AIR AMERICA FIRST QUARTER REPORT

So I finally feel it is time for a report card on Air America Radio. I have been listening with psychopathic regularity and feel quite confidant in my assessments. I will save my general thoughts for the final grade at the end.


INDIVIDUAL GRADES FOR BROADCAST SCHEDULE:

MORNING SEDITION: : INCOMPLETE This is on opposite Howard Stern. Normally that would be nuff said, But, with Stern one of the Champions of Freedom & Goodness he is more important than 100 Air Americas. I do like comedian Marc Maron and with Stern's vacation upcoming I will give them a listen. Here is their Blog.


UNFILTERED: B+ This is my sentimental favorite. The plus in the grade signals that. How can you not love a show co-hosted by a Female Midwestern catholic comic, a still angry but middle aged Rap Star and a butchy lesbian foreign trained journalist. The unlikely but genuine chemistry these three generate (Daily Show Creator Lizz Winstead, Public Enemy leader Chuck D and rabblerouser Rachel Maddow)is infectious and informative. Sharing the mic can get confusing and they are still learning the three headed format. At times they stretch at theme type shows (cell phones cause cancer was a tough show..) but they use pop culture, music and comedy better than any other show on Air America. Funny bits include a singing newscaster, burying the lead and my fave rave the Friday Unfiltered Party Machine where they welcome in Kyle Jason and all answer musical questions like "first single I danced to" by playing the songs they each pick. It rulz. One complaint is that their section of the Air America website needs work.


THE O'FRANKEN FACTOR: C+. The Flagship show, the crowned jewel, the bestseller. I grade hard because of expectations. Let me say, this is a positive C+. There is much to like as Franken is master comedy writer with enough performance skills to be in front of the camera/mic. His conceptual parody of The O'Riely Factor is perfect and he does such a good impression of Rush Limbaugh that he should do a whole show that way. His co-host Katherine Lanpher is a very likeable and capable broadcaster but I am not sold on their vibe together and she reigns in Al to much when he veers towards silly comedy. This show does get the best guests. One day last week they had Bill Clinton, Ron Reagan Jr. ( a great interview..) and Michael Moore. Room for improvement, but getting better daily. O'Franken Factor Blog.


THE RANDI RHODES SHOW: B: The first few weeks of Air America's existence I HATED this show. I found her yenta voice annoying and her whole schtich just rubbed me raw. But once she had me broken down she built me back up like the Air Force Officer she once was. This Brooklyn Chick is like the female Stern. Unafraid of being brutally honest and opionated with a moral supiority that offends and endears. She brings it strong to the Mic and is also the only host of a call in show on the network that rocks it solo. Big ups to that. Read her bio for the background. Good work Randi! Keep it up! Love the stuff about your personal life.


SO WHAT ELSE IS NEWS? B- Like an edgier NPR style hour news magazine show.A variety of commentary, guests and musical segments. Good mix of culture and politics. Host Marty Kaplan looks like Art Garfunkel. Marty has a tendency to be a tad too smug. His jokes can bomb but he does have some witty charm, kinda like a left wing Paul Harvey. Someone on the show has good music tastes because the music bio segments are well produced and feature interesting musicians. Potential not yet reached.


THE MAJORITY REPORT: B Because this show is PRIMETIME I can't listen as much as I would like. This is a great show. Janeane Garofalo has finally found her medium. She is funny, smart, sounds good and has enough cultural clout to gain attention. Given the time to relax she is way less annoying than the soundbyte version of herself. Co-Host Sam Cedar brings a geeky compatriot to Janeane that works. Majority Report also features the most underground guests and bloggers appealing to the younger non-hippy new age crowd. Check out regular blogger-guest Atrious. A recent bit I loved was having Janeane's conservative Dad in studio and the guest co-hosting of David Cross. Also features ex-JMU trickster and Soft Skull Press publisher Sander Hicks. Majority Report Blog.
On their way to an A.



OVERALL GRADE: B- After I got over my initial jealousy of not being involved in Air America, I really became an enthusiastic supporter. The B- reflect a remarkable achievement considering their lack of money, media support and so many first time broadcasters. I hope they can survive this start up phase and continue their mutation into a viable radio network with more affiliates and listeners. Click here to listen online.


