To CNN--Hire Ann Curry--Put Her in the Big Leagues Where She Belongs

I watch the news all day or I listen to the radio and watch a few shows in the night--I don't know why I am just a news person, always have been.

I previously wrote to you about the compassion often shown from your great reporter, Martin Savidge.  You have so many real good journalists in all shapes and sizes and ages.  Well, that is the shape of our country, isn't it.

Why not hire Ann Curry and show off her talents.  I often write in my blog about the way women are treated.  I think it would be good for your network and good for her.

I quit watching shows like "Today" a long time ago, because there is really no substance to those shows.  There is no Wolf Blitzer, Candy Crowley Andrea Mitchell, or Chris Mathews, if you know what I mean..........or the one with equally stunning earrings and interview skills, Leslie Stahl.

Does the dinosaur, NBC, really have a grasp on the current thinking and trends of the media today?  I would not even consider watching "Today" now, after the way they treat people.

Anyway, just a thought, but I think it would show forward thinking of your network and you would have a real, real good reporter, or even give her a big position or her own show.  Put Ann Curry in the big leagues where she belongs.

Respectfully,

Chloelouise

lapis lazuli earrings...12.00...www.chloetoo.com

Obama 2012.....Dick Morris--not so much.

Dick don't be a hater.

President Obama has spoken against rush limbaugh on women's rights.  Health care is something he wants for every citizen of the United States.  The repubs are going to have to act fast if healthcare is over turned and the 26 year olds have no insurance.  President Obama has come out in favor of gay marriage.  He helped boost the car companies and boost the economy.  He has shown moral leadership in asking for equal rights for everyone.  He sets the example and sets the tone.

As far as his speeches:  not only is he funny--he's cute, too.  Talking about the "red sox" speech.

Obama 2012....Dick Morris--not so much.

...In answer to Dick Morris constantly bashing President Obama.

President Obama will continue to out maneuver Romney

President Obama will continue to out maneuver Romney and enjoy a second term.  He has already stood up for too many important issues such as gay marriage and against rush limbaugh speaking against Sarah Fluke.  He setting the tone and setting an example for a high moral ground in the United States.  He wants health care for everyone like all of the other advanced nations.  He will go down in history as a great president, one who was not afraid to speak out for what was right.

You'll find that Barack Obama is the president of every citizen of the United States, and that is something to be proud of, and that is why he is respected around the world, in comparison to some of our other leaders.

........written in response to Juan's posting on "The Hill'' and all of those crabby conservatives.

  On immigration, Romney is left without an answer, as usual.  On healthcare, there will be many angry citizens whose children are now covered to the age of 26.  The repubs will have to answer for that--and provide healthcare if it is overturned.  The conservatives are very good at digging their own grave.

Conservative Talk Radio in San Diego--Unleashed and Out of Control!

Conservative Radio San Diego--Unleashed !

Well, here is an example from San Diego.  We have a guy on the conservative, tea-party type radio station always calling for vigilante justice because he is so mad at someone for not being what he calls patriotic.

Yes, it is usually against women--an Asian politician in the San Francisco area refused to say the Pledge of Allegiance and he thought "her ass should be kicked."  But, it is endless...he thought Gloria Allred should be "body-slammed."  He wanted to jump over the lectern and do something real violent to Barbara Boxer, wanted smokers to be "gunned down" in lieu of another government law about smoking...and on and on and on.........  I called the station and they insisted the host only says interesting conversation that inspires comments.
   
They erase some things from the pod cast like the gunning down comment----yet, when asked,  the webmaster denied they erase anything.  The host called for a politician to "die in a burning building you scum bag."   But that did happen in San Diego...people were killed that way in a domestic violence case.  He makes it seem okay so solve everyday disagreements with violence.  He says it repeatedly,  I tried to write about it in the San Diego Reader blog.  They took it down saying it was libel.  I knew what I was writing was true.  I heard it myself.  Often the host, when questioned, denies what he says and gets real angry and shouts at the guests.  He shouts listen to the podcast.  Well, it is erased. 

It's really quite disgusting but my point is that its all about ratings, just like Rush Limbaugh.  I really do not think he would have stopped until President Obama stepped in and said something.  I was shocked when the Reader sent me and e-mail saying not to try to publish anything about chip franklin.  He also publishes some of his things in the Reader.  The Reader does try to be so expose-ish, occasionally,  but I guess that is only about certain things of their choice.  I think chip franklin is still in the money-making trendy/funny category. 
I really became almost afraid to write my critique of his show at one time because I think he also tried to get rid of my blog with his own camouflage of similar headlines.  I don't know why since I have very few readers and apparently he has very high ratings. 

He often talks about how women do not need an equal rights amendment then continues his bashing--he even bragged on the radio his son knocked down an occupy member (not a woman) who was blocking his way to class. 
I think Barack Obama did a very good thing speaking against Rush LImbaugh and coming out for gay marriage because it sets the tone and gives a good example for respect.   The often unleashed chip said at one point after rush, we really have to be careful about what we say now.
It seems like there is really not censorship about radio until an incident such as Doctor Laura and Don Imus force the sponsors to back out, particularly the big ones like Motel 6.  Also, the bullying people listen to the bullying people--the people who feel entitled.  My very conservative, republican neighbor says about Rush  "Oh, I just think he's so funny."  And, her son is gay.   chip franklin who also does tiny television news bits, is popular in San Diego; I do not think the media wants to address the nature of some of his statements--he is making money for too many people
Anyway, in San Diego, in the Hillcrest area the council recently voted to fly the rainbow flag as well as the American flag.  My friend told me it will be up in time for the Gay Pride Parade.  Well, chip, how is that for patriotism?

Bullying of LGBT youth goes beyond the schoolyard.......

I wrote this as a comment to the blog post above when it appeared in "The Hill."  I was trying to make the point that talk radio is out of control--unleashed and like the wild, wild, west.
--
chloelouise


At one point in time, around November of 2011 I did hear Mr. Franklin say "There is a woman who writes a blog about me."

Citizens in Favor of President Obama

Brent join me and Brian Terry's family in requesting that Eric Holder and President Obama release all records in relation to Fast and Furious. Shouldn't the parents of an honorable Border Patrol Agent murdered in the line of duty by an Amercian Gun sold by the US Government have all the truth out?

  Just wondering... how do those numbers compare to the war of George Bush and its toll on American citizens and soldiers.  The parents of the fallen soldiers are sad, as well.

 President Obama is the man who has demonstrated leadership in standing up to Rush Limbaugh in his horrible rant against women; he is also the President who has spoken in favor of civil rights for all and spoken in favor of gay marriage.  President Obama is the man who has made headway in providing healthcare for all of the citizens of the United States, just like the other advanced countries in the world.  President Obama is the one who voted in favor of saving our big car companies.  Right now the repubs have to think of a plan to cover the kids up to the age of 26 on the parents plan if the current healthcare guidelines are overturned.  Many parents, even conservatives, wil be very angry about that.



The first paragraph was a comment on Brent Budowsky's pundit blog on employment issues.  This appeared in "The Hill" yesterday.

The second paragraph is my comment against it.

The third paragraph is another comment I made in favor of President Obama.  I do feel he will win again--he sets a good example for civil rights in the United States.

CUISSON AVEC ALIA: Bringing the world together with food and fabric on the ronnie republic

 Cooking With Alia

CUISSON AVEC  ALIA----translated on google translate.......by chloelouise

Les gens ne vous voulez voir une nouvelle, créative, spectacle différent cuisine authentique et très intéressant? Ensuite, je suis très très recommander Cooking With Alia. Je souscris à ce sur You-tube. Je me lève le matin, boire mon café et regarder ce magnifique spectacle joyeux, lumineux et intéressant à droite sur mon adresse e-mail. J'aime cette chose la technologie - J'aime You-Tube et j'aime e-mail.

