Geek of all Trades Episode #26: M10S6233M

In which our illustrious host apparently struck a nerve, ponders the fate of his side project The Casting Game (http://castinggame.blogspot.com *ding*), and does a segment he hasn't done for a long time.



Contact Me:

Voicemail Line: 206.426.5634 or 206-ham-lodge

E-Mails: brian.d.webber@gmail.com, or arkle@comcast.net

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=723188282

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/arklemknzy

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/arkle

Flixster: http://arkle.flixster.com



Buy my book! http://stores.lulu.com/arkle

Check me out on BitStrips: http://www.bitstrips.com/user/7232/



Main Site: http://arkle.silver-gateway.com

Podsafe Music: http://music.podshow.com/

Some sound on this show comes from The Free Sound Project: http://www.freesound.org/

Outro Song; The Oath by Street Sweeper Social Club: http://www.ninja2009.com



Promos:

MegaPodzilla: http://www.megapodzilla.com/

I Should Be Writing: http://www.ishouldbewriting.com

The Babylon Podcast: http://www.babylonpodcast.com



Segment Related Links:

The Raygun Girls

TV host 'ordered killings to boost ratings'

New Object Found in Saturn's Rings

New exoplanet orbits 'backwards'

Town puts up Xmas lights - in August

Report: Atheism On The Rise In U.S.



Also Mentioned on the Show:

Randi Rhodes

Richard Belzer

Psycho Donuts

Bosco and Peck

The Casting Game

Dear GOP: Watch Your AstroTurf, We're On To You

Dear GOP: Watch Your AstroTurf, We're On To You

By Kase Wickman

Dear Republicans: It's awesome that you've caught up to this whole newfangled Internet craze, but what's with the fixation on that late-60s invention that we all know and have skinned our knees on? That's right: AstroTurf. AstroTurfing is the plastic sensation that's sweeping the GOP nation, and, trust us, it's getting pretty old, not to mention transparent.

Dissent is essential to democracy, and freedom of speech and the right to assemble are vital not reserved for one party or the other. The problem is this: you're doing it wrong.

How to do it right: A few guys clustered in New England got their acts together and rallied their neighbors for a cause they believed in. They made a country. They made change. It was organic. It was natural. It was grassroots.

No, no, don't run, we know Obama said that word a lot when he was campaigning. Don't get scared. We're not talking about him, we're talking about the Sons of Liberty. They even had strong opinions about taxes! Republicans, don't shy away! Stay with us! Calling yourselves teabaggers is a good first step for you.

We understand that you want attention. We understand that you need to stay in the limelight and look like the do-stuff guys if you want to take back any seats in 2010. The problem, however, is that you are the pay-to-do-stuff guys right now. Actually, you're just paying. You're not actually doing anything. It's really a dirty business, this contrived fake protest thing.

While Democrats have been arguing amongst themselves about health care reform, a concept the GOP appears to have completely abandoned except to remind us not to kill babies or grandmas, you've been sending fake letters opposing the climate change bill to members of Congress ("you" here being lobbyists hired by the big-money coal industry). You're ("you" is oil companies and oil industry lobbyists here, keep up!) giving employees the afternoon off and busing them out to protests, protests of the bill that would mean a cleaner environment but maybe -- oh no! -- a smaller bonus for them. You're (this one's just the general "you" of the GOP, psych!!) taking a counter-conference of right wing bloggers and calling it a protest, when it is, in fact, a petty group of me-too mommy bloggers trying to get a slice of the hipster lefty political bloggers' media coverage.

In other words, you're trying to throw the game by throwing money. Remember the 1919 Chicago White Sox? It's sort of like that, in that you're eventually going to lose. In your case, probably not while wearing stirrups.

See, the problem with AstroTurfing is that it buys media coverage, but not public opinion. The people who are showing up to your fake protests have some kind of financial stake in being there, whether it's because they work for Big Oil and were bused there, or if it's because they are paid lobbyists, hired guns, and it's their job to be there. No one new is being won over by a crazy waving a sign and saying that they're going to forcibly change the climate of the House.

