Won't You Try Saturday Afternoon?

Hot Diggity! I'm where I belong: on the air. My show has been moved from early Sunday morning to Saturday afternoon at 1PM. I've been doing Sundays for over a year-and-a-half and it's been fun, but I much prefer Saturday. I had a great many supportive and enthusiastic callers today as well as getting to see some of my favorite radio folks in person. The station is fairly busy in the afternoon; I'm unaccustomed to seeing many people at dawn on Sundays.On the downside, I'll have to do my show fully clothed from now on.

On the upside: I don't have to wake up at 6 AM tomorrow.

I'm gonna go out and stay up late! Rawk!

(Actually, I'll probably wind up watching Battlestar or playing Civ IV. In real life, I'm a dork- I only play a hipster on the radio.)

The New Breakfast Snob: May 11, 2008:

Marianne Faithfull- What's The Hurry?
I was pissed off that I was rejected for a recent night-time radio spot. Now I see the folly of my frustration. A little patience and *poof* - the perfect spot is now mine!
Why hurry? Why worry?

Stranglers- Nice and Sleazy
Goddamn. This song has one of my all-time favorite bass tones. It's got sac.

Alvin Lee- Education
Right before this song, I aired a Public Service spot featuring Donny Osmond, my ninth-favorite Mormon...Donny is correct when he tells us that musical education is extremely healthy for a child's mind and spirit...
Man, I'm in such a good mood that I'm singing the praises of Donny fucking Osmond!
Alvin Lee rocks...he's the "I'd love to change the world, but there's nothing I can do" guy...still jammin' today; Ten Years After and all that...

Breeders- Bang On
It took six years to record this? This is only two minute long- and a minimalistic 120 seconds at that. No matter. I love a short burst of Rock Chicks.

Jefferson Airplane- Won't You Try Saturday Afternoon?
"I will give you capsules of blue and yellow sunlight"
What does that lyric mean? I dunno, but I do know that this record sounds great on LSD .
Don't do drugs.

Sleater- Kinney- Banned From the End of the World
Another short burst of Rock Chicks. Great band, the Twin gave me this CD, turned me onto them.

Faces- Ooh La La
Granpa gets the lowdown on the Rock Chick scene. The Faces were amazing...better than that other band, IMO.

Pretty Things - Office Love
I met my last 'real' GF at work. She still owes me $500 in bail money from the night before we broke up.

Sugarcubes- Top Of The World
Say what you will about Bjork- but who can resist her when she sings the Carpenters? Not me, that's for sure. Now where is my Superstar bootleg? It's the Karen Carpenter story...the parts are played by Barbie and Ken dolls. It's quite powerful, really. Not for the faint of heart, that's for sure.

Jamie Lidell- Out of My System
This is brand-new; nice soul a la Otis Redding. The good R&B.

Bob Dylan- Jokerman
Bob loves my show. He called to tell me. Different Bob.

Capt. Beefheart- Nowadays A Woman's Gotta Hit A Man
Men, you been lookin' all around for the women
But they always been right there
Nowadays a woman has to haul off and hit a man
T' make him know she's there
Other night a woman came up 'n hit me
Like I wasn't even there

Mike Watt- Against The 70's
The kids of today should defend themselves against the Seventies
Good advice from former Minuteman (the band, not the militia) Mike Watt.

Neil Young- Let's Impeach The President
Excellent advice from old Mr. Young.

Bruce Cockburn- If I Had A Rocket Launcher
See the song directly preceding this one? Nuff' said.

Soft Boys- The Asking Tree
I don't know much but I sure can tell
Your porky soul is gonna fry in hell
The grease will spit
and the fat will roll
like a hamburger
that's all your soul is worth: processed beef clippings
Tear the skin right off of me
and hang it on the Asking Tree

PJ Harvey- Working For The Man
I met my real-life friend Schlep via Blogger. He recently posted about both Bjork and P.J. Harvey...I already played my Bjork du jour, here's Polly J. I hope you have a good sub-woofer.

The Buzzcocks- Why Can't I Touch It?
Why indeed? Just grab the damn thing already. See?
Now how hard was that? Sheesh...

Firewater- Mr. Cardiac
I played a Public Service Announcement about preventing heart attacks...now this song.
It doesn't take much to make me happy.

Cardiacs- There's Good Cud
Schlep turned me onto this indescribable band.

Leo Kottke & Mike Gordon- Sweet Emotion
This version of the Aerosmith chestnut is my new all-time favorite cover song. Oh my, it's sweeeee

Gong- Raindrop Tablas
21 seconds of tablas, just long enough to cue up the next song.

Damien Dempsey- Negative Vibes
You should check out Damien Dempsey.
"I'm never going to let your negative vibes and comments get through to my psyche"
Like an Irish Bob Marley, Damo is.

Bad Religion- Sorrow No More
Sorrow Floats. Name that book.

Steeleye Span- All Around My Hat
Hooray for Hat!

Klark Kent- Excess
This song is about getting wasted and embarrassing oneself.
My excesses have gotten the best of me/I'm ready to go home
I don't need drugs or alcohol in order to embarrass myself.
I'm a man. That's enough.

Sixty Of My Best Friends

Hooray for tonight's extra hour of downtime!
-----------------------------------------------

Tomorrow morning will be the first anniversary of my weekly radio program, The New Breakfast Snob, which began as a 'one-time' only affair and soon turned into a sadomusical morning tradition- every Sunday I am awake at 6 am and on-air at 7 am, performing a two-hour tribute to my record collection- for a year I have been doing this...nuts, is what.

Today was a glorious fall day, perfect leaf-kicking stroll-taking weather...I had planned to spend the day brooding and mulling, but circumstance intervened and I found myself down at the station, substituting for another DJ- his show is mostly new music, something I don't know much about...I was literally pulling stuff off the shelves and googling info on the fly between songs...it was a lot of fun, I was tired and not feeling well, but I got some calls and messages that cheered me up:

#1: My date from the previous week called. We had been friends before I asked her out- on our date, I learned somethings I didn't know- it's no one's fault, but it's unlikely that we'll ever date...but it's very likely that we will remain friends, and that's more important in the long run, I think...not much time to talk, I'm on the air, but I'm really glad she called.

#2: A long-time friend calls to tell me that she's listening to the show, which reminds me...we've been friends for twenty years- it might be my imagination, but I have felt a shift in the way she treats me now...if I'm wrong, it won't be a big deal...the funny thing is, caller #1 is convinced that I am sleeping/have slept with caller #2. I haven't.
I get a strong impression that #1 and #2 have met , do not like each other and that I have something to do with it.
I'm such a loser that I can get two women to fight over me without actually getting laid by either one. I'm not especially happy with this unusual ability, but it's always nice getting calls from my pal; reminds me that there is an audience, ya know?