 Ses recettes sont marocains avec une touche gastronomique française - mais ils sont faciles à suivre pour moi. Elle m'a appris comment faire soufflé au citron. Alia est du Maroc, mais la nourriture est également basée sur la cuisine française traditionnelle qui est une composante de la cuisine marocaine. Elle est si bien informé ..... J'ai commencé à la suivre parce que je peux l'entendre si facilement. Elle est facile à comprendre pour moi.

Ses recettes sont marocaine avec une touche gastronomique française - mais ils sont faciles à suivre pour moi. Elle m'a appris à faire soufflé au citron. Alia est du Maroc, mais sa nourriture est aussi basé sur la cuisine française traditionnelle qui est une composante de la cuisine marocaine. Elle est si bien informé ..... j'ai commencé à la suivre parce que je peux l'entendre si facilement. Elle est facile à comprendre pour moi.

file under:   bringing the world together with food and fabric.......

do you have a story you would like to share on this blog, the ronnie republic,  about this subject.........or another important story you would like everyone to know about........I am also trying to showcase the people and the food and fabric of Palestine........thanks for your time and thank you for reading the ronnie re....cl

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chip franklin.....ironic, violent or just plain stupid

chloe louise to cliffalbert-------program director of KOGO 600

show details 11:59 AM (0 minutes ago)

 
I just couldn't help noticing something very "ironic" while I was listening to KOGO this morning.  Cliff Albert was giving his usual spiel on morality at 7:30.  He felt there could be less violence and, people, citizens, should just do more to stop these horrible events.  He was referring to the house that was burned down this past weekend in El Cajon.  A lady and her granddaughter were dead and a policeman was shot in the head or neck.  He felt warning signs from this person should have been taken more seriously.  The man did have a history of violence and two relatives had restraining orders against him, according to Cliff Albert, the program director.  Cliff must be a very moral individual himself; he always has a lot to say about living correctly and apparently he does not like dogs, motorcycles or the mentally ill. 

Today, Cliff did make a valid point.  I know personally of a story where the police were called three times for a complaint of domestic violence.  It was not until a lady sheriff arrived that the man in question was finally taken downtown.  Then this lady proceeded to inform the victim that they could indeed get a restraining order against this individual and part of it could come to an end.  Sometimes the violent person beats the system, like last weekend.  Like Cliff I do not know the answer but we could look into it and maybe have more education about the whole thing.  Maybe we could stop morning talk show hosts from suggesting and shouting about violence as an act of retaliation.

I could not help but note it was so "ironic" that chip had recently shouted in a very angry voice "Die in a burning building, you scum bag!" in reference to politician David Wu possibly having a relationship with a very young lady.  I think he has since resigned.  The next day I heard chip comment that he must be careful about his remarks because there are kids in the car.  I have often thought to myself --not just kids in the car but anyone listening.  His statements are so offensive and so unnecessary in order to describe an event. 

I wonder if that will be erased from the record like so many other things that chip says and then later denies he said it.  Yes, denies it and then gets real angry that anyone could possibly accuse him of making the statement. 

Well isn't it ironic that chip called for someone to die in a burning building and then someone actually did.  Isn't it ironic that chip called for someone to meet a violent fiery death and then his boss said that kind of act is too violent. 

Is it a coincidence that Cliff called for something not to happen that chip said should happen to David Wu.  Is it just plain stupid that chip made that statement.  Is it just plain stupid that chip said he wanted to crawl over the lectern and do some violent act to Barbara Boxer?  Is it stupid that chip said he wanted to punch Whoppee Goldberg?
 
Does Cliff Albert not know what chip franklin says?

Is all of this "ironic" a "coincidence" or "just plain stupid"--as chip often asks in his favorite game--and then gets real angry when someone disagrees.

Maybe Cliff okays this violent talk from chip because it brings in high ratings. 
--
chloelouise....originally posted August 24, 2011.......here is the link:

http://open.salon.com/blog/chloelouise/2011/08/24/chip_franklinironic_violent_or_just_plain_stupid

Bullying of LGBT youth goes beyond the schoolyard

By Chad Griffin, president, Human Rights Campaign - 06/08/12 04:55 PM ET 

.......copied from "The Hill" by Chloelouise

 

It’s a story too familiar lately – a young lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender teenager is the victim of relentless bullying and harassment, sometimes with dire consequences. But as hurtful as words and actions from peers can be to a young person, the harm done by community and government leaders can often be just as bad – if not worse.
The Human Rights Campaign has just completed the largest ever survey of more than 10,000 LGBT teens across the country on what life is like for them in America today. We learned that while peer-to-peer bullying is hurtful to LGBT teens, it’s actually their peers that teens say are the most accepting. On the other hand, it is the adults in their communities – be it their elected leaders or their churches or even their families – that they feel least accept them.

For too many LGBT people in this country, they’ve grown up being told every day that they’re different, they’re less-than, and they’re not worthy. They read in the newspaper that politicians think they don’t deserve to be protected against bullying, or covered by workplace non-discrimination laws, or even be able to one day marry the person they love.  In fact a staggering 92 percent of LGBT youth report hearing negative messages about being gay – and 60 percent say they hear those messages from elected leaders.

Thankfully many of these young people do believe that life will one day get better.  But according to our survey, 63 percent say they’ll have to move away from their community if they ever want to be accepted. Can you imagine?  Life is so miserable that they feel like they have to leave their family and friends behind in order to live a happy life. There shouldn’t just be a patchwork of places where young people can believe in themselves; that should be the norm from coast to coast. Our country’s LGBT youth should be bombarded with the message of “it’s ok to be who you are,” not “the only way you’re going to be happy is to move to San Francisco.” And the reality is that packing up and moving isn’t something most LGBT people could afford anyway.

America’s leaders have a responsibility to these youth. Those in power need to realize that their words and actions (or inactions) have severe consequences. Never should a kid have to hear a politician on TV shaming them deeper into the closet or saying that their relationship is worth less than someone else’s. They should be able to go to school every day knowing that adults care about them without worrying about senseless bullying.

There’s no doubt that around this country tonight there are LGBT kids who will go to their rooms, turn off the lights and stare at the ceiling unable to sleep, worrying about what the next days and weeks and months may bring. But we can do something about it. We can pass anti-bullying laws and create safe havens in our schools. We can ensure that an employer can’t use one’s sexual orientation or gender identity as an excuse to fire someone.  And we can make sure that all loving and committed couples are able to share in the joy of marriage. When you stand against these protections you are endorsing state-sanctioned discrimination against a generation that deserves much better.
Griffin is the new president of Human Rights Campaign.

--
chloelouise........copied from "The Hill"

chip franklin--YOU'RE TALKING OUT OF YOUR ASS!

chip franklin--YOU'RE TALKING OUT OF YOUR ASS!

Yes, that's what the caller said to chip franklin this morning around the 7:30 hour.   She laid chip out bad......and of course chip panicked...first--he started shouting, then he tried to be condescending and call her "honey" and say she did not know what she was talking about (of course she did)......then he cut her off in frustration.   No, that was only the first verbal knife chip suffered  today...the second lady also tried to inform chip he did not know what he was talking about...deriding the Paradise Hills school district and the teacher's union.   He tried to say Paradise Hills was a challenged area and the citizens did not like it. 

Oh, that chip, that crazy, crazy host of KOGO 600, that unleashed shock jock of San Diego radio, trying to be so bold with his subject matter, yet when a lady comes on and gives him a piece of their mind he becomes quite undone.  He cut the second lady off, too.  Did he listen to a word of what she said?  I'm afraid not!

