Open Thread: Show 41
Listen here. Did you see F9/11? If so, write your review in the comments below or e-mail it to me and maybe I'll print it.

Farenheit 9/11
We (my neighbor, my wife and I) went to see the film yesterday (as I write this). I don't know how many theaters it is playing in in Atlanta, but we saw it at the North Dekalb Mall AMC, not far from where I live. I made the mistake of letting my neighbor drive instead of driving myself, frankly his driving makes me nervous.

Anyway, the movie was showing on two screens in the theater, one of which was sold out. I got my tickets from a kind of movie ticket ATM rather than wait at the long line at the box office. The screens that had the movie were side-by-side, in the back of the theater. The area was cordoned off and you had to show your ticket stubs (again) in order to get in. There was a uniformed cop there, I don't know if it was a rent-a-cop or if it was a Dekalb County police officer, either way it was the first time in my life that I have ever seen this at a theater before. Don't ask me, I don't have a clue.

From a technical point of view, the movie was well-paced and well put together. I'm not sure how long it was, but it went by very quickly. It didn't deal with anything I didn't already know, but it put it all together superbly. The Bush cultists are busy denouncing Moore's motivations and lying about what it says, but everything in there was true.

My wife was in tears over Ms. Libscomb, because she has two children who will be available to be drafted should it come to that, and one has already been talking about joining so that he can get some training, and the idea of him dying in Iraq or wherever scares her. I had to hold on to her for a few minutes after the movie was over while she silently sobbed into my shoulder. The thing is, had she not ever known me, she would have been like the woman who told Ms. Libscomb to "blame Al-Qaeda" for her son's death, and many members of my wife's family are hardcore Bush supporters who will never go to see this film, and who think Mr. Bush is almost personally protecting them from terrorists. There are a few in my family who feel the same way. God help them.

For me the telling point was the two Marine recruiters trying to sign young men up, they went to the mall in the poorer area of town because they would have a more difficult time trying to get recruits from the "better" neighnorhoods. Moore ended the film with a fitting salute to the soldiers, many of whom joined for no other reason than they needed work and training (that was, in fact, the very reason I joined myself, those many years ago). During his primary campaign, Sen. John Edwards talked about how there were "Two Americas", the America that did all the work and the America that made the money. He should have added how the America that does all the work is also the America that does all the fighting, and makes it possible for the sons and daughters of the privileged to lead the life they do.

As my wife was crying, I whispered into her ear that that is why I do what I do, as useless and meaningless as it is. I speak out because I am compelled to speak out. The same can be said for the thousands of bloggers out there, popular or obscure, who likewise feel compelled to speak out. As I have said before, it is an anger that is growing in this country, stronger than the corporate-manufactured anger generated by right-wing propaganda. And if things continue as they are, it will one day rise up against the powers that be in both the political and media scene. The GOP and the right wing will be mostly held responsible, but the Democrats and the so-called professional media will also be forced to accept their fair share of the blame. The corrupt military-industrial-media-political complex negatively affects the lives of everyone in the world (even those who support and participate in it), and the time has come for it to be shut down. This film may be the match that lights the fuse.

May I add, in closing, that Michael Moore has come of age as a filmmaker with this movie. He spends less time on-camera than in any of his other films, and concentrates on getting out the facts at hand in an entertaining fashion. Only the best filmmakers do that.

Open Thread: Show 40
Listen here. Comment below. Have some Barrium!

Dear CBS
To Whom It May Concern:
It is my understanding that CBS is intending to air a commercial during the forthcoming "60 Minutes" interview with President Bill Clinton that attacks Mr. Clinton's record and claims that his policies left us "vulnerable to terrorists". Airing this commercial is in direct violation of CBS' clearly stated policy not to air "advocacy" ads that deal with "controversial issues of public importance." To quote CBS Executive VP Martin Franks: "The network simply does not accept any advocacy advertising of any kind". This policy was used to explain why CBS refused to air an ad from the political organization MoveOn.org during the Super Bowl.

The ad in question was created by "Citizens United", an organization run by David N. Bossie, a former Republican congressional aide who was fired for for his role in releasing edited transcripts of former Clinton administration official Webster Hubbell's prison conversations. In short, the man is as "controversial" as they come, and the ad is a prime example of an "advocacy ad".

If it is indeed CBS' policy not to air "advocacy ads" then it should stick to that policy and not simply air ads that are friendly towards whatever political group that happens to be in power at the time. Airing this ad gives the impression that CBS officially supports Citizens United, and is officlially opposed to MoveOn.org. If this is the case, CBS should declare it openly and not give us the pretense of neutrality. If it is not the case, then CBS should refuse to air the ad.

Sincerely,
Joseph Vecchio

New Job
Well, yes and no: same company, different area. Instead of working on the paint line, I now work in what they call "Assembly B" which is where they take all the painted pieces and assorted other parts and put the circuit boxes together. The job is a lot less stressful and less physical than the paint line, so I have lot more energy when I get home than I previously did. I hope it will lead to more time to write or to devote to the show, as I dislike neglecting either. Mind you, there's still a lot of disorganization in my new environment, but the difference is, when the assembly area is disorganized we can take it a little easy, when the paint line is disorganized, it can be chaotic as hell. The pay rate is the same, but I did get a 25-cent an hour raise for being there six months, so that's good. I just hope I can hang on to this job for a couple of years, or al least until something better comes along...