She also reminds me that I had a training session later that day...I had totally forgotten, but my friend brought it up..."it's you and two women today, eh?", she said...damn, how could I forget that?
The two women I was 'training' pretty much had it together; today they did a two hour program showcasing local female musicians and singers from the past 50 years- I was duly impressed with the foresight and research that went into it; everyone is a bit nervous on the mic, but they warmed up real good, yup- I wuz proud o' them gals. Seriously.
I'm responsible for what goes on during that show, and it's great seeing people show up prepared and excited. The enthusiasm translates well to radio.
They called it the "Yes , Ma'am" Show, heh, good banter...I asked them if they'd consider filling in for me tomorrow, as I'd like to sleep in- "No Sir!", they replied. Oh well.

I'm still sore over the way my little station was called "nonsense" at my Big TV interview...having a good time felt like revenge for those petty insults. It didn't look like anyone at Big TV were having fun. We don't get paid, but we don't need 'thick skins' either. (Usually)

Anyway, here's most of what I played. I missed few songs when the blog ate my post:

They Might Be Giants- With the Dark
Always good. Back after 10-15 years off, I think.

Kola Koca Death Squad-Power Stroke
Reviewer remark on CD: "I love the cowbell on #7!" Hell, yeah! Me too!
A DJ call: "I love that cowbell!" Yeah, me too...

Gay Dad- Joy!
For Joy. I don't know if her dad is gay...I doubt it.

Marionette- Your World
Fave local pals.

Frank Smith- Throwin' Rocks
A band, not a person. Rootsy. Good.

Stars- The Night Starts Here
Fuck. Four minutes of my life I wish I could have back.

Triffids- Suntrapper
From 1986, this CD re-release was first recorded in a sheep shearing shed 600km SE of Nowhere, Australia. I like this band, gotta get more.

Nouvelle Vague- Bela Lugosi's Dead
I like this band, but this version of the old Bauhaus classic just sorta bored me...

MGMT- Weekend Wars
I can't remember anything about this . I was explaining my vinyl fetish to a young woman, wasn't paying attention to the music.

Lovedrug- Doomsday & the Echo
By 'vinyl fetish' , I meant LP record albums - it's funny how often that gets mixed up with something else. That confusion could get interesting. Sadly, this music will not.

The Capes-Supergirls
Yep. Good powerpop. On the floor is OK.

Devandra Banhart- Samba Vex
This is bizarre. Further investigation required. The music, I mean.

Tullycraft- The Punks Are Writing Lovesongs
Silly String on rubber sheets.It sounds just like that.

New Pornographers- My rights v. Yours
Damn...this is crafty material. Slick and tight production, Beach Boys influences...interesting.

New Young Pony Club-Hiding in the Staircase
Whatever.

Arctic Monkeys- Brainstorm
I got this from a blogpal (Hi!) in the States. Love ya!

Empire Dogs- Whole Lotta Love
Back to Sweden, with love. More blogpallery!

The Blakes- Village Green
John Lennon.

Black Before Red- Underneath Gold
From Austin, TX. Catchy pop. Liked it.

The Lonely H- Meal
Hanson, but with more H. Avoid.

Alina Simone- Saw Edged Grass
Great voice, Michigan origin, I think. Add to "dig deeper" list.

Minus the Bear-Knights
It was OK.

Dragons of Zynth-Breaker
This sounds like something you'd have to be stoned to enjoy properly. Often, I find that I wind up really digging music that I initially don't 'get'...this might be that sort of thing. On the other hand it might just suck. Dig deeper.

Spoon- #5?
Finally, Spoon that I don't much like. It's still Spoon, but it's different somehow...the charm is weak on this one. Still, bad Spoon is better than most bands.

Tomorrow: More of Not the Same.

----------------------------------------------------
Special thanks to all the kindness and support I have been offered lately , but I think I'll be OK for now... I am deeply moved by the camaraderie I enjoy in the real and virtual world-it's the other 99.9% of the world that pisses me off.

Voyeur at Work

This is me peeking into a window. I'm pushing a modified shopping cart that holds all of my worldly possessions- a mixing board and a computer. It's a Green Machine, it's got a built-in electrical generator-as long as I keep pushing it, it produces enough electricity to power itself.
I am wearing special 'stealth' headphones that make me quieter as I skulk the alleyways, furtively seeking glimpses of...


Stop the cart. This might be the place.


Looks like something going on in there. It's Richmond band Marionette and it seems as if they are gonna play music...I just saw them last night and they were fantastic-here they are again!
Do they ever stop playing?
I'd accuse them of stalking me , but I'm the one peeking in the window at them.

In the hallway with the band.
Notice that I am not staring.
I may be a stalker, but I'm also a gentleman.


Photos by Lil Cerberus, who moonlights as James Bond's bartender.



Capacity crowd in the broadcast booth.

Eight bands in five days. Seven down, one to go.

Tomorrow night: Elvis impersonator Wrenn Mangum & friends on DJ Will's 12 Fluid Ounce show, Monday @ 7 pm. Tune in!

Wake and Snake

Yesterday was my 41st birthday. I spent most of the day waiting for someone who never showed up; eventually I took a chance and drove my faltering car to the supermarket. Sometimes it takes a looong time to start, so I brought a book with me, just in case.

Good thing that I did.

The weather was nice- I hung out in the Kroger parking lot, ate 'day-old' pastries and re-read a few chapters of Schrodinger's Cat. After a while my car decided to co-operate and I made it home in time to meet my aunt and uncle, who took me out to dinner. I have been living off of oatmeal , beans, rice etc. for weeks now, so I said fuck a bunch of healthy shit , give me some goddamn ribs!

Mmmm...a long-lost blogpal once informed me that the word sarcasm literally derives from ' rending of the flesh' (true!)- my meal was deliciously sarcastic! Dripping, it was!

This morning I had a guest in the studio- 'Schlep', who found my blog by Googling 'Snakefinger'
It turns out that not only does Schlep listen to a lot of the same music I do, he also lives in Richmond- one block from my house!
Part of my volunteer work involves finding and training new people for the station, but I never thought I'd be recruiting DJs via my blog- Schlep graciously brought coffee and muffins- if you think my coffee habit is exaggerated in this blog, it's not.
Now I have a witness.

