Mar

Irish Motorcycle Diaries Part 1: Arrival and Galway

By Charles Karel Bouley

Ireland at St. Patrick’s Day and riding motorcycles are two things that interest me greatly as I have done, or do, both. So when Tourism Ireland (www.discoverireland.com) offered to bring my radio show to Ireland for St. Patrick’s Day for our fifth time and then threw in a cross country motorcycle tour the only answer was yes, economy (mine included) be damned.

Ireland throws quite an annual party for St. Patrick’s Day, and it stands on its own and is one of the biggest tourist events for the country generating much needed revenues at this time of global meltdown (quite literally, news from Japan is dominating the trip so far, even in the Irish high country).

Because of production requirements we decided that Sunday the 13th to Sunday the 20th would be the best time to come and plans were made and interviews set up.

The first leg of the trip, of course, is air travel. We were booked on US Air, an airline foreign to me as I truly have never traveled on it. And while it is easy these days to find a topic about air travel for a radio show, if one hasn’t been through the wonders of the airport and air travel recently, it can be a rude awakening.

For instance, in today’s world, buying a ticket is not necessarily buying a seat on the plane. Airlines have become corporations that are basically in to reduced service at all levels, fees and a litany of things they won’t or can’t do. Two days prior to departure I wanted to call and get seat assignments. Our tickets were not the lowest bargain basement coach, as they were booked relatively last minute: no, they were full price seats. I rang up the representative at US Air thinking it would just take a moment to pick three seat; silly me.

The policy as explained to me was basic: if I wanted to get our seat assignments prior to airport we had to pay $30 each per ticket, or $90 because these would then be “preferred seats;” I guess because I preferred to have them assigned early. I was told we could wait to the airport and the same seats would be available for free, if they were available. US Airways isn’t the only one doing this now. Jet Blue once you are ticketed asks you to pick your seat. It then charges you more money if you want to sit in certain rows because of their leg room; the ticket again doesn’t give you a seat, it gives you a space.

So airlines start the relationship by clearly violating your Fourth Amendment right under the Constitution to not be unreasonably searched because they can’t do the job of getting passengers from point A to point B safely without violating our privacy and then they continue the relationship by charging for every little thing they can.

I decided to wait to check in at the airport. At US Airways at LAX that means you go to an automated kiosk with an employee assigned to two machines. The employee then tells you what to push and enter on the machine, how to run the passport through and confirm flights and bags. They stand next to you the entire time, and check your passport. So why don’t they just stand behind the counter and do the entire process like before? Why must I now type all the info and do all the steps on a touch screen if an employee has to stand by me anyway to verify documents and tell me what to touch?

The plane ride from LAX to Philly was horrendous. Last row, row 33, window seat. No cool air, no reclining and no food or snacks except what you purchase for huge amounts, credit cards only. A full price ticket, but because we didn’t want to pay an extra $90 we get the worst seats on the plane, and we got the airport three hours early. Did I mention the plane had no in flight entertainment at all? No sound system, no TV, no movie, nothing. But it did have WiFi. For a nominal fee of three billion dollars a second (well, not exactly, but you get the point).

On the trip it never ceases to amaze me why we, myself included, allow these corporations to treat us this way and still hand over billions of dollars a year to them. Hell, we even bailed them out before the banks. And thanks to Regan’s deregulation air travel in the U.S. is a mess. Airlines simply have stolen the entire joy from traveling, and they do it by pleading poverty. When a company cannot provide excellent customer service and a product worth the price they should go out of business. Instead, we funnel more money to them and line up for the abuse because we have no alternative form of high speed travel (rail, for instance). They have a monopoly on moving people in short amounts of time and because of that we are forced to take what we get or stay home. And the classism of giving better or more service to people who can pay more used to be bad enough from coach to business class to first class: now making coach people pay more and more for less and less is simply a business formula that cannot, and should not, be sustained.

Philadelphia to Dublin was a much better flight, at least there was oxygen, entertainment options and even some really bad airplane food (but at least it was offered for free). Sleep was the order of the flight because once on the ground in Ireland, there’s never a dull moment.

Dublin airport is modern and newly redeveloped. They were going to build another airport outside of town where there was military land, but opted to expand the existing one. Over the last two years, according to tourism figures from the country, the airport hasn’t seen as many Americans (or others) as tourism has taken a hit with the economic turndown. However, in 2011 there is some improvement and positive growth being seen and while it may not be enough to save some of the companies that went away, it is much needed stimulus for the Irish tourism industry.

We (my niece Heather and friend Brandon) were met by a representative from Celtic Rider in Dublin (www.motorental.ie) who took us over to their shop to get geared up and on BMW motorcycles. Celtic Rider is a small company that provides motorcycles to tourist and locals that want to see Ireland the proper way and without huge gas prices. Gas in Ireland right now is closer to those in the U.S. than ever before, hovering about $11.50 a gallon for unleaded. Most of the four wheeled vehicles here have switched to diesel and it is available at every petrol station.

While at the shop the conversation quickly turned to the economy. Each staff member (three that we met) at Celtic Rider has a horror story, and the word Banker appears to have been added to George Carlin’s original seven and is extraordinarily dirty here. No one has a kind thing to say about the bankers, the way the government has handled the bailout of their financial institutions and their resulting economic troubles. From taxi driver to restaurateur, anger at the Banks and those who profited off of people losing their homes and jobs is palpable.