One early problem for both the station and the listeners was the lack of commercials. They ran constant PSAs and the same 3 commercials. Some atrocities still remain like Supercuts but their has been an obvious influx of new advertisers like Starbucks and Folynex hair solution.


The biggest success of Air America so far is their excellent guests. The regularly feature a wide array of authors, journalists, bloggers, comedians, muscians, politicians and other news makers. These guests have gone a long way to buying some quick legitimacy to the young network.


NOTE: This report only covers the WEEKDAY schedule. I hope to get to the weekend soon and I am dying to listen to the Saturday Night music show BRING THE NOISE


Yours in bias based radio,
CLarry

DEBATES STILL RAGES OVER WHETHER "TIME" STAYS IN NEW NICKNAME!


LIESURE LARRY: 1

LIESURE TIME LARRY: 2


A note on the spelling. The incorrection stays, although admitedly an accident on my part, I like how it backs up the whole Liesure myth.

Still plenty of time to chime in, dont miss out this will be a close one!!!!! Think of it as practice voting!!!


Yours in Diebold,
CLarry

LIESURE LARRY VS. LIESURE TIME LARRY: YOU MAKE THE CALL.


There has been some debate as to my undeserved but funny new nickname. I will say that just because I set my own hours and have a more FLEXIBLE schedule than most 9-5 slaves does not mean I am lazy, perhaps just more self aware than most. I will put my ability to plan a wedding, run a small buisness through large changes and get a 4.0 in a year of Graduate school up against any body!!!!!

BUT I will accept the new moniker. So let me know which one to adopt:

Liesure Larry
Liesure Time Larry,

Yours in Wexelbaum,

CLarry

MULTIPLICITY OF PERSPECTIVES

When I was Frosh at Bradley University I had one of those science fiction style professors who ralied against the coming totalitarian state. The class was some intro to mass media lecture class in Bradley's biggest classroom. This was 1990 and right before the technology explosion that defines the decade. I consider my self the last wave of old school teenagers before the dawning of the information wave. I stood on the dock and waved good bye to the age of industry and hello intimate details of j lo and trailer tramp spears matriomial mis adventures. My dorm room was called a "DORM OF THE FUTURE" like something from a World Fair which meant it was equipped with PC's with internet access. Not bad for 1990, I think we used it mostly for lining up the nights party options and reading seamy Penthouse Forum style stories about paraplegic sex and horse dicks. Not quite the moving sidewalks and robot maids that I had envisioned, but certainly revolutionary.

Anyway back to the Prof, in retrospect he was probably just well read and selling us on the schools technology initiatives BUT he did rant about the coming explosion, prophetic ideas like housing entire library's on a single CDROM, doing all homework via your personal computer and the strangling of voices in the corporate media via deregulation frenzy by fat cat republicans starting with Reagan. Bush Mach I furthered consolidated media power essentially by creating an airwaves land grab that paved the way for things like Clear channel Communications, Pop Rap and Fox News.


I am not going to repeat what everyone's knows or can find out, but I do want to state my belief that the silencing of the voices of America is the number one issue facing us as a nation. We are still infants in this new era of Information Shock. The power of the media is infinite and easily abused and manipulated. The way to at least safe guard the brain washing that is capable is by allowing the market place of ideas (an idea espoused centuries earlier but seems written for this moment), a buffet of idiocy rather than a single doctrine of madness.



This war over the digital soul of America is being waged on many fronts and in many theatres. The coming election is the first great epic battle. I read so many fantasy novels that I may have damaged my allegorical thinking skills for life but I can't help but feel the swirl of two eternal forces sucking in power for a street fight this fall. The grey area has been obliterated. Its line up on a side time. And I for one am sick of pulling punches. The other side is evil, its thrives in the dark corners and shadows, feasting on corpses and sucking lifeblood from innocents. Like the most stereotypical evil v good story arc (rent Wizards by Ralph Baski for a cool example)the stakes are high and the distinctions are clear. Evil's current champion puppet is Bush who rules like an idiot King who is kept on a short leash by the nefarious necromancer Cheney. Charles the Hammer Martel had nothing on this bunch. Their minions rule fiefdoms across all realms with a constant thirst for more. They preside over easily duped masses who act as cannon fodder in their assaults on the forces of freedom and goodness.