Last week sucked. All I posted was a bunch of filler and a hastily spewed (and since revised) short story- but I forgot my playlist.
Oh well.
(If anyone cares, my playlists are also posted here.)

Anyway.

Here's this week's list:

The New Breakfast Snob, 9/15/2007

Dude. Your show is over in 45 seconds- you just started a four-minute song. A four-minute Contemporary Jesus song, no less- not on my time, you ain't...it gave me great pleasure to guillotine that motherfucker in mid-verse. Praise and Hallelujah!
Dude. If you think I'm just sore because your Redskins beat my Dolphins, you would be 99% correct...now excuse me while I kill your song and replace it with:

Gong- Sprinkling of Clouds
Last night was the first time I've eaten red meat in weeks. This song is nearly nine minutes long...

Loreena McKennitt- Kecharitome
And this one is eight minutes...

Point Music Promo - Track #8
I wish I knew who the artist is...it's a 'promo' CD without any info on the artists at all...what kinda promo is that? I love this eastern-influenced string and percussion piece, whatever it is.

Steeleye Span- Johnny was a Shoemaker/ Lowlands of Holland
My guest, Schlep, is also a Fan of Span. Cool beans. Potatoes. Whatever.

West of Eden-Hide and Seek
From 2007. How unusual.

Altan- Stor A Stor A Ghra
I want more of this band.

Marian Bradfield- Please Don't Set Me Free
This is what happens when you start talking to things that aren't the microphone. In this instance, the thing was a person- I forget what I was saying, but I played this song by mistake.
This song wipes ass and we had to suffer through nearly the whole thing before I could find a fade point...I think. It was so traumatic that I've already repressed the memory. Sorry.

Claanad- Gathering Mushrooms
Meadow muffins and misty mornings...

Jefferson Airplane- Rock Me Baby
Bring it back home with some Blues- this live cut showcases Jorma Kaukonen and sounds a lot like early Hot Tuna... I wonder why?

Savoy Brown- Poor Girl
Ooops. I meant to play a different song- I guess that's appropriate , since this album is in the wrong cover...I purchased it that way and didn't even notice until I got home...tsk.

Big Brother & Big Holding Co- Keep On
This is after Janis...poor girl.

Snakefinger- Haven't Any Hay
From a 1984 live show, CD courtesy of Schlep.

Fiona Joyce- Cry Over You
Another 2007 release...ding.

Pentangle- Bruton Town
I'm shamrockin' out today!

Daevid Allen w/ Robert Wyatt- Memories
Memories will hang you up and haunt you...for instance, you might wind up spending your birthday alone in a heightened state of regret and anxious remorse.
Or a parking lot.
Or both.

Jethro Tull- Journeyman
By request. And yes, I set the freekin' satellite frequency thingamabob already...sheesh.

Fairport Convention- My Girl The Month of May/Million Dollar Bash
Sorry, didn't have any Dylan for the other request- I snuck in a Dylan cover instead.

Neil Young- Don't Let it Bring You Down
When I was a kid, I'd self-medicate my depression with this song. From this very copy, in fact...I never thought I'd be playing it on the radio for the same reason. Life is weird.

Aphrodite's Child- Good Time So Fine
It's all Greek to me.

Stranglers- Ships That Pass in the Night
One day I'm gonna do two hours of Stranglers. I can't wait to play Bring on the Nubiles...

10 CC- Sand in my Face
These guys listened to Frank Zappa and the Mothers.

Zappa and the Mothers- Happy Together
These guys are Frank Zappa and the Mothers.

Quicksilver Silver Messenger- It's Been Too Long
Great 60's guitar band -this album was produced by Nick Gravenites, who also sings on the Big Brother cut played earlier...some shoes are just to big to fill, ya know?

Pretty Things -She's A Lover
For Alexis B. I'm sorry.

Capt. Beefheart- Tropical Hot Dog Night
Dig the horns.

Pretty Things- Trust
Really. I am.

Only One Day Behind!

I may be an old man but music keeps me young. In fact, it keeps me downright immature.
As long as I can still walk, I can still pogo-dance around the DJ booth and play air guitar- my mandatory 48 oz. Sunday coffee blast doesn't hurt either.
Today's show was one of the most enjoyable ones I've done for a long time- and it was all because of other people! I'll explain later.

After the show, my car- which is already in dire need of tire alignment- wouldn't start. It would gasp and die. Grrrrooowww....putter.....stop. This went on until I flooded the engine over and over- so I did the rational thing and went for a caffeine break to soothe my nerves. Then I returned and hurled hi-speed profanity at my Volvo. It took three '"motherfucks" and one "suck my balls, you piece of shit" to get it started, albeit even more herky-jerky and sputtery than before... that goddamn "Check Engine" has been on since February or March.
I'm beginning to suspect it means something.

I managed to get it home, but not before calling for help- my friend Mike arrived just as I was getting it started...sorry Mike! Thanks for comin'!

By this time I'm wired and upset, but I still have a good vibe from my morning show, so I grab some tools and head outside to fix my car. Mind you, I have very little, if any, skill with automobiles but I do perform quite a bit of PC and audio troubleshooting. I decided to use the same techniques that I use on my other gear on my car- I found everything electrical that could be unplugged or unhooked and then I disconnected it. Any wires or cables that couldn't be disconnected were given the old 'jiggle/wiggle' treatment. While I was doing this I found two notable things :
1) A CD-sized fragment of shattered headlight glass that fell out of somewhere and sliced me up worse than 1,000 cats...it must have been blown into the motor when I hit that deer on July 4th- I can't imagine any other reason for lamp glass to be under my hood.

2) A dry rotted vacuum hose that threatened to crumble at my touch. I wonder if the auto parts shop is open tomorrow? I make an Occam's Razor note of this hose and leave it alone for the moment.

Then I removed all the fuses and checked each one- all fine. For good measure, I disconnected the battery in hope that the car's computer might reboot or something (a lesson I learned from my digital TV modem)- then I went inside and smoked a fatty.

Feeling better, I went back outside and put everything back together. 4,3,1,2...sure am glad I wrote that down...and then I connected the battery.
Insert key.
Turn.

Vroom. That fucker purrs like a kitten. It's so smooth that it's hard to tell it's running- just like the day I bought it!
My elation lasts until I shift into Drive- sputter, shake, gasp- CHECK ENGINE. Fuck!

-----------

Today I drove to the parts shop and spent five bucks on four feet of hose and a connector. I traced the hose back to where it was still sheathed and solid and amputated the rest of it. Then I hooked up the new hose to the engine and reset the CHECK ENGINE light.

