Take A Flying Leap, Tiger

Tiger Woods, apparently a great golfer (I've NEVER watched golf on TV, so how should I know?) proves himself a poor ambassador for his sport, by needlessly alienating hockey fans like me. From an ESPN report:

The world's top golfer appeared via teleconference on Monday, promoting August's PGA Championship at Oakland Hills in suburban Detroit.

Woods asked if he was rooting for Detroit or Pittsburgh.

Woods started to laugh, then landed a zinger.

"I don't really care. Let's talk about the Dodgers," the California native said. "I don't think anybody really watches hockey anymore."

I'll repeat that I have NEVER watched golf on TV. There is no 'anymore' about it- except that I'll never be tempted to watch him play on TV. The arrogance! He's promoting an event in Detroit, and he couldn't even be complementary to Red Wings, who were in the midst of a Cup run? Classless. Poor ambassador. You would never hear such things from Gordie Howe or Wayne Gretzky.

When I hit the ice Sunday for my rec league game, I will have a bottle of Powerade. No more Gatorade for me. Thanks to Tiger Woods.

Barr on Colbert

(Fairview Heights, IL)- Libertarian nominee for President Bob Barr just completed his short segment on the Colbert Report. Quick impressions:

Stephen Colbert announced a 'full disclosure' item: He's a Libertarian. The guy is so tongue-in-cheek, it's hard to know if it's the case.

Colbert worked Barr on exactly the same things many Libertarians have grilled him on. "You're for less intrusive government, so you backed the Defense of Marriage Act"? Barr's reply was straightforward- When you learn that you've made a mistake, you revise your position. Colbert also brought up typical horse race angles, such as being a spoiler. Thankfully, this was quickly dismissed.

Barr did well enough in playing along. He joked about having a moustache (which Colbert joked about as something a big government person might want to have him register), and he generally looked comfortable, unlike his moment on Borat. Well enough is good, but the performance isn't likely to blow anyone away. If you watched, what did you think?

Update: Here it is- Barr on Colbert:

Red Wings Win Stanley Cup

(Fairview Heights, IL)- What a great final, with a potentially game-tying Penguins' puck rolling near the goal line with less than a second left. The Red Wings hung on to win the Stanley Cup, in a series that showed what exciting sports action is all about.

I hope you got to watch some of it. It had continuous tension like basketball can't buy with a semi-trailer full of $100 bills. The post-game traditions are excellent- the handshake between the teams, and the handing off of the Stanley Cup to each member of the winning team.

As a San Jose Sharks fans, I enjoyed watching Brad Stuart lay out Sidney Crosby with a crushing, clean hit- and get to hold the Cup over his head.

I'm always a bit sad when hockey season ends... but at least I get to play again on Sunday night.

Rare Evening of TV Viewing

(Fairview Heights, IL)- How does this happen? How is it that there could be not one, but two shows I absolutely have to... well, not so much see as run in the background as I make site drawings?

7:00pm Eastern - NBC - Stanley Cup Finals, Game 6

11:30pm Eastern - Comedy Central - Bob Barr on The Colbert Report

I think the Red Wings will hoist the Cup tonight. There's no telling what Colbert will foist upon Barr. Big fun!

Blood & Shaving Cream, 10 Years Gone

(Fairview Hts, IL)- For 10 years, I was flying solo in rock 'n' roll radio, with an outstanding community radio station- WCSB, 89.3 fm in Cleveland. The co-hosting would continue with Shelly Gould-Burgess on a show called, oddly enough, "Rock 'N' Roll Radio," named after the Ramones tune. The political broadcasts would continue until after moving to Indianapolis, in Fall 2002.

10 years ago on this date, I completed my last solo show, called "Blood & Shaving Cream". It was a Thursday morning drive time show, airing from 7-9:30am. The show originally belonged to Steve Wainstead, but when he moved to New York, I asked the station's program director if I could fill his shoes and continue it, more or less as Steve was doing it. My touches and styles, of course, but the show was something of the punk and alternative rock hits- songs catchy enough that they belonged on regular morning drive time radio, or songs familiar enough to a college radio audience that they would have the same effect. "Blood and Shaving Cream" is a song by an old Cleveland band, Death of Samantha.

So, for your listening pleasure, here are links to two files, from the last B&SC:

B&SC #1

B&SC #2

Beware the poor sound quality! There is alternately a complete lack of treble, tape hiss, muffled incoherence- mostly due to the deteriorating source tape. Still, it's a bit of fun you might get a kick out of. 

(Sendspace links survive for about a week, so have at it soon!)

Off To St. Louis

(Fishers, IN)- Well, more accurately, East St. Louis. More site scouting for AT&T's VRAD cabinets, throughout St. Clair County, Illinois.

Working in view of the Gateway Arch is kinda cool. I wish I had a site or two right on the Mississippi.

Then again, if I turn my back to the Arch, I get the full view of East St. Louis, and that's one scary view. I've lived in the hood in Cleveland, I've worked in rough areas in Detroit and Chicago, but East St. Louis reminds me of pictures of Dresden after the Allied fire bombing in '44.

I'll take the time to get some pictures that will make your jaw drop. If you think you've seen urban blight in Indy, Gary, or Chicago, you haven't seen it until you set eyes on East St. Louis.

Barr on Colbert Report

Bob Barr will appear on the Colbert Report on Wednesday, June 4, on Comedy Central at 11:30pm Eastern.

Barr will also be on CNN's Glenn Beck program that evening at 7pm, but I'm far more interested in the Colbert appearance, because you never really know what Colbert will do with a guest. I'm thinking this will turn out better than Barr's cameo on Borat, although I'm fond of the idea of him as a member of the ruling regime.

I'm jealous of my friends in NYC who could attend the taping of Colbert. This would be a fun one to catch in person! Link to tickets.

Barr Campaign Reaches Out To Bloggers

Having put my support behind Bob Barr, I've been in touch with Stephen Gordon, from Barr's campaign team. Gordon advises that the campaign will work with bloggers. From an email:

Because of the value this campaign places on the contributions of bloggers in today’s political environment, we’d like to extend a special service to those of you supportive of this campaign. We’d like to be able to send you periodic e-mailed briefings of what’s going on within the campaign so you can be on top of the news. Additionally, we are hoping to provide some unique quotes from the former congressman or campaign staffers which won’t be distributed through press releases or conventional media mechanisms.

Gordon was involved with the very popular libertarian blog, Hammer of Truth. I'm pleased that the Barr campaign is including bloggers in their media service. It's folly not to anymore.

Here is a link to Barr's blog. Many thanks to the campaign for adding me to their short (for now) blog roll.