Radio for Outcasts Across the Globe

Citizen Who?  Jamie Who?  Allison Who?
Read on to find out about a radio program that has fired me up enough to write my first blog article in more than four months!

Now that I have a real cell phone (Samsung Captivate Android), there is no excuse for me not to stay informed about what's going on in the world.

Unlike my former Zune 120GB MP3 player (since sold on eBay), managing podcasts is much simpler, less time-consuming, and more immediate utilizing a smart phone.

My news interests are as varied as my musical interests.  Yes, I very enjoy Rachel Maddow, Anderson Cooper, and a very cool news app (Newsy.com) right from my cell.  However, I am not bashful to admit that I also watch Fox News and rarely miss a Bill O'Reilly Talking Points Memo (for educational purposes only; kinda like how my dad used to subscribe to Playboy for the articles, not the pictures). 

Call me a size queen, but four inches just isn't big enough for my viewing pleasure, so I simply connect my cell phone to a computer monitor in my home office using a cable that costs less than $10 on Amazon.  The quality of the picture isn't fabulous, but is tolerable for watching news programs.

How Citizen Radio Found Me

Mistakes are great because that is how we learn.  In my case, after accidentally deleting the Rachel Maddow podcast from my playlist, I went back into my podcast app (DoggCatcher)  to search for her show.  "Citizen Radio" pops up in the search results along with a brief description that of Maddow being interviewed on the show.  I said to myself, "What the fuck is Citizen Radio?" followed by, "If Maddow is a guest, how bad can it be?  I will check it out."

Wow, what a discovery!  For me, the program is like a time warp back to the 1980s when I was just a teenager and serving on the Orange County (California) Central Committee of the Peace and Freedom Party.  Having grown up Behind the Orange Curtain in oppressive Anaheim, that was the party for me; it had my name written all over it.

At the moment, I am so fed up with the Democratic party that I have downloaded a voter registration form as I am likely to change back to Peace and Freedom, because there really hasn't been (in my 49 years) and probably will never be a place at the table for true progressives in the Democratic party.

In any event, the folks behind Citizen Radio (now broadcasting their 170-something episode from New York) are Jamie Kilstein (some type of comic) and his wife, Allison Kilkenny (some type of columnist).  It really isn’t important "who" they are, because the show is just phenomenal.  It is fresh, funny, and most importantly UNCENSORED, just like Crusader’s Corner.

I was rolling on the floor laughing my ass off while listening to a recent segment of "One-Minute Fuck You."  Kilstein's "fuck you" to Sarah Palin had me in stitches.  In fact, I hope I can find an app to make a copy of just that one segment so I can store it on my phone to listen to whenever I get depressed.

What's So Great About Citizen Radio?

Citizen Radio goes where no program has gone before.  Goes beyond Rachel Maddow, Keith Olberman, and even way beyond Bill Maher (which I never thought possible).  Simply put, Citizen Radio picks up where Democracy Now! (The War and Peace Report) leaves off.

Jamie and Allison have very animated discussions about politics, animal rights, veganism, foreign affairs, and other stuff.  The show is totally independent and receives no corporate sponsorships (sorta like the concept behind Consumer's Union / Consumer Reports).

Educational

The program is helping me to rediscover my inner progressive child as I quickly approach 50 and I am getting an education which supersedes anything I might learn from watching CNN, MSNBC, FOX, ABC, etc.

Speaking of education, I was not aware of the progressive punk group Rise Against until listening to their recent interview on Citizen Radio. 

A great book title comes to mind:  "All I Really Need to Know I Learned on Citizen Radio."

What About Fat People?

My only major criticism is Citizen Radio doesn't have T-shirts in their online store big enough for fat asses like me (a large, their biggest size, will only fit over half of my stomach).  Maybe they need a call from the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA)?

Despite Citizen Radio being T-shirt-size challenged, count me in, Jamie and Allison, as a devoted godless maniac!

Beaver-Butt Juice, Crushed Beetles, Calf Tongues in Our Food, Oh My!

As creative as some people think I am, I really do not make this stuff up.

An excellent article in the November/December 2007 issue of VegNews magazine ("Code Red: Deciphering the Discombobulating Language of Food Labels") discusses crap that is in our food that the government permits without us being notified.

Vegetarians, vegans, and meat-eaters alike should be horrified that certain ingredients are not specifically spelled out for us on our food labels.

According to the article, the Code of Federal Regulations "permits food manufacturers to list a gaggle of ingredients as 'natural' flavors, so long as they are derived from 'nature' without undergoing excessive physical processing conditions during development, such as extreme temperatures or pressures."

WARNING: Don't read the following while (or shortly after) eating!

One such ingredient the federal code covers is castoreum, which is literally extracted from a beaver's anal glands. According to VegNews, the pungent, creamy substance has been used for more than 80 years in baked goods, condiments, and candies. Can you say "gross," boys and girls!

The article goes on to discuss other crap that might be in our food without us knowing it, such as carmine or cochineal, which is the ground-up carcasses of beetles. The additive is said to be used as a coloring in processed foods.

Consumers should be revolting about the practice of food manufacturers not informing us about what is really in our food. Not sure if letters to our representatives or FDA would do any good in changing the law, but feel free to spread the word (instead of a beaver's butt) about this topic to others.

Be sure to order a back issue of the November/December 2007 VegNews magazine to read the in-depth article which gives a detailed list of what is what.

Whole Foods CEO is Corrupt and Should Resign!

Because of my sometimes very busy proofreading business, I only recently learned what a slimeball Whole Foods CEO John Mackey is. As a result, I will never spend one dime at Whole Foods or their newly acquired Wild Oats companies. Furthermore, I have written Mr. Mackey directly and asked that he resign as CEO of the company immediately.

Thanks to the December 2007 issue of VegNews magazine, I became educated very quickly about how Mackey manipulated information and outright lied to the public regarding Wild Oats in order for him and and Whole Foods to benefit financially.

According to the article (originating from The Wall Street Journal), the Federal Trade Commission revealed that Mackey posted more than 1,100 messages over an eight-year period on Yahoo! Finance stock forums under a false identity, trashing rival natural foods grocer Wild Oats before trying to buy the company out. Mackey, according to the article, is asking everyone to forgive him, which is grand of him, but he should still resign his post.

I urge all concerned consumers to join me in demanding the immediate resignation of Mackey. Please send him a letter directly at:

John Mackey, CEO
Whole Foods Market, Inc
550 Bowie Street
Austin, TX 78703