If this guy is representing the conservative movement and the Tea Party in San Diego I am feeling pretty good about a second term for President Obama.  I wonder if these things will be erased from the podcast as some of his other outrageous statements have been in the past.

To me, it seems like chip really hates women when he can't force them into agreement.  I think Fran Drescher made her point the best when she tried to explain the need for an equal rights amendment for women.  chip was not having it, the only problem was he could not get a word in edgewise on "the nanny."  chip was beat bad and he couldn't cut her off. 

Oh chip, maybe you should pick a better subject matter, one that isn't so near and dear to your heart at such an early hour of the morning.  One where you don't have to take it so personal when the girls win.



--
chloelouise

KOGO 600's Program Director Cliff Albert Responds to Accusation of Frequent Call for Vigilante Justice by Host

Albert, Cliff CliffAlbert@clearchannel.com
to me

chloelouise,

Neat name you have by the way.

Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.  You actually are a pretty creative writer. And it sounds to me like you do listen a lot based on your knowledge, so let me say thanks for listening to us when you do.

In the radio talk show business, the goal is to stand out from the dozens and dozens of choices that people have on how to spend their time. So it is natural for a talk show host like Chip, or Rush, or LaDona or Roger to be rather demonstrative with the words they use and the approach they take.   I guess it's like a debate team in high school or a lawyer presenting closing arguments in a trial. You don't succeed by just calmly reciting a bunch of facts and statements.  You have to have a passion and express emotion and be noticed and remembered. 

Talk show hosts also use lots of analogies to make a point and obviously do not literally mean to communciate that they want to hurt anyone. It's all designed to share thoughts and feelings that we think most of our listeners either share or want to offer an opposing opinion which 

we encouirage because it makes good radio.

As for my "usual speils on morality", they are designed to spark reaction and conversation and get people to thinking about some serious issues at times.  

Again, thanks for listening to KOGO when you do.  

cliff

This was Cliff Albert's response to a letter I sent to him about chip franklin often calling for vigilante justice. 

8-24-11

Jimmy Miller--Perfect Sound Forever

Jimmy Miller

Searching for the Groove
by J.P. Gelinas
(December 2007)

"One thing that producers and engineers tend to have in common is their undeniable love of music, and it is the highs they experience in the recording studio--those exhilarating moments when the blending of artistic effort, musical material, and technical input produce great results." --Richard Buskin, from the introduction to Inside Tracks (Avon Books 1999)

Who was Jimmy Miller? Even if you don't recognize Jimmy Miller's name, chances are that you've heard his work as a producer on many classic rock tracks over the years. His studio production on such classic rock albums as Mr. Fantasy, Let It Bleed, Blind Faith and Exile on Main Street illustrates that he was one of a handful of individuals, including Phil Spector and George Martin, who defined the sound of sixties and seventies rock & roll.

Miller was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1942, and his early roots were in show business. His father, Bill, was an entertainment director in Las Vegas and was responsible for booking Elvis Presley's memorable return to live performances at the International Hotel in 1969. Miller's earliest musical experience consisted of performing with local bands as a drummer. In an interview with Richard Buskin, Miller described his developing musical career: "Around '63, '64, I went on the road as a singer and got a recording contract with Columbia, and when I went into the studio I realized that that was what interested me most. So, I soon started writing songs with a young arranger friend of mine and cutting demos of other artists performing our material."

In the early sixties, it was standard practice for fledgling songwriters and producers, such as Miller, to create their recordings independently and then attempt to lease the songs to a major label for distribution. One such song Miller produced, "Incense" by the Angelos, came to the attention of British record label impresario Chris Blackwell, who was in the States looking for suitable material to release in England. Blackwell, impressed with Miller's production work, released the song to great success in the UK in 1965. Shortly thereafter, Blackwell, who was having difficulty establishing the Spencer Davis Group (which featured the young Steve Winwood) in the United States, hired Miller to work with the band.

When Jimmy Miller arrived in England, his first task was to remix the Spencer Davis Group's "Gimme Some Lovin." The song, now a rock classic, had been recorded and released in the UK, but Blackwell felt it needed something more to have a chance at making the charts in the States. Listening to the song today, one hears the magic of Jimmy Miller's production technique: a driving bass line reinforced with the slap of a drum hit, cascading percussion throughout the track, and a beefed-up chorus of voices (some provided by members of Winwood's next band, Traffic). The song was a big hit in America, and the band quickly followed up this success with "I'm a Man," which echoes a lot of the production elements in "Gimme Some Lovin." It's interesting to note that Miller's friendship with Steve Winwood had developed to the point that Miller was credited as a co-writer of "I'm a Man." This sort of involvement would become commonplace throughout Miller's career--he often participated in the recording studio not only as a producer but also as a musician. After "I'm a Man," Winwood left the Spencer Davis Group to form Traffic and asked Miller to come on board as the producer of their first album, Mr. Fantasy.

It's important to understand the musical climate that existed in the fall of 1967, when the album was recorded. The record's ambiance is one of mystical sweetness and druggy references that reflect the halcyon days of the "Summer of Love," which had just ended. Songs like "Dear Mr. Fantasy," "Heaven Is in Your Mind," "Paper Sun," "Smiling Phases," and "Coloured Rain" captured the psychedelic fever of the day. Miller performed as a percussionist on many of the tracks, and on the jazz instrumental "Giving to You" he speaks the line "You know where I'm at, but I mean jazz."

Mr. Fantasy was one of the first projects at Olympic Studios, one of the first independent recording studios in London at the time. This studio would function as a creative workplace for Miller over the next several years. Phil Brown, one of the original engineers at Olympic, states in an interview at prosoundweb.com that "the kind of producers I worked with originally were people like Jimmy Miller who were producers who set up a situation and controlled things but they were vibe merchants. Jimmy Miller was this incredible kind of energy and drive and force. He made the session feel like you wanted to be there and make music. But he wasn't a hands-on producer. There was more of an overall control, a bit of a vibe." In the book Inside Tracks, Miller explains his view of the producer's and engineer's roles: "As a producer I pretty much let the engineer get the sound together, and I might add my own suggestions if there's a particular sound I'm after or if there's something that I would like to change." Statements like this give credence to the theory that Miller's genius lay in listening to the band and musically participating in the session as opposed to working the mixing board.

In a 2003 interview at mixonline.com, Eddie Kramer, the engineer on Dear Mr. Fantasy (later to become Jimi Hendrix's producer), gives a clear picture of what it was like to watch Jimmy Miller at work in the studio: "Jimmy Miller was my mentor. He just had the most amazing ability to take a group of musicians, rehearse them, get them in the studio and get them so excited about what they were doing and make it all seem so much fun that I realized that this is the way that records should be produced. He was just a terrific catalyst. He had a great sense of humor. And he was unstoppable in the sense that his energy level was always up. He really, really dug the music; he was always so into the band: ‘How can I get you guys to feel this track the way I'm feeling it?' He would sing parts. He was like a master of ceremonies."

Kramer goes on to describe the session that produced the song "Dear Mr. Fantasy": "We had the band set up on a riser at one end of the studio, which is a big room--maybe 65, 70 feet long by about 45 wide with about a 30-foot ceiling. They were set up as if they were onstage and I recorded them live, straight to 4-track. I can remember with such clarity the time when we were actually cutting ‘Dear Mr. Fantasy': We were in the middle of a take and there's a part where the tempo changes--it jumps--and I look around and Jimmy Miller's not in the control room. The next thing I see out of the corner of my eye is Jimmy hauling ass across the room, running full tilt. He jumps up on the riser, picks up a pair of maracas and gets them to double the tempo! That, to me, was the most remarkable piece of production assistance I'd ever seen. They were shocked to see him out there, exhorting them to double the tempo. Their eyes kind of lit up. It was amazing. That was Jimmy!"