Vroom. Purr. I'm cautiously optimistic. I take the long way home and it runs wonderfully, idling at well under 1k rpm -approx 750-800ish, looks like. I don't know what that means but I read on a Volvo forum that that is a good number, especially for a really old engine. The CHECK light remains dormant.
I got home fine and so far, so good...tomorrow: the tires.
(More thanks to Mike for suggesting that I replace the hose before I spent money on a mechanic. Over the years, Mike has saved me a fortune just by giving me good car advice.)

It's been a pretty decent pair of days but life happens much faster than I can blog about it - I still haven't posted this week's playlist. So:

The New Breakfast Snob, Sept 2, 2007

Savoy Brown- Take It Easy, Baby
This is a great morning song. It's a great night song too.

Pretty Things- The Letter/Rain
Dear John,
Is it raining or are you crying on this letter? No matter.
Goodbye forever,
J
PS: I never loved you.

Maire Brennan-Against The Wind
Always against the wind...her sister is Enya and but I like Brennan anyway.

Damien Dempsey- Hold Me
Dude. Damo is brilliant.

Larry Graham- Can't Stand The Rain
What is rain? The last time it rained here, this LP was new.

Syd Barrett- Long Gone
Ah, poor Syd. I told a bit of his story and used it to remind both of my listeners that taking gobs of LSD is probably not a very good idea no matter how talented you are.

Arctic Monkeys- Riot Van
A gift from one of my fave bloggers- I gotta say North Carolina produces some good blogfolks- this song describes the coppers bustin' up a group of loitering, drinking UK youth. This band reminds me of what the children of the Stranglers might sound like- until I saw pics of the Monkeys. They look so young that they might be the Stranglers grandchildren- if you combined the ages of all the kids in the band, they still probably aren't old enough to drink. Thank Godzilla they are old enough to play guitars.

Soweto Gospel Choir- So Many Rivers to Cross
This just flat-out sounds good. Sound is everything.

Robyn Hitchcock- Rain
Ex-Soft Boy Robyn Hitchcock has a knack for writing evocative and disturbing songs without ever using profanity. He is a subversive genius who listened to a lot of Syd Barrett...luckily, Hitchcock never went psychotic- at least as far as I know.

Captain Beefheart- Where's There's Woman
There's trouble brewing. The good kind.

Cardiacs- Wind and Rains is Cold
My blog reader 'Schlep' actually assembled a set of great CDs from his stash and went to the radio station and delivered them to me. I thought Schlep was my pal "he-who-remains -nameless", but he isn't. He isn't even a DJ- but he should be.
Schlep totally set the the upbeat tone for my weekend with his surprise gift! Big Thanks!
I had barely heard of the Cardiacs- it as if they relish being obscure- the world isn't ready for them, but I am. Check them out but please don't ask me what they sound like.

When I introduced this song, I talked about how great it is to have an international fan club and how much I missed my Swedish Teenage Internet Girlfriend...sigh. I used to be huuugge in Stockholm...now I am forgotten.
When I got home, I had a message from her. Not so forgotten after all!

Dead Can Dance- Summoning of The Muse
This was an oblique request that I was happy to fill. It worked magically.

Pentangle- Mirage
I probably play this song more often than I should, but it's one of the finest-sounding recordings I have ever heard. And it's exactly 120 seconds long, which is very useful in a broadcast context.

Altan-Stor, Stor A Ghra
Thanks to Bill L. for sending this CD to me for station review. Old, but new for me. I'm developing a Celtic fetish as I age. I need Gaelic lessons.

Signal Hill- Cecelia
You're breaking my heart...actually my heart feels pretty good. I like this cover.

Fiona Joyce- Trees
Q: How can you listen to LA punk, speed- metal, hippie crap and girly Celtic music?
A: How can you not? I like Fiona Joyce as much as I like Motorhead- and I love Motorhead. Sure wish I had a night-time show sometimes...

801 Live- Tomorrow Never Knows
Jeez...this would be a hard song to play live- the Beatles couldn't do it...Brian Eno , Phil Manzanera and friends could, however. Amazing.

Crack the Sky- I am the Walrus
Another Beatles song that was too difficult for the Fab Four to play live. This version kicks ass- listening to twin guitars following the string arrangements...the synth nails the horn parts...spectacular.

Ray Manzarek- Art Deco Fandango
It's my theory that Manzarek is a musical genius and the Doors would have been truly awful without him. Jim Morrison was overrated in every way except debauchery, but Ray was different... he went on to produce X, one of the best punk bands EVER.
This tune has a New Orleans swing to it. Everybody fan-dan-go!

Snakefinger (Live)- 36-22-36
The person who gave me this wonderful CD called while I was playing it. We DJ's love it when people call, and this was an especially cool call. If you like your local indie station, take time to call the DJ and tell them...you do have a local indie station, right? Oh.

One of the things I do is train new DJ's on Sundays.
My reasoning is: If you can drag your ass into the studio early on a Sunday morning, you might just be dedicated enough to be a good DJ. So far, so good.
The next set was selected, announced and played by my latest trainee- who better come up with a 'handle' soon. If I have to pick your 'radio name' for you, you will not like it.

Mystery DJ mini- set:

Howlin Wolf-Moanin at Miidnite
Jones Bros.-Gospel Train
Capt. Beefheart-Diddy Wah Diddy
The Count Five-Psychotic Reaction

He done good. Back to me and my bitterly self-referential play list:

Supertramp- Another Man's Woman
I'm not going into the details. Yet.

Gong- Cat in Clark's Shoes
Gong had started sliding into Jazz Fusion at this point, but I still like the grooves on this LP, Shamal. The show after mine is straight Jazz, so I sometimes try to exit on a jazzy note- plus it's six minutes long and my bladder hurts!

I already mentioned my car problems, but I had another surprise too:

- The owner of a local music store/recording studio called me at my house on a holiday weekend. He'd finally seen my resume and wasn't exactly sure what kind of job he might have, but since I am qualified to run the studio, the store and the office why don't I come down Weds. at lunchtime and meet him. Maybe he could make a job for me, me being all multi-talented and all...I've gotten my studio job hopes up plenty of times before and had them dashed, but I'm going for it again. It was a good phone call.

- And no emergency calls from the hospital. That was a good non-call!

Who Knows?

Oh no.
My worst nightmare realized.
I forgot to reset my alarm after last night's brief power outage- it's exactly 7 AM. I have to be on-air in zero seconds. I call the studio and ask DJ KB to give me 15 minutes, on the way, etc...
(Thanks K)
Then I realized I hadn't put my show together- I was gonna do it in the early morning hours- so I just grab the first box o' crap I see and bolt.