Hmmm, maybe I can write that thinly veiled social commentary Sword and Socery novel I have dreamed of now.....actually Bush is good for me personally as I need more material....BUSH IN 2004.


Yours in Robert Murdoch,
CLarry

EXCUSES, BABY, EXCUSES!

So I know I have dropped the ball like Ernest Byner on the blog front for the last month or so. I am as depressed about it as you believe me!!!!!! In honor of the newest BLOGGER in the Duke Loop I will list my excuses:

1. I got Married

2. I went to Belize

3. My TMOBILE SIDEKICK has been either broken, the replacement arrived broken and I can't afford the bill at this time so I am tied to my monolith desktop.

4. I have been driving to work more which means less time in deep thought on the subway.

5. I just completed books 6 and 7 of Stephen King's Dark Tower series and it sucked up my free time

6. A lovely trip to Marysville Ohio. And I dont care what Paquette says door to door its 12 hours. And I averaged 85 MPH, 95 on curves.

7. Too much freakin work, and still havent been able to deposit a paycheck in a month!

8. Endless cleaning up of cardboard boxes and packing popcorn. Not a complaint mind you, simply a fact.

9. The misery of my mediocre Fantasy Baseball team,the Carroll Street Draft Day Bandits.

10. My obsession with Air America Radio. (More to follow)

SUMMER DAN AND LIESURE LARRY SAY TWO BALLS UP TO DODGEBALL

So wednesday me and Summer Dan checked out the new hit comedy Dodgeball. Have to say was not disappointed. Good satire, funny characters and the best Ben Stiller performance since The Royal Tennenbaums. My boyfriend Vince Vaughn was kept on a short leash which was my biggest complaint with the movie. BUT he still had some classic lines. The dude to me is the funniest thing going as even a lifted eyebrow or shoulder shrug has me in hysterics. Granted he wasn't on fire like his performances in Made and Old School but he still had me choking on my diet coke and popcorn at one point. If you haven't seen Made your missing one of the funniest single performances in the last 25 years.

Summer Dan commented that the first half was better than the second half, which to me is essential to a classic comedy. I am so glad that the comedy is making a strong comeback lately and am beside myself with excitement over the impending Anchorman, which costars a person I am beating in Fantasy Baseball. Also VV does a reportedly hysterical cameo.


THE WEDDING

Just wanted to make sure that I throw a gigantic THANK YOU to who all of you who came to Mary and I's wedding. We had a blast as Mary said it was the best day of her life!!!! That excitement might recede once she gets to realize what she has gotten herself into....

I really appreciate all the photos and positive comments since we returned to the states. Also a GIANT congrats to our fellow nuptial cohorts Grace & Josh and Jaime and Kacy!!!!!

Links to Pictures of wedding:
Balgavy.com

Alex J

I hope to do a Belize recap in the near future!


MY BITTER MOTHER!

I know that the the Lawrence family of bloggers has SUCKED the last month and it leaves many to wonder if we were short timers! But alas we are back and ready to kick ass. But just as we are getting out of the gate mi madre went and BROKE HER ARM! But dont think that slows this women down. She has written a scathing blog on Middle Musings about the unfairness of life. She doesn't think that anyone reads her blogs and she needs comments like somepeople need oxycotin, so maybe give her a FEEL BETTER!!!! Once I post this opus only THE NORMAL TEENAGER WILL still be sucking. And believe me he has lots to blog about like how he is finally getting some action from that best friend he whined about for months!!!!


PREVIEWS

OK I have to get on with the futility of my day but soon I will be posting my complete thoughts on Air America Radio (I am pro by the way) and also some travelouges about Belize! And also hopefully more machine gun thoughts on a REGULAR basis.


Yours in matrimony,
Clarry