Air America
Speaking of which, I was called by the associate producer of the Laura Flanders show yesterday and today, confirming my appearance this Sunday. I'm still in an "I'll believe it when it happens" mode, but if all goes as it currently stands I will be on this coming Sunday at 9 pm.

Audio Hell
And speaking of radio, I will be starting a new radio show called Audio Hell on Cam-Mafia Radio. I hope to start it this Saturday (and I may even chime in live), but if not this Saturday then next Saturday (and every Saturday for as long as I can) from 4-6 pm EST. Instead of the talk thing I expect to do a bunch of different kinds of music. I hope you will all tune in, and send me suggestions on what you want me to play!

Open Thread: Show 39
Listen here. Comment below. Congratulations to the Pistons!

Splitters
I can't help but be reminded of the warring political factions in Monty Python's The Life Of Brian when I think about some of the silliness that goes around in the blogosphere. For those who haven't seen the film or are unaware of it, Brian is Python's religious satire: it focuses mainly on Brian, born in Judea at the same time as Jesus, and who is mistaken for the Messiah. In the movie, the title character Brian is trying to get into the Judean People's Front, a political organization trying to get rid of the occupying Romans. Brian wants nothing more than to be with a pretty girl who's a member of the group. But the Judean People's Front isn't the only such organization, there's also the People's Front of Judea and the Popular Front of Judea (who as it turns out, is only one person).

In our case, of course, the people we're fighting aren't Romans, but the leadership of the Republican Party. And rather than being an organized group, we're just a series of louder and quieter voices attempting to change the political landscape. Of course, I'm one of the quieter voices, the really big guns right now are Atrios and Daily Kos, because of their influence with the Democrats due to the fact that they can and have raised money for them. A lot of bloggers, myself included, feel a little left out because of this: a mention by Atrios for example would mean a great deal to a small blogger, as it would generate the kinds of hits they would regularly never see. To use myself as an example, I get maybe 50 hits a day, even making a comment on Atrios can get me an extra 30-40 hits. But I can't post several times a day, with my schedule I'm lucky to do my two shows a week and post every couple of days or so. I simply can't compete with Atrios and Daily Kos, and I know this.

But, as I see it, that doesn't diminish what I'm doing or make me want to stop doing it. The Rev. Allen Brill of The Right Christians/The Village Gate felt like he was being ignored by Atrios because of a feud over one of Atrios posts, and so he minimized his presence on the site in the hopes that it would clear the air between them. Is Atrios even aware of this? And do we smaller blogs have a right to demand a presence on Atrios' site simply because we're fighting the same fight? The answer to the second question is NO. If Atrios wants to link me or link a post that's up to him, it is, after all, his site. I will simply continue to do what I can, given my limited abilities and lack of time. I think Rev. Brill was wrong to have minimized his presence, in my opinion, he is that site, and it's not as good since he's not as active.

The reason I'm bringing all this up is because of the Laura Flanders thing. As was mentioned in an earlier post, I was invited to be on her Air America radio show this last Sunday, but was cancelled at the last minute for what turned out to be pretty specious reasons. They contacted me because I am on the White Rose Society's list, did they decide they made a mistake in asking me and are handling it by stringing me out in the hopes I will do something to justify their not having me? I am not privy to their meetings and private discussions, so I have no clue as to what is going on here, but it upsets me a lot, because it means a lot to me to gain some recognition after all the work I have been doing. Hey, I don't get any money for it, some recognition would make it a little worthwhile, make me feel like I'm doing more than masturbating here. There's a part of me that says to be patient, there's another part of me that screams bloody murder about having an invitation withdrawn, something that means a lot to me. If I want to be a success, I can't allow myself to be walked over. But I also am not in a position to make any demands, after all, who gives a shit about a 50-hit a day blogger?

I'm not the only one who feels this way, and it doesn't seem to have anything to do with the number of hits a site gets. Others, like Bartcop (who gets hundreds of thousands of hits a day) are also feeling a little left out. I honestly believe that the real reason Atrios and Kos are getting on Air America is because they raise money for Democrats, which is a fine thing of course, but I wonder how much more we could do if we were given a boost. I for one would like nothing more than to be able to devote more time to the show and to the blog, but there's only so many hours in the day and I have only so much energy. All I can hope for is to keep doing what I've been doing and catch a break somewhere.

In the meantime, I will continue to support Atrios and Kos and Air America simply because I understand who the real enemy is.

Open Thread: Show 38
Listen here. Comment below. Why can't Americans teach their children how to blog?

