[Kzyxtalk] ATTN: Tim Bray-Fwd: why you're not on KZYX
Joel Waldman
poet at mcn.org
Thu Mar 6 09:19:38 PST 2014
FYI: Pishka, n. (Yiddish). A small, closed, hand-held container
proffered by one who is soliciting cash donations to a prospective
donor.
Begin forwarded message:
> From: Liz Helenchild <deejayliz at yahoo.com>
> Date: March 5, 2014 4:00:42 PM PST
> To: Joel Waldman <poet at mcn.org>
> Subject: Re: why you're not on KZYX
> Reply-To: Liz Helenchild <deejayliz at yahoo.com>
>
> Sure, Joel, you may share with Tim. Though not always in total
> agreement with his views, I do respect him as mostly level-headed.
>
> Yes, I was remembering you (wisely) bowing out of the Repub Power
> Hour.
>
> Your story of the Coate kibosh on your TOTW turn with Jeff B, if
> accurate, does not speak well for the openness one expects from
> public radio. Our GM purports to want balance in opinion so as to
> represent/please a wider demographic than the grey lefties who I
> suspect are the majority of listener/supporters.
>
> The KZYX BOD blew it bigtime when they granted Coate say-so over
> programming. Personalities aside, that's way too much power in one
> place for a listener-sponsored station.
>
> Onweird,
>
> Liz
>
>
>
>
> From: Joel Waldman <poet at mcn.org>
> To: Liz Helenchild <deejayliz at yahoo.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, March 5, 2014 11:59 AM
> Subject: Re: why you're not on KZYX
>
> Good morning, Liz,
>
> Nice to hear from you.
>
> Alas, it is all true, to my present shame, embarrassment and
> chagrin. Like an ex-con, I can't seem to escape my past.
>
> I think this is what you recall.
>
> You may be referring to the old, worn-out and terminally boring
> episode in my checkered career as host of, "The Republican Power
> Hour." The best thing I remember about the program was that it was,
> allegedly, so dynamic it took a mere thirty minutes.
>
> At the time I was recently separated from my full-time career with
> the Navy as a PACE instructor, and the George Herbert Walker Bush -
> William Jefferson Clinton presidential campaign was making lots of
> smoke. I supported Bush, the father, because he was a practical and
> adroit administrator who recognized the need to raise taxes, his
> admonition to us to "Read my lips," notwithstanding. The slime
> factors attached to "Slick Willie" Clinton, were glaring, even then.
>
> I recall having been a jerk a time or two on the air, insulting
> callers as stupid and hanging up on a few. I did not try to win the
> Mr. Warmth award.
>
> After Clinton's win I saw no need to continue the program, nor my
> engagement with the County Central Committee of the Republican Party
> as its Communications Officer. To slosh a metaphor, the bloom was
> off the flower and the clay-clogged feet of the boys and girls
> playing party politics turned me off.
>
> I had young girls to raise and we all know the hustles necessary to
> make a buck in Mendocino. Do you remember any of the old jobs I had
> around here?
>
> Or might you be referring to REALLY ancient history,
> when I was a guest of Dan Roberts' on his "Wild Sage" poetry show?
> I arranged for Lawrence Ferlinghetti, my publisher, mentor and
> friend, to call in to the show to chat with us on the air. I am
> still thrilled by the tape of Ferlinghetti's first public reading of
> his elegy for Allen Ginsberg over KZYX.
>
> I understand stretching is good for people. So how's this for a
> stretch of your recollections:
>
> Jeffery Blankfort extended an invitation to anyone who wished to
> speak on behalf of the American Israeli Political Action Committee
> (AIPAC) to be a guest on his show. Nowadays, I have almost no
> political affiliations of any kind. But when I was seven years old
> I walked through the halls of my Bronx apartment building with a
> blue and white pishka knocking on doors asking for cash donations
> for the Jewish National Fund to give money to a Zionist tree-
> planting project around the foothills of Jerusalem.
>
> Jeffery and I met at a Cafe' in Boonville to discuss the parameters
> of my appearance as his guest, including the limits to my on-air
> volume of my voice. He wanted my levels not to exceed his own. I
> agreed. There were meters and kill switches arranged. We eschewed
> Yiddishisms; I was not to call him a schmegeggi, he would not call
> me a meshigginah.
> Nu? A regular Lincoln-Douglas!
>
> Publicity, both print and broadcast, was disseminated. I was
> ready. An hour or so before the broadcast, just as I was leaving
> the house, I got a call from the newly appointed Station Manager,
> John Coate. My invitation to appear on "Takes on the World," was
> rescinded. Mr. Coate thought the program would make for "bad
> radio." At some vague promise of a future opportunity to have some
> air-time to take issue with the regular, anti-Israeli, Arab
> propaganda spewing from Coate's cash cow, I found myself dismissed.
>
> I have had NOTHING but bad reception from the station since. I
> find myself unwelcome there. My offers of volunteer support is
> ignored.
>
> I am out of time to continue this billet-doux, right now.
>
> We need more time for reminiscences, later.
>
> Joel
>
> PS I was so captivated by your query, I have yet to get back to Tim
> Bray. May I SHARE THIS LETTER WITH HIM?
>
> On Mar 4, 2014, at 11:20 PM, Liz Helenchild wrote:
>
>> Joel,
>> My recollection is that you had a KZYX talkshow for awhile &
>> dropped it on your own.
>> Do I remember this correctly?
>> Liz
>>
>
> So preposterous a notion, that I might be welcomed at KZYX, that I
> hadn't given it a thought. Thanks for asking, Tim.
>
> Since Blankfort has takes on the world, give me a little time to
> mull over my range.
>
> I'll get back to you after rehearsal.
>
> Joel
>
>
> On Mar 4, 2014, at 3:58 PM, Tim Bray wrote:
>> What kind of show are you proposing?
>>
>>
>> On 3/4/2014 2:02 PM, Joel Waldman wrote:
>>> All quite as refreshing as using a dolly.
>>>
>>> Perhaps as a minority of a minority, the least politically-correct
>>> local Joker in the neighborhood, do you think EVEN I
>>> might get a chance back on the air?
>>>
>>> Joel Waldman
>>>
>>>
>>
>> --
>> Oak & Thorn
>> Facebook: Oak and Thorn
>> _______________________________________________
>> Kzyxtalk mailing list
>> Kzyxtalk at lists.mcn.org
>> http://lists.mcn.org/mailman/listinfo/kzyxtalk
>
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.mcn.org/pipermail/kzyxtalk/attachments/20140306/67936849/attachment.html
More information about the Kzyxtalk
mailing list