After his success with the Spencer Davis Group and his ongoing work with Traffic, there was a buzz in the rock & roll community about Miller. He was beginning to get a reputation as a "feel" producer, a guy who knew how to find the groove. During the sessions for the first Traffic album, Mick Jagger, at the suggestion of the Rolling Stones' recording engineer, Glyn Johns, dropped by one of the sessions to observe Miller's work up close. Shortly thereafter, Jagger asked Miller to produce the Rolling Stones' upcoming album, Beggar's Banquet. This album marked the beginning of a long studio collaboration between Jimmy Miller and the Stones.

At the start of 1968, the Rolling Stones were in trouble. In an effort to keep up with the style of the current rock music scene, the band had just released Their Satanic Majesties Request, an album heavily influenced by the psychedelic sounds of the San Francisco bands and the Beatles' recent release, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Satanic Majesties had caused the Stones to lose touch with the heart of their own music and their overall fan base. Needing to rehabilitate their image, they decided to record an album based in the blues, a genre that previously had defined the band musically.

In Inside Tracks, Miller describes the beginning of his relationship with the Stones: "Musically they were just coming out of their psychedelic period, which hadn't been too successful for them, and I think that was lucky for me, because I didn't insist that they change direction but they were ready to do so, as was evident from the new songs that they played me. What they had written was rock and roll, yet I subsequently received a lot of credit for getting them back on course, so I benefited a lot from being in the right place at the right time. There again, I think it's fair to say that being American also helped, because--as was the case with many successful British bands during that era--they had been raised on American records. As things turned out, it was not always easy--they could take a long time over certain things--but it was always a pleasure, especially when they'd eventually hit those magic moments as they inevitably seemed to do. The first of those just happened to be on the very first track that I produced for them, ‘Jumpin Jack Flash.'" This song features the element that was fast becoming a trademark of a Jimmy Miller studio production, layers of percussion, which fill the song with energy and momentum. Excited by the recording, the Stones scheduled it for immediate release as a single rather than holding it back for inclusion on the album.

A remarkable blend of blues, old-style country music, and rock & roll, Beggar's Banquet is arguably the best-produced album of 1968. Miller's studio expertise gave added depth to many of the album's tracks. For example, he chose to record the basic track for "Street Fighting Man" (guitar and drums) on a cheap cassette because the song needed a raw feel to capture its violent political leanings. "Sympathy for the Devil," with a samba-like groove that is reinforced with layers of percussion, is a perfect blend of dark lyrics and sensuous rhythm.
In December 1968, after finishing Beggar's Banquet, Miller worked with the Stones on Rock and Roll Circus, a television special intended to promote the new album. This project remained unreleased until 1996.

Earlier in 1968, Miller produced Traffic's second studio effort, Traffic. His production work sparkles on the ethereal "Forty Thousand Headmen" and what is now considered a staple jam song, "Feelin Alright." This album would be the last time Miller worked closely with Traffic in the studio, although he oversaw the production on Last Exit (1969), a pastiche of studio outtakes and live material, and on the live album Welcome to the Canteen (1970), both projects instigated to fulfill the band's contractual obligations to their record label and both largely forgettable.
In 1969, sessions began for the next Stones album, Let It Bleed. Miller's contributions during these recording sessions were plentiful. "Honky Tonk Women," which would be released as a single in advance of the album and ultimately withheld from Let It Bleed, features a brilliant opening cadence of cowbell played by Miller. "Gimme Shelter" has an urban soul music feel bolstered by Merry Clayton's dramatic vocal and Miller's percussion contributions. Miller's production helps "Midnight Rambler" blend the sinister overtones of "Sympathy for the Devil" and the Chicago blues style of the Stones' earliest records. The album's final track, "You Can't Always Get What You Want," which can be interpreted as an elegy for the sixties, features a celestial choir directed by noted arranger Jack Nitzsche, keyboards and French horn by Al Kooper, and Jimmy Miller playing the drums. Miller jumped behind the drum kit when Charlie Watts began having trouble with the song's quirky tempo. Miller's presence on this recording is felt in another way--many sources claim that the "Mr. Jimmy" referred to in the lyrics is Jimmy Miller.

Due to his work with the Stones, Miller's services as a producer became much in demand. During 1969, he worked on a variety of projects. Among these were the Move's magnificent single "Blackberry Way" and Spooky Two by the fledging outfit Spooky Tooth. Perhaps Miller's most significant project in 1969 was Blind Faith.
Blind Faith was one of the first bands to be called a "supergroup." Featuring the talents of Steve Winwood (Traffic), Eric Clapton (Cream), Ginger Baker (Cream), and Rick Grech (Family), the band evolved out of a series of casual jam sessions held at Clapton's country estate. When the group entered Olympic Studio, Jimmy Miller was on hand to add his production expertise. One of his most important contributions to the Blind Faith album occurred when he convinced the band that the track "Can't Find My Way Home" would sound better if it was re-recorded using acoustic rather than electric guitars; this proved to be a crucial element in making that song shine. Sadly, Blind Faith did not survive the tremendous audience expectations placed on it, and the band dissolved shortly after touring America in support of this album. Building on the relationships he had established with the various members of Blind Faith, Miller was soon involved in production duties on the recordings Ginger Baker's Air Force and Delaney & Bonnie on Tour with Eric Clapton, both projects taking place in 1970.

In the summer and fall of 1970, Miller and the Rolling Stones were busy crafting the album Sticky Fingers. This project would take Miller and the Stones out of Olympic Studio, as the album was recorded largely using the Stones' mobile recording truck at Mick Jagger's country estate, Stargroves. Sticky Fingers has a more textured sound than the previous Stones albums Miller worked on. Stargroves' wooden floors and high ceilings might have added a natural ambiance to the recordings' overall sound. Among the tracks that feature Miller's unique contributions are "Brown Sugar," "Moonlight Mile," and especially "Can't You Hear Me Knocking." Like "Jumpin Jack Flash" and "Honky Tonk Women," "Brown Sugar" is an instant Stones classic that benefits from Miller's ability to integrate crisp layers of sound and rhythm within the music. "Moonlight Mile" features layers of instrumentation that provide a certain airy quality. In "Can't You Hear Me Knocking," Miller's use of percussion establishes a funky soul groove that helped the Stones enter new stylistic territory.

During this same period, Miller worked on Sailor's Delight, an album by a new band called Sky. The band featured a young musician named Doug Fieger, later to re-emerge with the Knack and the hit song "My Sharona." In an interview at classicbands.com, Fieger describes his experience with Jimmy Miller: "I grew up in Detroit, yeah. I had a band called Sky, which I have a funny story about. I wrote a letter to the producer of the Rolling Stones and Traffic and Blind Faith, a guy named Jimmy Miller, when I was in high school. I said if you're ever in Detroit, come and hear my band. He answered the letter and came to my house and signed us. A week after I graduated from high school, he took us to London and we recorded our first album. There aren't very many producers around today of the caliber of Jimmy Miller, I'll tell you that. That's how I got into show business. I was seventeen years old."