At 7:10 I'm signing on. It's a good thing I live near the studio.

Lou Reed- What's Good?
This album, Magic and Loss, was gift to me from my mom as she was dying of cancer. For years I couldn't listen to it without falling apart but now I fall back on it when I need strength.
This morning I fell back on it when I needed an opening song.

Jefferson Airplane- Other Side of This Life
It always looks better here from over there.
I'm a big fan of the Airplane family and this live LP is one of my faves- those guys could really tear it up on stage- none of that polished Marty Balin Starship crap that came later...

Larry Graham-Hair
I cut the hell out of myself while shaving my head yesterday- had blood running down my face like Sissy Spacek in Carrie-well, it wasn't quite that bad. It was more like a few drops, but it's more dramatic to describe it as 'torrents'.

Tom Verlaine- Down on the Farm
As heard in Television- from his solo LP, Mr. Blur. I found this in a box of closet junk- cool find!

King Crimson- Heartbeat
I need to land sometime...right next to you.
This LP, Beat , and the following one, Three of a Perfect Pair, contain some unusually sweet and accessible love songs by Crimson standards. After they broke up, singer/guitarist Adrian Belew released a couple of solo albums celebrating the wonders of fatherhood and domestic bliss, so I guess the Crimson tracks were a form of foreshadowing.

Tangerine Dream- Little Blond in the House of Attractions
Right now I need a song that's seven minutes long. Maybe longer. The radio in the bathroom is broken...much time is left? Aaaaaaa!
This should be titled : Little Bald in the Outhouse of Spasms

Pentangle- Hunting Song
This group is better than a dozen Xanax. Their recordings have a timeless, hypnotic clarity to them. I haven't had any coffee and I start drifting off...pretty guitars...sweet voice

Stranglers- Golden Brown
Bad choice- I love this ballad, but the faux harpsichord and airy harmonies are puttin' me to sleep. La lala la...

Loreena McKinnet - Mummer's Dance
If I'm gonna lapse into dreamland on-air, I might as well play McKinnett and hope that I fall into a shamanistic trance state. Those are educational.

Clannad- Love and Affection
Why is this so hard to find? The song asks, but doesn't answer.

Fiona Joyce- The Juggler
One of the few new Celtic CD's received recently. I like Joyce a lot, hard to find in the stores though.

Bob Dylan- Mighty Quinn/ Little Sadie
When in doubt, a double Dylan will do. From Self-Portrait.

Damien Dempsey- Celtic Tiger
Swift would like this song. A lot. If you can find Dempsey stateside, buy it.

Marianne Faithfull - Broken English
I love this LP. My favorite song contains some of the most beautiful profanity ever recorded. Too bad I can't play it.

Hot Tuna- North Wind Rise
Jack Casady and Jorma Kaukonen from the Airplane Family.

Lucinda Williams- I Lost It
Hahahaha...I love this song! Finally starting to wake up. LW is my new coffee!

Patti Smith - Free Money
Wanna know how to make free money? Hmmm? No one? Aw.

Robert Fripp- Chicago
I love the muted howling of the guitar in the background...it reminds me of sitting on my brother's shady Chicago back porch. It's calm and peaceful, but in the distance something loud is always happening.

Alan Parsons Project- Don't Let It Show
Sometimes I feel like this song. Not sure that's a good thing.

Soft Boys- Positive Vibration
Keep it positive! Manic happy!

Flaming Groovies- Comin' After Me
Ten headhunters with a buzz-saw! Not that I'm paranoid or anything...

Clash- Brand New Cadillac
When I was kid, I listened to the Grateful Dead. When I got older I listened to the Clash.
I still listen to the Clash.

Quicksilver Messenger Service- Gold and Silver
This jazzy dueling guitar instrumental should be a nice intro to the next show, which is called Be-Bop and Beyond- it's hosted by a former New Orleans DJ, Mr. Jazz, and his theme song is by jazz great Horace Silver- done special for Mr. Jazz! Hep!

Damn...why am I so tired? Oh yeah. I know why I'm so tired.

Sweet dreams and have a pleasant valley Sunday!

Blue Man Grope

I feel your pain and it's starting to hurt, so wouldja just get better already?

I had eight and a half hours of airtime this weekend- three two-hour shows as DJ and one show as engineer/producer. I was so impressed with myself that I took my own picture so that you, the reader, could admire me as much as I admire myself. Actually, I was trying to examine the sunburn on my scalp but I won't post those pics... suffice it say that next time I go for a drive with the sunroof open I will wear a hat.

Anyway, six hours of music is about seventy-five songs- plus the 30 minutes I picked up from the 6am DJ who overslept- usually I post and narrate my playlists, but this is 75 fucking songs- who the hell would read that? Better yet, who would write it?

Me. But without the details this week.

First, Zendo Soundsystem. DJ Ras-Bob usually mixes it up with modern flavor, but my groove music collection tends towards the WayBack Machine and the Mothership Connection- (and a few cuts from South Park):

Cameo- Word Up
Funkadelic- Freek of the Week
Talking Heads- I Zimbra
Curtis Mayfield- Little Child Runnin' Wild
Master P- Kenny's Dead
Average White Band- Schoolboy Crush
Papa John Creach - Enjoy
Red Hot Chili Peppers-If You Want Me To Stay
Funkadelic- I'll Stay
Steve Hillage-Unzipping the Zype
Parliament- Big Bang Theory
Little Feat- Spanish Moon
Big Brother & the Holding Co.- Funkie Jim
Tower of Power- I Gotta Groove
Grace Jones- Inspiration
P-Funk All-Stars- Funky Kind( Knock it Down)
Isaac "Chef" Hayes- Simultaneous
Marvin Gaye- Come Get To This
Troublefunk- Woman of Principle
Kool & the Gang- She's a Bad Mama Jama
Rick James & Ike Turner- Love Gravy
Ray Manzarek- Begin The World Again
Stevie Wonder- Superstitious
George Clinton - Kredit Kard
Chris Spedding- Breakout
James Brown-Living in America

Saturday I spent four hours in gridlock and barely made it to the station in time to host Songs From the Big Hair, our weekly 1980's show. I had the pleasure of being assisted by my "trainee" Fontaine, who added some fresh air to my stale records. I used the air-quotes because Fontaine has been a DJ at another station for many, many years- in fact, she trained me as her summer substitute over a decade ago... by the end of the program she was running the show while my assistant Eric and I set up the studio for our musical guest - the wonderful Lauren Kendall - who played four fantastic songs on keyboard, voice and cello accompanied by her man Blake on percussion. Not only did they sound great, they also came prepared with gear and good-natured humor that helped soothe my white-knuckled nerves. Kudos to musicians who carry microphones with them- special thanks to L&B for the cables and to Fontaine for the tunes!