Air America Radio
Last week I got an email from Jamila Bey, who is the associate producer of the Laura Flanders Show which airs Saturday and Sunday evenings from 7-10 pm EST on Air America Radio, inviting me to be a part of their weekly "Talkers Roundtable," which is the last hour (9-10 pm) of her Sunday show. You can stream the show from their site or if you are in one of Air America's markets or have the Sirius satellite radio network, you can listen in on the radio. I don't know who else will be joining me on the roundtable but I am told there will be at least one conservative. I'll try to avoid obscenities.

The number to call in for the show is 1-866-303-2270, I urge you to call in and express your support, not only for the Cup O' Joe show, but for other internet-only radio shows like bartcop, and for sites that carry different shows like The White Rose Society, Rant Radio, and Radio Power.

Update: Well, I just got a call from Ms. Bey, who told me that due to the Reagan thing, my appearance on the show has been postponed until next week: apparently they are doing a special on Reagan and are only taking "DC-area" talk show hosts. I will listen in to make sure of this.

So I apologize, and I hope to be on next week...

Open Thread: Show 37
Listen here. Comment below. Call your mother, she misses you.

Fluffers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ran a series of fluff pieces on the G8 summit yesterday (Wednesday), with a few good one-liners aimed at the protesters and at "cyberspace" in general. One picture mentioned that a couple of protesters were singing "Kumbaya". Were they really? With the AJC, we'll never know for sure. But the articles were a perfect example of what's wrong with the so-called professional media today. While there are, no doubt, some people in the protest movement with some rather naive and silly ideas, there are many who have serious questions about the global economy and the role of the eight governments involved in the summit meaning. Were any of these issues addressed by the AJC? Of course not. Just more of the same he said/she said crapola we've come to expect from these so-called "professionals".

Of course, there was no small amount of fawning over Mr. Bush, even though his policies and actions have proven to be as naive and silly as anyone on the protest side. Never mind the fact that American soldiers are still getting killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Never mind the news of the memo that, in essence, sought to give Mr. Bush almost dictatorial powers when it came to the torture of prisoners. No, no, nothing to see here. Move along. Isn't everything going wonderfully?

In the porn industry, a "fluffer" is someone who keeps the male star erect in between scenes. It's nice to know that newspapers like the AJC are keeping this proud tradition alive.

Open Thread: Show 36
Listen here. Comment below. This is our special music program for those who requested it. Rise, Robots, Rise!

Thanks to my guest Dave Merrill for contributing the songs.

Reagan
I'm split on the whole thing. Part of me wants to take the high road, be charitable as one of the right's heroes passes away. The other part remembers the treatment the GOP gave the Wellstone memorial service and wants to hurl invectives at the Gipper and the movement he helped spawn. I will do neither.

My 83 year-old father suffers from Alzheimer's, and because of benefits he earned as a union member he is getting better care, in the last years of his life, than many other people. But the policies that Reagan helped put into place are destroying the kind of worker protection that we used to have because of strong unions and make it more difficult for others to be able to live out their final days in comfort. If Reagan's policies are to do any real service, it should be as an example of what happens when we let greed and selfishness rule our lives.

My condolences to the Reagan family on their loss.

Update:
After going through the assorted lefty blogs and seeing what they had to say (and it was far nicer than anything the right will have to say about Carter or Clinton when they pass away), the best, IMO, came from Juan Cole. Here's a meaningful excerpt:

Reagan had an ability to project a kindly image, and was well liked personally by virtually everyone who knew him, apparently. But it always struck me that he was a mean man. I remember learning, in the late 1960s, of the impact Michael Harrington's The Other America had had on Johnson's War on Poverty. Harrington demonstrated that in the early 1960s there was still hunger in places like Appalachia, deriving from poverty. It was hard for middle class Americans to believe, and Lyndon Johnson, who represented many poor people himself, was galvanized to take action.

I remember seeing a tape of Reagan speaking in California from that era. He said that he had heard that some asserted there was hunger in America. He said it sarcastically. He said, "Sure there is; they're dieting!" or words to that effect. This handsome Hollywood millionnaire making fun of people so poor they sometimes went to bed hungry seemed to me monstrous. I remember his wealthy audience of suburbanites going wild with laughter and applause. I am still not entirely sure what was going on there. Did they think Harrington's and similar studies were lies? Did they blame the poor for being poor, and resent demands on them in the form of a few tax dollars, to address their hunger?

I have to admit I always loved to hear Reagan's speeches, they were full of glowing optimism and a belief that America's best days were still to come. Perhaps they are, but not as long as the policies and the "kick 'em while they're down" attitude that he helped bring to this country are still around. In that sense, Reagan's legacy was best exemplified by Abu Ghraib.

Daily Kos' Media Blades is right. Be respectful and allow the righties the chance to venerate their hero, but let's not allow them to simply make stuff up or to deny all the really nasty stuff that happened on his watch. Reagan may have been a kindly figure but he was part of a ruthless political machine that was hell-bent on destroying everything America has stood for since 1932, a machine that has hurt the working poor in America and damaged American prestige around the world. This, too, is his legacy and we should not forget it.

Open Thread: Show 35
Listen here. Comment below. Buy The Radical Middle. Chew your food!