At the start of 1971, Miller was involved in the production of Refugee, a blues- and gospel-influenced album by the Danish progressive rock band the Savage Rose. By the spring of that year, the Rolling Stones had been forced to live and work outside of England to avoid paying high taxes. To record their next album, Exile on Main Street, the band set up recording facilities in the basement of Nellcote, Keith Richards' villa in the small French town of Villefranche-sur-Mer. Unlike the pristine surroundings of London's Olympic Studio or the natural-sounding environment of Stargroves, the basement of Nellcote proved to be quite a challenge for Miller. In Inside Tracks, he sheds some light on the primitive conditions there: "For Exile, we suddenly found ourselves in this concrete basement with very little ventilation during a hot summer in the south of France. The sound was really harsh, and no matter how hard we tried, no matter how many different microphones we tried and no matter how many different positions we tried, we could never get it right." Besides the acoustical problems that Miller was dealing with, Keith Richards' growing addiction to heroin and Mick Jagger's frequent absences while spending time in Paris with his new wife, Bianca, added additional obstacles that had to be worked around as the chaotic sessions dragged on for the remainder of the summer. In retrospect, it's a testament to Miller's production abilities that he was able to salvage the album under such trying circumstances. In part, Miller pulled this off by using some tracks that had been recorded previously: "Sweet Virginia," "Sweet Black Angel," "Loving Cup," "Stop Breaking Down," and "Shine a Light" were originally created during sessions for the Let It Bleed and Sticky Fingers albums. In November 1971, Miller and the band flew to Los Angeles to conduct extensive overdub sessions and to mix the final version of the album. Despite his professional and personal difficulties at the time, Miller's deft production touch is apparent throughout the album. Once again, many tracks are enhanced by his work as a percussionist. On "Happy" and "Shine a Light," he handles the drum kit. At the end of "Tumbling Dice," he reinforces the rhythmic breakdown to great effect.
Some sources claim that Miller's ongoing frustration with the recording situation during Exile led to the beginning of his own narcotics addiction at this time. Other forces may have been at work as well. In Robert Greenfield's Exile on Main Street: A Season in Hell with the Rolling Stones (2006, Da Capo Press), a comprehensive description of the album's making, Andy Johns, the engineer on the sessions, describes some of the difficulties Miller was having with the band: "When they first started working with him, he was a lot of help. Then after a year or two, they kind of used Jimmy for what they wanted, and learned Jimmy's tricks, and started shutting him out a bit. So by the time of Exile on Main Street, they weren't listening to Jimmy very much, and it did him in. They weren't really rude, but they would ignore him a lot more than he would have liked."

By the end of the project, Jimmy Miller was, in Andy Johns' words, "burnt out on the thing, and I didn't blame him." After his association with the Rolling Stones ended, Miller frequently disowned Exile, saying, "I was never happy with the sound of that album, especially after Let It Bleed and Sticky Fingers." In a 2003 interview, Mick Jagger said, "Exile...is not one of my favourite albums, although I think the record does have a particular feeling. When I listen to Exile it has some of the worst mixes I've ever heard. I'd love to remix the record, not just because of the vocals, but because generally I think it sounds lousy. At the time, Jimmy Miller was not functioning properly." There is a certain irony in all this. Decades after its release, Exile on Main Street has achieved a legendary status. It is a complex album, filled with dense, raw sounds that seem to literally capture the restless cultural limbo of the early seventies.

Toward the end of '73, Miller embarked for Jamaica, where sessions for the next Stones album, Goats Head Soup, were underway. After the frenetic experience of making Exile on Main Street, Miller and the band seemed to take a lackluster approach during the sessions in Jamaica. Andy Johns, also the engineer on these sessions, describes what was taking place: "Because of drug habits, those sessions weren't quite as much fun. And there are a couple of examples on there where just the basic tracks we kept weren't really up to standard. People were accepting things perhaps that weren't up to standard because they were a little higher than normal." Keith Richards, in a 1975 interview, portrays Miller as having reached the end of the line creatively: "Jimmy Miller went in a lion and out a lamb. We wore him out completely. He ended up carving swastikas onto the wooden console at Island Studios." While Goats Head Soup seems anticlimactic after Exile on Main Street, there is some fine production work here. The textured nuances of tracks such as "Winter," "Angie," and "Coming Down Again," along with the hard hitting "Star Star," indicate that, while Miller wasn't at the top of his game here, he had not lost the ability to blend multilayered instrumentation on tape to capture the groove.

In 1974, when the Stones gathered in Munich, Germany, to record It's Only Rock and Roll, Miller was not invited to participate. A golden era for both Miller and the band had quietly drawn to an end.
Jimmy Miller's post-Rolling Stones career has been subject to his being written off as a drugged-out has-been who never produced any significant music again. This is false. While his projects following his involvement with the Stones did not have as much visibility and rock & roll cachet as albums such as Exile on Main Street, he worked as a producer until the end of his life. Following his tenure with the Stones, he signed a lucrative production deal with the ABC/Dunhill label and recorded with a wide variety of artists such as Genya Ravan, Beck Bogert & Appice, Henry Gross, Bobby Whitlock, Locomotive GT, and Joey Stec.

In the late seventies, Miller produced two excellent albums, Overkill and Bomber, for the heavy metal band Motorhead. In 1980, he worked on projects that covered two ends of a musical spectrum, producing New Hope for the Wretched, by the wild punk band the Plasmatics, and Billy Falcon, the self-titled debut album by a New Jersey singer-songwriter. In the late eighties, thanks to a production deal with his manager Joe Viglione, Miller was heavily involved in producing Boston bands. Especially notable is Miller's work on the song "Movin Up," on the 1992 Primal Scream album, Screamadelica. The sound of this track recalls the majesty of Let It Bleed and is solid evidence that Miller still possessed the chops of a great producer. In 1994, while producing sessions for a reissue of the 1975 Joey Stec album, Jimmy Miller passed away due to liver failure.

In recent years, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards have been prone to revising history regarding Miller's importance as a producer, often belittling his contributions to what now stands as their band's finest work. To understand Miller's contribution, one need only compare the albums Jimmy Miller produced for the Stones with the albums the band has made without him. While a handful of songs might aspire to the level of quality that Miller brought to the proceedings, the Rolling Stones have made an overwhelming amount of mediocre music since Jimmy Miller's departure.
Concerning Miller's legacy, Greenfield may have said it best in his book: "Although Jimmy Miller certainly deserves to be remembered as one of the greatest rock producers who ever lived, virtually no one who listens to his music now on various greatest hits compilations has any idea who he was. Nameless and faceless, he has become just another name on the back of a repackaged CD case. Perhaps that is the way he would have wanted it. To be remembered for the music and nothing else."

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Cooking With Alia--The Most Progressive Food Show on Television.....I Mean YouTube

COOKING WITH ALIA


People do you want to see a new, creative, different authentic, and very interesting cooking show?  Then I am very highly recommending Cooking With Alia.  I subscribe to it on you-tube.  I get up in the morning, drink my coffee and watch this wonderful, cheery, bright and interesting show  right on my e-mail.  I love this technology thing--I love you-tube and I love e-mail.

Her recipes are Moroccan with a French gourmet touch--but they are easy for me to follow.  She taught me how to make lemon souffle.  Alia is from Morocco but her food is also based on traditional french cooking which is a component of Moroccan cuisine.  She is so knowledgeable.....I started following her because I can hear her so easily.  She is easy for me to understand.

I am of the philosophy that food can bring the world together. Now she has a friend that has shown a Saudi Egg dish that I will be making later on today.

I love these young women.  They are fresh and energetic.  The show is so much more interesting than regular television because it is so unstaged yet professional at the same time. 

They set an example of strength, confidence and business sense.  I admire these young women for their innovation and perseverance. 

Please everyone watch this cooking show---it is good for the world.

