Web links related to the Back of the Book program of October 28, 2002


It's Sunday night 11/10/2002 18:39:35 and this Web page is done. This was one hell of a fortnight. All sorts of bad news and threats of military action from many different quarters. But we also had a little something light to talk about on the program. After this program Uncle Sidney Smith filled in and we stayed around to talk with him for a couple of more hours. You never know when this sort of thing is going to happen. Oh yes, don't be thrown if the tenses of verbs change on this page, it got written at several different times.

Here is the latest on the saga of Pacifica. There was a big meeting of the interim Pacifica National Board September 20-22, in Houston, TX. It did NOT reach a decision on the bylaws of the Pacifica Foundation. They had another meeting for the purpose of dealing with bylaws in October and there's another one planned. This ought to all culminate in a big December iPNB meeting.

As we move into the next phase of the Pacifica Crisis there are various elements that would like to simply replace the previous group of hijackers with themselves and/or their pals. But some of us are more convinced than ever that only open elections will provide a long range cure for the Pacifica Crisis. Here's a link to the various election proposals. Here's the latest bylaws proposal, subject to change at a moment's notice, of course.

Here's the WBAI schedule. Don't blame me if it's not accurate, I didn't make it up I'm only relaying it. Here's a schedule made by a listener who has Web links for various programs and producers.

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 9:36 PM last night. The MP3 feed is now the preferred feed.

We still have 8 spy cameras watching us at all times at WBAI. Now someone has come up with a way to blind all such cameras. He tells all about it on his Web site.

Web author Chen Shaowen has been arrested by the Chinese Communist dictatorship for “slandering the Chinese Communist Party” by writing articles that, among other things, say, “... for 50 years, the Chinese Communist Party has fooled people, brainwashed people and carried out crude political rule.” Hey, who could argue with that?

Some folks think they've found solid evidence of Jesus H. Christ's brother on an ossuary jar. I think they'd do better to examine a peanut butter jar.

Of course I do not buy any part of the Abrahamic superstitions. I don't know that Jesus H, Christ ever lived, nor do I think that Moses, as he's portrayed, ever existed. We know that Mohammed existed, and that he was a tyrant who made religious rules for everyone but exempted himself.

In Catholic school they never told us about this guy James, who was supposed to be a brother to Jesus. Was he James H. Christ?

They've caught those two jerks who were murdering people around Washington, D.C., and it turns out that they, and their vehicle, were not at all what the F.B.I. and others had thought.

On our previous program we pitched, and Back of the Book raised $1,285, more than two thirds of which was raised in literally the last minutes of the program. I have to find a better way of doing this before I give myself a heart attack on the air.

Thanks a lot to everyone who pledged to the program during the marathon and please remember to fulfill your pledges.

And of course we read some mail on the program. I read some snail mail, but we also had the following three E-mails. In this first one it seems that this Web site has been officially blocked by some company or other.

Subject: Banned
Date: Mon, 16 Sep 2002 01:23:30 -0400
From: "ISENCA"
To: rpm@glib.com

Dear R. Paul.

I writing to you because I am one of your biggest fans; in fact as I write this note I am lisenting to Back of the Book on BIA 091602.

I worked for a BIG travel agency in Brooklyn. We have access to the internet in our computers, and of course;I added your site ( the very informative GLIB.COM) to the favorites feature of the Microsoft internet explore in my P.C.. Apparently the head quarters office monitors our web usage; because they banned your web site from the companys aces to the internet.

I think this is flattering to you. and I hope you get a kick out of this story.

Anyway, I love you and Pickes by default


always not being

Lots ofv love,,,,,,,

Isenca

PS. Please excuse the grammar an redaction

Our next correspondent has something to say about a phrase that we've been hearing more and more lately.

Subject: Suicide Pact?
Date: Sat, 21 Sep 2002 17:53:20 EDT
From: DoloresNocturni@cs.com
To: rpm@glib.com

Ah, yes, that old saw about the Constitution not being “a suicide pact,” which originated in some judge's decision, gets dragged out whenever people think there's too much free speech, which is usually. I generally respond with the words of Benjamin Franklin, who helped to write it: “Those who would give up essential Liberty to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”

But now I come to think about it, it may BE a suicide pact. Terrorists killed three thousand people last year, but three times that many were killed with guns. Also the year before that, and the year before that. And it's going to get worse as the millions of gun nuts get older. Alzheimer's and an arsenal is probably not what the guys in Philadelphia meant by “a well-ordered militia.” So who needs al-Qaeda as long as we've got the Second Amendment?

Anyway, I'm glad Pickles O.T.N.'s blood-giving experience wasn't more serious, and that she's feeling better. I stopped giving years ago when they sent me a letter informing me that I had the hepatitis-C antibody. My doctor couldn't find any sign of it, but if that's an example of how the NY Blood Center conducts its business, I don't want to go within ten blocks of the place.

Happy Autumnal Equinox,
Sharon, the Wicked Witch of the East [Side]

And finally, here's something from a regular listener and correspondent about the guy who helped Pickles of the North last August and the TV mini-series The Prisoner.

Subject: Viva Mario!
Date: Sat, 28 Sep 2002 15:38:38 -0400
From: Bill in Manhattan
To: rpm@glib.com

First, will everyone who likes your show join me in saying thank-you to Mario (I believe that was the name) who was kind and considerate to Pickles of the North, when she was feeling woozie in the subway after giving blood. Of course, Mark Twain said he was always had regrets for his good deeds, but this one passes with flying colors. Not that R. Paul's delivery is hard to take (more about this later) but Pickles always has good things to say. And so say all of us, all nineteen-plus, if we can include the crew of the good ship Fernando, and that is a good bet, since he is retrograde and probably chivalrous. Secondly, personal thanks for mentioning some months back that the local PBS station was showing re-runs of “The Prisoner.” At least I managed to tape the last episode -- which made a lot of people mad, if I remember right. Not everyone was ready for James Bond Meets Pirandello, or whatever it was, I sort of think it has things to say about the Edwardian era just prior to World War One, but they hardly limited themselves to that. And my goodness me, don't they seem to have a lot of spy cameras in The Village? Be seeing you, and all that. And while we are on the subject of the English, my jaw did drop when Uncle Sidney said there was a move some years back to have you speak like they does on the BBC. Blimey, uncle! stone the bleedin' crows. I can think of at least one Saturday show on WBAI that would be somewhat different in tone if that had been adopted. But then we who only listen ought to appreciate that there are good speech patterns when in front of a microphone. And speaking of microphones, is this the arse-end of Wall Street, or what? Best wishes for the year Eighteen -- Bill in Manhattan.

Actually, we're in year 17 of Back of the Book, but thanks, Bill, and I hope we do have a year 18.

There are a lot of issues that are considered hazardous to 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.

If you want to subscribe to the “Free Pacifica!” list just click on this link and follow the instructions, and you'll be subscribed. Could open your eyes a little bit.

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.

My voice mail number at WBAI is 212-209-2996. Leave a message.

You can also send me E-mail.



WBAI related links

Free Pacifica Web site

WBAI Listeners' Web page

WBAI Management's official Web site


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