NYCguyNDC

Diversity on The Radio

2008-11-12T18:41:00.000-08:00

Sirius and XM merged their programming today and they are slowly washing down the diversity of satellite radio. Gone is my favorite station CHROME on XM which played disco and dance music of the 70's, 80'2 and early 90's. Also gone is the similar programed STROBE on Sirius. There is now no station that plays this knd of music. However they did have room for 20 ROCK stations and 8 POP Mix stations. This was my complaint of FM 5 years ago (ALL THE STATIONS WERE THE SAME!!!!) which made me subscribe to XM. Now XM is starting to sound like FM. They also dumped The MOVE which was a progressive house music station. 20 Rock Stations, 15 Pop Stations, 7 Country Stations. No classic Dance. :( Now that's diversity on the radio!!!!!

California's Prop 8

2008-11-10T19:12:00.000-08:00

It has been a long time since I have blogged but the discrimination that has been just written in to California's constitution was something I had to comment on. California voters should be ashamed of themselves.

If in the 1950's Americans had voted on changing the constitution to ban inter-racial marriage, Barack Obama would just be Barry Dunham as his parent's would have not been allowed to marry. And we all know how America would have voted back then. Just think about it.....

Thank god we did have some "activist" judges back in the 1960's who could look at discrimination and see discrimination.

1260 Progressive Talk

2005-04-30T16:06:00.000-07:00

The quarterly radio ratings were in the Washington Post this week. The good news is that 630 WMAL has dropped in ther ratings. The bad news Progessive Talk 1260 WWRC ratings were so low that they did not even register. We finally have the other side on the radio but remember radio is business. If the ratings are bad they change formats!!! It has only been 3 months but we need to listen if we expect it to stay on the air. Stephanie Miller in the morning. Al Franken at noon, Ed Shultz early evening and I love Randi Rhodes for the evening drive home. Give it a try and you will be hooked. Here is theis web site: http://www.progressivetalk1260.com/main.html. If we don't listen we may end up with another 4 years of Rush, Sean, Bill, Ollie....

The news is nothing but Weapons of Mass Distraction

2005-04-10T19:17:00.000-07:00

Well we have had a few new weapons of mass distraction this month. Gay marriage was the distration for the 2004 election, but we have been able to a few additional to the mix. Terri Schiavo was the distration for weeks. All the news media was focused on her up coming death. Both the left and right went overboard on her issue. During that time did we hear a thing able Iraq, Social security reform... Forgotten! And, when the Pope died Terri too was forgotten. Now the Pope is another issue. He is a world leader...who set the catholic church back decades, but that is another story. He desired media attention but after 5 days I had enough and as a true recovered catholic I saw amen that he is finally buried. Today's media blitz is about an adulterer and the mistress, ops I mean the Prince and the Princess. And the say gays can't keep it in their pants. Actually today's Washington Post mentions a bunch who couldn't keep in their pants and from the right I give you Newt and Rudy for starters. But I digress, Whenever the republican party starts to drop in the polls, as W is doing lately, they always find a human issue cause to distract the public with. Usually private matters of respectable people. Such as couples who want to celebrate monogamy, taking away spousal rights, and the right to die. One last thought on that, I never understood how someone who is so right to life would the also be the first one to give that lethal injection to a prisoner. I am Pro choice, Pro Death Penalty that makes more sense to me or have I just become middle of the road? Maybe the media can go back to some issue news, but that Jackson trial is still going on.... In conclusion, watch the polls and watch the news stories and you will see what I am talking about!!

"Moral" Pharmacists

2005-03-28T19:32:00.000-08:00

I couldn't believe my eyes this morning when I read that Pharmacists have been refusing to dispense birth control pills and morning after pills on "MORAL GROUNDS". And even more shocking was that Arkansas, Miss, Georgia and South Dakota currently allow pharmacists to do that, and 11 states are considering new laws to allow them to refuse. God Bless California, Missouri and New Jersey because they are considering laws requiring pharmacists to fill them all RX's. The Christian Right is at it again. Who gives Pharmacists the right to play god or is it playing to the right. Next it will be antiviral meds for HIV patients. Methodone for drug addicts. And I am sure they can find a reason not to give meds to interracial couples too. Where will this all end. If your doctor gives you a prescription, it is the pharmacists MORAL RESPONSIBILITY to fill it.