Big Hair:

Danielle Dax- Inky Bloaters
Gary Numan- Engineers
King Crimson- Model Man
Fleshtones- Girl From Baltimore
Opal- Magick Power
Crack The Sky- Lost in America
Dead Kennedys - Viva Las Vegas
Bad Brains- Re-Ignition
Sonic Youth- Hotwire my Heart
Siouxsie and the Banshees- Arabian Knights
XTC- Wake Up
Tom Tom Club -Genius of Love
Mission of Burma- That's When I Reach For My Revolver
King Crimson- Elephant Talk
X- White Girl
Tupelo Chain Sex- The Revolution Will Be Televised
Snakefinger- Kill the Great Raven
Talking Heads- The Great Curve
The Soft Boys - I Got the Hots
Keith Le Blanc - But Whitey/Einstein
The Cramps - Garbageman
The Blasters - I'm Shakin'
Pere Ubu - We Have the Technology
Magazine - The Honeymoon Killers
The Fall - Copped It
Pixies - Tony's Theme
Dream Syndicate - That's What You Always Say
Run DMC - Mary, Mary
Udokotela Shange Namajaha - Awungilobolele

By the time I was finished with Lauren's show I was exhausted and starving, having not had a chance to eat all day, so I said fuck the diet- I got myself some fried chicken and went home, did bongs and watched the Sci-Fi channel. Maybe it was the weed, but does Sci-Fi's original programming consist entirely of monsters eating bikini models? I didn't even notice when one movie ended and the next one began- all I know is that if you hike in the rain-forest wearing a g-string you will be eaten by dinosaurs.

I wanted to dream about the g-string models-sans dinos- but I barely had time to sleep at all before I had to rush back down to the studio at 6:30am to fill in for he-who-shall-not-be-named, who had * ahem* overslept.
Then, of course, my own weekly show.

The New Breakfast Snob:

Raput & The Sepuy- Up, up and away
The Scramblers- Mister Hot Rod
Circle Makers- Circles
Eleanor McCovey- Whisper and a Prayer
Victor Banana- Stall Genie-Gooseneck Hollow
King Crimson- Thrak
West of Eden- Hide and Seek
Rosemary Woods- Everywhere I Go
Clann an Drumma- Visedail
Velvet Underground- Sunday Morning
Fiona Joyce- Cry Over You
Siobhan Skates- Short a Penny
The Kinks- Village Green Preservation Society
Grace Slick & Paul Kantner- Ballad of the Chrome Nun
Loreena McKennitt- Caravansrai
Claanad- Why Worry?
Briege Murphy- The Sea
The Stranglers- Midnight Summer Dream
Marianne Faithfull- Witch's Song
Pentangle- Springtime Promises
Jethro Tull- Fat Man
Jefferson Airplane- Rock Me Baby
Little Feat- Fat Man in the Bathtub
Slick & Kantner- Fat
Captain Beefheart- This is the Day
PrettyThings- Goodbye/Going Downhill
Graham Central Station- Ole Smokey
10 CC- Sand in my Face
Mike Watt- Against the 70's
Tom Verlaine- Always
King Crimson- Ladies of the Road
PJ Harvey- Workin' For the Man
Can- Soup


Now for my next trick: some serious nap inaction.

What's Playing?

Things have been more than a little chaotic lately and it continues to be interesting...I've been temporarily cut off from the Intertubes at home so even Blooging is difficult. Bad news following bad news...it's a trying time, but I'm still here and am OK. To those of you who have been with me, listening and sending kindnesses, I thank you all. It does help. It really does.

Despite all the bad news, there are some good things that remain constant, and music is one of those. Here's my much belated playlist from Sunday AM:


Gong (w/ Alan Holdsworth)- Espresso
After Daevid Allen and Steve Hillage quit, Gong continued under drummer Pierre Moerlen's leadership. He recruited Alan Holdsworth and release a couple of percussive jazz fusion records.
I don't like jazz fusion very much, but I do like this album-(Gazeuse). The best thing I can say about Holdsworth's solo albums is that he isn't Al DiMeola. Faint praise.

Funkadelic- Into You
"I can't get into a drug addict principle...I can't get into the neutron bomb"
But I can get into you. If you want me to.

Focus- Sylvia
Let's go Dutch.

Gong- Heaven's Gate
From Gong's 25th anniversary LP...1996? I saw them in Baltimore and was ready to be disappointed by my tired old heroes...such was not the case. Those old fuckers tore the house down. One of the best shows I have ever seen, and I've seen a few. Original Gong drummer Pip Pyle died late last year, but he lived long enough for me to see him play. This show is for Pip!

Loreena McKinnett- Hearts in Space
I want to be a roadie in her band...no...I want to be a groupie. McKinnett just makes it work, ya know? Love at first listen.

New York Gong- Jungle Windo
Daevid Allen's 1979 all-star proto-punk album, one of the most influential records you have never heard. Features Fred Maher, Chris Cutler, Bill Laswell and, of course, saxamaphonist extraordinaire Gary Windo.

Pretty Things- Goodbye/Goin' Downhill
If there was ever an 'under-rated' rock band, it was the Pretty Things. They've been playing on and off for over thirty years- unlike their moss-gathering peers, these guys can still rock hard without a bevy of supporting musicians and an exploding SuperBowl backdrop.

Alan Parsons Project- Breakdown
"When I breakdown just a little and lose my thread, no one can understand the words that I said"
Emerson, Lake and Palmer- New Orleans
The best ELP tracks are the ones you never hear. This instrumental is one of them. It's under three minutes long... a real prog-rock oddity. Carl Palmer is so awesome on this that I forgive him for Asia. Really, Carl, it's alright. We all make mistakes.

Danielle Dax- Tomorrow Never Knows
I have had a burning crush on Danielle Dax since 1985. I still do. She plays with explosives and does really trippy Beatles covers. Dax plays many, many instruments and she has one of those love or hate voices. I love it. Her world turns me on.

Mott The Hoople- Death May Be Your Santa Claus
Another great underrated but influential band. I need to update my Hoople collection.

XTC- Life is Good in The Greenhouse
Despite it all, the song is correct.

Daevid Allen- Time of Your Life
From Banana Moon, this UK single highlights Pip Pyle's manic drumming. RIP.

