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Keeping democracy alive Democracy is not a spectator sport, it requires informed participating citizens. On Keeping Democracy Alive, we delve into dynamics that both inhibit democracy and reinvigorate it. looking into issues from: domestic economic issues to foreign, labor, trade, and education policy, NSA spying, the drug war, prison, police, and judicial issues, electoral and protest politics, middle east realities, right and left wing populism, environmental and energy issues, the wealth ...
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My Fellow Americans, Life is actually just a microscopic, deluded moment in time, so let's cut to the freakin' chase.One look at American Idol or the MTV Music Awards can solidify my case.It has been my contention since birth, that the answer to every difficulty we encounter on this sacred yet demented Stone, can be revealed with ultimate clarity through the ultra neurotic engagements of Music, Art, Literature, Film, Poetry and a good Pastrami sandwich.Why would any sane human spend so must ...
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On the ArtistWorks Music Series, ArtistWorks CEO Patricia Butler speaks with master musicians across all genres as they dive deep into topics like becoming a musician, playing at the professional level, and the journey of learning music. You can learn music online from any of the artists featured on the podcast, and try out free sample lessons, by visiting http://artistworks.com/freelessons. New episodes released every other Wednesday.
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Listening to working people’s concerns is key. Democrats have almost always won this constituency. That is until recently. Biden’s shift to the economic left is connecting and can yield electoral success. The New Republic’s Timothy Noah says tangible gains like The post Yes, Biden Can WIn the Working Class appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.…
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Like a cat with nine lives, Chip Taylor’s persona has embodied many iterations. Starting with his successful “songwriter for hire” status, penning golden hits like Wild Thing, and Angel of the Morning, up through his phoenix-like resurgence as an Americana elder statesman, the story of this man’s artistic survival, emerging as it did, out from the …
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Inspired by a quote attributed to the eastern mystic Meyer Baba, Bobby McFerrin created this a cappella masterpiece. And, although Michael Musto of the Village Voice has proclaimed it the “worst song of all time”, and Blender Magazine snarked “it’s difficult to think of a song more likely to plunge you into suicidal despondency,” this irrepressible…
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Democracy is itself largely improvisation. Pushing back against the powers that be; the mainstream. Our guest Randy Fertel, author of the new book Winging It; Improv’s Power and Peril in the Age of Trump, says rationality alone is not enough; The post The Power of What Appears to be Improvisation appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.…
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Truman was down and nearly out. Then he did a campaign whistle stop tour of America and beat the odds. TV eye candy is one thing but seeing a president in the flesh connects far better, and connection is needed The post Should Biden Whistle Stop Campaign Across America? appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.…
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What was that Frankenstein music machine with all the dials, sliders, patch cords etc., that made other-worldly sounds that were supposed to resemble “real” instruments, like strings, horns and flutes, but didn’t? It was the mighty Moog, invented by Cornell doctoral student and Theremin salesman, Robert Moog. He hooked up with musician-educator Her…
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Like a cat with nine lives, Chip Taylor’s persona has embodied many iterations. Starting with his successful “songwriter for hire” status, penning golden hits like Wild Thing, and Angel of the Morning, up through his phoenix-like resurgence as an Americana elder statesman, the story of this man’s artistic survival, emerging as it did, out from the …
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The Right gets it; where are Democrats? In his new book What it Took to Win, author and history professor Michael Kazin looks at the last hundred or so years and says it’s clear what has and still works. Whether The post Trumpism is a Movement; Movements Are How Democrats Have Won appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.…
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After decades in a coma, the nuclear industry is back. But the truth is nuclear power is not an acceptable stopgap measure, it’s a diversion from real, actually economic, safer solutions. On this show policy analyst Paul Gunter tells the The post Nuclear Rebranding as “Green?” Mere Window Dressing. appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.…
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In the current American version of capitalism, all of us are “thingified:” our only value being as digits on the way to corporate profits. This reflects a core bias in the system toward serving the very richest. But it doesn’t The post Wealth Supremacy is On Autopilot: That’s Not the Only Option appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.…
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With its distinctive 16-notes-to-the-bar bassline and unashamedly honky sax solo (played on two saxes at once), Ian Dury and the Blockheads’ signature hit was certainly one of the more idiosyncratic No 1s of the 1970s. The same could be said of their inimitable frontman, who exemplified the post-punk era’s particular ability to allow unlikely and e…
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At the outset, let me apologize for liking this song. It was outre almost immediately after its release. At this point it is so retrograde that I think a person might be able to enjoy it once again for it’s ironic naïveté. But, I have always loved the way her voice swoops up on the name “Bobby”. It still brings chills. I was nine years old, and I w…
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It’s basic to the very essence of America. On this show Constitutional Law Professor John O. McGinnis argues that commerce was the mother’s milk of the American Revolution and that the virtues of commerce and idealism need not conflict. Listen The post There’s No Conflict Between Commercialism and Idealism appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.…
