11/3, Voting (Rockland County, NY)

I just voted. Last night I looked at the County's Board of Elections website to prepare for today. As usual, it disappoints.

1) There is no mention of the date or times for the election/polling places. Shouldn't that be front and center?

2) In small print*, in the lower right hand corner of the main page it says "Congressional, Assembly or Legislative district lookup click here. Don't know your election district? Go to Polling Place." There is a link for "click here." There is no link for "Go to Polling Place." This poor design will make important information hard to find.

*The small print is the same size print used on the rest of the main page and fairly small but important information is in larger print elsewhere on that page. Shouldn't this be considered important information too?

3) An animation isn't displaying correctly. It says "vote ...and the choice is, Don't ...and the choice is. register ...or you have." It does display properly with other browsers. It should display properly in ALL browsers.

4) The League Of Women Voters site has the polling place hours. Why doesn't the Board of Elections?

5) The vote-ny.com website says the voting machines for my polling place are ES&S AutoMARKs. I was apprehensive about that so watched the video they provide that explains how those machines work. What a mess (voting on them will be.) And the video is poorly made. While being professionally made, it doesn't show things that it is talking about. It also said in the instructions, when inserting your ballot: "Note that it takes 2 to 4 minutes for the machine to display your ballot." Are they kidding?! It should not take that long for any voting machine to become ready FOR EACH VOTE!

It turns out the old style machines were at my polling place. I will write to vote-ny to see why they said Rockland County was using those machines. (Maybe some places in Rockland are but not everywhere.)

Public option discussed in finance committee, pt 2

I come back at about 1:44 and Sen. Rockefeller is talking. $1.5
trillion subsidy and additional money in this bill goes to the health
insurance industry? Why are we subsidizing them at all?

Baucus proclaims how this bill/mark isn't a boon to insurance
companies. Among other "reasons" he states is that this bill forces
everyone to buy insurance. How is that not a benefit to the insurance
companies? Holds their feet to the fire? Are you kidding? He keeps
defending his bill. It's awful!

Ah, that is old footage.

Now to the new session.

Jim Bunning on now. He has been one of the worst apologists for the
insurance companies I've seen. Not too fond of this guy. I don't see
anyone else in there besides Baucus and him.

(Audio quality is good on C-Span 3. I'm using RealPlayer at this
point but have also used QT/Flip4Mac.)

Bunning is wasting our time telling us about his kids being too young
to know what kind of healthcare they may want.

Insurance companies make only 3.3% profit margin?

Drs and hospitals don't deserve big salaries. Call me a socialist.
(And if the government was the sole source for drug companies, we
could get lower prices.

Sen. Cantwell is on now. She is sharp. Always been impressed with
her. (She reminds me of my oldest sister. Looks like her and is smart
like her.) Making lots of great points.

(I have lunch so may miss some of what she says.)

So far, I haven't heard anything that would discredit her.

Now she talks about Costco...

Crapo on now. (Not pronounced like crap-o.) Another scary Republican.
An evil man.

Excessive regulation may inhibit competition. But the question is how
much is excessive. We need more, just like we do in the finance
sector, and both have to be better enforced. OK?

I have to admit though one of his staffers, the blond who sits behind
him and has her hair pulled back today, is hot. I love blonds with
dark eyebrows.

Kerry makes some good points. Entitlement (Medicare) vs
self-sustaining (Rockeeller bill).

(I miss some more as I talk on the phone.)

Sen. Rockefeller says, 'let me address my colleagues on the left who
want to maintain the status quo'... He meant to say 'on the right.'

Sen. Rockefeller: "Everyone believes everything they see on television."!

They vote on the Rockefeller amendment. Conrad votes no. Lincoln -
no. Nelson - no. Carper - no. Geez. Baucus - no. Thanks Dems. The
Dems have a 13-10 majority and they can't pass bills? (They lose
8-15.)

Schumer on now.
But we LIKE single-payer...

Baucus ought to be ashamed, and he may be, that he can't support a
public option because the votes aren't there. (The insurance industry
has bought off too many senators.)

Nelson is a good supporter of most causes I support though I don't
know why he voted against the Rockefeller amendment. Interesting that
he was the insurance commissioner of FL awhile back.

Health care cannot be a for-profit business.

Baucus is in a hurry to get this done.

Conrad likes the "public interest option."

Grassley on now.... "Many of the things we feared have come to past."
You mean pass.

Ensign on now. He's slick. He's afraid once a public plan gets
started, it will be impossible to stop. Good!

'We don't need a government auto company cuz auto companies are
already making a profit.' Um. They weren't a few months ago.

Bunning on now.
Tells Schumer his bill will do what he doesn't intend it to do.

Kyl on now.
This is going to be too big to fail...

'State insurance commissioners should keep the companies honest.' But
they don't.

Cantwell on now.

The comments have been shorter.

Baucus doesn't see how it will get 60 votes on the floor so he's
going to vote against it. Thanks ----head.

Schumer on for his last stab. We hear Grassley and Baucus on mic as
well. Schumer echoes my thoughts on state commissioners.

They vote: Conrad - no, Lincoln - no, (Carper aye!), Baucus - no. (It
loses,10-13)

Pitiful. 3 Dems could have made the difference.

Let's see what happens when the Senate bill gets reconciled with the
House bill.

Public option discussed in finance committee, pt 1

Senator Baucus opens the meeting by saying, "try to stay awake guys".
I know they are tired but this isn't the most encouraging way to
start out this meeting on a very important topic.

Senator Rockefeller presents his amendment. It seems he is offering a
public option in an exchange. Not good enough. (Medicare for all, I
say. Not as an option. Health insurance companies should only sell
coverage for things not covered like cosmetic surgery, etc. Medicare
should cover all health issues. (Dental, mental, obstetrics, etc.)

Senator Nelson asks Senator Rockefeller to explain his bill and
Senator Rockefeller politely refuses. I don't understand that.