Brian Eno - Mother Whale Eyeless
I love Eno. I'll buy anything I see his name on, but Taking Tiger Mountain... is a hard act to follow. You can hear his production evolve on this album- listen to this record and then listen to Talking Heads' Fear of Music. Hear that? Dude, that is some good sound.

Gong- Where Have All The Flowers Gone?
To Flower Heaven, where they decorate Pip's drumkit.

Lou Reed- What's Good?
My mother gave me a copy of Magic and Loss while she was dying of cancer. This album may very well be the most profound record that I own. I can't listen to it without risking tears.

Tom Waits- Walkin' Spanish
Tom needs a show of his own. Stay tuned!

Capt. Beefheart- Ashtray Heart
I feel like a glass shrimp...case of the punks, right from the start.

Soft Machine (w/ Daevid Allen)- Memories
From a 1967 demo tape recorded in France...Allen left to form Gong, after which the Soft Machine toured with Hendrix; later, Robert Wyatt drank, fell down and crippled himself. Wyatt's drumming is driven and intense but his voice is beautiful and haunting...the stuff of memories and dreams.

Gong- Tried So Hard
Don't give up. Never surrender.

Steve Hillage - Sea Nature
Steve is THE Gong guitarist. Not bad stringsmanship for a hippy, eh?

Grace Slick/Paul Kantner- Sketches of China
Speaking of hippies, that's the unmistakable sound of Jerry Garcia playing. I actually got a phone call on this song, a listener couldn't believe they were hearing it- "great song" they said. I love it.

Be Bop Deluxe- Japan
Equal time, ya know?
Oh , I'm so in love with my Japan...not. But I do love Bill Nelson.

Golden Palominos- Heaven
Everyone I see is missing something...

Being Awesome is Hard Work

Remember Rube Goldberg? Rube would like my style. This is my desk at home - this morning, I waited until the last possible second to convert music from a vinyl record to a computer file .
On the right, there is a turntable- music leaves the turntable, goes into the 1970's console below it- (which actually has 'PHONO' I/O), is routed through the smaller mixer into my computer, which displays it as a wave form and converts and saves it as digital- then it goes from PC into the smaller mixer (center) and finally into my cheap-ass desk stereo and $20 speakers.

There are easier and better ways to to do this, but my way is more fun.

Anyway, I got the album recorded just in time to rush down to the station for a quick lunch. It's our Spring Fund Raiser :


Sushi!

Then I headed out to the West End for a Focus Group. That will be getting a post of it's own.

Then back to the station, where I sat in on our Local Show with DJ Jeff and MC Wendy:

I am Co-Director of Local Music and this is my section. Being Co-Director means that my colleague Mike Rutz does all the work and I get half the credit. He's pretty amazing- keeping up with all the local stuff is hard.

Anyway, I gotta get ready for tomorrow morning's show.
Tune in at 7am EST on the web.


My program is called The New Breakfast Snob- vote for it !

Full story after the dust settles....

Weekend Report

Saturday morning I was listening to the radio and I heard my DJ pals play a couple cuts from this album-Harper and Jugula- a 1985 collaboration between Roy Harper and Jimmy Page.

It made my bulb glow.

Seriously, as soon as I heard that, I had this brilliant flash- bright, but not blinding, if you know what I mean. I must have that album.

I called the station and spoke with my DJ pal Gene.

"Gene", I asked, " do you have that album?"

He said it came in with a batch of old records he was sorting through at work.

Gene has the second-worst job on the planet. The poor guy runs a business that sells records on-line. I think he has six million albums. Anyway, about the only thing worse than selling records is playing them; and Gene, on top of all that , is also a DJ- which is the worst job on the planet. The poor man just can't seem to catch a break.

It about broke my heart listening to all the great music he was forced to handle, so I thought maybe I'd see if I couldn't ease his burden a bit.

"Why don't you give me that record?", I offered. "That way you wouldn't have to own it anymore."

"Well...uh, er..." Oh. I see. Gene is one of those businessmen who thinks his company should actually make money. Capitalist!

"OK. How much are you asking for it?"

"...I bought it for myself. I'm not selling it. I've never seen it before either."

"Gene, stop toying with me. How much?"

"Not for sale."

Begging isn't pretty but it works.

I have the LP for one week. I played it this morning, in fact.

Here's the rest of what I played this morning:

Joe Jackson- Sunday Papers
I used to listen to this on a shoebox-sized cassette Walkman while I delivered the Sunday papers in Columbia , Md. Now I'm playing it on-air. Yeah!

P.J. Harvey- Send His Love to Me
The sound of a woman yearning turns me on. This is some seriously yearning music.

Steve Hillage- Palm Trees (Love Guitar)
He's a dippy hippie but he's no fool when it come to guitar FX- that's analog delay, not digital. Analog sounds better and Steve knows it.

Roy Harper & Jimmy Page- Elizabeth
When this winter is over Elizabeth
I will come for you
Bearing songs on the wings
Of great happiness
-Roy Harper


Loreena McKennitt- Mystic's Dream
The first time I heard McKennitt sing I was done for. This is beautiful, eyes-closed listening music.

Golden Palominos- Pure
This would be a great song to make out to. At least I think it would.

The Beatles- Don't Let Me Down
Beatles.OK? OK?

Claanad- The Hunter
I play this band a lot. It's because I like them.

Quiet Sun- Mummy was an Asteroid, Daddy was a small non-stick kitchen utensil
I've already blogged about this record, but ya gotta love the title to this instrumental.

Led Zeppelin- Down by the Seaside
I could do a whole show just playing all four sides of Physical Graffiti and talking about how great it sounds. I'm not kidding.



Be-Bop Deluxe- Ships in the Night
Would someone please give Bill Nelson some props? The dude helped invent New Wave. It didn't suck when he played it either.

The Stranglers- Ships That Pass in the Night
Gutter-punk with naked mohawk chicks or elegant New Wave ballads with classical finesse? Depends on which album you're listening to.

Pretty Things- Come See Me
"Baby, I'm your man...I'm your man-n-n-n-"

Nina Hagen- Wir Leben Immer Noch (Lucky Number)
I really like Nina Hagen. You either do or you don't and I do.

Pere Ubu- Worlds In Collision
One of my favorite bands. I met Dave Thomas when he visited the station. I said "hello". He said "what's up?"

Brice Woodall- Control Freak
Richmonder who moved to Chicago. I love the way this disc sounds. Dude has a voice and an ear and both are awesome.