And, just like public opinion, media coverage does not take the place of actual legislation. Climate change is the focus of the current AstroTurfing craze (ironic, right? Since AstroTurf is fake grass?), and while the House vote was close, the bill still passed. It appears to be set to pass in the Senate as well. Anyone who takes more than a cursory look at Congress news and these so-called protests can see: climate change is where the money is, not the lawmaking. Congress is wrapped up in the health care debate, why not muck that up? That's right, because the people paying you to read their scripts are more interested in the evergreen (see what we did there?) issue of the earth and its natural resources, an issue that will long outlast our bodies and their health.

So, congratulations: A reporter covered your fake protest. Too bad they, like the rest of us, have figured out by now just how synthetic and plastic it really is, and you can't pay them off to say otherwise. Sooner or later, you'll start to understand that the majority of us vote with our heart, not with our wallets. Oh, and that when you're running on AstroTurf, it hurts really, really bad when you fall.

Geek of all Trades Episode #25: Podcasting as Therapy

In which our illustrious host vents a little, plays a song by a band he hasn't played since the old show, discovers why his Google Alerts were missing, has fun with conspiracy theories (mostly for the purpose of antagonizing Jack Jaffee), and discusses a future project perhaps a bit prematurley (pun intended. Just listen to the show, you'll get it).



Contact Me:

Voicemail Line: 206.426.5634 or 206-ham-lodge

E-Mails: brian.d.webber@gmail.com, or arkle@comcast.net

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=723188282

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/arklemknzy

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/arkle

Flixster: http://arkle.flixster.com



Buy my book! http://stores.lulu.com/arkle

Check me out on BitStrips: http://www.bitstrips.com/user/7232/



Main Site: http://arkle.silver-gateway.com

Podsafe Music: http://music.podshow.com/

Some sound on this show comes from The Free Sound Project: http://www.freesound.org/

Outro Song; The Oath by Street Sweeper Social Club: http://www.ninja2009.com



Promos:

Tuning In To Sci-Fi TV: http://tuningintoscifitv.com/

Nobilis Erotica: http://nobilis.libsyn.com



Segment Related Links:

Jukebox Sinners

Comets not likely cause of mass extinctions

'We see dead people'

Fury over psycho doughnut shop

F**king signs

Hunter's Lullaby lyrics

August 14



Also Mentioned on the Show:

Steven Wright

Google Alerts

Media Frenzy Podcast

Release Me by Tee Morris

The Periodic Table of Awesome

Tales from the Lobotomy Ward: The Stupidest Republican Talking Point I've Heard In a Long Time

Yep, another non-podcast related blog post. I'm getting better at this blogging thing. ;-)
Tales from the Lobotomy Ward: The Stupidest Republican Talking Point I've Heard In a Long Time

by: David Sirota

Wed Aug 05, 2009 at 10:00

I happened to have tuned into Hardball two nights ago. This is a very rare experience for me (I was really waiting to see Olbermann's show), as I avoid Hardball like the plague, realizing a few years ago that every minute I am forced to look at Chris Matthews and his typically braindead guests is a minute I become more despondent about the apocalyptic state of journalism, politics, America and, really, the universe. This episode was no exception.

For the three minutes I tuned in, I caught right-wing lobotomy case Michael Smerconish stumbling through the latest Republican talking point against universal health care. Here's what he said:

[Voters] are very nervous about what's going to come out of this debate concerning national health care. And, Chris, if I have heard once in the last couple of days, I have heard it 50 times, if they can't get cash for clunkers straight, what in the world are they going to do with my national health insurance?

Um...let me get this straight: This right-wing lobotomy case is appearing on television insisting Americans don't want a health care system that's like the cash for clunkers program - a program that has been so wildly successful and popular that the public is demanding it be expanded. Really? I mean...really?

Look, it's arguably a smart conservative tactic to try to liken a universal health care program to the DMV - it's dishonest, of course, but at least that tactic tries to link universal health care to something people generally hate.

But it's decidedly moronic for conservatives to believe that they will derail a proposed universal health care system by likening it to a program whose only problem (if you can call it that) is that the public loves it far more than anyone expected.