Isn't it amazing that we subsidize the insurance companies now and
will do so in the future? Why do we subsidize industries that are
profitable? They subsidize "the people" to buy the insurance and they
also subsidize the insurance companies as well. It makes no sense.

Baucus defends the "mark" as being hard on the insurance companies.
They levy a fee for 60 billion but are subsidizing them to the tune
of 500 billion.

The audio quality of C-Span 1 on DirecTV is bad as usual. Distortion,
and now we are hearing monitor ring, which is a problem caused
whoever is doing audio in the Senate chamber.

Grassley tries to defend his approach on the "public option" and then
announces his opposition to Sen Rockefeller's amendment. Grassley has
no credit as far as I'm concerned. ('A slow walk to government run
health care.' Yes. et's do it!) Then he yammers on about half truths
and misconceptions that are the Republican talking points. (People
come to the US for health care...)

Grassley 'A government plan will run the insurance companies out of
business.' I'm all for it!

Grassly rails on about how bad the public option is. Yawn. Most of
what he says has been disproved.

What he's saying is the public option will be more cost effective so
let's not have it because it will put insurance companies out of
business. Doesn't want government bureaucrats making decisions
instead of Drs but that is what the insurance companies are doing
now. Exactly that.

Now he waffles on Medicare.

Grassley wants choice? Choice to pay more than we need to? How about
not needing a choice because the care provided is good. (And I guess
choice doesn't apply to abortion. Can't have choice there, can we?)

Hatch on now. ... "enjoy the private coverage of their choice."
Enjoy? Enjoy paying exorbitant rates and have limited coverage? No,
we don't enjoy it, Senator.

God forbid Drs can't charge whatever they want. We don't need rich
Drs. We need Drs who like to practice medicine. They will be
adequately paid. They are in other countries.

Yes, let's go this way!

No, the government DOES NOT MAKE ALL THE DECISIONS! the Drs do! Liar!

No, the American people will not lose control over their care.

Menendez strongly in favor of Rockefeller's (and Schumer's) amendment.

All (of the Senators) are for choice unless it's for a public option.

Drs ought to be required in this program. He weasels out of Sen
Ensign's question. Then Rockefeller weasels out, after saying they
won't be required to then saying only for two years.

Sen Nelson asks, is the public option a disaster in NJ? Menedez
answers since there is no public option it can't be a disaster. What
was the point of that?

Sen Conrad bashes Rockefeller's plan. Conrad mentions the TR Reid
book! Our system ought to be not for profit. (More talk is about not
for profit insurance but I am for not for profit health care and NO
insurance being needed.)

Ensign tries to criticize our ranking in the world of preventable
deaths by saying that it isn't valid because we have more car
accidents and gunshot wounds than other countries do. Hardly
something to draw attention to since you (Senators) are supposed to
be doing things to improve that.

Sen Rockefeller would have been better starting off saying his plan
IS a government run plan for the first two years.

It's a shame Dems aren't clear on the plans being offered. Bingaman
is confused. Nelson was. Conrad was against the Rockefeller plan....

Schumer up now to talk about Rockefeller's amendment. He then
launches into the state of health care and insurance.

Ensign is missing the point. We may be good at taking care of cancer
There are MANY more health conditions where we are NOT better than
other countries. (Infant mortality, others. Cost as percent of GDP is
twice that of the next "rich" nation. Also bankruptcies due to health
costs are obscenely high.)

Sen Kyle on now.
Britain's health care system may be the world's 3rd biggest employer
but their system works! Works well.

Sen Stabenow on now.
I have liked most of what she has said in the past.

They break at about 5 after 1 to return in about 45 minutes.

More to come.

American Folk Festival, Sunday, 8/30

Yesterday's webcast was rained out. Today is a nice day.

Heard one gaffe so far: something about making yourself homely.

Danny Paisley and Southern Grass didn't remind me much of his
father's band. His singing is more shrill.

Mix is good. In the Ethiopan set, some of the women are off-mic. Not
sure if they don't have mics or if the sound man/woman is missing
them.

Hosts are listenable. Other than that one gaffe, nothing too
embarrassing. These DJs have presence of mind so they don't say
stupid things. They also are not breaking in every other moment to ID
the station. This is the first ID I've heard during the music,
between songs, today, at 1:37.

It is flowing nicely. No bad communication between on-air DJ and the
stage. Isn't that nice!

1:54 pm Station ID
"And you are listening to the live broadcast of American Folk
Festival..." should be THE American Folk Festival...

Only outright negative: There must be a generator near the ERU booth.
We can hear a low hum. (Was also hearing some echo on the DJ mic
right now but it stopped.)

An intelligent discussion with the Ethiopian band. Credit goes to an
intelligent DJ and it didn't hurt to have a Harvard professor added
in. The Ethiopian is a little off-mic sometimes but it isn't too hard
to hear him.

Gadelle starting up, doing their soundcheck. Good timing, just as the
interview ends. Need to turn down the stage feed while they do the
sound check.

Go to the stage. Flawless. Good mic-ing of feet! Levels going up and down.

Hunh? The sound goes dead and then we a hear a bluegrass CD. Then
back to the stage. OK. Vocals too low. Fiddle out of the mix. Oh well.

Some innovation on foot percussion rhythms! And then they run it
through an efx box. Nice.

Les Charbonniers de L'Enfer are on. Lead singer is not in mix. Can
hear him in the monitor. We hear the mix change, singers sound
closer, but the lead singer gets more out of it. Crowd is mic'd out
of it.

Next tune. Lead's level goes up too high then ok.

Overall, nice.

Now on to Terry "harmonica" Bean.

His vocal is way low.

Johsua Nelson on at 5:30. I fall asleep for most of it. Funny to hear
a black gospel group sing about being a good jew. This music could
sell anything.

It gets livelier toward the end.

So, it's over now. The best for me, Les Charbonniers de L'Enfer .

Ants like me

All summer ants will find my leg as I sit, inside, in my comfortable
chair and crawl up it. Several times a day and night. Within minutes
of each other.

