Radio Republicans and the Wicked Messenger

This chart from Talker's Magazine purports to rank the top radio programs in the country. I say purport because of the disclaimer in the fine print

A cume is the number of unique listeners that listen to these programs  "according to the opinions of Talker's editorial board, Nielson Audio and other sources....."these figures are non-scientific projections based upon a significant sample and do not represent exact Nielson Audio or any other ratings service totals."

Dave Ramsey  has a radio program, live appearances and written  opportunities to receive his "biblical insight and expert advice on handling money—budgeting, debt, investing, retirement and more." But I am putting him in the same shopping cart as Limbaugh. Hannity et. al.

The other 5 guys are what you might call Conservatives. For the record the next highest rating is 2.75 and is a tie with 5 other guys. The remainder of the list includes by my reckoning is 9 Right, 5 Left, 8 relatively non-partisan, weird like George Noory for example, but  still non-partisan. And unclassifiable Bubba the Love Sponge.

In the opinion of Don's basement editorial board, of the 31 listed talkers, it is 16 Right, 5 Left, and 10 are just saying stuff. Some of it about extra-terrestrials. 

At the don'sbasement annual meeting and costume party

As we know radio is a "hot medium., " To paraphrase Marshall McLuan and to use a wiki , "hot media is that which engages one sense completely. It demands little interaction from the user because it 'spoon-feeds' the content. Typically the content of hot media is restricted to what the source offers at that specific time. Examples of hot media include radio and film because they engage one sense of the user to an extent that although the user's attention is focused on the content, their participation is minimal."
Don't believe me, I have Marshall McLuhan right here.

There are over 13 million Americans who listen to right wing talk radio  and are spoon fed every week. This makes up a large percentage of the Republican electorate. While they listen to these programs, they fulminate about the following;

• The liberals want to take our money and give it to the non-hardworking poor people so that those people will vote for them. (While they believe that there are hard-working poor people, they are dis-incentivized to work because of government hand-outs)
• America is no longer feared around the world because Obama/Clinton have either been hoodwinked or intentionally allowed our enemies...Iran, Russia, China to thrive because we are afraid to flex our muscles militarily or economically
• You can't say anything about anyone anymore without fear of being labeled a racist, sexist etc. There is no freedom of expression because the liberal elites continue to cling to the civil rights agenda and look for opposition to it. Without opposition, there is no civil rights battles to be fought. And President Obama is an affirmative action president who only got the job because of his skin color.
• The influx of "illegals" destroys respect for the law as well as taxes our economic resources. The border must be secure and the "illegals" must be identified and punished.
• "Obamacare" is a particularly noxious brand of socialized medicine that was passed in a corrupt and over partisan manner. (I actually agree with this, as the law is poor). But the vehemence against "Obamacare" is common cause for the Radio Republicans.

Hence....Donald Trump. He has incorporated these brand messages into a package. And when confronted with his history, politically, in business, in personal morality, his unstated message, "there you go again."
He doesn't have to answer the arguments. He only has to defend himself as a speaker of truth.

The Radio Republicans will hang up and listen to Trump's answer. They will ultimately reject him because he is a bad person and most of the Radio Republicans are good people. Or at least enough of them to recognize that although they may like Trump's message, he is, in fact, a Wicked Messenger.

More Insights from Donald Trump

In an exclusive interview with donsbasement, Donald Trump agreed to share more of his observations about what's wrong with everything.

• The baseball players. Why do opposing players talk to each other on the field? Unless they are being insulting or trash talking they should shut up and do their jobs. They are paid to win and not paid to be nice guys.
• The empty ball fields. I drive by...rather I am driven by ball parks that are empty. Why aren't the kids playing ball? Because they are lazy. The kids are lazy because their parents are lazy. Their parents aren't achieving anything because their parents are the 60s generation hippies. 
• Scott Walker was actually raised by feral cows just outside of Sheboygan, Wisconsin.
• Lindsday Graham is a fegalah and why is that such a big secret.
• I don't hate poor people. I hate poor people who don't want to be rich.
• Let's quit talking about Israel's right to exist and focus on Iran's right to exist.
• People talk about my bankruptcies and bad business practices. They are ignorant and I should pity them but I don't have time for that.
• I have had more sex with more women than any white man not in the porn industry, music, or sports.
• When I'm president it will be a combination of Reagan, JFK, and the Bob Hope Christmas Show. Ratings for my press conferences will exceed any network shows excluding Sunday Night Football.
• While I am not afraid to run as an independent third party, I won't win that way. I will win as the nominee of the Republican Party. I will win because the black people are not going to vote for Hillary. They won't vote for me this time but they will when I run for reelection in 2020.
•  It is possible that I will win every state but New York, California,  Delaware, Maryland and Massachusetts. Oh right, and DC,
• Here is my electoral map. 407 to 131.

Map created at 270toWin.com

The Waiting is the Hardest Part: Countdown to Publication

Don Shearn, poet, author, subterranean dweller

The 5 Books of Krinsky has now been edited yet again. Here are some details.

1. 53 Chapters. I had hoped for either 52 chapters or 54 chapters. 54 chapters is what Sharon Rosensweig cartoonist and co-author of the Comic Torah said were the correct number of portions in the Bible.

2, 65,400 words. To win in the Nanowrimo competition you need to write 50,000 words. According to
http://www.writersdigest.com/author/chuck-sambuchino here are the correct lengths for novels.