Often Alia has her grandmother on the show, in her traditional dress, chatting about her recipes, showing them off on her vintage linens and table coverings--That's what I have in my house, my grandma's dishes--the one for her beautiful meat and potato pie in a lovely gravy with a crust on top--and many of her hand crocheted doilies. 

She worked so hard in her daily routine and she was so happy about it.  From day one in kindergarten she told me to plan on going to college.  I can never thank her enough.


chloelouise
Here is her website:   www.cookingwithalia.com
this is the link to a Moroccan Bread Recipie.......http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmkIvCCHhag&feature=em-subs_digest
this link is to the Saudi egg dish........................http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ff8jgnUH3hw&feature=em-subs_digest

You can also go to YouTube and type ....cooking with alia.... in the search and her recipes come right up.

I admire these young women--their strength, their fortitude their ability to use new technology to create their own brand of a new successful business and cooking show....They are bright people with bright ideas--they are setting an example for young women around the world.

Some Bullies Grow Up To Be Bullies--Chip Franklin

Some Bullies Grow up to be Bullies---this is copied from the Smirking Chimp---cl

by Brent Abrahamson | May 13, 2012 - 9:43am 


We have all heard the story by now. According to an article in The Washington Post, "Mitt Romney’s prep school classmates recall pranks, but also troubling incidents," then high school student Mitt Romney led an attack on a student who didn't look the way Romney felt that he should. The weaker student was perceived to be gay, and Mitt Romney didn't like the way the bleached blond new student, John Lauber, wore his hair. Romney took it upon himself to lead a group of boys to attack Lauber and hold him down while Mitt Romney cut the boy's hair.
The attack against the story by the right has been swift. Those who profess to believe the story dismiss it as a boys-will-be-boys prank. After all, who hasn't done things in high school that they later regret? Perhaps. But how do you even years later not even remember the incident? Bullied people remember such incidents all of their lives. Bullies, if the explanation is to be believed, have no such problem.


As I was considering this episode, I recalled an incident depicted in the 1985 movie, The Breakfast Club. A number of students were placed on Saturday detention for various infractions of school rules. At one point in the movie, all the students confess to one another what they did to earn a detention. Andrew Clark, played by actor Emilio Estevez, makes this confession:
Andrew: I taped Larry Lester's buns together.
Brian Johnson: That was you?
Andrew: Yeah, you know him?
Brian Johnson: Yeah, I know him.
Andrew: Well, then you know how hairy he is. And when they pulled the tape off, most of his hair came off and some - some skin, too.
Claire Standish: Oh my God.
Andrew: And the bizarre thing is that I did it for my old man. I tortured this poor kid because I wanted him to think that I was cool. He's always going off about how when he was in school and all the wild things he used to do. And I got the feeling that he was disappointed that I never cut loose on anyone, right? So I'm sitting in the locker room and I'm taping up my knee, and Larry's undressing a couple lockers down from me. And he's kinda, he's kinda skinny. Weak. And I started thinkin' about my father, and his attitude about, about weakness. And the next thing I knew, I jumped on top of him and started wailing on him. And my friends, they just laughed and cheered me on. And afterwards, when I'm sitting in Vernon's office, all I could think about was Larry's father and Larry having to go home and explain what happened to him. And the humiliation - the fucking humiliation he must have felt. It must have been unreal. I mean, how... how do you apologize for something like that? There's no way. It's all because of me and my old man. God, I fucking hate him. He's like this mindless machine that I can't even relate to anymore.
[crying, imitating his father]
Andrew: 'Andrew! You've got to be number one! I won't tolerate any losers in this family! Your intensity is for shit! Win! Win! Win!' You son of a bitch. You know, sometimes I wish my knee would give. And I wouldn't be able to wrestle anymore. And he could forget all about me.
I believe that this exchange does give us some insight into the mind of the bully. What motivates him? Can a repentant bully have remorse?
We can't know what happened later as Andrew Clark grew up. Did he revert to bullying? Did he ever forget this incident?
What we do know is Mitt Romney, the high school boy, as a man. And his statements reveal that he grew into being an adult bully.
Who but an unrepentant bully could claim to have forgotten such a cruel act?
What kind of adult straps his dog to the roof of a car?
What kind of adult claims he likes to fire people?
What kind of adult says he is not concerned about poor people?
What kind of adult wants to amend the U. S. Constitution to restrict the Civil Rights of a segment of our population?
The fact is that some teenaged bullies grow up to become adult bullies.
As a retired middle school teacher, I have had the perspective of seeing both the teen bully and the adult bully. This is a subject I have written about several times, and lots of people seem to relate to this reality.
Mitt Romney, in my opinion, is an adult bully, not because of one act he did as a teen, but because of his actions and statements ever since.
Here is more that I have written about the adult bully.
http://massachusettsobserver.blogspot.com/search/label/bullying
You can decide for yourself if Mitt Romney is one or not.
 ©2012 The Massachusetts Observer

In an odd and sick sort of

In an odd and sick sort of way, this is a story that will actually help Romney. There's no question the story is believable. Even those that will deny this story from the right believe it.
But in an unspoken kind of way, this will help Romney. This will help him with those on the right that criticize him most. Deep down and in their guts they'll appreciate this. Because these narrow-minded, Neanderthal fucks believe that everyone must live as they live, believe as they believe, and worship as they worship. And everyone must look and act a certain way.
And in their black hearts and even blacker souls, there will be a certain appreciation for this kind of behavior. It'll never be spoken in those terms of course. But this will give him bona fides in that despicable circle that he never could have bought with the unlimited largesse that will be at his disposal.
Beating up and humiliating those that are different is a badge of honor with these people. Their fear of everything and anything not of them demands it. It's perfectly fine. And now a lot of those people know that Romney is more like them than they ever imagined.

Submitted by Helen Kromm on May 13, 2012 - 11:35am.

And That is How Bullies Are Made.......by Chloelouise

And that is why Rush Limbaugh is still on the air. We have our own Rush Limbaugh here in San Diego named Chip Franklin. He has often spoke against the Occupy group and feels they are useless and do not stand for anything--they should not exist. He has been very clear about his feelings and taken time on his show to humiliate Ray Lutz speaking for Occupy on more than one occasion. To say he goes after him with enthusiasm would be an understatement. He bragged on his show his son knocked down an Occupy member because he was blocking his way to class--like he could not go around. He did say he told his son not to knock people down yet the son reported his action to his dad and the dad bragged on the radio show. He even had the nerve to say my son is real big. Were all of the other rich, old white guys snickering? Well, the answer is yes because I have heard the chuckling at work and at the neighbor's dinner party on issues that were almost the same. And that is how bullies are made.

Submitted by chloelouise on May 15, 2012 - 11:05am.