I have ant baits out. They haven't worked this year. They barely
worked last year. Still, each year I have them to some degree and
each year they like to crawl up my leg.

What is it about ants that they like me? (Or, what is it about me
that they like? the sweetness of sweat? The sugars in sweat?)

I capture them and release them outside. I've asked an ant expert,
are these the same ants coming back after I put them out? He didn't
think so. He also thought that they wouldn't survive away from their
colony. I don't feel too bad about that but I am somewhat of a Jain
about this*. I don't want to kill them but it seems that moving them
outside amounts to a death sentence. I don't want to just squish
them. I do wash them down the drain, which if you are an ant, must be
a hellish experience. Think about it. One second you are walking
along. The next, you are swept up in a torrent of water and you go
down a black hole. There is no escape.

I try not to think about it.

*The more I read about them, the more I like...

Florida 2000 all over again

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

It's summer, time for sex!

It's warm out. The privet is sending out sweet smells.

It's time for sex!

AT&T video webcast of Jazz Fest!!!

Wow, Check out this lineup for the AT&T webcast of Jazz Fest:

Saturday, May 2nd:
12:45 PM Sonny Landreth! - should be excellent (Was good but too short, only 3 songs.)
1:00 PM BeauSoleil!! - should be double excellent! (Wasn't as good as I was hoping.)
1:40 PM Spoon - eh (1 nice song at the beginning)
2:50 PM Joe Cocker - eh (Mike Finnegan on organ!)
3:05 PM Professor Longhair (Classic)!!! - This will be the hit of the fest for me! (although now I see it is only a 5 min clip. Still...) (Was nice to see it but wish they had a clip from the fest...)
3:10 PM Dr. John! - should be good (Was!)

And after Dr John (and after the Professor Longhair clip from a 1974 PBS show), they showed Zachary Richard! 3 songs!!! Thank you!

4:15 PM Sugarland - don't know them and I suspect I won't
like them. Country? (This didn't air thank goodness)
4:30 PM Ben Harper and Relentless7 - eh
6:00 PM Dave Matthews Band - not a Dave Matthews fan

Sunday, May 3rd:
12:45 PM Troy Andrews - could be good (Was!)
1:00 PM Allen Toussaint - should be good (Was!)
2:10 PM Papa Grows Funk - should be good (Didn't air which was too bad.)
2:30 PM Better Than Ezra - should be good
3:15 PM Irma Thomas! - should be good (Was!)
3:35 PM Jimmy Buffett (2006) - eh (Not worth watching)
3:40 PM Sting (2000) - a waste of time. I won't be watching this.
3:45 PM Bonnie Raitt - should be good (Was!)
4:00 PM James Taylor - not someone I want to see at Jazz Fest
5:30 PM Fats Domino (2000) - should be good (Was!)
5:40 PM The Neville Brothers - should be good (Was!)

See it here:
http://music.att.net/s/editorial.dll?bfromind=5168&eeid=6486233&_sitecat=1384&dcatid=0&eetype=article&render=y&ac=-2&event=1

Some of these segments are not long, Professor Longhair may only be 5 minutes, but at least one will be perfect: Beausoleil for 45 min!

Thank you, AT&T.

Now, at some point after this I will dumping your phone service but thanks for this! (5/14/09 I have dumped AT&T phone service. I feel so much better!)

Putting my heart online

my heart, originally uploaded by Lipwak.

I had an echocardiogram today. Here is one of the few pics from that that show anything that looks at all familiar. It's my heart. The original pic showed it upside down but I rotated it. I was hoping that they would include the sounds of blood rushing through my heart on the CD they gave me but they didn't. It was very cool to see one's heart beating away. The valves opening and closing. It wasn't someone else's heart. It was mine. And now it is online. For all to see. Enjoy.

(Is it black and emtpy? No.)

Stella!!

Reason #4384 to love New Orleans... I saw this on March 15 of 1998 along with the theater production of Streetcar at Le Petit Theater (complete with streetcar bell) and loved them then too.



The source:

Dead Air, on WFMU

I have been given permission to digitize and upload to YouTube, whatever WFMU footage I have. Below are some of what I have already put up. More to come. (A playlist for WFMU will appear on my YouTube channel as soon as YouTube fixes the glitch that is preventing it.)








Dead Air - a review (written when I first saw it, whenever that was.)

Always nice to see where the magic happens.

The first 8 minutes I love. Then the plot kicks in. You can see Andy written all over this. Ken, excellent acting!

I guess it is harder to mix sound on video than in radio? The transition to the commercials is not up to the usual FMU standards.

We get to see some places not seen on the FMU tour video, the mail room, a lounge.

What's that buzzing around Terre's head?

Hand Me Down That Can of Beans!

21 minutes of action packed drama. And an out take at the end. I like the second version of the final scene better but not the second version of Hand Me Down That Can of Beans, Andy.

(3/27/09 I can't tell the difference between either ending. Is there any?)

Too funny

As I'm Just Sayin says, "Could You Imagine Living Downstairs From This Girl?"

1976 yearbook WTUL pics and a bumpersticker

A WTUL bumpersticker that I got in the 90s but with the logo from the 70s.


Pics scanned from my 1976 yearbook.

The left-hand side of page 220, that has a group shot of some of the DJs


The right-hand side of page 221. I recognize Alan Smason and Rob Heidt (who isn't wearing a shirt.) Is that Gregory Wilson sitting?


An unknown DJ (from page 225)


Alan Smason (from page 302/303)

(Note the can of Coors. That stuff was like gold back then. People would bring back cases from Colorado and they would get bought up in minutes. Awful stuff now...)

WTUL alumni weekend, 3/7

I tune in about 10 am NY time. Playing prog. Heaviness... Dread (think Kierkegaard,)... Angst. I was a philosophy major at Tulane... Sort of what I would expect from a Tulane student, who's typically upper middle class (or maybe upper class with Tulane being so expensive these days), and not that far from what I would think prog would be like these days after being away from it for so long. What I would expect to hear if I was walking around the campus hearing music leaking out of dorm rooms.