80,000 – 89,999:       Totally cool
90,000 – 99,999:       Generally safe
70,000 – 79,999:       Might be too short; probably all right
100,000 – 109,999:    Might be too long; probably all right
Below 70,000:           Too short
110,000 or above       Too long

Sambuchino's article was written way back in 2012 when we all had longer attention spans.

3. The current plan is to upload the book some time this summer and begin an extensive multi-media campaign. One that hopefully won't require me to leave the basement.

4. We have been thinking about various retails for the book. The average cup of coffee in the US is between 1.38 for brewed and a 2.45 for an espresso based concoction. Is The 5 Books of Krinsky worth more than a small latte. We emphatically say yes.

         I am particularly partial to 40 facts about Noah, Warren Spahn's pitching statistics, the exegesis on Samson and Delilah, as well as the mildly diverting events in the life of Danny Krinsky.

5. 2.49 seems right. Particularly since the primary market is people I know. Most everyone I know would buy me a cup of coffee under the right circumstance and pay under 3 bucks.

6. My goal for the book is for triple digit downloads. It is lofty to be sure as I have 118 Facebook friends and I can't count on all of them so there will need to be some sharing. Also, perhaps some advertising. Or public relations. But again, I would like to stay in the basement.

7. We are working on a cover. How do you like it? It is an homage.

Possible Cover for 5 Books of Krinsky

Episode 11 of Playboy After Dark, When Jerry met Hef.

The other day while shopping at Sunset Foods, I heard St. Stephen by the Grateful Dead. Sunset Foods is one of a small chain of grocery stores that used to frighten Peggy and myself when we first moved to Highland Park. The chain itself didn't frighten us...not even the store. We were askeered of the shoppers. They seemed very aggressive in their parking, their cart navigation and frankly in their attitudes.
The shoppers were a source of frequent disparaging remarks we could make about our town.
To wit...when asked about winter vacation plans, another shopper replied, "Florida, Arizona, California, the Islands. Where can you go? Really. We don't know."

Lately, since Peggy's knee operation and even before her operation, I began to shop for and prepare food for meals. 

Floris van Dyck, dude from Harlaam.




These "meals" have led me to go to Sunset Foods between 4 and 7 times a week. It is not very scary anymore. As to whether the scary people moved away or we are on different schedules, I enjoy the experience. The workers and the management are very customer focused and helpful.

As I am walking down a non-food aisle of dish soap, detergent, enhanced liquid stuff for your dishwasher, and various other cleansers liquid or solid, I heard the recording of St Stephen. 

You have got to watch this video. Even the first 30 seconds. 



This is recorded in 1969 on a program called Playboy after Dark, which ran in 1969 and 1970. Although youtube says January '69, dons's basement has learned that the Grateful Dead appeared in episode 11, March 1969. Sid Caesar was also on the program that night, along with Sydney Omarr , nee Kimmelman, syndicated astrologer and astrology consultant to the rich and famous. Hef also appeared.

Here are the lyrics to St. Stephen: (Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter, who is also credited with singer on Playboy after Dark. (The link to St. Stephen is from "The Annotated St. Stephen and is much smarter than your deservedly humble author.)

Speaking of this "Annotated St. Stephen" site. Here is part of their fair use policy. 

In other words, it's ok to read, use, and link to this site in any way except for utilizing its contents to make money. Clear enough? And, of course, appropriate permissions for re-use will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

 

Saint Stephen with a rose, in and out of the garden he goes,
Country garden in the wind and the rain,
Wherever he goes the people all complain.

Stephen prospered in his time, well he may and he may decline.
Did it matter, does it now? Stephen would answer if he only knew how.
Wishing well with a golden bell, bucket hanging clear to hell,
Hell halfway twixt now and then,
Stephen fill it up and lower down and lower down again.

Lady finger, dipped in moonlight, writing "What for?" across the morning sky.
Sunlight splatters, dawn with answer, darkness shrugs and bids the day goodbye.

Speeding arrow, sharp and narrow,
What a lot of fleeting matters you have spurned.
Several seasons with their treasons,
Wrap the babe in scarlet colors, call it your own.
Did he doubt or did he try? Answers aplenty in the bye and bye,
Talk about your plenty, talk about your ills,
One man gathers what another man spills.

Saint Stephen will remain, all he's lost he shall regain,
Seashore washed by the suds and foam,
Been here so long, he's got to calling it home.

Fortune comes a crawlin', calliope woman, spinnin' that curious sense of your own.

Can you answer? Yes I can. But what would be the answer to the answer man?

The version I heard at Sunset must have been from Aoxomoxoa. But I remember it from Live/Dead.

The Dead playing Playboy after Dark is one of those Don Shearn paradoxes. Like the Buddy Love versus Grady personality divide.

Mood is wrong. Mood is wrong.                                          

Buddy Love wants to be the center of attention. The most charming and yet in many ways the most obnoxious guy in the room. Grady likes peaceful things. Like watching television. Hanging around with Fred Sanford.

The very late Mad Men style, part British tailoring/lounge lizard drinking and smoking, 'swingers' (sexually adventurous but not necessarily in organized groups) have to confront their future.  Panchos, beards, head nodding.  

Thus so, I walked through Sunset Foods, softly singing Saint Stephen.