Damien Dempsey- Celtic Tiger
Another random internet love-at-first-listen; now a regular on the show. Great songwriter, fookin' brilliant, really.

Mike Watt- Against The 70's
Ex-Minutemen bassist sings a song warning kids not to buy into baby-boomer sentimentality for the 1970'S

Jethro Tull- We Used To Know
Jefferson Starship - Devil's Den
Lou Reed- Vicious
Three baby-boomer songs from the 1970's, played for sentimental reasons.

Paw- Seasoned Glove
This song is sung from the POV of a little boy whose drunken father never comes home at night. I know, kiddo, I know...

Crack The Sky- Lighten Up McGraw
If this guitar riff doesn't kick your ass you don't deserve ears.

The Kinks- Top of the Pops
The music industry has always been full of shit but the Kinks were the first band to do entire albums about it . I love the Kinks.

Robert Anbian and the UFQ- Haikus for the White House
Example:
Haiku Condi
No one so smart
She can't be stupid
Black or white

This disc is brand-new on Edgetone Records. Go buy it.



.....


In this photo (by DJ Charles Williams) the text reads: "Independent Radio Just Got Stronger", but it sort of looks like it says "stranger", not "stronger".

I'm cool with that.

********

Here's the station blog from my turn at the weekly1980's show:

Back in the early 1980's one of my high school teachers brought up the idea that an infinite number of chimpanzees equipped with an infinite number of typewriters would eventually re-create an existing literary classic, such as Shakespeare's Hamlet.

I didn't know what sort of point he was trying to make- it seemed obvious to me that the result would be an infinite number of broken typewriters and the decimation of the rainforests from the production of all those infinite reams of typing paper.

Perhaps, I added without being asked, the Reagan Administration feels that if it provides an infinite number of weapons to an infinite number of chimps, then eventually one of them would write the Peace part of Tolstoy's War and Peace.

Well, I got kicked outta class and spent the afternoon in the woods listening to The Clash's Sandinista! on my boom-box and wondering what the future would be like.
I had no idea how much it would resemble the past.
I'm even listening to the same music.

Oingo Boingo -Wake Up !(It's 1984)
XTC- Wake Up!
Stranglers- Let Me Introduce You to the Family
Listen to that guitar...that's insane...truly whacked.

Keith Levene- Cops Too
The Proclaimers- 500 miles ?
Bernie Krause- Jungle Shoes
The Clash- Police on my Back
This song takes me back...some good, some bad.

Dave Stewart/Barbara Gaskin- Henry and James
Troublefunk- All Over the World
Snakefinger- The Golden King
Snakefinger is one of my all-time guitar heroes. After his only Richmond show, I got high and hung out with him and his band for hours...they were genuinely nice people who couldn't believe that this skinny little kid knew all their songs- I got them to autograph my albums and gave Snake a giant bud for the road. A month later Snakefinger died. I haven't gotten over it yet.

Ozzy- Mister Crowley
Kate Bush-Running up that Hill ( A Deal With God)
Devo- Jerkin' Back and Forth

The only thing that's more fun than playing Ozzy back-to-back with Kate Bush is using Devo to illustrate the irony. Honestly, life really doesn't get much better than this.


Neil Young- No More
It's Neil Young. It's about addiction and the guitar sounds amazing. Mmmmm...

Husker Du- Never Talking to You Again
Dream Syndicate- Until Lately
Grace Jones- Everybody Hold Still
The Damned- Grimly Fiendish
Dukes of Stratosphere- Have You Seen Jackie?
Lou Reed- The Blue Mask
This song is twisted, like totally fucking bent. But it doesn't have any cuss words, so I can play it. Twin feedback guitars, panned hard left and right. It's why Godzilla gave stereo two channels.

Peter Tosh- Bumbo Klaat
You can't even say "Bumbo Klaat" in Jamaica without getting murdered and/or arrested. Seriously. Peter Tosh was a bad-ass motherfucking guitarist, but he wasn't bullet-proof.

The English Beat- Spar Wid Me
King Sunny Ade- Synchro Reprise
Magazine- About the Weather
Played from a 12" 45 rpm record. What an artifact! Nothing sounds better than 12" 45's. Seriously. (78's don't count)

Elvis Costello- Less Than Zero
X- White Girl
Tupelo Chain Sex- The Revolution Will Be Televised
Yello- Desire
My Bloody Valentine- Take My Breath Away
And how.

Anus in the Morning

Don Imus is a raging asshole?
Who knew?

I think I was the last person in the world to hear about his remarks about the Rutger's Women's Basketball team- I heard a lot of angry responses and from the tone of the rebuttals and condemnation I thought he must have said the 'N-word' since nobody was repeating his words on TV.
So I Googled it. He didn't use the N-word.

What he said was worse. It even offended me and I'm from the South...I'm accustomed to loudmouthed racist assholes, but sometimes someone just fucks up so badly that there can't be any further explanation or apology.

Once you have referred to a group of women- including a class valedictorian, a future lawyer and a musical prodigy who plays classical piano by ear- as "nappy-headed ho's" you really don't need to say anything else. You have made yourself very clear.

The words define the man with immutable clarity.
His explanations of "context and comedy" mean nothing.

Holy shit.
I just heard Imus try to explain that it was OK for him to disparage and insult Black women because Black men do the same thing all the time.
Wow. That's one of the worst "apologies" I've ever heard.
Who coached him- Mike Richards?
Anyone who doesn't understand how incredibly racist the attitude expressed by that particular "explanation" is needs to do some serious soul-searching.

I mean, you know you've fucked-up bigtime when you have to apologize to Al Sharpton.

But. And this is a big but...

We have a First Amendment. I don't respect Mr. Imus or his personal and political beliefs. I don't respect the man, period.
But I respect his right to say whatever he wants.

We get the entertainers we deserve because we keep paying attention to persons who are beneath contempt and unworthy of notice.
This incident is preventing me from giving proper attention to the breaking Anna Nicole news...you see what I mean? Why do we even care?

There is no law saying that I have to listen to him, so I don't, but there are enough people who do listen that he still has a career- maybe.

I don't think he should be fired. Not right away.

If what he said carries the weight that it should, then his audience will leave him and his sagging ratings will lead to his early retirement. That is what should happen, but it might not.

If there are enough people who are willing to listen to anything that this loathsome slug utters to keep him employed- and I'm guessing that there are- then he should keep his job.

And every time some sheltered white person tells me that we've moved past reactionary racism and sexism in this country, I will be able to point out that Don Imus called the some of the brightest young women in the country "nappy headed ho's" and he still has an audience.