A nice industrial version of Jambalaya.

These DJs are amusing. (dada bob & the dj formerly known as james) Good production values (so far). Both are on-mic. (Later they talk with one off-mic.)

Talking Heads - Pull Me Up. (sounds like a record, not a CD, lots of surface noise. They don't have a CD of this?)

Cyril's on now. Says he's gonna play new wave, retro...  but starts with Peter Gabriel - On The Air.

More dread. I wonder, not to read too much into this, if students are feeling bad about the economy , their outlook in general? I heard some last night who weren't, a bunch of girls. They were happy and peppy as only 20-somethings can and should be. I know we were, or at least I was not encouraged when I was there. The Viet Nam war was still going on until Gerry Ford said it was over in that speech in the basketball auditorium, the second time I'd been in there. Inflation was bad, unemployment high and it didn't get better for years.

And of course, there is still the mess that New Orleans is in post-Katrina. Glad to hear that Mardi Gras was so good for the economy there. It is a national disgrace that the city isn't in better shape. (I don't blame them. I blame W and crew.)

I could tell this Roxy Music cut (Avalon) was coming. Heard it a mile away in that premonition that one has occasionally with radio when you are familiar with the music the DJ is playing. If not the actual tunes, at least the style.

This isn't sounding very new wave. (Is this retro?) Life In A Northern Town?

Add to that list, depression. (I'll come running to tie your shoes - Brian Eno) Not that depression isn't warranted.

It's his birthday today.

All dachshunds are evil? They're wonderful dogs...

His show ends.

I'm betting that Maurice Roe is one of the guys I have a clip of from '72-'76. That distinctive black voice doing jazz... And the answer is?

Station ID is low level.

This music isn't sounding like the guy I thought it would be. OK. Southern rock.

Haven't heard this cut (this version of this song) in a long time... x (real Southern rock style intro) into Sweet Jane.

What's this Weather Report? Sort of jam band-based jazz. Familiar tune. Not John McLaughlin. Fusion was real big when I was there...

Ah, Jeff Beck - Freeway Jam.

Maurice is NOT the guy I was thinking of. I like that all these returning DJs have a WTUL staffer holding their hands, pushing the buttons if necessary.

Wow, his next cut is WAY louder than what came before it...

The computer freezes as he plays Love Is A Drug. I go through withdrawal. Back on he has a bunch of DJs with him.

The level between his voice and the music is a bit jarring, the music is much louder.

Some, as Bill Kelly would say, although he wouldn't play this stuff, real rock and roll.

He says he is one of those alumnus. (Should have said alumni, plural, "one of those" is plural.)

Plays Pink Floyd from when he was there? I thought he was on in the early '90s. This (Flying from Meddle) came out in '71. Love those football songs sung en masse.

Nice woman softly singing. Nouvelle something.

Roman Pizza seems to be sponsoring alot, getting commercials like they do on PBS.

Dixie Dregs!! The hair stands up in the back of my neck as this plays! I have this album but haven't heard it in years. Too bad they were a flash in the pan.

Un hunh. The Allman Brothers - One Way Out from the Fillmore concert (Eat A Peach album) Second time that album's been played in the past two days.

He says he was there from 75 to 80 so I may have heard him. I don't remember the voice but maybe the name.

He plays Genesis from Selling England By The Pound, not sure which cut but it's fairly awful, and I like Genesis. (Did he like that album? It was abit before his time.) It wasn't cued up so we get several seconds of silence at the beginning. Don't they cue records? That's pretty basic.

Who is this tremelo (vibrato?)-voiced singer? Sounds like Plume but in English. (PFM)

(I miss FMU-style live playlists.)

Joke about Alan Smason being on in the 50s!

Not a good cue of the Springsteen record. I first heard Springsteen at Tulane. Prof Andy Antippas raved about how good he was. I was mildly impressed until I heard his songs being played ALL the time. Got sick of him fast. (I see Prof Antippas is on the mailing list Jay sent me. Hi.)

Rosalita, one tired song. What next?

Vaguely familiar David Bowie track.

Yes - Starship Trooper. I played a LOT of Yes when I was there. I remember getting Tales of Topographic Oceans and it got warped soon after so it wasn't very playable. I gave it to my next door neighbor Steve on St Charles, who was in high school.

Happy Talk.

Next show (John G) isn't my "cup of tea."

(still listening, casually)...Hah, it was the Flying Lizards! I was thinking it sounded like that girl.  (talks to someone off-mic)

I stop listening about 4 pm NY time. I then listen to what I recorded last night which should be DJ Davis.

Bimbo sounds like it would have been fun to listen to her more. She sounds nice, and funny.

She plays Hey Pocky Way as her last song. Thinks Karen is on next.

Station ID, gets month wrong. (WTUL's seedy release party? I know, CD.)

Hmm. If she is the DJ, what was the deal with DJ Davis? Karen will tell me.

I delete the recording. Now, I'll wait until the party begins at 5 NO time, 6 NY time.

I tune back at 6 pm NY time. Day Tripper by Jimi Hendrix with the Beatles? is playing.

Smason is on now? (Oops, I misread the schedule.)  Then he plays Street Fighting Man by the Stones ("The world's greatest rock and roll band" , he says). I don't recognize the voice but his playing the hits doesn't surprise me. Too bad I missed the party but more should continue with Shep. I expect I will recognize Shep's adenoidal voice...

The alumni free for all.

Birthday (The Beatles) cover by?  Not so expertly played. (Underground Sunshine, ick)

unknown R&B. I'm glad they just play the music and don't make a big deal about introducing the DJ. "I want love and affection at the house of correction."

more... I wonder if "the Hound" is doing radio down there. I know the Circle Bar has a good jukebox...

Lotsa cuts. Good. It's all about the music.

Dixie Chicken played too fast. Oops.

Woman comes on, Robin. I hear partying in the background.