Shock-Jock, chip franklin Of Hate Radio KOGO 600 In San Diego Successfully Teaches Bashing And Bragging To His Son

Shock-jock, chip franklin of hate radio KOGO 600 in San Diego successfully teaches violence to his son.
     Well,  I thought kids were off limits,  but since you brought it up....since you brought it up and bragged about it on the radio then laughed.  Apparently his son ran into a person in the Occupy Movement who was blocking his way to class... the son could not find a way around the person...allegedly ...so he knocked him down.  Mr. Franklin did say he instructed his son not to go around knocking people down, yet he mentioned it on the radio in a proud, bragging fashion and then continued to laugh it off as if it was a humerus event.   "Oh, and my son is very big!"  Wow chip, my daughter is very small but she has a real big mouth--will he be knocking her down, too?  I will take this opportunity to remind chip after some people must have complained, maybe the time he wanted Gloria Alllred to be body slammed, he insisted no one but a moron would take him seriously.........  Now chip, what if that was me in the Occupy group, or what if that was one of my children?  Better yet, chip, what if that was one of your other children?  chip...I'm asking you...as a mom.  I know you love your children, It's obvious by the way you talk, but I love my children, too.  Please don't teach them to knock people around.   All of our children make errors and might get into a fight.  That young man was beaten to death on the bus in Florida--I'm so sad for those parents--chip, what if that was your son?  Let's stop that horrible kind of action.    Lets not promote a sentiment of violence among young people.  Its too sad in the long run.  I've told you, chip, so many times in my blog, let's not make violence or vigilante justice an acceptable way to solve our differences.   Are those your actual beliefs, then, if you are bragging and laughing about your son's actions on the air?  You are certainly not taking his violence seriously.  I guess your kid figured the Occupy kid was wrong--so rather than let the student talk or contemplate a different view, he knocked him down and proudly reported his remedy to dad.  Remember when you wanted the "ass-kicking" for the Asian lady, the politician in San Francisco who would not say the Pledge of Allegiance? 
    Now, lets see if this incident will be erased from the podcast, too.--
chloelouise--a mom asking for non-violence

chip franklin and violence on the airwaves

Sometimes a public figure, a congressman, a prominent female attorney will make a comment that he does not like; they say something he really finds offensive.   He will then describe a violent physical act that he would like to do to the person or he feels should be done to the person.  He justifies it always by saying everyone knows he does not really mean those words. 
Unless the person was really unintelligent, no one would take him literally.  I found it extremely offensive for him to talk this way about a lady my age.  Someone who in reality would probably be very defenseless against him physically. 
He paints a very ugly picture with his words.  A picture I hear in the morning when I am waking up.  Are these images then detrimental to some people?  Are the airwaves too violent? 
Its embarrassing to me--to hear a lady, successful, my age, referred to in these terms.  I think if he was really intelligent, innovative or forward thinking he could use other words to  describe his disagreement without mentioning violence. 
Are these the policies or views of the radio station?

Democratic Ball and Chain Bill Maher Should Apologize to Sarah Palin

Democratic Ball and Chain Bill Maher Should Apologize to Sarah Palin and Dr. Drew Should Stop Drinking The Kool-Aide
My prediction is that it's just a matter of time before we have to suffer another "controversial" episode by Bill Maher. His big money donation was just a thin veil for his own self-promotion. He is the one I am actually offended by the most. To me, he is a ball and chain for the dems. Then, as if this is news, what he said will have to be discussed again, because he gave the money. His mom needs to speak to him, or some mom, let it be me--because he is out of line and he does need to apologize to Sarah Palin. He is particularly annoying because he tried to cover his remark with humor and get everyone to laugh with him like it was okay because it was funny. Then he went on Dr. Drew and bragged about being a "potty mouth." Talk about drinking the kool-aid; I'm still disappointed with Dr. Drew because many young people look to him for guidance--he almost sets the example for how to think with a certain group of people.
I do not agree with Sarah Palin politically, however, I enjoyed watching her on Fox News the other evening. I admire her strength in standing up for what she says and her interest in politics. To me she is a strong women and a good mom--I want to hear what she has to say even though I will not vote for her. I like the political conversation and I think it moves things forward.

Jack Lessenberry opines weekly for Detroit's Metro Times.---I copied this from Smirking Chimp

by Jack Lessenberry | April 25, 2012 - 9:17am

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"Want to know how unhappy I am with the constant
stream of lies and smears told by the Republicans? How angry at their open threats to take away reproduction rights and the health-care safety net Americans finally won? Not to mention their gleeful, open intention to continue stealing from the poor to give to the rich. Well, let's put it this way: If Mitt Romney becomes the president in November, I will either be dead or in jail by this time next year. And if you can't go home and get everybody in your lives to clean house in this vile, evil, America-hating party ...
I don't know what you are made out of."
Outrageous words? Damn right. Had I written them a few weeks ago, my guess is that my editors at the Metro Times never would have printed them. Besides being badly written and grammatically incorrect, they are pretty close to a threat to incite violence, possibly against the president of the United States, which is against federal law.
But these aren't my words at all. They are a near-exact quote from Ted Nugent, an aging minor rocker who is better known these days as a gun nut. Nugent, who especially loves to kill defenseless animals, said the outrageous words above in a video posted on YouTube. All I did was substitute "Mitt Romney" for "Barack Obama," and "party" for "administration." His outburst earned him a visit from the Secret Service, at which Nugent rolled on his back like a frightened puppy, whimpering, "I have never made any threats of violence against anyone. God bless the good federal agents."
By the end of the week, the fading Motor City Madman had other things to think about; he was off pleading guilty to transporting an illegally killed bear in Alaska, and cutting a deal to stay out of jail.
The problem, however, is far deeper than Nugent. There are an alarming number of nasty and crazy right-wing nuts out there, many of whom clearly cannot tolerate that an African-American is the president of the United States.
They spew a torrent of lies and hate onto the Internet and the airwaves, when broadcasters let them on. They are spurred on by unscrupulous showmen like Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and their imitators, and have been given aid and comfort by many Republican candidates, some at the highest level. Far from denouncing and disavowing them, which is what any decent Republican would have been expected to do a half-century ago, they slyly encourage them.




Take Newt Gingrich, a brawling, grossly pathetic has-been who is still running for the GOP presidential nomination, even though any chance of his winning evaporated weeks ago.
Newt recently told ABC News that he finds it "very bizarre" that the president is "desperately concerned to apologize to Muslim religious fanatics." He added that the Obama administration was "going to war against the Catholic Church and against every right-to-life Protestant organization in the country."
Both those statements are not even subjective; they are demonstrably untrue. Yet that is just the kind of rhetoric that could easily get some troubled young fanatic fired up.
Yet nothing will happen to Gingrich. Before Rick Santorum pulled out of the race, he took target practice at a shooting range where a woman hollered, "Pretend it's Obama."
He later said he didn't hear her. However, when another woman in a town hall meeting told Santorum that the president was "an avowed Muslim," he did not correct her. Instead, he just said, "Believe me, I'm doing anything I can to get him out of the government."
These incidents are just the tip of the iceberg. Besides writing this column, I am the ombudsman for an Ohio newspaper, the Toledo Blade. In that capacity, I receive torrents of right-wing attacks on the president, many filled with hatred, thinly veiled racism and rage.
Recently I got bombarded from an "open letter" from one Lou Pritchett, a former
soap salesman who rose to become a Procter & Gamble vice president. It begins: "Dear President Obama; You are the thirteenth President under whom I have lived and, unlike any of the others, you truly scare me."
Really? The soap salesman wasn't bothered by John F. Kennedy taking us to the brink of nuclear war? Not worried by the possibility that the felonious Richard Nixon might try some kind of a coup when he was about to be removed from office? Not worried about Lyndon Johnson bombing Vietnam back to the Stone Age?
Having demonstrated that he is clueless, Pritchett goes on to list a whole lot of reasons why he is scared of Obama, including that "culturally you are not an American." That settles that.
Incidentally, it turns out that soap man wrote this letter back in May of 2009, when President Obama had barely been in office four months. There are many similar rants. One Joe Quinn, apparently of Toledo, tells me in the course of a long letter that "the list of [Obama's] atrocities against the American people is too long to list here." However, he does disclose that if he is re-elected, "he will be much freer to completely transform America into a socialist state."
Well, we can only hope, but my guess is the Republicans in Congress might raise some mild objections.
There are, in fact. legitimate conservative arguments that can be made against the president's policies. The huge deficits are frightening, and it is fair to challenge the assumptions of his health care plan or his foreign policy in an intellectually legitimate way
But by not repudiating the racists, the crazies, and those filled with hate, today's GOP is giving up any claim to legitimacy. Not to mention taking a serious risk of having blood on their hands.