Here we have women who are trying to do the right thing, by preventing unwanted pregnancies. Well I just hope the MORAL MAJORITY will be paying for all the ophanages that these children will be growing up in. Especially since the right wing movement is making it more difficult to adopt. Just this year in Virginia it was decided that single and gay people are undesirable parents. This holy than thou attitude is really making me sick. If you come across one of these rabid pharmacists, report them to your state board of professions, and have them investigated. Get the media involved, protest in front of the drug store. The best way to fight back is to empty their wallets. And if you live in a state considering these laws, write your congressman and senators.

Left Talk Radio

2005-03-27T19:18:00.000-08:00

I am a talk radio junkie. Growing up in NY I lived listening to talk radio. Both my parents keep it on all day. NY talk was always very stimulating as they dealt with local issues as well as politics. This all changed when I moved to the Washington, DCarea. Now I try to listen to all sides but in the Washington DC area has been very limiting. Yeah there is the Power but for the last 12 months their reception has become very weak and I can no longer receive it in my house or my car. Therefore you are stuck listening to the right. For the last 12 years all you had on the radio in Washington DC were conservatives. Rush, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Rielly, Ollie North... They spent those years bashing Bill Clinton, Hillary, Al Gore, John Kerry. But if you said something bad about their beloved BUSH you were being UN-patriotic. I like listening to talk radio, but after the Kerry loss I could not bear it any longer and the radio went silent. I went back to CDs for my long daily Washington DC commute, Scanned the music channels for something interesting. This all changed for me and for all of Washington DC on 1/20/05 when Progressive Talk came to 1260 AM. Finally the other side is being heard. In addition I got XM radio and can listen to the America Left station which partially duplicates the 1260 programs. My favorites are Ed Schultz and Randi Rhodes who are on during the afternoon and PM drive. I especially enjoy Randi as she is a New Yorker and has that accent. She is also knowledgeable to her subject matter. The AL Franken show is OK but Randi has a more experienced sound. I am even hearing The Power again on XM channel 169. I am enjoying being stuck in traffic!!! Now that we have been liberated from the Rush's and Sean's on the air we need to help Progressive Talk stay on the air by listening. Tell all your friends about 1260. Their signal is a little week but once you start you realize it is worth a little static. Let's bounce Sean and Rush out of those 1 and 2 spots. Let's take back the radio.

Fair And Balanced

2005-03-27T10:51:00.000-08:00

I came home last night at about 9PM and decided to turn on the news to see if Terri died again. We all know she died 15 years ago, but that's another topic and I stopped at the FoxNews Network. There on the screen were 2 Roman Catholic Priests on the air telling Jeb Bush needed take custody of Terri from her abusive husband. That she said "I want to live" etc... Then they had a women who state Michael Schavio fits all the profile of and abusive husband. Terri had healed broken ribs...Etc. But there was no representative from Michaels side on the air. This is what FOX calls fair and balanced. I know I should have known better than stopping at that station, but millions of people do and take there one sided news as the gospel truth. These are the people who are not hearing both sides of issues and making a informed decision. These are the people voted for BUSH. I find it really amusing that FOX whose news decision pumps out all this moral garbage has an entertainment division that pumps out shows like "THAT 70's SHOW" a show that glorifies pot use with teenagers, Shows like "THE SIMPLE LIFE" a show that is just plain stupid. "THE OC" a soap opera which during sweeps started a teenager lesbian affair. I just do not get how people do not see through then sensationalism of that News Network.

Now to the fair and balanced. I usually get home at 7:15 and have been catching Anderson Cooper's 360 program on CNN and I must give Anderson his props. He always states they do not take sides and always has the opposing view on the air too. You never hear Andersen's views as opposed to a Sean Hannity. Anderson is there to give the facts and let you decide. And, when you hear both sides your realize how crazy those right wing Christians on FOXNews are.

10 Hours in the Apple

2005-03-23T20:16:00.000-08:00

I ventured up to NYC Saturday night for the infamous Saint at Large Black Party. I had not been in 2 years and was looking forward to it. I relaxed all day Saturday in my apartment and took the 6 PM Greyhound (yes I was being cheap $35 round trip). I changed my clothes at the Port Authority, took a walk through Times Square (Times Square was full of people) and was at the Roseland Ballroom by 11PM. Early for Black Party standards but I had no place to go. By 1AM the place was jumping. I saw some old friends, saw many interesting outfits, had some drinks, danced and enjoyed my night away in NY. They had this Mexican wrestling theme going on, complete with straw, barns and bunkhouses. I really didn't get it and I am really allergic to straw. Hopefully they will not repeat the theme. The music was a little too loud for me and I miss music with words but the Black Party is a really great event. I must not forget ear plugs next time. By 8:30 AM I was wiped out and the straw was really getting to me, but the party was still going strong. My friends told me they stayed to Noon. I made the 9AM Greyhound back to DC. Watched 2 movies on the bus (Jersey Girl and The In-Laws) and was back in my apartment at 1PM and went to sleep. Next time I need a New York nightlife fix I may just hop on a bus on a Sat evening,