Cool. I see they use the http://radioactivity.fm/  way to keep track of what has played. Not as good looking as FMU's but a step in the right direction.

Jaime Brockett - Legend of the U.S.S. Titanic! Haven't heard this since I was there, probably. A true classic.

(I keep turning the level down on the cassette deck which means TUL keeps raising it...)

They air the "Shit." Good. I certainly won't complain.

(The levels are still going up...)

Psychedelic Freakout, Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll

(Now the level is too low..., averaging -10.)

Nice cue of record or has it run out and no one knows it? How many seconds of silence do we have? Going on 30 now. I'd say a minute and then the DJ comes on in mid-sentence, oblivious.

Hi Shep! I remember you. Sounds like he's been drinking... or is he really old? Woman DJ hurries him up. (Reminds me of Pseu Braun.) Let's go, she says.

The Roses of Picardy - June Tabor.  Haven't heard her do this stuff.

Talking Heads - Air.

(I bring level up. Will it stay there?)

I imagine myself there and wanting to run over to the Rat for a bite to eat or a drink but coming right back to TUL to hear the music.

This sounds fairly hellish, barking dogs and loud guitars. Nice. Then they start singing.

I'm  guessing each DJ is putting on what they want one after another, one tune each.

The Firesign Theater! very low level...

Another song played at the wrong speed and does anyone care/notice? Late, yes.

Hear DJs under the music.. DJ comes on and her level is higher than the music. (Just like WWOZ)

Fela track that follows is low level, She barges in overmodulating.... Sigh. I'm guessing there is a 10db difference between the DJ and the music.

A live Screamin' Jay Hawkins album? Nice and a nice recording.

... more silence. Then...  (low level, 8-10 db lower) Celebration. A vaguely familiar song, prog style. gets turned down suddenly.

Shep's back. He blesses the Queen. His level is a little high. 8pm NY time. Maybe he has some medical condition. He gets shuffled off by the woman, Juanita. She's a dead ringer for Pseu Braun.

Level for music better but still lower than DJs.

I'm surprised people aren't cuing better than they are.

I love this song, Sufficiently Breathless - Captain Beyond. Thank you.

I turn the volume down in anticipation of something jarring but it gets followed by some quiet efx and then, boom, King Crimson - 21st Century Schizoid Man, a little lower level than the previous cut... and could be a record. Can't tell if it's a CD or not. I would think the CD would sound better. It does sound clean though. Probably a CD. Not much bass in it. Nice war between the speakers... though a little shrill. I used to love this and have it cranked up now.

The next cut comes on, a reggae/bass and drum/dub groove, then horns, organ, gtr. Level is good, maybe a little high. (I adjust again.)

Get up offa That Thing - James Brown. This should be a hit in nursing homes...

Karen's on the air now.

Bonzo Dog Band - The Intro and the Outro. The first album in TUL's collection. Interesting. It came out first in 1967. I guess they had to start somewhere with keeping stuff. A good symbolic album to have as #1!

Jethro Tull - Locomotive Breath. Karen talks over it. That's a sin, don't you know? (Talking over ANY record you're going to air rather than use as a bed.)

Allman Bros again. Karen comes on.

Karen comes on again , then Shep who is low level. 37 years on TUL, Bravo!

She intros The Punk Show and it comes on with a professional intro. Then it plays again... Oh well. The second time Jay plays a cut.

God Save The Queen - I guess The Sex Pistols

I'm not gonna know most of these. This next one sounds pretty produced for a punk tune... Not as hard core as what I'd hear on FMU any day of the week, not that I am fan of this stuff. Much more happy and peppy than what I was expecting.

I'll listen at low level and wait to hear Jay come on. I think I'll recognize his voice. I wonder if it has changed since I last talked to him. Gotten deeper? I mean he must be as old as I am... My voice has certainly changed since then.

He's on. I don't recognize him. I sort of do. He used to have a deeper voice, didn't he? A good (commercial) radio voice.

I was gonna say, the reason I didn't go into radio was that while I LOVED music and radio, my diction was embarrassing to me. I slurred words too often and spoke too fast sometimes. Now, that doesn't stop many DJs (at TUL and OZ and other college or community radio stations...) but it stopped me from wanting to put myself forward to doing radio. I did try the CT School of Broadcasting and pretty much hated it. They were only concerned with commercial radio and not interested in creativity which was my ONLY interest in radio. I would not be happy at a commercial station. Anyway, I hear DJs with poor diction and if they have no other redeeming characteristics. they are unlistenable. That combined with poor production values, makes a station unlistenable. Alas TUL and OZ fall into that category too often while they do have some DJs who do a good job.

Jay is starting to sound familiar.

... Turning Japanese. This was a big hit on WLIR.

Funny KISS story.

Surfin' Bird - The  Trashmen. A true classic.

9:02? My computer has 10:01 (NY time), so I guess they aren't using computer time. (FMU doesn't either.)

I like this 2 Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps Please! - Splodgenessabounds. No, make that love it.

Blank Generation - Richard Hell and the Voidoids, familiar.

Ca Plane Pour Moi - Plastic Bertrand. Playing all the hits. (Another LIR hit)

AG Parr....  I've been in touch with him... He was in The Dukes? His father was a Duke of Dixeland?!

I remember the name, the Normals.The crowd applauds as he ends his show. He's well-loved.

Hey, Bob Dunn. Add dates to the History of WTUL page. You mention being there in 1971 but when did WTUL first go on the air? When did it go FM? Thanks.

Conner, the  electronic gloved wonder comes on. He/someone does a station ID but it is hard to hear. Then the tune he plays has no right channel for awhile. The tune sounds vaguely familiar.

I stop listening and dub off the underlined cuts above.

The first REAL sign of spring

I've heard some nice bird songs lately but this is the first REAL sign. It just gets better from now on.

WTUL alumni weekend, 3/6

I try to listen at 10:30 NY time but the stream doesn't respond. Its dead.

