Saturday mornings? Cartoons. Saturday afternoons/evenings/nights? Laura Flanders

Penelope Pitstop. That's the answer to the question. What's the question? Lynda wondered what cartoon character I enjoyed the most. Penelope Pitstop because of amazing bubble gum. I was always jamming gum in my mouth when I was little trying to get the power to climb walls. All I ended up with were cavities (which my mother would complain about after we'd go to the dentist) and sticky, dirty palms (which my father would complain about after I was done playing -- I think his first words to me every evening when he got home were "Go wash your hands!").

But Penelope, for all the attempts to make her a victim, seemed able to get out of the crisis with her own brains and her own skills. After that, Josie and the Pussycats (in or out of space). Scooby Doo was a favorite, but I go way back with that show and can remember when it became more and more Shaggy and Scooby. By the time they brought on the irritating Scrappy Doo, I was long gone. My favorite episodes were the ones with guest stars probably, like when they had Mama Cass or when they had Sonny and Cher on. Now when they had Batman and Robin on, that was just pointless to me. Scooby Doo was about solving a mystery and some characters worked, detectives for instance, but when you're bringing on super heroes, maybe it's time to do another episode revolving around Don Knotts.

Lynda mentioned Lance Link and I'd forgotten that show. I think it aired on ABC. I loved that show. I'd hate to think that the monkeys were harmed in any way (it wasn't a cartoon, it was a show that used real monkeys in the leads) but who knows considering the times? I remember all the shows that Lynda brought up in her e-mails but I also remember a cartoon version of That Girl which Lynda doesn't mention. It may have been on after she stopped watching cartoons. I watched cartoons well into my 18th year. On Saturdays, you either helped Mom go grocery shopping or you stayed home and watched your younger brothers and sisters. I was always up for cartoons. I wasn't the best older sister since "breakfast" entailed grabbing several boxes of cereal and carrying them into the living room where I handed them out. I remember one Saturday morning, after partying hard the night before, where my youngest brother pleaded with me for a glass of water and I finally talked him into going out into the front yard and getting a drink from the water hose because I was so not moving from the couch.

So that's Saturdays of yore, for Saturdays of today, let's talk Laura.


RadioNation with Laura Flanders
Saturdays & Sundays, 7-10pm ET on Air America Radio We're fighting the G forces. Like every good Luge racer, we're hurtling through a bumpy world, with scandals coming fast and furious enough to sweep us off the earth. But it's important that we get our feet back on the ground. We'll bring you up to date about how states are changing voting with, among others, PENNY VENETIS who brought the first-in-the-nation suit to challenge the constitutionality of paperless voting machines.And we'll talk to Grammy nominee RODNEY CROWELL about the mysterious art of music marketing and emotional intelligence. As always, you can podcast a one-hour version of last weekend's shows here: http://www.thenation.com
It's all on RadioNation with Laura Flanders this weekend on Air America Radio.

I've got a longer entry on this at The Common Ills, so check that out for more.
And make a point to listen to RadioNation with Laura Flanders either over the traditional airwaves, via XM satellite radio, podcasting or via the online stream.





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Silence

Joint entry by Kat and Rebecca. Blogger acted up and we figured we'd do a brief, joint post together. We think the joint posts demonstrate that the community works together. We also think it's easier to collaborate than to do a post solo.

There was a news item that we wanted to be sure everyone was aware. From Democracy Now!'s headlines on Friday:

Teen Attacks Massachusetts Gay Bar in Apparent Hate Crime
In Massachusetts, a teenager attacked three men at a gay bar in the town of New Bedford. One victim is in critical condition after sustaining a gunshot wound. The assailant attacked the men after verifying with the bartender that the place was a gay bar. Police have identified the suspect as 18-year old Jason Robida. Police are calling the attack a hate crime.

Bully Boy? Where is he on this? We can remember Bill Clinton decrying the violent murder of Matthew Sheppard. But this is Bully Boy's base. The people who play super-patriots. They love the country . . . just as long as you're not in it.

Where does an 18 year old get the idea that it's okay to murder people who happen to be gay? We can tell you he didn't get it from The Book of Daniel which NBC cancelled under pressure from the right wing group AFA.

As they spew their hate and aren't called on, it becomes easier for people to take the words of violence into the physical plane. A climate was created where it was once again okay to attack gays and lesbians in the media. As the myth of the "values voters" spread, our media backed off from calling this hate what it was. They spoke of reaching out to "Bush country" and of the need to be "tolerant" of . . . hate.

The New York Times was once up for nonstop coverage of a golf club that was closed to women but this story has yet to grace the front page. On Sunday they bored you with a boring story about a perfect attendance plan for schools. It read like a weekly newsletter you get in the mail, not like a major newspaper. It's shameful and so is the continued refusal by the paper to provide an editorial or column devoted to Coretta Scott King. For more on that, see The Third Estate Sunday Review's "Editorial: Does The New York Times editorial board not know that Coretta Scott King died or do they just not care?" Other recommended readings? To know your history of government abuse check out C.I.'s "On the Dangers of an Unchecked Bully Boy." And don't miss Ruth's "Ruth's Morning Edition Report" which is epic in scope and size. Remember that Pacifica Radio will broadcast Monday's NSA hearings live. Coverage begins at 9:00 a.m. eastern time and ends at 6:00 p.m. eastern time. You can listen over the airwaves or online. To listen online or to find out if there's a station in your area visit the Pacifica Radio website.

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