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It came roaring out of the car radio speakers like a sonic boom, powered by Dave Clark’s “Air Hammer” pulsating drum beats and Denis Payton’s beefy saxophone. (Clearly, this was inspirational to Clarence Clemons, when crafting Bruce Springsteen’s, E-Street sound.) Mike Smith, on double-tracked lead vocal and Vox organ may have looked like the leade…
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Jimmy Scott / James Victor Scott (1925-2014) When Jimmy was first heard on records, the audience assumed it was a woman. He was a one of a kind jazz vocalist, a phenomenon who lived a challenging existence, trying to negotiate his intersexuality with the prejudicial attitudes and toxic stigma of the 1940s and 50s. This caused him to adopt an aggres…
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https://www.rpmchallenge.com/ “We work not only to produce but to give value to time.” (Delacroix) Ten years ago I participated in the RPM Song Challenge: 10 songs in 30 days. I chose the theme of “Time” - (a fertile and elastic subject), for my inventions. Included here are 4 songs from that creative surge. It is said that time moves more quickly …
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We’ve built all the dams we need and that nature can handle. Development in flood zones is still happening faster than more sustainable locations. In his new book; Seek Higher Ground, The Natural Solution to Our Urgent Flooding Crisis, award The post Seek Higher Ground: The Laws of Nature are Not Optional appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.…
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Most of us can guess but there’s nothing like serious scientific research when it comes to understanding political change. In her forthcoming book How the Heartland Went Red, Harvard’s Stephanie Termullo shares her findings from extensive field research in three The post Why Place Supplants Issues in the Heartland appeared first on Keeping Democrac…
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The lifeblood during my youth was infused by the artists who plied their magical trade via the 45 rpm discs of the 60s and 70s. I never stopped to think about the business men who signed and recorded these artists, distributed their records, and got them played. Art is Art, and Business is Business, and apparently you can’t have one without the oth…
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Herb Alpert: you’ll never find a more beloved figure in the pop music world. A mensch. Did you think he was Latin? Nope. He IS an Angeleno, but….he was a Jewish kid, born in Boyle Heights; went to Fairfax High and USC. Before “cultural appropriation” became a dirty word, Herbie had a revelation while attending a bullfight in Baja - came back with “…
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It’s a systemic problem: what is “reasonable,” what is acting “in good faith” when America’s police violate citizens rights or even kill them? As of now, police are protected, enjoying unique immunity which no one else has. In this show The post Shielded: How Did Police Become Untouchable? appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.…
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They claim loudly they’re protecting freedom and innocent children, but the truth is the right is oppressing both. On this show psychoanalyst Avgi Saketopoulou, co-author of Gender Without Identity, argues there is not one true and immutable authentic identity with The post Gender Identity: Is it Fixed or Changeable? appeared first on Keeping Democ…
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The first time I heard this tune was on Ricky Jay’s collection of songs about cards and card players. Subsequently, I heard Steve Earle’s story about how, when he was playing some dive for 4 or 5 people, Townes Van Zandt stumbles in and starts heckling him. It’s Outlaw Country lore: Townes demands Earle play Wabash Cannonball- repeatedly. Finally, …
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The 4AM Rat Pack performance presented here was privately pressed on vinyl as a special gift to very special 500 Club patrons. We present this untouched audio from the original acetate as it represents the taste and feel of this historic occasion. What tomfoolery! It’s 4 o’clock in the morning, and these bad boys are just getting started. This reco…
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It’s gotta be eye catching. Journalism works by way of fear and anxiety. How it gets presented affects how we understand the news. On this show Tufts University lecturer and author Nan Levinson and your host discuss questions about the The post Is There Journalism That Doesn’t Love A War? appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.…
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A Cherry Bomb is a spherical exploding device, banned in 1966, but whose pop is enjoyed throughout the nation as a salute by rebellious teenagers everywhere. A “cherry” is also a moniker for a virgin’s hymen, the “popping” of which was a badge of honor for teenage boys everywhere. Cherie Curry, the lead singer of The Runaways, an all-girl, hard roc…
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If you have cared about equality in education in recent decades, you know of the work of America’s foremost advocate for public schools Jonathan Kozol. In schools named after Martin Luther King Jr, he sees a new punitive autocratic pedagogic The post The Irony of Racism in Decrepit MLK Urban Schools appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.…
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Today The Splendid Bohemians pay homage to three not only consummate artists of the guitar, but teachers of their craft as well - responsible for passing on the mysteries of their music to generations of thankful acolytes. ARLEN ROTH: Arlen Roth is the ultimate sideman and guitar teacher who has played with everybody. His first book, Slide Guitar, …
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There was nobody like Lou Reed, and there is no Sunny Song like Dirty Blvd: a black and white hellscape, described by a cynic past being surprised by any indignity - yet, still managing to extract beauty and hope out of the filthy miasma. When the Statue of Bigotry says: “give me your hungry, your tired, your poor, I’ll piss on them” you know this …