I get some notes from Jay Hollingsworth. (Sorry about the nerd
comment, Jay.) He sends me a schedule. Thanks! Now I know what is
happening when. Looking forward to hearing Alan Smason, at least
initially, Shep and Jay. See how nostalgic it gets.

I check in again at ~3pm, NY time. The stream is working. I guess
Rockin' Ruth is on now. Playing FUV style R&R.

She comes on. It was Dash Rip Rock and Camper Van Beethoven before
that (I only heard the end of Dash Rip Rock.) I think she said her
name was Kathy.

She plays some straight jazz so I can have lunch (and not have to pay
attention to it...)

And now Maureen joins her. She plays Michael Franti so it won't be jazz. Good.

More happy peppy, FUV in the 80s music.

Nice Iko Iko.

Woman DJ (Kate?) comes on, her level is lower than the CD.

Next mic break she's at a good level. Although Maureen is pinning it,
overmodulating.

Nice Brazilian Rebel, Rebel (Bowie)

Bluegrass version of Fleetwood Mac's Landslide. (Dixie Chicks, ick)

This is Ruth Preslaff. Maureen's level is low.

Wow, a long silence between the Peter Gabriel and Talking Heads cuts.
I checked to make sure the stream didn't die.

So, in summary, nice enough music overall. Indicative of intelligent,
sensitive people, a crowd I liked to be with. Wish they'd get their
act together on their production values though. Different levels
between music and DJ and off-mic DJs are two examples. And I have
noticed this happening for YEARS.

(I'm having internet connectivity problems so I lose the stream and
have to reboot, which seems to fix it. Unfortunately this happens a
few times a day now...)

Stream goes quiet but is still there at 5:01 pm NY time. I guess they
don't know they've killed the output to the stream... Oh well. A good
time to go out and check the mail...

5:15 and the stream is still running but has no program content.
Oops. I guess they don't monitor it. I'll keep it on in case they
figure this out.

5;18 it comes on mid sentence then Brian Jonestown Massacre... OK.
Barney Kilpatrick on now.

Barney comes across well. David comes on and sounds like he just
passed puberty.

Fred Neil and Leo Kotke. Alright. Wall of Death after by...REM? Sure, why not.

A bluegrass tune. Well alright. (Steve Earle and Del McCoury)

Bottle of Blues by... (Beck)

A new version of Magic Bus. Just what the world needed. (By Duran Duran)

Nice screaming and efx in this tune.

A good DJ, Interesting stuff.

(Level is lower for Bevis Frond tune after mic break...)

Oh, a good segue. Whatever (Bevis Frond?) into Hendrix - Hear My Train Coming.

Iggy Pop - The Passenger

This next show should be interesting: "Paula 'go ahead & shut 'er
down, fcc!' o" o?

Kerry, Paula, Mark on now. (Is that what was on the schedule?) Too
bad they aren't all on-mic..

Punk stuff. No thanks. I watch the news.

I start listening later, 8 pm NY time and it ain't punk now. Very
interesting stuff. The Propellerheads.

They overmodulate as they do the ID.

Nah, don't like this next one. I watch Washington Week In Review...

8:24 NY time. Interesting accordion piece on.

Tom Waits - Straight To The Top. They cut off the song in the middle. Jeez.

8:55 pm. A world full of cops!

9:01 NY time. ken on the early evening shift? (Yes, I think.) Starts
with a nice Richard Thompson cut. Scratchy record but a good cut.

DJ sounds competent.

This Music isn't my cup of tea so I'll check back later.

Ken ends his show. Bimbo's on next. We'll see what she's like.

The cool tool/TUL! lol Lots of sexual innuendo. Funk. OK. No need to
stay for this.

Boogie In Your Butt! Well alright.

Looking forward to seeing if DJ Davis is a) the one I am thinking of
who started the Brass Band Jam on OZ and b) will play some brass band
music. I have Radio Recorder set to record the show which is airing
MUCH too early for me to listen to live.

WTUL alumni weekend, 3/5

I tune in at 5 pm NY time and find out they are beginning the alumni section of their 50th anniversary in a few seconds, rather than 8 pm NO time. OK.

The first alumni DJ is Michael Reinert. He was there in the late 70s and some other dates.

His first song is Pete Townshend - Face The Face. That's too bad. (Actually he played Meatloaf's Paradise By The Dashboard Lights before that but it didn't air on the stream.)

The DJ before, a woman, was throwing in lots of "y'all heard"s....

I sent TUL an e-mail (a few days ago) saying I have some recordings from '72-'76 and '97-'98 but they haven't responded, as they didn't the last time I wrote them years back, probably telling them the same thing.

The DJs I've heard so far suffer from the same handicaps I've always heard on TUL, They speak too fast and don't enunciate. They sound like college kids which they should. And their technical skills are fairly bad: jarring transitions and not lowering the music to talk over it enough are two examples.

This sounds like an over-produced a la 80s Irma Thomas (This Ain't Love). (It's not.)

... Tri Face Boogie (Tripe Face...) he plays the studio version. Live versions are so much better. OK, I'll stop complaining, this show is on tape/CD...

Allman Bros - Trouble No More from Eat A Peach, complete with scratches.

Nice 'I don't know what station I'm listening to' ID/promo.

Dedicates this to his daughter Christina. Gads, it's live.

Yakkity Yak. He covers some distance...

Oops. He miscues a tune.

Why Get Up...

ID. A non-alumni DJ does a PSA. And he knows how to speak!

Blood Sweat and Tears - God Bless The Child. I used to hear this alot in the late 60s. A real classic. I don't remember it being played much if at all in NO when I was there.

Thank Heaven For Little Girls - Maurice Chevalier. He's proud of his daughter. (I wrote that before he said that...)

Geez. Springsteen. Ick.

Not the best production values, cutting off the music before it ends, etc.

Wow, Lil Queenie is there and gonna sing! They sing Hello, I Must Be Going (Groucho Marx)

And the cliché of all clichés, The End - The Beatles.

