I just walked in the door, booted up the computer, ran to the radio to turn on KPFA and hopefully note something on it.
Okay, La Raza Chronicles is playing a documentary, Abandoned: The Betrayal of American Immigrants. "There beds would not be filled were it not for the INS, these are serious moneymakers for them." That really is true. They're making quite a bit of bucks off scapegoating immigrants. It's not just about xenophobia and the "other," it's also about a huge profit motive going on.
Susan e-mailed about two things. 1) She wondered about the next review? The earliest CD review would go up tomorrow night. I'll also do one Saturday. (These will go up at The Common Ills.) After that? It'll depend on what grabs me. (I am reading the suggestions.) I may not post a review again until June. I really never intended to do more than one or two a month. This month, I've done five and we'll do at least two more this week for a total of seven. 2) She wanted to know what the reaction to "Shame of the Week (Musical)" was? I asked Ty because he usually follows most of the e-mail at The Third Estate Sunday Review and he told me it had been very favorable but that it was actually being noted more this week. A lot of people are writing, this week, "I just saw the commercial!"
Susan can't get over that Helen Reddy, who for years refused to prostitute the song, has now done so in such a humilitating way. I was shocked (my jaw did drop) and I was angry. I'm not excusing what she did now. But now, my attitude is one of she's no one to me. I am cold towards Helen Reddy. I was not a huge fan of her music but that song did mean something. I even saw her in concert about ten years ago just for that song. A group of friends and I went just for that one song. She's a little too easy listening for my tastes but I could support her for that song.
I still support that song but, as the Mafia would say, now she's dead to me.
In fact, I think I still support the song but she's turned her back on it.
If she really, really needed the money, I'm not sure even that would excuse it. Couldn't she sell it to something else? Something that wouldn't use the song in a commercial mocking the women's movement?
Lucy said she was assuming I only blogged once last week due to the reviews. That's correct. I did four reviews and helped out with The Third Estate Sunday Review on both Sundays. I didn't have anything else in me to give. Lucy also noted that she watched Loose Change and keeps meaning to check out KPFA's Guns and Butter but always forgets the time. She's on the East Coast so it's four p.m. Wednesdays for her. I'm not sure whether it will air tomorrow or not because KPFA's doing fundraising but I'll listen just in case.
Guns and Butter is really a great show. Ted wrote that he's listened to three shows now. He's not sure what he believes, he wrote, but he likes that Bonnie Faulkner's not afraid to ask questions. She's not either. She's not going to stand in line with everyone else just because veering from the accepted might lead to slams or criticism.
Ted wondered which review I liked best of the five I've done so far? I think "Kat's Korner: Pink's not dead or silent." I'm not sure about "Kat's Korner: Pearl Jam does Pearl Jam." I knew some would be bothered by it. That's why I asked C.I. to read over it (after reading a huge portion of it to C.I. over the phone). I like Pearl Jam's Pearl Jam. I even listened to it yesterday. (Too busy to hear anything today -- very, very busy. I've been taking care of errands and lining up a new art project.) But a) I'm a Nirvana fan/freak (or was when Kurt Cobain was alive) and I'm not going to pretend like Pearl Jam was the great alternative band (they're a rock band -- often sounding like Soundgarden's farewell album) and b) Eddie Vedder's voice is frequently amazingly moving but those lyrics need to be worked on and that was always true. If you like Pearl Jam, I do, then you'll like the album, some amazing singing and vocals. But I'm not sure if you've avoided Pearl Jam all this time that this will be the CD for you. In fact, I doubt it will be.
Okay, we're all supposed to be on the phone in like two minutes so let me post this. I'll steal from Wally and grab some of his recommended links:
"NYT: Bell-South says, "No, we didn't!" and the Times runs with it"
"We hold the Iraqi government and the occupiers responsible for this brutal atrocity"
"things that make you go 'what the f---!'"
"Rally in DC, Professor Steve Almond stands up, and more"
"Other Items"
"Freedom of the Press Under Attack: Government Begins Tracking Phone Calls of Journalists"
"The joke is always Thomas Friedman. Always"
"Popcorn in the Kitchen"
