Apparently there’s a refreshingly healthy interest in the on-going End Time scenario unfolding in the Gaza Strip and in the Middle East in general. Wow. I’m shocked, thinking that most were still awling new holes in their expanding belts and earnestly swearing off cookies and pie while awaiting the magic fulfillment of the “This is going to be the best year of my life!” New Year’s resolution.
Keep in mind the death toll in this take-a-bazooka-to-kill-a-gnat conflict is Palestinian’s 450, Israeli’s 4. That, of course is the usual script for one of the Israeli counter-offenses, as are the usual wrist slap approbations from the world community, and the typical tsk-tsking from the U.N. The U.S., being a wholly owned subsidiary of Israel, Inc., is predictably silent. And the cast has been selected for the new production, the best parts going to those who have best memorized their lines from past presentations: Iran as the dastardly villain, Egypt as the duplicitous coward, Syria as the shady co-enabler, Hezbollah as the evil twin, Lebanon as the good time charlie, etc. All of it set against the panoramic backdrop of ancient, biblical prophesies, tribal homeland myths, and other forms of ancient rune casting. WTF are we doing knee deep in this dung pile? Ask Exxon-Mobil……
Hey Folks! Holy Shit…it’s New Years Eve! I’ll write something relevant in a day or so (specifically about the End Times scenario unfolding in the Gaza, Mark Larsen’s release, the demise of radio sanity as we know it, etc)…but in the mean time, here’s a little Tom Waits for those of you who’ll be on the spiritual, emotional, or sensual prowl this evening. Happy New Year!
My agent, Ron Bain of San Marcos, former president of CBS Sports and vice president of NBC Sports passed away over the weekend. Ron was a great guy, a recovering alcoholic, a diabetic and a double-amputee, who struggled to stay afloat with a parsel of Broadway Danny Rose-style clients. He was facing eviction from his San Marcos apartment, and the last time we spoke, thursday of last week, he said the wolves were at the door and was there anything I could do to help. Perhaps he saw the the hand writing on the wall for his highest-profile client. Rest in peace, Ronny………..
In other news, the SD 1700 Christmas party was this evening.
Yes, I have been “eliminated” by 1700. My son, who works in promotions for XX Sports radio called yesterday morning to report on rumors that Mark Larsen and his producer were being let go. This comes a few days after a couple prime time sports hosts were fired by B.C.A. Later in the day, on the way in to do my show, Jorge Espinoza, my producer called to say I’d been fired. So sure enough, when I arrived at the studio, the general manager, Gregg Wolfson was waiting for me at the door with the official news. He explained that the station had lost $1 million in the previous year and that changes had to be made. When I suggested to him that I was the only host who actually had good ratings at the station, he replied that he was well aware of that. So the explanation was rather vague, as is the situation with Mark Larsen who I sensed is not being fired, per se, possibly because he still has time left on his contract, but is in the process of being “un-hired”. What ultimately becomes of 1700 is a mystery. Deep recessions tend to put a damper on radio advertising revenue.
Admittedly, this is a set-back for so-called “progressive radio” in the market, although rumors continously swirl about plans for a new outlet in San Diego. My understanding is that those plans are vague and in the immortal words of the N.S.A., “more aspirational than operational”.
As for me, I’ll weigh my limited options and chill for a few days before moving forward. Thanks for the support…..
Up Date: Thanks for all the supportive (and otherwise) comments. Actually got an email from some joker in Herndon, Va., gloating over my firing. Mean-spirited bastards some of these righties are, no? Also, go easy on Larsen. None of this was his doing. His political views are right off the rack at the Neo-Con factory outlet shop, but I’m confident this would not have been his decision. Hell, he hired me didn’t he? He knew what he was getting. If you feel like e-mailing anyone, try Gregg Wolfson at B.C.A. I don’t think it was decision either, frankly, but he’s a little closer to the portals of power over there. When I said to him yesterday “Has it ever occurred to you that the reason the station is losing money is because most of the shows suck?”, he didn’t flinch. Should you e-mail or call, try to be civil. Who know’s? Something might come of it. The reason I was the first to go was that my contract was the first one up, so I could easily be taken off the books.
So today I’m weighing my proverbial “options”, which translates to watching continuous repeats of Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations” on Travel-HD and a 2 hour long bio of Einstein on History-HD. Oh, yeah, and some documentary on giant squid. I’ll come to my senses in a day or so and begin panicking.
Have talked to Jorge. He was canned last night after his shift.
Chris Carmichael of www.sdradio.net wrote a blurb about me today (Frankly, I didn’t give him much to work with other than “I’m not doing a show today.” I was a little grumpy at 8 Am), and Karla Peterson posted something on www.signonsandiego.com .
George W. Bush’s delusional exercise in megalomania continues unabated. The shattered lives of American’s who’s retirement accounts have evaporated and the shattered bodies of those G.I.’s who have “sacrificed” for the Great Cause in Iraq are merely disappointing realities in the “joyous” White House of the Chimp in Chief. And the bit about being “unprepared for war” would be a major belly laugh were it not so tragic. “Unprepared” for a war we started pre-emptively for no good reason? Eight years in office and Bush still displays the intellectual depth of Donnie Osmond, minus the conscience.