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It’s the bedrock of who we are today. But to believe there was agreement among the “Founding Fathers,” that they aimed to to replace plutocracy with democracy is just wrong. In this lively interview, historian Woody Holton reveals fascinating little-known The post The Truth Behind the Myth of the American Revolution appeared first on Keeping Democr…
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Richard Lewis "This is Joyce, Richard’s wife. Thank you for your loving tributes. He would be beyond thrilled and so touched, as am I. In response to the many queries , I know Richard would appreciate donations in his memory to the Los Angeles based charity http://comedygivesback.com or the charity of your choice." "If you wish to know who Richard …
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Noel Coward (1899-1973), that epitome of British sophistication, was an invention. He was entirely self educated, having left school at 9 years old to pursue a career on the stage. After a modest success as an actor, he switched to playwriting in 1924 with The Vortex - (in order to write a good part for himself) - and set the theatrical world on fi…
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The intent is humiliation, eating away at one’s humanity. How can that make one a better person? Former figure skater Keri Blakinger’s new book Corrections In Ink tells the story from the inside and asks: does locking up groups of The post “As if We Were Trash.” One Woman’s Prison Memoir appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.…
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In her new book Of Rule and Office: Plato’s Ideas of the Political, Princeton Professor of Politics Melissa Lane shows how the orange one serves both anarchy and tyranny. Better politicians use virtue and justice to achieve success, and get The post Plato: The Benefits of Acting Justly appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.…
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THE NERVE REUNION This is Bill Mesnik of the Splendid Bohemians with a musical tale that could Hit A Nerve with you: Sometimes life surprises you, and families are created and sustained where you don’t expect. I belong to a garage band brotherhood, consisting of five late-life Peter Pans, swaddled in the moon-glow of teenage rock n roll dreams, and…
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Welcome To Hotel Bohemia Eccentric. Rebellious. Amoral, quite often. But bohemianism was, maybe still is, about much more than just frightening the horses. The writer Virginia Nicholson recently told the Today programme that "in a sense, we are all bohemians today". But what is a bohemian, how do you spot one, and might you be a boho, too? "Bohemia…
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David Lindley was one of a kind - The ultimate sideman. “The Prince of Polyester” played a mind-boggling array of exotic stringed instruments and musical genres with swing and inventiveness. One of the pillars of the Southern California folk-rock sound that dominated the airwaves in the 70s, this Sancho Panza to the dueling Quixotes of Jackson Brow…
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Politicians know the consequences of voters being ignored.There are tens of millions of people who used to be middle class but a revived Poor People’s Campaign just may connect and inspire. According to today’s guest, campaign policy director Shailly Gupta The post Waking the Sleeping Giant: 85 Million Americans appeared first on Keeping Democracy …
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The comfort of colonial powers relied on them not seeing the damage to exploited nations. So it is with mining and milling the uranium for nuclear power. Victims then as now are people without power, indigenous populations which are health The post Green? Not Hardly: Nuclear Power is Racist, Sexist, and Ageist. appeared first on Keeping Democracy A…
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The earth shifted for me when I heard Uncle Dave Macon for the first time. This was when the Harry Smith Anthology was released on CD in 1997. The energy of this man, swingin’ his claw hammer banjo and elating me with his infectious humor, brought the sepia-toned 19th century to boisterous life, and I was smitten. I began listening to, and reading,…
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HOTEL BOHEMIA IS DESIGNED TO LEAD YOU TO A DESTINATION CONSTRUCTED WITH THE HOPE OF EXAMINING THE HOLY PAST, THE PUZZLING PRESENT AND THE POSSIBILITIES OF OUR IMPENDING FORTUNES. THIS PROGRAM IS DEDICATED WITH LOVE TO THOSE WHO INSPIRED THE ARCHITECTURE OF THIS HOTEL BOHEMIA PREVIEW: MEL BLANC, PHIL OCHS, ANDY DEVINE, SAM LAY, EUGENE O'NEILL, ROBER…
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"I am a determinist. As such, I do not believe in free will...Practically, I am, nevertheless, compelled to act as if freedom of the will existed. If I wish to live in a civilized community, I must act as if man is a responsible being." - Albert Einstein, "Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss…
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There was a crippling blizzard in Iowa in April of 1973. Over a foot of snow fell, coupled with 50-70 mph winds. But, inside my dormitory at U of I, I was warmed by the eternal sunshine of Pentangle’s evocation of the 12th century. The plangent voice of Jacqui McShee, accompanied by John Renbourn and Bert Jansch’s jazz infused “baroque folk” sustai…
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As we head into the elections, both parties have made “the border crisis” THE issue. But humans have always moved. Our guest, John Washington whose new book is The Case for Open Borders, argues stopping immigration exacerbates crime. The negative The post The Only Crisis is What the Refugees are Fleeing appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.…
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When you’re in a hole, stop digging. The currently pervasive approach to abuse disorder is a total failure; it exacerbates the problem. Could it be time to stop doing that? On this show experts in the field with personal knowledge The post Not Punishment: Treat Addicts as Full and Complete Humans? appeared first on Keeping Democracy Alive.…
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The original line up of Traffic had it all: mysticism, funk, folk, world music, and a healthy dose of irony. For an acid head like me they were the perfect accompaniment for a trip through shifting patterns of synchronicity. Of course, Traffic was helmed by the one and only Steve Winwood, who as a teenager impressed the world, shouting the blues on…
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