Brandon and I mounted our BMW bikes while Heather drove the Sante Fe sport utility vehicle with the luggage and it was immediately off the Galway, all the way across the country! Yes, not more than an hour on the ground and already on a cross country motorcycle ride.

And what a ride. The Irish countryside is some of the prettiest in the world. Ireland is currently having it’s coldest winter on record so to many riding just wouldn’t be on the agenda. Brandon trained for weeks, including taking the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s three day safety course before the ride (www.msf-usa.org). That course removes the need to take a driving test at the DMV and is a great way to get acquainted with motorcycling. I recommend it for anyone getting on a bike. As for the weather, AlpineStars (www.alpinestars.com) provided gear for extreme weather and it really works. The Gortex jacket, pants and all weather riding boots and gloves from their moto collection cuts the wind and insulates the rider very efficiently. We rode across at 120 kilometers per hour in 40 degree temperatures and were not subjected to the biting cold.

Galway is a port city on the West side of Ireland. It is more sedate than Dublin, a city of extremes in many ways. While it is a city of great history, it is also a university town, with the pubs and streets teaming with 18-23 year olds along side people who have lived here for generations. There are accommodations here to suit any traveler, from a castle-like setting in City Center (The Merrick) to the extraordinarily trendy G Hotel; our launching pad for Galway activities.

The G is Hollywood glamour in the middle of charming and rustic Galway. Located right on the Bay it is consistently placed in the top five of hotels in Ireland by critics and public alike. Designed by top designer to the stars Philip Treacy the hotel is ultra modern (think Better Midler’s house in “Ruthless People”) and glittery chic in a subdued Irish way. It features themed lounges with movie star art, black-and-white Marilyn Monroe movies shown and the glass walls of a lounge adored with artwork of the star on a car hood on the wall and a bar with Svorsky crystals cracked in a billion pieces under plexiglass. Breakfast is served as part of the stay and the choices include five star faire.

The rooms are large and well appointed, from the heated towel holders and mirror in the bathroom to the vanity for dressing. The TV is interesting not so much because it’s a TV but because what’s on it. In Ireland, in Galway there are 17 channels on our hotel TV and five of the stations are news stations. No Fox here, it’s CNN International, BBC, RTE, SkyNews, local news and even France24. I consumed more REAL news in 30 minutes in the hotel room than Americans can all day; real news, about Japan and other places, in depth reporting, zero spin or opinion and no pompous politicians lying to the Irish faces.

The first live radio show from the G Hotel went off without a hitch, thanks to two things: Technology and sponsors. Radio stations, print outlets, can’t afford to send shows or reporters a lot of places these days. So I approached the Buena Vista Café in San Francisco, Vitucci and Associates financial planners in the Bay Area and Limboland.net, a search engine optimization company run by a friend of mine. They each came to the table so we could afford the trip, because in today’s world it’s smaller business and people helping people, not larger corporations.

As for technology, the fact that I can plug a small box called a Comrex Access in to an Ethernet cable (standard internet), plug a microphone in to it, connect to my network, GCN in Minnesota over the internet (free), beam that to a satellite and have it picked up by six radio stations instantly is beyond remarkable. As one listener said “It’s the coolest thing that in San Francisco my headphones are connected directly to Galway, Ireland, through you!”

Day 2

Day 2 in Galway began on the bikes. Tourism Ireland arranged interviews for me in advance on a world class moto ride through some of the prettiest high country in the world; winding roads, meandering fields of green, lakes, snow dusted mountains, goats, horses and cows roaming about and the nicest people on the planet.

In fact, the first stop was the Dan O’Hara Cottage at the Connemara Culture Center, about an hour outside of Galway. On the way we stopped at a very rural pub and petrol station, in fact, it was just that, two gas pumps, a general store, a craft shop and a pub. The pub was the Paddy Feist. We entered to tape a radio segment. The first thing noticeable was the TV, it was tuned to news on Japan. Here, in this rural part of this island in the North Atlantic is the pub owner and patrons playing pool, having a pint, and watching a meltdown. Surreal, really.

We hadn’t gotten Euros yet, and we find out after ordering that the pub didn’t take credit cards. In fact, out of the five pubs we’ve been in, none have taken credit cards. In any event, I panicked because there was no ATM or any way to get money. Oh no, my first international incident! Shorting a shopkeeper!

In America, there’d be a scene. Not at the Paddy Feist. “Just stop the cash by the next time you’re by here, no worries, cheers then!” the owner said as he handed me the three pints. I was flabbergasted, literally. That single act alone not only spoke volumes, but really describes the attitude here.

We enjoyed the pint, waited a few, and then it was back on the bikes.

The Dan O’Hara cottage and Connemara Culture Center sits alone on the road that leads to the Connemara National Park area. It’s run by Martin Breatneach and his lovely wife; they also live there and are 80% self sufficient meaning they grow their own food, get their own fuel and so on.

We were taken up the side of a mountain in a trolley car pulled behind a large tractor. On the way up we hear about the Connemara ponies, original descendents of the only indigenous horses in Western Ireland. Word on the street is that in the 1700 hundreds a Spanish Galleon crashed off the shore and two horses made it to shore and mated with the ponies so there’s a little mix in the bloodline.