We just listened to an hour's worth of mashups? Hunh? Oh, they played old tapes.

Michael became a music business attorney. It sounded like it.

Next DJ plays Pharoh Sanders. I'm not a jazz fan so I bail.

Wow, Shepard Samuels (Shep) is still on the air there! I remember him. Can still remember what he looked like back then ('72-'76 and probably saw him once or twice after that, and he hadn't changed then.). I wonder if he has cut his hair? I've read he is a music business lawyer. (But he has good taste in music...)

I wonder if Allan Smason will appear. Not that I am a fan. He's just a familiar name. And Jay Hollingsworth. I had no idea he was so important. He was kind of a nerd when I knew him, your stereotypical computer nerd. Had no idea he would later be a "MAJOR record collector and seminal figure in bringing New Wave and punk music to the New Orleans airwaves..." (from the WTUL history page.)

I don't remember many other DJs names at this point. Rob Heidt DJ'd for awhile. (I see he is a principal at a school in NJ these days! Looks virtually the same only abit older.)

(7pm NY time) This guy, Charles Driebe, managed Henry Butler (I wonder if Charles is blind too? He also managed the Blind Boys Of Alabama)... He also was on in 1974 doing a jazz show. So, since he is still on at 6 pm NO time, they aren't following the schedule on the website where the show would end at 6. Not surprising. I wonder what the schedule will be since they don't list it very well on the website.

The website has been updated since I started writing this. I think the hours will be 8 till midnight each night from now until Sunday when they start at 4 and end at who knows what time. We'll see. I'll listen to as much as I can stand.

He talks to other DJs but they are off-mic. And of course, he doesn't adjust them... We can hear them adequately though.

The cliché Coltrane My Favorite Things.

Another DJ is on now. A woman. Bizzarre Radio from 8 til 4 am so it won't be alumni. Or will it? It isn't clear.

Techno 2000. These are out-takes?

It's 8 pm NY time. Let's see if they do a station ID. Yes. The woman tries to talk over the music but she doesn't turn it down enough. Eventually she does.

Woman on again. Says they will air nothing but alumni stuff this weekend. Really?

They say they are going to play the Stranglers but so far we have the Roches... (Not one of their best songs.)

So it will be an all-alumni weekend. Good. I'll skip Bizarre Radio but pick up tomorrow as soon as I can.

Lundi Gras, 2/23

Video from the TP. Who's the band?

Revelers second line to the music at Lundi Gras

Mardi Gras Day

From The TP

French Quarter Revelers

And a slideshow of some good costumes.

highlights of Zulu, Rex and the truck parades, 2/24

2 videos from the TP on Zulu.

Krewe of Zulu

Video: Zulu group celebrates 100 years

I watch the DSU cam, the paradecam and the cam set up for Zulu on the nolacom site.

DSU has Arthur Hardy and crew.

The cam set up for Zulu is under the I-10 overpass. We find out it has good acoustics!

Heard on the DSU cam about New Orleanians in general: "It's encouraging that they're actually the enjoying the tradition of Mardi Gras."  More bon mots to come.

DSU shows some neat old footage of earlier Mardi Gras'. The announcer on one segment describes residents as the Creoles and the Anglo Saxons! We see Rex and Elks pass each other going in different directions on St Charles!

Someone, on the DSU cam?, says, "I'm not gonna eat. I just want beads." Arthur?

We see Pete Fountain. He looks as gracious as ever.

(My computer is at 100% CPU use with all these cams up.)

We see some parade happening on the paradecam at about 9:45 am.

See Zulu in the Garden District on DSU at about 9:47.

The Soulful Warriors.

The woman hosting the Zulu cam says about Orleans and Claiborne: "It looks like the place, it smells like the place" (to be...)

Someone on the DSU cam, I think,  yells "Mic check!" Yes, your mic is live.

The Zuku king passes the Garden District.

We hear a Jesus freak in the background, with a bullhorn.

At Lee Circle we see Mayor Nagin in his Centurion outfit on horseback.

I eat some shrimp. Good!

I can tell there's lots of joy in the air there. And I'm a little drunk, having had a somewhat potent screwdriver for breakfast.

We see a brief shot of some people dressed up as skeletons, part of or inspired by the skeleton gangs, something I want to see more of. (Alas, I don't.) A woman on DSU called them zombies, and didn't know what to make of them. (Educate her/everyone. And I wonder if El Dia De Los Muertos is celebrated in New Orleans. It should be, especially now with the greater Latino population.)

A guy promotes his club on the Zulu cam: "25 and over for the grown and sexy, ...Come get some alligator. I just killed them." Mm, good.

DSU female: "Haven't seen anything too inappropriate."

They talk about the "trouble truck" and Arthur says quietly, they only need them 12 times a  parade." lol

Everyone is saying that the economy is good for Mardi Gras this year. Good!

We see the Zulu Tramps.

We see some dancers chanting, "holdin' down the sidewalk."

Edwin Kerr band, nice.

They say this is the best attended Mardi Gras since Katrina. Good!

11:40 am, we see Rex turn onto St Charles on the paradecam. (They "scoop" DSU.) The theme this year is Pro Bono Publico, for the public good. The paradecam host is very low level.

Nice red outfits and chanting from the (S?) Charles HS of East Cleveland, OH.

The Tiddlywinks! Green dresses and orange hair!

We see a red Cadillac convertible on the Zuku cam. We then hear that Antoinette K Doe died today. One sad note to be topped by the shootings later.

It's noon here and I foolishly look for the Bourbon Street Awards show but have no luck. I check at 1 pm too but don't click the link they have on the nola.com blog thinking it is only to the paradecam. I did check the paradecam often. I wonder if nola.com did show it. I hope to find some internet video of it at some point.

We see the Witch Doctor. We see white guys, underneath their blackfaces, on the Ambassador and the Mayor's float (for Zulu). I knew it was integrated but I didn't know there'd be that many white guys in it.

Rex #13, the Rhapsody of the March Wind float is the one that I noticed earlier that had the Pan figure on it.

