Episode 69: Improvements That Ain't

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Sometimes, you've just gotta rant.

As well anyone who regularly reads these show notes in the pursuit of the show or in search of links hinted at on the show, I've had problems of late getting my links to work. That problem is solved, thanks once again to L33t Minion. But the problem came from an unexpected corner of reality, one on which I rant, once again unscripted, in this Episode 69: Improvements That Ain't. I like to think that behind a very silly rant, there lies a societal blind spot, one comfortably occupied by, of all things, the reason many don't question advertising.

In this episode, I don't play much. I open with KMFDM and Mark Blyth, and close with the Vince Guiraldi Trio doing the seasonal "Skating." Playing music from the Charlie Brown Christmas Special, and releasing this episode on December 25, are indications of a gift for you! I hope you accept it as such.

Episode 68: The Unusual Suspects

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(This episode is part of the series The Powell Movement.)

We know that Lewis Powell, Jr. wrote his memo. But do we know who read it? It turns out several were influenced by that work enough to do work of their own, transforming their fortunes into an effort to push back at that warned-of creeping tide of liberalism supposedly washing against the bulwarks of the free enterprise system. In this Episode 68: The Unusual Suspects, I'll share a few names; some, sadly, will become all the more familiar in coming years.

In this episode, the first of the Powell Movement series, I read from David Brock's Blinded by the Right, and from Jane Mayer's Dark Money.

I also mentioned some claims of fascist tendencies in the episode: this website contains the images and needed explanation of them. The page should dispel any nostalgia for the more than recent past some may hold. (NB: It seems my memory of the exact details of both Henry Ford’s publications and the award he received in his office from Germany, while technically accurate, were nevertheless a bit muddled; I regret the errors.)

Voice-wise, I managed to coax some quite able voice talent into reading throughout this upcoming series from the Memo itself. D. L. Myers is a poet and reader of weird poetry, one who impressed me with his ability to intone the dire and woeful. Many of his readings, both of his own poetry and the work of others, can be found at his online video channel.

Musically, I dove into the unusual suspects with a tune from Jupiter Makes Me Scream entitled appropriately enough, "Dive Into." I opened with a new intro backed by KMFDM, this one voiced by Henry Giroux. The Henry Giroux interview with Bill Moyers is well worth the looksie/listen.

As with all of my episodes, I'm releasing this one under a Creative Commons 4.0 attribution, share-alike and non-commercial license.

Julie and Rolf lead a campfire rendition of "Over the Rainbow" at the close.