We were taken to Dan O’Hara’s cottage and heard his tale of woe, a tale that is so relevant today that it is eerie. O’Hara was a tenant farmer, and his cottage and houses were made for him and his seven children. The house became a meeting place, a social place, a place for parties and gatherings. Then O’Hara added a bigger window with glass to his house, and the landlord wanted double the rent. Double. And they wanted a tax. A new tax. A tax that would become known as Daylight Robbery to the locals because it centered around a window.

O’Hara couldn’t pay, and he got evicted. In those days that meant they came and burned your roof and caved in your walls; and while modern day banks don’t do that today, metaphorically, they do. 70,000 Irish were thrown out of their homes this way and headed out of the country; O’Hara included. On the journey to America half of those died, including O’Hara’s wife and three of his children. When he arrived in New York he didn’t speak English and became a street peddler of matches. He died a few years later, and there’s no real record of what happened to his children. To date, none have returned to the cottage.

A man, thriving. His family, thriving. Then, the bank/landlord doubles the rent, throws up a tax, and takes back the house. As we have 2600 foreclosures a day in America this year according to RealtyTrac amounting to 1.1 million in 2011 I can’t help but think of the parallel stories. It ends tragically, and in America, so many of those stories are as well.

After a great tea in the B&B located on the property it was back to Galway and a walking tour with archeologist/tour guide Connor Riorden of Legendquest, www.legendquest.ie

It seems Galway has quite a history, both present and past. There’s Kennedy Square, where JFK made a speech for an hour five months before his assassination. That same square years earlier was used for public lynchings. As for lynchings, there’s a building near there that Mayor Lynch hung his own son from a window for committing murder and it is told here that’s where the term lynching originated (although they acknowledge the connection to the South in the U.S.). There’s the medieval part of time, with buildings dating back hundreds, some thousands, of years. And there’s the pubs. The Quays, The Kings Head and countless others filled with young and old.

After the tour it was time for the radio show and then a night out at those pubs.

And all night, in each pub, in each cab, in each restaurant, everyone was talking about three things: the economy, Japan and Charlie Sheen. Yes, his crazy extends here because there’s a connection. His father, Martin, went to University here for a semester. Everyone knows, they all tell you when you ask! In fact, they’ll tell you a lot. Did you know 22 American Presidents have Irish ancestry? Or did you know that 40% of the milk produced in Ireland is used for Baileys Irish Cream, a huge export? Just ask, people here are so friendly they’ll tell you.

So a world apart, and yet, in the exact same boat.

Next stop, cliffs of Moor and Dublin!

Oct

Being Social at the Social Network

The new film the Social Network is as good as everyone says. In fact, it’s better. It’s a brilliant mix of pop culture and eternal themes, from love and rivalry to classism or the simple need to be accepted; And, the need as well, to get back at those who don’t accept you.

It’s taken from a skewed perspective, for sure. Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder of Facebook, could not come out in a great light. How could the youngest billionaire in history? And it’s obvious that the movie is based upon several less-than-objective views of the boy wunderkind. However, Aaron Sorkin’s razor sharp script, the delivery by each and every one of the actors (including JT who truly is becoming a leading man) and the fact that under all the coding are kids, college kids, but kids is never lost and what emerges is the humanization of a phenomenon.

And yes, it’s amazing that the man that has helped the world make friends may not have close ones of his own. Ahh, irony.

Five stars, two thumbs up, 100 tomatoes, however you want to slice it if you want to see great acting and filmmaking (and enjoy Trent Reznor’s soundtrack) hit the “like” button and run do not walk to see the movie. And make no mistake, while this is an ensemble cast it is Jesse Eisenberg (the boy genius) and Andrew Garfield’s as Eduardo Saverin (co-founder of Facebook) movie, with a great supporting staff including Timberlake.

After the film, I go social with a few of the people at the theatre with my iPhone. Here’s their thoughts.

Aug

Joan Armatrading Living Charming Life

Joan Armatrading

Singer/Songwriter Comes to Long Beach Terrace Theater Aug. 7

By Charles Karel Bouley

“Is she the one that sounds like Tracy Chapman?”

That’s a question often posed when explaining the musical wonderment of Joan Armatrading. Since the release of 1972’s Whatever For Us, the European-based singer-songwriter has consistently satisfied lifelong fans and created new ones. Her success abroad is undeniable; America has welcomed her throughout the years, but never with the commercial success it has awarded some female singer-songwriters cut from the same cloth.

Armatrading is touring and doing interviews in support of her 20th album, This Charming Life, and in her own words, “This would be a great album for America, if they would just give it a listen.”

This Charming Life is a return to Armatrading’s rock and pop roots. She played every instrument on Charming, as well as on her previous two albums — an undertaking not foreign to her, but one she doesn’t repeat live.

“It hasn’t changed much, really,” she told the BLADE. “When I do my demos, and back in the ‘70s and ‘80s, I was writing, playing, doing my arrangements. It’s not that different, except I’m doing it on records now and not demos.”

Armatrading, who said she “should expect to be 60 this December,” is reflecting a little more on Charming.

“I’ve written songs called ‘I’m Lucky,’ ‘Blessed,’ and I’ve written ‘This Charming Life.’ They’re all songs saying ‘thank you very much’ for the life I’ve been given, I’ve really enjoyed it, I’ve really appreciate it, and I want to say it someplace outside of my head,” she explained. “I actually think a lot of people have a charming life if they would just step back and take a look at it.”

To read the full interview from the Long Beach/OC Blade and to find out United States tour dates, go here.

Jul

This is Just Plain Dehumanizing

This questionairre is the most dehumanizing thing…wait, just another in a long step of dehumanizing things. This is what our military is being asked by the Big Bad Gays.