By Popular Demand: Vegan/PETA Princess Robin Arcuri spills her assets all over the studio. Healthy living at its finest. (click on pictures for larger view)
Cheer loudly for our simian right wing ancestors as they accelerate their head first descent into the tar pit of irreleavency! This little snippet came from the mouth of one Michael Reagan, who, if you never heard it, is the stepson of the revered Gipper:
EXPOSE LIBERAL CORRUPTION — With the Democrats back in power in both Congress and the White House, you KNOW that they’ll be falling right back into their habits of taking lobbyists’ money under the table, trading votes for campaign contributions, spying on and sabotaging Republican legislative plans, covering up their leaders’ sexual “flings,” and spending taxpayer money on personal expenses like never before. But this time, YOU AND I will be there every step of the way, making sure that no stone is left unturned, every dark corner is filled with light, and every illegal act is paid for with censure, impeachment, recalls, investigations, and jail time for every criminal we expose in Washington, D.C.
And let’s not forget the self-annointed prince of my-gun-is-an-extension-of-my-penis crowd, Ted Nugent:
Make no mistake, conservative values and ideologies are embraced by Americans. The polls all indicate Americans are fed up with the Pelosi-led, do nothing congress, and do not support more government programs and control. Sounds to me like we have a conservative revolution brewing.
Conservative leaders and thinkers such as Newt Gingrich, Jed Babbin, Governor Jindal of Louisiana, Thomas Sowell, Glenn Beck, Michelle Malkin, Governor Sarah Palin and others need to turn up the heat and bring this less government, more individual freedom and strong national defense revolution to a boil. It is time.
Why of course it is, Teddy. That’s why the McCain/Palin ticket won in a landslide November 4th, while Republicans were reclaiming both houses of congress!
And those bones protruding from the political La Brea in the blessed not-to-distant future will doubtless include the small cranium of this southern woman quoted in a recent New York Times article.
“I am concerned,” Gail McDaniel, who owns a cosmetics business, said in the parking lot of the Shop and Save. “The abortion thing bothers me. Same-sex marriage.”
“I think there are going to be outbreaks from blacks,” she added. “From where I’m from, this is going to give them the right to be more aggressive.”
You might already be aware that, according to El Rushbo “the Obama recession is underway”, and the esteemed satirist Ann Coulter has boldly predicted more Waco shooting and “Elian Gonzolez snatching” under an Obama administration. These guys kill me, but the real question is “is anyone even paying attention to this babble anymore?”.
And, btw, did you know the NRA marketing campaign, using fear tactics about gun moratoriums under Obama, is succeeding wildly, with background checks up nearly 40% from this time last year. Yoo hoo. Yeah the “conservative” movement has now officially reduced itself to something akin to the status of the John Birch Society in the age of Woodstock.
Let’s end with bow-and-arrow boy Nugent, since he clearly is the ascendent star of this movement. And in case you can make out the audio, here’s the transcript:
I was in Chicago last week I said—Hey Obama, you might want to suck on one of these you punk? Obama, he’s a piece of shit and I told him to suck on one of my machine guns…Let’s hear it for them. I was in NY and I said hey Hillary—you might want to ride one of these into the sunset you worthless bitch…Since I’m in California, I’m gonna find– she might wanna suck on my machine gun! Hey, Dianne Feinstein, ride one of these you worthless whore. Any questions? Freeeeedom! (and wait til you hear Hannity’s spin and Bob Beckel’s incredulous response)
Haven’t yet begun to experience the expected giddiness over Obama’s victory Tuesday night, only because a) pulling the train wreck created by George W. Bush, Inc. back on the tracks will not be easy, and b) the harpies on the right will continue to hammer away with their mildly veiled bigoted attacks on Obama’s, “un-american” values.
I actually heard this morning on radio that Ayers, Rev. Wright, and Louis Farrakhan all showed up in Obama’s neighborhood to vote yesterday, an assertion obviously portentous of a terrorist, America-hating, Mau Mau new era. And, naturally you’ll be hearing the “no mandate” battle cry shrieking from the vampiric lips of the Bob Novaks of the world. Really? a 253-172 Dem edge in the House and 56-40 in the Senate, plus the White House? Okee-dokey. Whatever.
These guys have short memories, no? Bush lost the popular vote in 2000 and pick-pocketed the electoral victory in Florida and embarked on the most ambitiously destructive agenda in American history, starting a pre-emptive, disastrous war and reducing the Bill of Rights to so much toilet paper, an agenda only ratcheted up in 2004 with the narrowest win for an incumbent president in history. Media Matters takes us on a little trip down memory lane concerning Big Media’s gushing over the Bush mandate.
Also beware of the new Republican belly ache about “We’re not conservative enough!” as a convenient excuse for their humiliation Tuesday night. This goes hand-in-hand with “America is center-right” mantra/myth that I’ve heard a hundred times in the past couple of days from the calcified lips of Bill Bennett, Pat Buchanan, et al.
And then there are the local/state races and propositions. Sigh. The sadistic passage of the hideous Prop 8 actually removes a constitutional right from a group of fellow citizens who merely want what the rest of us have. It’s (assumed) passage will only embolden the bigoted religious wing-nuts who walk among us like so many pod people. It also appears the reactionary North County “elites” will put the buffoonish Brian Bilbray back into office, while daddy’s defense contractor pals will ensure that Duncan D. Hunter stumbles through halls of Congress passing out pork barrel contracts like Elvis did Cadillacs.
But will all this trepidation and wariness, let’s end this post on a message of, well, hope.