Right to Die

2005-03-20T14:15:00.000-08:00

I just the article in the newspaper about Terri Schiavo. I can not believe one women is getting so much congressional attention. I can understand her parents wanting her to recover but it is been 15 years that she has been artificially sustained. Her husband is the only one looking out for her best interests. I only hope I would have half as good a spouse. He passed up millions of dollars to give up guardianship. He is looking out for her quality of life, and 15 years in a coma is not quality of life. I know I would not want to put my family through 15 years of this torture. I would want to be put out of my misery. So what have I learned from this. Have all your paper's in order. I have all my medical wishes all spelled out and have picked out someone who would follow my requests. These papers are in my safe deposit box, and family members have copies. I want no extrondinary measures done to keep me alive and would want to save my family all those expensives and conflicts. If Terri and her husband had done that 16 years ago we would not be having this discussion.

SmokeFree Nightlife

2005-03-18T20:09:00.000-08:00

I was out in NYC recently and came home at 4 AM but something was different. I felt no need to put all my clothes out on the terrace, no need to jump in the shower and wash my hair, there was no stale smoke smell. As a non smoker it is a delight to go out in smoke free towns. New York City clubs were as busy as ever. When I was last in CA I saw no loss of party goers. What is even better than nightclubs is the resturants. There were many times I was seated in the non-smoking section but could still smeel smoke as the smoking section was only 2 tables away. Now the smoking ban is in the news again in DC. I hope it passes this time. Then I will start going out in my home city again. Eat in resturants drink in the bars, and dance in the clubs!! Until then I will have to travel to the smoke free parts of the US.

Church News

2005-03-16T03:45:00.000-08:00

The Episcopal church once a trailblazer in equal values has taken 3 steps back today. They have put a stop on gay bishops and will no longer bless gay civil unions. It looks like only a matter of time before they try to defrock Bishop Gene Robinson. When that basket comes a round on Sunday, put an empty envelope in it or a note saying how disgusted you are with the church.

Today's California Ruling

2005-03-14T18:22:00.000-08:00

An amazing happen in California today, San Francisco County Superior Court Judge Richard Kramer said that withholding marriage licenses from gays and lesbians is unconstitutional. Let us hope that there will a a reasonable judge ruling when it reaches the California Supreme Court. Our time for equality is coming, at least Mass and California. A pair of bills pending before the California Legislature would put a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage on the November ballot. If California voters approve such an amendment, as those in 13 other states did last year, that would put the issue out of the control of lawmakers and the courts. Let's make sure that the ammendment does not make it to the the ballots. Contact everyone you know in California and get them to write their Senators and Congressman. Let's hold up our glasses to Judge Kramer

Interracial Marriages/Gay Marrriages More in common than you think.

2005-03-12T18:15:00.000-08:00

Here I sit trying to decide what to write about. It is Sat night and I am off to bed soon as I have to work in the AM. Arlington VA has been my home for the last 13 years but NYC is in my heart. With recent rulings from Richmond I wonder why I stay in this Red state. I feel like is the sixties when interracial marriages were illegal. I am glad my family is not from here otherwise they could have not been married. My family began mixing up the races BY CHOICE in the 1870's. Now all we keep hearing about is how gay marriages are going to destroy straight marriages. Now I guess I need to ask my mother if gay people caused her divorce in 1972 or was it a poor marriage choice. Maybe that is a bad choice as my father was a liberal democrat. Let's ask Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman. He became president but wait that was a Nancy at his side. Must of been the gay Mafia in Hollywood who destroyed Ron and Jane's marriage. What about Newt, he has 2 divorces in his back pocket. Must be that gay sister of his. Gays are not destroying marriage. People are doing it by themselves. Christian conservatives are destroying their marriages without any help from homosexuals. Let's go back to my black great grandmother who married the white man back in the 1870's which back then was worse than being gay. They had 13 children and remained married until he died. My mother always tells me this story from when she met her grandmother. She told her "You look the way you do because I chose who I wanted to marry and did not let society dictate it me." The conservatives need to loosen up and let people love each other.