See good dancers from Frederick A Douglas HS and a good band. Arthur "has the knack" and is getting beads and throws and the bands to stop and play for the cam.

Dancers from A. Maceo Walker HS in Memhis have nice moves.

Nice Green Man on Rex float #18.

I've eaten all the shrimp  I have by 12:30. It was good. Fried catfish and Bailey's Irish Cream next.

Hear Hey Pocky Way on the Shaka Zulu float.

We see some costumes on Bourbon Street: The Goddesses of Love, Sex, and a few more; Elvis - the publisher of Where Y'at; The Easter Bunny - I think this is the same guy I've seen wear this costume in years past. He's big, 200+ pounds, got a pot belly and looks like he'd be dangerous around young children. A PERFECT Easter Bunny for Mardi Gras!.

DSU does a spot on some restaurant serving raw oysters. Oh, I want some!

A masked Obama appears briefly wearing a wig similar to what is seen on English judges. The mask has a big bright Obama smile on it. Very funny. It pops in and out of the picture quickly, heightening the effect.

We see a skull on a stick.

12:48 pm. It looks like the Elks parade, the first of the truck parades, has started. At first I am not impressed with the floats but as the 100th one passes by I start to appreciate the simple designs they have.

We see a Professor Longhair float on the DSU cam.

The King of something arrives at Lee Circle, 1:13 pm.

We see a Rodrigue blue dog in the Argus float in Metairie.

We watch Rex and Mayor Nagin talk about handcuffs at Gallier Hall. The stream is breaking up alot so I lose audio often.

1:45 pm I don't bother with the paradecam or nola.com anymore. Just DSU.

I hear the Tulane fight song. (Even after looking at the Tulane web page that explains its origins I'm not sure what its title really is... Still, it is one of the great football fight songs. Too bad the team is never very good, nor would I want them to be...)

The bands I'm hearing today are in tune. I liked the other ones but it's nice to know these bands can play in tune. South Terrebone Parish for one.

Nice sunglasses, Rachel.

Some twins get interviewed. Both have high-pitched voices but one is practically a ringer for Butterfly McQueen.

We see a float called  Hibernating Bears. The bears they show are up and around so they aren't hibernating but it's a cool float nonetheless.

#27, the last float for Rex, is The Royal Barge.

Truck parades Elks (Orleans), Crescent City
Trucks are still flowing on the paradecam.

The DSU stream is breaking up, no audio, jerky video. See the first truck parade there.

Something about a black Indian who has a husband Ringo. People really have names like that?

The "Actually, You Might Be  A Redneck" float has riders in pink and children on it.

3pm. We hear someone else has been shot on the parade route. Turns out 6 were.

On the Babes In Toyland float we see a child in a high chair.

DSU interviews some women Drs from NY who rave (positively) about New Orleans and Mardi Gras.

3:33 The DSU player restarts itself. The DSU web page loads fast for a change.

3:40 Travers Mackel is on a balcony in the French Quarter. (Hi, Travers. I know you will be visiting this blog as you did when I blogged on Gustav last year. Come often...) Anyway, he has this verbal crutch, as so many newscasters do, where he says "if you will" often. (Now that you know about it, maybe you can cure yourself of it.)

A nice aerial view of Canal Street.

Travers interviews a woman pirate with a dog, a guy with a funny voice and a woman as a Hubig pie (wrapper)!

Truck 72, truck 73, truck 74...

Travers interviews a bead woman, who is calling herself something else.

We find out 6 people have been shot earlier today.

Some DSU woman says dis'-play rather than display'.

My computer heats up when DSU goes to commercial and all we see is the graphic.

We see Gabrielle dance. She like so many others is just totally giddy.

Travers interviews a family in FEMA sheets!

The stream stops or I only get 0...9...7...0... fps.

See a nice balcony shot.

4:31 pm I get audio back.

A truck has broken down.

DSU does a trash story. The trucks are moving again.

Margaret Orr talks with a 65? 75? year old lady.

Randi Rousseau, the weathergirl,  says 'Ibberville' (ib as in jib) rather than 'Iberville' (I as in eye).

A piece on the Mardi Gras Indians.

Norman Robinson, WDSU anchor and master of malapropisms: "The maddening crowd." It's the madding crowd, Norman. I know it's a strange turn of phrase and awkward when used in most contexts. It means frenzied which the crowds were but it's madding, not maddening.

The DSU cam has some schumtz (dust) on the lens.

We see traffic backing up on the Crescent City Connection going to the West Bank. We also see some floats backed up on a turn in the road.

Travers talks with a LA State Police guy. The LA State Police guy says it has been the best Mardi Gras crowd he has seen in the Quarter in his 28 years.

As I listen to the weatherman, his pitch changes, slowing down! It returns to normal but I haven't seen that before in a stream.

We don't see any more trucks on Canal Street.

It's hard to hear Arthur. Norman: "We'll talk to a commercial break." OK, I guess you will. I think you meant to say 'we'll take a commercial break....'

I never knew floats go to a "den".

We see a flock of white birds on a shot of the trucks on the West Bank.

There is talk of "units."

We see the police trucks pick up the people barriers on Canal Street.

DSU ends it coverage at just before 6 pm, NY time. I then watch the news on DSU. I think it was Arthur who says, 'A million people having fun, that's not news. This is news,' referring to how the national media has picked up the shooting of 6.

We see some white tigers on what I think is the Queen of Zulu's float.

We see a nice Chinese?/Japanese? hat on a guy in the next balcony over from Travers.

We see a segment on the Bourbon Street Awards. Travers' VO  sounds like he is an echoey room. The bathroom at the hotel?

We see the Rex "den" and that a Westfelt was Rex. Probably related to the guy, might even be the guy,  who donated the large sports complex at Tulane.

We see a different piece on the Mardi Gras Indians.

Things are pretty much over . I do watch the Earthlink verison of the  Bourbocam for a little bit but it is blurry.