It’s all here:

Wait to you get to the GLBT questions. Love the ones about showering. Replace Gay with Black and would this fly today?

Jun

Time For A Little Humanity

If We Stand Back And Take A Breath, We’ll Choke Up
By Charles Karel Bouley II

We’re so many things, each of us. We’re male, female, gay, straight, we’re progressive or conservative, we’re black, white, Latino, we’re husband, wife, son, daughter, we’re American, we’re immigrant, we’re blue or red or purple, we’re so many adjectives these days, so many names. We’re iPhone or Blackberry, Mac or PC, Facebook or Twitter (no longer Myspace), cell phone or landline, snail, or email, we’re web traffic. We’re the poor or the rich, we’re the middle class, we’re the unemployed or the uninsured, on and on and on until every bit of every subsection of everything that may make us different and classifiable is exhausted; Especially in, or for, the 24 hour news cycle, for politics, for conversation.

And that 24 hour news cycle, the news alerts beamed to your device of choice from the now archaic yet irreplaceable radio to the latest WiFi device in your pocket, keeps us so busy and so distracted that for many, the one thing we’re not any longer is feeling, emotional, rational, thinking humans. Somehow, humanity has been the victim of getting in closer touch, of staying connected 24/7 or knowing it all. It got beaten out of us it would appear. And how could it not?

Yesterday, I closed my syndicated radio show by stating, “Well, the disaster in the Gulf caused by the felons BP is worse today than yesterday. We are no clearer on our mission or its success in Afghanistan but lost a general in great political theatre that does nothing to keep my friend, Eric, safe in-country right now (he’s in Afghanistan in the Army). We then took a General that MoveOn.org once called General Betray Us, one that Obama then skipped the vote to condemn MoveOn.org for the attack as Republicans wanted, have Orin Hatch of Utah wanting to drug test the unemployed to allow them to get benefits which only further victimizes the poor (there’s no provision for medical marijuana, either), lost two soldiers in Afghanistan and have no end in sight really for the worst ecological disaster of all time while a federal judge with lots of oil industry and Halliburton holdings says drill baby, drill. Oh and new home sales plummeted to their lowest ever, in history as unemployment in states like California soared as benefits run out because Congress is three weeks late approving another extension…but don’t worry, it’s only Wednesday….”

Any one of the incidents or situations should ground us as a nation. Stop us from whatever we are doing, make us take a pause, solve the problem, even if it takes time and sacrifice. But they don’t, they blend, they merge, they become news stories and sound bytes and water cooler conversations (does anyone have those any more since, well, no one is working in offices that can afford to rent coolers any more…). They have to, even 9/11 has to, or else we’d be even more medicated than we are right now.

If we step back, take a moment, and be, yes, human, if we, as humans connect with the events and each other as the most basic common denominator, humans, our country, our world would change instantly. It would have to, the pain of its existence right now would be too much for any feeling person to bare. It’s too much for me. I often cry on air covering the news these days. Sappy, huh? I know. But when I’m talking about the baby dolphin in the surf, dying, soaked in oil, it’s first breaths from coming forth from mom, reaching for the surface, for life, for air, and it sucks in crude…for what. Really, for what? Because corporate America, not human America and Americans, but the soulless corporate America refuses to give us the alternatives at affordable prices to get off of gasoline and petroleum period; government refuses to truly back emergency plans to get us off fossil fuel, because no one has asked us to sacrifice and we won’t without being asked, obviously.

I won’t preach about how we each could do wonders already to get away from fossil fuels. Walking within one mile of your house, biking within two, no two car families, one car, one motorcycle or scooter, a home can go solar for under $2k in most cities and states now…on and on..it’s all there. No, this is not the place for that. This is the place where I wonder if the soulless corporate America has become America and Americans; I truly do.

Because in a feeling world, cars would be parked. Period, end of story. Seeing what uncontrolled oil can do, all off shore wells, ALL OFF SHORE WELLS in the United States would be shut down, capped, left forever untouched. It’s just too dangerous should they break. There are no acceptable levels of crude in the food chain. None. Animals shouldn’t swim in it, eat it, or “dispersants.” Period. Seeing what happens to the people and the ecosystem would make any other society stop, change immediately I would hope. Truly, immediate moratoriums on all fossil fuel vehicles. Trucks parked from X to X, cars not used except for work or emergencies from X to X. Like when we lined up for gas. Your car ends in an even number plate, you use it on even numbered days. Find another way 15 days out of the month. Yup, inconvenient as hell, but it would force the industry to change immediately. We’d have electric cars, hybrids, fuel cells, all kinds of technologies. I got rid of my car for motorcycles and scooters. Not perfect, but the lowest gets 50mpg. In December my Piaggio MP3 300 hybrid will get over 100mgp. I know it’s still using the drug, but it’s something. It hurts too much, I’ve got to try.

Afghanistan hurts too much. I’ve seen too many photos from my Army friends. The soldiers are not well cared for, period, end of story. It’s embarrassing how they are forced to live knowing we spend over a million dollars a year each on them. The people there are so..sad..so caught in the middle of so much and we can’t solve their problems for them, it’s so very, very sad. We often create more.

