Activist Radio — Culture, Politics and Life

The Political Carnival: It's Not Just for Laffs

Posted June 8, 2010 - 15:39 by Angie

Listeners to our radio show know "Laffy" well. On Fridays, GottaLaff (her only public name) brought us her list of the whackiest stories of the week - in some cases, bringing us the only laughs around some pretty grim situations.

I was privileged to meet Laffy when she visited SF. We sat at the Brick (oh the Brick, how we miss those post-show cocktails! We'll come see you soon), lingered long over dinner, and in the course of getting to know each other mentioned this new idea she had. My Swiss-cheese memory may fail me here, but I think she already had the name for it she's still using: BLUNT.

Consumer Alert! Comm-Services LLC

Posted May 23, 2010 - 18:54 by Angie

If  you've done business with iKitchen or Homebrands, or have received an unsolicited DVD in the mail recently, check your credit card records IMMEDIATELY. And warn your friends! Here's the full story.

I get books, CDs, and DVDs in the mail with some frequency. Publicists and others who feel our work might be a good venue for their clients send them along, sometimes with advance notice, sometimes not. But the DVD that arrived Friday seemed odd from the get-go.

Hey, seen Laffy's latest?

Posted May 18, 2010 - 23:53 by Angie

Got a new missive from LFTLC's demented sidekick, Buttercup. Gotta Laff, co-proprietress of The Political Carnival has knocked it out of the park with her latest BLUNT video. Enjoy!

Revisiting the Saltworks, Again

Posted May 18, 2010 - 23:42 by Angie

Would LFTLC pay so much attention to a project in Redwood City if the show's host - moi - didn't happen to live there?

I like to think so. I live on the other side of town from the proposed development, and I avoid the 101 freeway whenever possible. Its direct impact on me is questionable. My concerns - pollution from overcrowded freeways, inappropriate use of what had been natural wetlands, possibly losing the chance to ever restore those wetlands - would move me to discuss this whether I lived here or in Iowa.

For those of you new to the topic: the multinational giant Cargill owns - and once upon a time operated - salt ponds along the Redwood City shores of the Bay. Salt production ceased there years back. Now a proposal on the table promotes a small city on the flats: developing the 1,433 acres with twelve thousand homes, along with parks, streets, stores, and parking lots.

How many times can you resurrect an ambition?

Posted May 18, 2010 - 22:08 by Angie

http://swannman.wordpress.com/2007/03/04/resilience-or-watch-your-step/

As many times as necessary.

(Photo credit: http://swannman.wordpress.com/2007/03/04/resilience-or-watch-your-step/ )

LFTLC started as a commercial radio show, supported by its members. Then we moved to the internet, only to discover the mechanisms for affordable, real-time online streaming with live call-ins are in beta stage at best.

So we went away again.

The Depression Chronicles

Posted January 17, 2010 - 19:53 by Angie

Sad Kitty

 

In addition to our ongoing political and arts/culture programming, we're developing a series of conversations about depression. I'd very much appreciate your suggestions as to topics and guests.

Please keep posting about your personal experiences and questions in the other topic, The Reality of Depression. And of course our members have the ability to start new topics, too. If possible, I'd like to keep this space pretty straightforward: ideas about different facets of depression we might discuss, and authors, doctors, experts, and other guests you'd like us to consider for the series.

Next post is some of the stuff I'm already sketching out.

The reality of depression

Posted January 14, 2010 - 16:39 by Angie

Time for some frank discussion.

I've made it a point throughout the course of my radio career to be honest about my chronic depression. The same way that - when relevant to the conversation - I'll mention my bum knees or my less-than-perfect spine, I've never flinched when it's natural to say I suffer from depression.

Correction: sometimes I've flinched, but I've done it anyway.

People see me as a high achiever. Because they hear me on the radio; because I come across as bright and somewhat accomplished; because I have a quick wit and sound like someone you might want to have coffee or a cocktail with, it's easy to see me in your mind as a person who pretty much gets what she wants and needs out of life.

HTML5

Posted June 1, 2010 - 16:36 by Gordon Whiting

HTML5 is the newest version of the language platform behind the World Wide Web. It has many excellent features, but two especially  important to us: native audio and video tags. What this means is that your browser won't need a plug-in (i.e. Flash) to run a video-- it will just play. An extra bennie is quality-- we can upload hi-def audio and video with a reasonable expectation that your browser will play it, and it will look and sound great. HTML5, now supported by Chrome, Safari and a few others,  will be supported by most browsers by the end of the year. So we are planning more video offerings--much more, as we move forward.

 

For the Locals: I Am In Love

Posted May 20, 2010 - 16:48 by Angie

And I hope I can make you fall in love, too. Look at this beautiful girl!

Cricket the Princess

I volunteer for a Peninsula cat rescue group, Humanimal Connection. I'm on call to feed the cats and kittens who are up for adoption at the local pet store. (Lemme give a shout-out here to the Redwood City Petco and San Mateo Feed and Pet, both of whom are so generous in support of Humanimal!)

This morning I went in to feed the latest batch of adoptables their breakfasts. And there, again, was Cricket.

Ahhhh, real days off!

Posted December 26, 2009 - 16:26 by Angie

relaxing frog

I did it. I took time off, in a way I haven't done in years. Turned off the phone, stayed off the site, didn't check work email. Couldn't completely break my news addiction, but for the most part didn't go too far past the headlines.

This weekend I stick a toe back in - I'm working now on posting one of the simplest ways almost anyone can help save water. (Yes, I'm easing back into the bigger stuff. Can ya tell?) Monday it's real work again, powering up the show to bring it back on the 4th. But damn, this has been great! I hope your holidays have been, too.