Back of the Book links for the June 24, 2002 program

Here is the latest on the saga of Pacifica. There was a big meeting of the interim Pacifica National Board this weekend in Berkeley, CA. I have a link to notes from a listener who was there.

As we move into the next phase of the Pacifica Crisis some listeners are more convinced than ever that only open elections will provide a long range cure for the Pacifica Crisis. Here's an election proposal.

Our colleagues from Off the Hook now have both a RealAudio streaming web cast operating, and a new MP3 stream both of which were working at about 10:45 PM last night. The MP3 feed is now the preferred feed.

Of course we have among us survivors of several asteroid collisions with the Earth. Yes, they survived the Great Permian Extinction that killed off the trilobites, and the Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T Boundary) extinction event that killed off the dinosaurs and so far they're even surviving us. Of course I'm talking about horseshoe crabs, which were pitching arthropod whoopee during this radio program.

The following is Pickles of the North's report on the annual Mermaid Parade held at Coney Island.

This year's Mermaid Parade at Coney Island was a return to the wacky fun that was missing last year when folks tried to cash in on the latest wave of gentrification that's sweeping the beach front. There were lots and lots of homemade costumes, mostly mermaids, King Neptune, pirates, sea creatures (both fish and crustaceans), lots of babes in glitter and little kids and some people over the age of fifty though not a whole lot.

I met up with Rat Girl of the West and Uncle Max Schmid, who recorded the proceedings for posterity. More friends arrived with their daughter, who was dressed as a beautiful junior miss mermaid in a costume made by her dad.

My favorite group was a bunch of wags who had big cardboard salmon outfits strapped to their chests as they swam upstream through the crowds going, of course, in the opposite direction of the parade. After the parade we got to play on the beach and march into the ocean to welcome the Summer season. You can see a list of parade prize winners and see pictures (not up yet as of today) at the Mermaid Parade's official web site.

Subject: (no subject)
Date: Mon, 29 Apr 2002 02:19:00 EDT
From: Sharon, the Wicked Witch of the East (Side)
To: rpm@glib.com

Dear R. Paul,

My condolences on the death of your mother. Both my parents died in the last few years, so I know something of what you're going through. It gets easier over time, but you never stop missing them. Take care,

Sharon, the Wicked Witch of the East (Side).

Subject: you and us and the door mouse
Date: Mon, 29 Apr 2002 16:22:56 +0900
From: Alan
To: rpm@glib.com

r.paul

sorry about your mom, but you have your radio show and pickles, and us, all 23,036 (give or take a few 1,000) hardcord back of the book listeners.

alan

Subject: Mother
Date: Mon, 29 Apr 2002 11:56:17 -0400
From: Peter
To: rpm@glib.com

Sorry for the lost of your mother.

I'm not good at expressing condolences.

Just a listener. Best regard to you and Pickles of the North. Peter
R.

Subject: Re: your show
Date: Mon, 29 Apr 2002 12:03:03 EDT
From: Rachel
To: rpm@glib.com

I really enjoy your show but especially found yesterday's (4/28) show very interesting and touching. I'm sorry to hear about your mother. My father died last year and I could relate to what you said. I love all the web information you talk about. I wish you were on every week. Thanks, Rachel

Subject: Condolences
Date: Wed, 01 May 2002 14:59:53 +0000
From: Ehrick
To: rpm@glib.com

Dear R. Paul,

I was still bumming over the passing of North American Shirley when I was further saddened to hear about the loss of your mom. Here's to hoping that there were enough good memories to last the rest of your days.

On your website, you question whether your concern for N.A. Shirley was “professional.” Perhaps it's just a new dimension to the term “community radio,” as strange or as diverse of the Back of the Book community is.

As a fellow survival of Catholic school I can certainly identify with your distataste for all religions (oops, 'superstitions'). Still, I have to admit that my brief flirtation with the Pope (ahem!) was not nearly as horrific as yours. I have a number of friends from your generation who relate similar horrors; and there are the Ed Powers books -- The Unoriginal Sinner & the Ice Cream God, Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up, etc. -- all bearing witness to a church I cannot recognize.

I'm wondering. Do you think this might have something to do with the fact that my experiences with Catholicism occurred post-Vatican II? Did you see any reforms in the Church after its attempts at ecumenicism, and such Papal Bulls (try to refrain from the obvious derisive comment here) as Mater et Magistra? Or were you so far gone from the church by that time that you didn't care?

Unlike you, I still hold on to a few “superstitions” here and there. Nevertheless, I can empathize with your point of view. Were I forced to walk in your shoes, I don't think I could believe in anything either -- even science.
Just thoughts, EVL

There are a lot of issues that we can't talk about on the air at WBAI. But there is an Internet list called “Free Pacifica!” which you can subscribe to, and these issues are discussed there. If you subscribe to it you will receive, via E-mail, all of the messages which are sent to that list. You will also be able to send messages to the list.

The above list has occasionally produced a high volume of E-mail because of the attention that these issues have drawn. If you would prefer to subscribe to a low volume list that only provides announcements of events related to these issues then subscribe to the FreePac mailing list.

Another list that's sprung up is the “NewPacifica” mailing list. This one is very lively and currently includes over 400 subscribers coast to coast. Being lively, of course, it sometimes also gets a bit nasty. All sorts of things are happening on this list. With that warning in mind, you can look at the NewPacifica list here, and you can join the list from that Web page too, although you'll have to deal with Yahoo! to do so.

There is also the more WBAI specific “Goodlight” Web based message board. This one has a great many people posting anonymously and there's also an ancillary board that's just totally out of hand.

The “Goodlight” Web based message board has expanded to cover all Pacifica stations.