America, Americans, whatever you are, we don’t need to think any more. At all. Really, we don’t. The great thinkers are thinking and then marketing their thoughts to us constantly. We need to remember it has always been our job to feel. We, the People are the Soul of America, its heart. Our founders knew that many of us wouldn’t be the most informed, but we’d have the spirit, the heart, the soul to do what is right, to vote for what is right based on truths that are “self evident.”

Think about the Constitution. It doesn’t talk about divisions, about labels, about budgets and committee meetings and moratoriums. It talks about the intangibles,

As I grab my iPad and launch the app “USA Manual” which has so many great documents in it like the Constitution, reading them again, reading it, makes me believe the founders were more emotion than anything else. Courage, fear, hope, lots of hope, they were feeling Americans who reacted out of those emotions. In their very documents defining the country they speak of “justice” and “tranquility,” “the general welfare” and “the blessings of liberty.” Those are all things that can’t be touched or legislated, they are things to be felt, to be achieved. One knows when justice is served not by a sentence, but by their gut feeling. One certainly knows when one is tranquil or blessed. No, our founders felt, they felt anger and rage against a King and a tyrant, they felt love and compassion for strangers, yes, they were greedy, some, another emotion, and yes, unjust, to Blacks and American Indians, and every kind of horrifying part of humanity existed them, the worst we can be. And yes, there was business and corporations of sorts. Yet, to them, all of that was a means to an end, and that end was a country that FELT, that had a heart and a soul to stand up for what was right and defend against wrong. Even right and wrong are emotions and totally subjective points of view at times.

I understand why many of you can’t or won’t feel it as deeply, or tire of it, but we must remember today more than ever that we are human. The immigration debate isn’t about illegals, it’s about people. Humans. The Gulf Disaster isn’t about who can or should drill where, it’s about us causing an event so catastrophic we have yet to see the outcome, hell, it’s not even anywhere close to being over. It’s a game changer, a life changer, a country changer or should be. It should be the death knell of oil and big energy companies. Period. Don’t you feel it? Can’t you feel it? Won’t you?

The same with war. Aren’t you weary of it for any reasons any more? Weary, tired, human thing again. A billion a day on foreign oil, billions more to fight wars to protect it, Iraq and Afghanistan tie directly in to the Gulf. It’s all related, everything in the news. And it’s all about people, not things, not adjectives, people.

It’s time to take a step back. To breathe in; to breathe deeply. Yes, you’ll choke on the toxic fumes of the Gulf, but once you recover, you’ll be inspired. Another emotion we need to feel. Inspiration. It’s been a while since America has felt it as a whole. If we begin to feel through all these events, and the pain they will cause (and they will, they still do because we don’t feel our way through then heal, we move on without healing); but if we move through that pain we’ll make something so much better than what we have now.

If we don’t start to feel more, more pain, more outrage, more of a need to sacrifice to make things better, then we sold our lives and souls to corporate America and like all of our gadgets our battery life as a nation is running out. The only way to recharge is to go back to basics; humanity.

May

The Sonos Players

OK, so, every so often I get an item sent to me to review that Iove so much, I just have to keep. The Sonos players are such items. Each and every day I begin with them now, and can’t imagine my multi-media life without them.

These all in one players merge all my digital needs. At the core is an incredible sound system that rivals Boise or any others. A stylish unit, it can do so many things for a device with only two buttons. Stream any radio station directly to the device. Stream any music service such as Pandora. Plug in an external device, such as airport express. Access your iTunes library directly. It does it all.

And it does it all from the iPhone or iPad. It’s all software controlled, a small app for the iPhone or iPad and suddenly the online world of streaming radio and music is right at your fingertips.

Each morning when I get up, I grab my iPad. I immediately launch Sonos player. I go to Radio, and Green960 San Francisco. I immediately turn on Bill Press and then in to Stephanie Miller. On weekends, I do a Pandora quick mix of my favorite stations. If you have more than one device, link them together in party mode, or enjoy them separately.

The sound quality is unbeatable, the ease of use incredible and the fact that it merges internet and streaming radio, iTunes, music services, external devices makes Sonos the answer for any apartment, or any room in a large house. Perfect for kid’s rooms as well and includes an alarm setting, of course! Click on the ad on this pay or go to sonos.com for more!

Apr

Joe Biden Wants You To Be An Editorialist

Karel –

Two weeks after it was signed into law, health insurance reform is still the talk of the town.

It’s for a good reason: This was a historic accomplishment. But it wasn’t easy. I remember what it’s like to be a senator and take a tough stand on an issue — confident that it’s the best thing for your constituents, but equally sure that special interests will pour buckets of money into attacking you for it.

Your senators, Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, did just that when they supported health reform. Now, we need to provide a line of defense money can’t buy: the voices of real constituents speaking out and showing their support.

That’s where you come in. Do you have three minutes to jot down a quick letter to your local newspaper? If you need ideas on what to say, you can watch a quick video Organizing for America put together about how reform will benefit California.

Click here to get started.

Believe me, senators and their staff read the letters page — because they know just how influential it can be. Your letter could make a tremendous difference.

In my conversations with my old colleagues, I made it clear that this White House was prepared to back them up — that no barrage of partisan attack ads would go unanswered. But to follow through, I’m going to need some help from folks like you.

This legislation will put Americans in control of their own health care, rein in insurance-company abuses, and give millions of Americans access to affordable health care for the first time.

Special interests know that in the coming months, all their lies about reform will be proven false. But that won’t stop them from inventing new ones and spreading attack ads.

