and he says about 10 0r so. In that sprit I have put together a list of 12 songs to submit for the "Troll Bumper list". Patty was gonna submit her list, and I think it would be cool if we all took a few minutes and put together a list of what we consider to be cool bumper music. ( And perhaps a relate for the song to the show if there is one.) Here is my list:
1) Harry Chapin- W O L D (The song is about an old radio guy)

2) .38 Special- Teacher, Teacher ( who can honestly say they listen to Wease and fail to learn something?!)

3) Fiona Apple- Extrordinary Machine

4) Ike & Tina Turner- Ode To Billy Joe (great version of a classic song)

5) Jerry Reed- When you're Hot, You're Hot!

6) Jewel- Love Me, Just Leave Me Alone ( for Lilly, just because it reminds me of her)

7) Lynyrd Skynyrd- Four Walls of Raiford (great blues)

8) Melissa Etheridge- Watching You

9) Sheryl Crow- Out of Our Heads ( great upbeat song)

10) Tom Petty- Zombie Zoo ( in honor of those who will not learn from the mistakes of the past)

11) ZZ Top- Low Down in The Streets

12) 3 Doors Down- Duck and Run ( great, under-appreciated song)