Consent Agreement update: Last week, as I was watching the Detroit City Council refusing to agree on salaries for the new positions the "consent agreement" is supposed to create, a ghastly Kennedy assassination metaphor popped into my mind.
It was the scene from William Manchester's classic book The Death of a President, when they rush the dying John F. Kennedy into the emergency room at Parkland Memorial Hospital. Had he been anybody else, they would have put a tag on his toes. Seeing that he was the president, however, they hooked him up to machines and started blood transfusions. Alas, the blood just flowed out of the immense hole in the side of his head just as fast as it went in.
Which brings us to the city. Detroit was supposed to create two new powerful positions, program manager and chief financial officer, within a week and fill them within a month. But this now seems hopelessly behind schedule. The first three members were named to the overseeing financial advisory board last week.
They were strong names. But there are six more to come, two to be named by the governor and two by Mayor Bing, who tends to move slowly, and two by a City Council that seems to usually have great difficulty deciding what day of the week it is.
I've been asking a number of high-ranking and high-placed politicians and corporate executives whether they thought the consent agreement would work — or whether Detroit eventually would be forced to face an emergency manager, go through bankruptcy, or both. I asked them all to tell me off the record.
But I can reveal the names of those who think the consent agreement is likely to succeed. Ready? OK. Here they are:
See you next week.

hate talk

You have described the individual on KOGO 600 here in San Diego. I started writing about him because I simply could not believe the things he said against women, not to mention he often calls for vigilante justice. How does he get away with it? I came to the conclusion there is no governing body about the radio unless they lose sponsors like Dr. Laura or President Obama steps in and Rush has to apologize. Many callers said to Sean Hannity their opinion of what Hilary Rosen was trying to say and taking time to explain it to him very carefully. but he wasn't having any of it. He finally said, this is what I get paid to think. I think that statement explains everything.
One day the guy here in San Diego called for smokers at restaurants to be gunned down rather than have a new smoking law by the government. Later it was erased from the podcast. These people are creating a horrible sentiment. They make it seem like violence is an okay way to solve problems. As a dem I will also include Bill Maher in this group--his donation came with a high price. Verbal abuse is not a proper response for a political disagreement.

In Defense of Hilary Rosen, Ann Romney, Sarah Palin, Hillary Clinton, Deborah Wasserman Schultz, Bay Buchanan and Michelle Bachman, In Offense of Bill Maher

In Defense of Hilary Rosen, Ann Romney, Sarah Palin, Hillary Clinton, Deborah Wasserman Schultz, Bay Buchanan and Michelle Bachman, In Offense of Bill Maher
by Chloelouise


As a single mom of 2 twenty something kids, 2 real old cats and one pit bull mix dog and a democrat who loves President Obama I would like to say that I admire Ann romney, Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachman, Hillary clinton, Hilary Rosen, Deborah Wasserman Schultz and all of the other strong women who give up their personal time to speak out on issues to move forward the political debate.  If I do not like what they say I will not vote for them but I like to hear their ideas and information.  All of my dem ideas may not be correct, they may need a republican adjustment.  I'm with Karl Rove on this one--In the long run it is the political discussion that moves things forward.  Bay Buchanan even came out on CNN to support Hilary Rosen.  It was very noble and uplifting.  Should the women completely take politics over now?


I do not like Bill Maher.  I knew his big money donation would be trouble.  He basically issued himself a license to let his mouth run without a filter.  His goal is self promotion, not the betterment of individuals anywhere.  I predict its just a matter of time before we have to suffer another insult and then listen to the media discuss it because he gave a big donation.  When he insults women, particularly Sarah Palin, in this instance I take offense.  What is really bad about Mr Maher is that he makes it seem cool to diminish women because he is funny.  He sets the stage to get the boys to laugh at the girls.  Its the wrong sentiment and we have plenty of right wing conservative radio hosts to jump on the band wagon.  There is violence against women her in the US.  I suggest that he finds new and less harmful material for his comedy routine.  Then we had to listen to him ramble on further in the NYT about how he was in fact so funny and did not have to apologize.  We paid a very high price for that donation.


Yesterday Hilary Rosen was talking about Ann Romney not actually working in a job at a facility or workplace receiving wages and every thing got so messed up.......
I'm just devastated by the fact that I am forced to disagree with some of my co-liberal dems.  Believe it or not I actually like Ann Romney and I enjoy listening to her speak.  The difference, for me, is a matter of time. 
My daughter is still talking about the time when she was five years old and won an award, had to go up on stage all by herself--and you guessed it--I wasn't there.  Why--because I could not get the time off  work. 
So then I spent a large part of my career being "per diem" so I could control my schedule in liew of benefits; or buy my own benefits, health insurance for the kids,  which I often could not afford.
Let's see.  I wonder if Ann Romney can afford health insurance or if she has time to attend the award ceremony?
I admire Ann Romney and I can't imagine raising five boys.  I bet she does not have a knick-knack left standing in her house.
I heard Hillary Rosen say that comment on CNN yesterday and I knew it would be trouble.  She has verified her intent of the statement talking about the actual workplace.
I'm sad about the misinterpretation for everyone.  These are both fine, intelligent, well-spoken, hard working women with different political views.
And right now I'm not even going to get into trying to endure the beastliness of the other women at work.......
I have always enjoyed Hilary Rosen, particularly when she used to speak in favor of my girl, Hillary Clinton.  I also want to remind people that Ann Romney has never suffered being taken into the office for "a talk."  In other words, if you do not be quiet and be a cheer leader for the company, instead of verbalizing and noticing their inconsistencies, you may lose your job.  So what is the decision--oh gee--I guess I'll be quiet so I will not be fired so I can pay my rent and feed my kids. 
The media is way off on so many levels on this issue.  Ann Romney can talk politically, at will.  Most women I know cannot speak either because they do not have time or because they are in fear of losing their position and possibly their home because they are the sole provider.  Ann Romney does not have to fear putting the well being of her loved ones in jeopardy because of calling in sick, getting in a fight at work, talking about the company at work, joining the union etc., etc., etc., etc.........
Ann Romney does not ever have to suffer the depression or stress of putting up with the work place.  Thank God I did have children to cheer me up.  Going to work for me has always been very, very hard and very, very stressful.  Frankly, I am happy for Ann that she had a chance to raise her children and time to focus on their upbringing.  I am sorry for her terrible illness.
Everyone is missing the point of the conversation.  Hilary Rosen has even apologized, now. 
I don't work now and I finally have time.  My life is so incredible I can't believe it.
And also please remember what Hillary Clinton said.  "I make that phone call every day at 3 o'clock to make sure my daughter got home from school safely."  That was my whole life and that is the day I became a Hillary Clinton supporter no matter what. 

Here is another good point.  I have worked at places where they tried to force me to stay overtime and feel bad about it because I could not.  I had to pick up my kids at the babysitter or daycare.  You can't be late or the price skyrockets. 

Its hard to have teenagers in the house all the time when you are at work. 

Everything gets so mixed up because there is no time---no time to do homework after work, go to the activities, cook the meal, go to the grocery store...There have been so many days when I have gone to work completely exhausted.  
I don't really think anyone is angry with Ann Romney one bit or lacks appreciation for how well she has raised her children in the face of her struggles with health issues.  I do not think Ann Romney would even disagree with me right now.  But people who go to work every single day and are the sole provider do have a different life.  I used to work with low income families.  One mom worked at two taco shops to make ends meet.  That is all Hilary Rosen is saying.  Some women have different lives.

I challenge anyone to go against me on this one.

Hilary girl and Hillary girl, ChloeLouise