It’s just the first step, but one letter from a constituent is worth a hundred paid advertisements. So please make sure your friends and neighbors understand the benefits this law will bring to ordinary Americans — take three minutes and write a paragraph or two now:

http://my.barackobama.com/SenateThank

Thanks,

Vice President Joe Biden

P.S. — Not only is Sen. Barbara Boxer facing special interest attacks, but an election looms this fall, and Republicans have pledged to repeal the reform we fought so hard for. We need Sen. Barbara Boxer in Washington — will you pledge to volunteer for Sen. Barbara Boxer’s re-election fight?

http://my.barackobama.com/YouFightWeFight

Apr

How Do Parents Do It?

I may bare my soul on air, but in print for almost two years now I’ve remained silent, outside of my commentaries at the HuffingtonPost.com and my Blade work. I haven’t blogged per se, for many reasons. First, professionally, I’m on four radio stations and no matter how that is happening, it’s not a bad thing. I do have a HuffPost column, I did just sell out the Hotel Nikko’s Rrazz Room..all not bad things…ratings are going up…good things….

But the fact is I’m the news story everyone is hearing about; I think it’s why my radio show is so relevant these days. I am in this mess. I could go in to it, but let’s just say, I’m like so many. I run 30 days on my mortgage, my second is in the midst of being modified, credit accounts on repayment plans or dealing with settling, and every week waking on Monday basically terorized about how on earth am I going to do all I need to do. Sell ads on my show, produce my show, do my show, expand my career AND take care of my family. My family. My dogs.

My mon’s dog Angel is 12 and has diabetis. When I had the income from KGO, that didn’t matter. When she needed to go to the ER over the weekend, $4000 later and her life saved, it didn’t matter. Now, I look at my three dogs, my children, with fear. Fear that something will happen and I won’t be able to afford the help they’ll need and I’ll lose one of them. They don’t have insurance, I don’t have insurance.

Well, yesterday, Easter, everything was fine. Left at 1pm to go to Ken and Dennis’ condo on the 13th floor on the beach in Santa Monica. Sat with them as we swayed in the earthquake while passing the potato salad. Picked up Heather at the LB Airport and got home at 6pm in time to feed the dogs. Except Angel wouldn’t eat. And for her, that is extraordinarily unusual. And dangerous. Then, bloody diarrhea. Sunday night at 7pm, Easter. If I rushed her to the Pet Hospital, it would minimally be $1200, probably $2000 or more. I simply do not have it. I owe that in property tax. I simply don’t have it. So, like many, I waited and hoped.

Overnight, she slept, up a few times, but nothing major. I was terror stricken that she would die over night. But she didn’t. This morning, no interest in food, more of the blood. 5:30 am. The vet doesn’t open until 8am. Even then, they will consider it an emergency visit and add $$$. And even there it could be in upwards of $500 instead of the $5000 the pet hospital would charge. IF they can treat it and not refer her out. I did web research. Seems it could be HGE. Sudden unexplained onset. Symptoms match. Treatable with IV fluids, etc. Add in diabetis. Fatal if not treated. Not treated how soon? Have I already waited too long?

How do parents of human children in today’s world do this? For their kids, for themselves? What if they get sick. Well, they’ll get treated. Yes, but it will cost $$$ or the house or or or.

Being out of money sucks. Not being able to make enough to meet basic needs like health care for myself or my pets, sucks. Sitting here waiting 45 more minutes hoping it’s not too late because I needed to save $$$ sucks. Life versus money, that decision sucks. No one should have to make it for human or beast or anything. Congress chose money over life by not giving universal coverage. I am just as guilty as I sit here waiting instead of rushing to a hospital because of $$.

Is this too personal? Will I be thought of differently now? I don’t care. I don’t get paid by anyone at all. I only make $$ with ad revenues, I’m not an ad sales person and I have tried every day to hire someone. Not one has performed yet, and yet I have. To a small amount. But a few clients. Agents, funding, companies, blah blah blah blah…there’s more talk behind the scenes in talk radio then on the air…blah blah blah blah…meanwhile I wait feeling horrible that I don’t have the money OR the time for what is going on this morning, and yet knowing I will find both.

But how are other American’s doing this? Money is ruining lives every second. Letting things die, people be evicted, on and on and on. Money. Useless numbers and pieces of paper.

And I wait. 7:21…Angel not looking very good, weak…who wouldn’t be I found at least six spots out back with more than a few tablespoons of blood. She only weighs 12 pounds for goodness sake.

And alone. I’m so tired of going through all of this alone. I know I have friends and family, but I mean no partner. Everything was easier with Andrew. Everything, even the worse of the worst. Next year he will have been gone a decade. And no real relationship for me. And while many would have a list of things I’ve done since he’s died I feel like I’ve only gone backwards. Financially. Personally. That’s guilt. I feel guilty that I took on the responsibility of the dogs and am not able to meet that, to keep them healthy. We should be on our way to Lakewood Emergency Hospital, should have gone last night. Instead of waiting another 36 minutes to save $$. So that makes me feel like a failure.

How can America not be depressed? We didn’t really fail. Like me. I’m doing what I’m supposed to do. I’m an entertainer, a talk show host. Been one for two decades. Pretty OK at it. And I’m on four stations. So why isn’t it just a little easier? Because again I’ve only gotten near the bullseye, not hit it. Because I have the structure in place, a show, on stations, a name that allows me to at least gig, but no support statff. Why ? $$$$. I can only pay an ad sales person commission. So no one wants to do it. I have the chance in front of me to grow if I stay going, but each day like so many wonder how that will be possible.