Indeed, this is the stupidest Republican talking point I've heard in a very long time - and maybe ever. As I said, only a lobotomy case like Smerconish would think this kind of idiocy is helping his cause. And only a lobotomy case like Chris Matthews wouldn't bother to make that very simple point.

Teh stupid...it burns.

GOP Harassment Strategy Against Dems Detailed In Memo

This morning, Politico reported that Democratic members of Congress are increasingly being harassed by “angry, sign-carrying mobs and disruptive behavior” at local town halls. For example, in one incident, right-wing protesters surrounded Rep. Tim Bishop (D-NY) and forced police officers to have to escort him to his car for safety.

This growing phenomenon is often marked by violence and absurdity. Recently, right-wing demonstrators hung Rep. Frank Kratovil (D-MD) in effigy outside of his office. Missing from the reporting of these stories is the fact that much of these protests are coordinated by public relations firms and lobbyists who have a stake in opposing President Obama’s reforms.

The lobbyist-run groups Americans for Prosperity and FreedomWorks, which orchestrated the anti-Obama tea parties earlier this year, are now pursuing an aggressive strategy to create an image of mass public opposition to health care and clean energy reform. A leaked memo from Bob MacGuffie, a volunteer with the FreedomWorks website Tea Party Patriots, details how members should be infiltrating town halls and harassing Democratic members of Congress:

– Artificially Inflate Your Numbers: “Spread out in the hall and try to be in the front half. The objective is to put the Rep on the defensive with your questions and follow-up. The Rep should be made to feel that a majority, and if not, a significant portion of at least the audience, opposes the socialist agenda of Washington.”

– Be Disruptive Early And Often: “You need to rock-the-boat early in the Rep’s presentation, Watch for an opportunity to yell out and challenge the Rep’s statements early.”

– Try To “Rattle Him,” Not Have An Intelligent Debate: “The goal is to rattle him, get him off his prepared script and agenda. If he says something outrageous, stand up and shout out and sit right back down. Look for these opportunities before he even takes questions.”

The memo above also resembles the talking points being distributed by FreedomWorks for pushing an anti-health reform assault all summer. Patients United, a front group maintained by Americans for Prosperity, is currently busing people all over the country for more protests against Democratic members. Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX), chairman of the NRCC, has endorsed the strategy, telling the Politico the days of civil town halls are now “over.”

Meanwhile, AHIP, the trade group and lobbying juggernaut representing the health insurance industry is sending staffers to monitor town halls and other right-wing front groups are stepping up their ad campaign to smear reform efforts. The strategy for defeating reform — recently outlined by an influential lobbyist to the Hill newspaper as “delay” then “kill” — is becoming apparent. By delaying a vote until after the August recess, lobbyists are now seizing upon recess town halls as opportunities to ambush lawmakers and fool them into believing there is wide opposition to reform.

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/07/31/recess-harassment-memo/#comments

Geek of all Trades Episode #24: Carpe Nutjob

In which our illustrious host mocks a fringe group, brings back an old friend from the grave, and sends another one to it, gripes about Google Alerts, and gripes about people renegging on offers.



Contact Me:

Voicemail Line: 206.426.5634 or 206-ham-lodge

E-Mails: brian.d.webber@gmail.com, or arkle@comcast.net

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=723188282

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/arklemknzy

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/arkle

Flixster: http://arkle.flixster.com



Buy my book! http://stores.lulu.com/arkle

Check me out on BitStrips: http://www.bitstrips.com/user/7232/



Main Site: http://arkle.silver-gateway.com

Podsafe Music: http://music.podshow.com/

Some sound on this show comes from The Free Sound Project: http://www.freesound.org/

Outro Song; The Oath by Street Sweeper Social Club: http://www.ninja2009.com



Promos:

Weather Child: http://weatherchild.com/

The Casting Game: http://castinggame.blogspot.com



Segment Related Links:

George Hrab

August 1st

City of Blinding Lights lyrics

Children traumatised by 'War of Worlds' abduction of teacher

Land mine left in Goodwill donation box

$20M laid-off winner to make her own job

Phone number for Tutone's 'Jenny' up for auction



Also Mentioned on the Show:

Marc Maron

Jonathan Turley