4-24-2004

Lefty talk radio DOA

Lately, I have been doing "something different".  The wife caught the nasty lung crud from the kids.  Since I am 100% disabled with both lungs full of asbestos and Advanced Chronic Bronchitis (from my Welding Career), I moved out of the house into my computer room in the shop.

I simply had to get out my old AM-FM radio to listen to while I was winding down to go to sleep.

I am an old "DX'er" from a long time ago.  This means I constantly scan up and down the channels for something new and different.  When I was a kid, I had an old 1940'ish Zenith console radio that did the AM_FM_shortwave.  I heard about the US Navy spy ship Pueblo incident on (I believe it was) Voice of Russia in 1968 at least a week before our government admitted it had happened.

I clearly recall telling my mother the next morning that she wouldn't believe the ridiculous lie that the Russians were telling.  Turns out a week later, the Russians weren't lying at all.  OUR GOVERNMENT was.  That's the first "epiphany" I recall having.  Remember, this was during the Vietnam era and we were all getting wise to our lying damned government.

Anyway, this story is about radio.  Talk radio. The new Lefty talk radio particularly.

Of course you heard about the lefty attempt to launch a counter-network since conservative (and sane) voices have been making so much headway on the air waves. Babs Streisand, one of America's "great minds", was a great proponent of building a media counter to the "right-wing" propaganda.

So I am scanning up and down the dial.  I happened to roll the dial clear down to the bottom of the AM slide, and surprisingly (because the lower end of AM has been pretty much abandoned since the late 50's) a clear, new channel exists there.

"Welcome to the LEFT side of your radio dial".

"You are listening to **620 KPOJ**  in Portland, Oregon.  And Now...Live From The Left... Progressive Talk Radio.. ** AM 620 KPOJ ** The World's First Air America Radio Affiliate.." 

And I think to myself, "that figures for Portland, Oregon".

"...Featuring- Marc Maron, Al Franken, Ed Schultz, Janeane Garofalo, Randi Rhodes..."

They are pretty proud of "The Morning Sedition 6am - 9am"

When I first tuned in, they were having a good laugh over "The Commie Song".  I never did get to hear it.  But somehow, I can be pretty sure they were laughing about people identifying them as Communists.

Well, the words "left" and "progressive" ARE code-words for socialism, are they not?  What else do the words mean?

I get a kick out of listening to these people act like they and their "ideas" are NORMAL and supporting the lefty agenda is the only smart way to exist.

But lefty radio may be dying as we speak-

"You can fool some of the people, some of the time".

Doesn't look like "Lefty, Progressive Talk Radio" fooled anybody.  Even if they try to be funny about being Communists.