33 minutes before I can even call. Just sleep Angel. Please. The other two want to walk. They don’t get it. Alley is the same age, but no real problems. Atilla is four and wants to go. But I can’t. Rain. And sick angel. I’d carry her with us in the Fundle, but why, she’s so weak. We’re taking a rain day doggies. Daddies got to deal.

Oh she’s a dog and she’s going to die, right? Yes, and maybe soon, but she wouldn’t be this close today if I had more $$. And that statement has been set about pets or people for far too long.

Will I post this? Why not, I hear you have to fake it unit you make it. I’m tired of faking it. The real deal is that like you I sit and make choices based on money each and every day. Even life and death ones.

1144 days ago Short URL 1 Comment

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Mar

Stop the Gayhunt on Massa

Stop the GayHunt And Refocus on the War
By Charles Karel Bouley

Rep . Patrick Kennedy got all fired up on the floor of the Congress Thursday, March 11, 2010, veins bulging, spittle flying….why? He was angry that while the Congress debates Afghanistan and the $3 Billion dollar a year escalation there are two members of the press corps there; he contends because the rest are too busy talking 24/7 about former Rep. Eric Massa’s personal woes.

He’s right. I did the same rant on my radio show yesterday (you may here that here http://www.radiokrl.com). But for different reasons.

You see, while the media was chasing down poor, helpless ex-Navy men that had the scarring and emotionally damning experiences not of war but of being groped by a guy, formerly unreported events that should have probably remained such, I was reading an email from an extended family member that had me quite upset. Upset because it wasn’t the “what” of the email but the “where.” He had just left Kabul and was in some outpost in Afghanistan. My extended family member, my fabulously gifted and remarkably handsome engineer is now one of the number I spoke so much about, the 30,000, one of the troops that now costs us one million per year to support; he’s back, for the third time.

My heart stopped when I got the email. My thoughts went to his wife, immediately. I wanted to hug her, bring her down to my house, go for facials. Because if she’s anything like me, she now goes to bed and wakes up hoping he’s OK and saying to ourselves that if one hair on his head is harmed….

Meanwhile, as I sat worried, Massa deconstructed on TV, including going on Glen Beck, a move so ridiculous that the man is obviously having a breakdown and no one stopped him. Truly, when one is in a room with Glen Beck and Beck appears to be the sane one, something is wrong.

His family must be in such an uproar, and his life is unraveling. The one thing this man has probably never dealt with, the fact that he obviously wants to explore men sexually on some level, has been ground in to grist for the media mill and he is literally falling apart under the glare of the spotlight. He is unstable, in huge denial, struggling internally to hold on the “self” he thought he had and the “self” that everyone now sees. He cant’ reconcile the two and he’s come unglued in some areas. I’m no psychologist, I’ve just been gay my entire life and have seen this over and over again.

And the media, including liberals on liberal radio started screaming for him to come out, bringing more salacious details about past allegations to the foreground. Everyone began the horrible news cycle of replaying his rantings, the obviously unstable talk from a man trying not to drown. I feel nothing but pity for him. He has lived a closeted life and now the door is wide open. Not that he’s gay, he may not identify as such. There are 307 million Americans and 307 million different sexualities. But why the media is on a gay witch hunt is beyond reason at this point. Why they insist on not stopping until he is outed or outs himself even after he has resigned is just malicious. HE DOESN’T KNOW WHO HE IS YET, give him a minute to find out. And then, really, it’s none of our business unless he wants it to be.

Me, the guy over here that doesn’t care, I lost a Universal Health Care supporting Democrat, and they’re hard to come by. As for the allegations about staffers, I find it hard to believe that men can truly be sexually harassed. I am a man, and it would be hard to harass me. Because I can say No! and I have the ability to back that No! up. So did each and every other sailor on that ship or any other ship. Sexual advances are only harassment if the person doesn’t want them, otherwise, it’s dating. Some people don’t wait for an answer, they’re boorish and jump in. Smack their hands, send them away with a warning. They do it again, report them or flatten them. You’re a guy, man up. And for the record, when someone muffs your hair and says they should be “frackin’” you, it’s a compliment not harassment. Since when is being told you are sexually attractive to someone an insult? Have we become that society? A society where someone making their sexual interest known, even in a boorish way, is harassment? Man up.

None of that applies to women. Between men and women it’s always a power thing. Always. Men have been harassing women since the caves. In fact, many women I’ve heard comment about the Massa case say, ya, our world, welcome to it, man up and move on. When a man harasses a woman it’s always about power and then sex, whether the man knows it or not. When a man harasses a man, it’s just sex. Unless it’s rape, and no one has alleged that. And at any point any of those staffers could have ended any harassment.

Oh, but they might have lost their job. Well, if your boss makes such a demand you’re screwed either way so pick your poison. Either it’s literal, or you end up in a big HR thing, people getting fired, reprimanded, investigated and that’s a mess, too. Of course report them and screw them by ruining their career; But for a mess of the hair? Truly. If someone refuses to stop and continues the behavior, take them down professionally so they learn. And if like Mark Foley the object of their attentions are under age or wards of the government, go after them. But nothing in this case really smacks of anything but some closeted guy trying to cop a feel every now and again. The grabby icky family member that is always doing inappropriate things…

And after he resigned why does anyone care? There were no criminal charges. No sexual claims in the Navy, and the ones that have come to light in office have been dropped or ended with the resignation. Nope, this is just a gay witch hunt. Make him come out. He’s a groper. He likes men. He’s a dirty abusing fag hypocrite in a closet and should be exposed, at least the media thinks so. Even Larry King got the “are you gay” question out…instead of, “are you an abuser? Do you abuse your office to get sexual favors? “ Nope, are you gay. And the diversion answer he gave was classic of someone not wanting to answer truthfully. You don’t have to watch “Lie to Me” to figure that out.

