Yesterday the parking representative told me that parking was a privilege, not a right. For a person who cannot walk the long distance from the parking lot to the studio, or walk from the bus stop parking to the studio, an accessible parking space is more than some random privilege or convenience. They have made some accommodations, but change them often and have given me tickets and yesterday clamped my car while I was on the air. They have ticketed my car previously despite having clearance to park. When I voiced my protest they advised me that I would have to go in person to their office to fight the tickets; an office that is not readily accessible. At one point the designated parking, with the “handicapped” sign was only accessible via six very steep concrete stairs; It would be funny, I even laughed out loud later, but cried real tears when at that time it might as well have been 500 stairs.

Legends & Lowlife

Amy Goodman appeared in Olympia on Sunday, March 29, 2009 as part of her book tour, Standing Up to the Madness: Ordinary Heroes in Extraordinary Times, which she co-wrote with her brother, David Goodman. She demonstrated her wonderful wit, and way with words, before a crowd of several hundred. I hope that video of her speech becomes available, because her speech was enjoyable and entertaining, and very informative and inspiring — and because I had to leave early! She told some very powerful stories, including about Rachel Corrie, a Palestinian man whose name starts with B (help me out here,) the Israeli Military refusenik (who is also the nephew of Benjamin Netanyahu,) and Frederick Douglass (re: Mount Misery,) among others. Here are some photos that I made, and a list of some of the sponsoring and affiliated organizations:

Amy Goodman is scheduled to visit to Olympia next Sunday. (TCTV and KAOS present Amy Goodman)

Here are a couple of excerpts from today's show. From the headlines, Senator Bernie Sanders speaking of an Obama nominee:

“We need an independent leader who will help create a new culture in the financial marketplace and move us away from the greed, recklessness and illegal behavior which has caused so much harm to our economy.” (link)

And from the show's description of an interview with Thomas Geoghegan:

Thomas Geoghegan on “Infinite Debt: How Unlimited Interest Rates Destroyed the Economy”

The Obama administration unveils its $1 trillion plan to buy toxic assets from banks and restore the financial system. But should we return to the way it was? We speak with Chicago lawyer Thomas Geoghegan about his new Harper’s Magazine cover story, “Infinite Debt: How Unlimited Interest Rates Destroyed the Economy.” Geoghegan writes, “We dismantled the most ancient of human laws, the law against usury, which had existed in some form in every civilization from the time of the Babylonian Empire to the end of Jimmy Carter’s term.”

TCTV and KAOS present Amy Goodman

Sunday, March 29 5:30 PM Capitol Theater

Tickets on sale March 19th at Traditions, Rainy Day Records, and TCTV, and online at www.buyolympia.com

Despite the horrendous events of September 11th, 2001 here in the US - it might be easy to forget another horrendous historical September 11th. 35 years ago, on September 11th, 1973, the democratically elected government of the popular President of Chile was violently upended in a coup d'Etat. Salvador Allende, the democratically elected President was overthrown when subversive elements within the Chilean military stormed and bombed the La Moneda Presidential Palace. Many dissidents were rounded up and they are alleged to have been been killed. The incoming dictator, Augusto Pinochet, is known to have practiced torture in the execution of an authoritarian and harsh, militaristic rule over the people of Chile.

I enjoyed listening to Kim on Parallel University today. He interviewed Susan Lerner, from Common Cause, an organization that seeks to "hold power accountable." It was a good interview. I wish I could get an mp3 of it. If I do, I'll post it. Do you know where I could find one? [update: I also can't remember what the national legislative action item was - the information needed to give my Congressional Representatives. So if you heard it, and you know - well then - don't hold back. Shout it out!]

The second portion of the show was with Ralph Nader. Ralph Nader is so awesome. He was really instrumental in kindling my political awareness. I saw him in Minneapolis, MN at the "Target Center." I haven't been the same since. I suppose you could consider it an awakening. I was working, at the time, on a Voter Registration Drive for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN). I registered a lot of people in traditionally economically depressed and low voter-turn-out areas, can't remember exactly how many, but it was right around 2,500 if I remember right.

Voter registration drives are great. It's good to inspire political awareness.

Anyway, it was a good program. Thanks to Kim and all the good folks at KAOS.

And I hope that I can find a mp3 from the show so that I can plug you in to the discussions. - bert

Longtime listeners of KAOS' Radio8Ball have noticed the disappearance of Co-Host Tammy T since last January. The story of what led to her "banishment for a period of eight years" has now been told on the inaugural post of Radio Stories, Tammy T's new blog covering her life in radio.

It's a story Radio8Ball's creator Andras Jones doesn't want told - he's already threatened legal action along with illegally threatening blacklisting. However it's not illegal to report an honest and accurate account of personal experiences with someone, even if said experiences are negative and don't leave the subject in a flattering light.

The story is long (having originally been serialized in five parts on Myspace) - covers four years meticulously - and features a woman who wouldn't agree to be pushed around or treated like a dog.

Just a quick heads up that I'll be talking with Palestinian singer Reem Kelani in the first hour of Spin The Globe tomorrow morning (Friday May 16). The rest of Spin The Globe will feature music from Buddhist lands, and the usual assortment of global grooves.

Listen in at KAOS 89.3 FM or listen online

Palestinian singer, musician and broadcaster Reem Kelani is in the Northwest as part of the , and performs this evening as part of the Global Divas show, as well as Friday morning and Saturday afternoon shows.

Kelani released her debut album “Sprinting Gazelle – Palestinian Songs from the Motherland and the Diaspora” (Fuse Records) in February 2006 to critical acclaim. Representing the culmination of twenty years’ work, which included research in Palestine, in Palestinian refugee camps and the Palestinian Diaspora into old traditional songs, Sprinting Gazelle is a fully independent production.

"Pining For the Fjords", a new radio show, will broadcast for the first time this Thursday on KAOS, from 1-3 pm.

The show is hosted by Tammy Tillinghast (of "The Think Tank") and will feature artists from Scandinavia and the Nordic countries (including Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Greenland). The music will be mostly in the indiepop vein, but will also include folk, rock, soul, electronica, and more.

Tune in live for the debut episode at 89.3 FM, or stream online here. The show will be heard every Thursday from 1-3 pm for the foreseeable future. You can find more information at this link.

Thanks for listening!

On Sunday morning, April 6th, tune in to The Think Tank on KAOS 89.3 FM for a tribute to the late Gene Eugene, on what would have been his 47th birthday.

Gene Eugene was the frontman for the funk-rock band Adam Again. He was also one of the founding members of the gospel/Americana supergroup Lost Dogs.

In addition to this, he was a producer, engineer, and instrumentalist who worked with such artists at Over the Rhine, Richard Swift, Randy Stonehill, and Michael Knott.

He was also the owner of the Green Room studio in Huntington Beach, CA (he died there in his sleep on 3/20/2000).

On this tribute show, you'll hear lots of Lost Dogs songs as well as some Adam Again songs (including covers of Bill Withers, Leonard Cohen, and the Beatles).

There will also be some covers of Gene's songs, and interviews by two of the surviving Lost Dogs, Mike Roe and Derri Daugherty (also of, respectively, the 77's and the Choir).

The show begins at 10 am PST on KAOS and will broadcast until noon. You can hear it online here.

If you miss the show, it will be available online in the near future.