Meanwhile, while all this raged, it appeared Rep. Patrick Kennedy and myself were paying attention to Afghanistan. Maybe he feels he has a horse in the race, I certainly do.

So I’m drawn back to my letter to President Obama. Yes, I wrote one the moment I got the email from Afghanistan. The talk topic became very real, and suddenly Massa…who cares? Poor guy, he’ll probably end up in gayhab, repaired through the Lord. Whatever. Unemployment went up in 30 states on the same day (down from 43, but still), 100 Americans on average died from lack of access to health care, 1600 more on average went bankrupt because of medical bills and my friend had to go to sleep in deplorable conditions only to get up and go on a patrol that may be his last. All in the one day Eric Massa chose to deconstruct. So like Kennedy, I really think there’s other things to focus on unless you’re TMZ. Maybe we need a political version of TMZ for all this kind of stuff so MSNBC and CNN, Fox Noise, etc, can leave it alone.

And if one does focus on Massa, focus on the abusive aspect, not the gay aspect. When something is repressed like that, the person acts out. These were incidents where he was acting out, the whatever part of him that wants to be with men coming to the surface, reason be damned. He joined the Navy for God’s sake. He put himself on a ship with men at sea for long periods of time. If your branch of service has a Village People song about it, something’s up.

And you know what, thank society for that. If men were allowed, like women, to explore sexuality with other men without repercussion it would all be different. Two women get together in college, on an all females ship, or any time, and not only does the heterosexual society not care, but most straight guys would want to be there. Two guys try it out on any level even once, QUEERS! HOMOS! The heterosexual porn industry bears that out; two women often get together in those films, never, ever two men. That would then be Bi. Such a ridiculous set of rigid rules and double standards it’s no wonder we have Massa, and let’s not forget State Senator and homophobe CA Rep. Ashburn coming out in messy, messy ways. It’s scenes just like the Massa one that will keep other men from actually saying, I’m not gay, but I have always wanted to…or, I’m secure enough to explore this side of my sexuality or whatever Massa could not tell himself, kept his attractions so pent up even he couldn’t recognize them when they surfaced and ended up being that grabby guy no one really likes.

Meanwhile, today, this very day, 100 Americans on average will die from lack of access to health care, 1600 more on average will file bankruptcy because of medical bills and my friend, and hundreds of thousands of other people’s friends and families will be in Afghanistan or Iraq, unemployment in my state, CA, will still be at 12.5 %, and on a personal note, I’ll still be single. Yes, it jabs at me that closeted Republicans or Democrats with families are getting more male attention than myself. What a world.

So leave Massa alone.; He’s a hot gay, bi or questioning mess who is having a stress related breakdown. Do not repeat what he says in the news if you care at all for his sanity or his process. He hasn’t hurt you, America, at all. He doesn’t deserve to have such a gayhunt after him. Foley? Yup. Craig? Yup. Ashburn? Yup. Massa? Please.

And let’s refocus as Kennedy has asked on Afghanistan for just a minute or two. I drafted this to the President, maybe it’s time more of us do.

Dear President Obama:

I usually address my messages to you on air, but tonight, I’m writing you for a reason. You see, today, I became invested in the wars again, because a family member of mine is now in Afghanistan. A kinder, more intelligent person you’ll never meet, and a fierce and brave warrior.

So I need you, Mr. President, to really make the right decisions in that theatre. I’m not telling you what that should be. I don’t see the PDB’s you do, I don’t have the full picture. But remember this: someone I love as much as any other human on this planet is now one of the 30,000 sent over, and there’s 29,999 others this year alone with family just like me.

So Mr. President, as Commander in Chief I want you to know I am holding you personally responsible for his safety. He trusts you, and the military, and has served it well. Do not betray his, or any trust, by keeping them in harm’s way any longer than need be. Make sure his mission, all missions are clear, that objectives are not muddy, that the goals are obtainable. Listen to the generals and commanders, but then use the wisdom that we elected to make sure our men and women, particularly one of them, comes home unscathed.

I support you Mr. President, but now I have a horse in this race as well. A thoroughbred really. I know to him he’s no more valuable than any other member of his squad, but to me, he’s an American hero.

Please, keep him safe, support him and his fellow army soldiers, and know I am watching every single thing and I’m a voter. Please make the right decisions for the overall objective, and for the troops on the grounds.

You’ll never meet each and every soldier, Mr. President. But know this: if they are half the person my family member is, then you command an Army of Americans that cannot be replaced, is not dispensable and is deserving of your full attention and support both in the wartime theatre and when they return home.

Be well
Charles Karel Bouley

I sent my letter to President Obama. Why not take the five minutes you might have spent in the Massa saga today, and write one yourself about Afghanistan. Let him know we are all still very focused on it as well.

Do so here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact

Mar

Heather’s Baking Up a Storm

Heather is well on her way through Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena. See what today holds!

Cream Puff!

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