Community Radio Co-op
499 Bart Podpadic Commons, Crumm Mountain, NY
The Story of Crumm Mountain Community RadioBy SEAN BENNETT
Crumm Mountain Co-op Radio was born in June of 95. The brainchild of myself, and fellow blacklisted muckraking reporter Gertrude Silber. Up until several months prior to June 95, both Gert and I worked at WCMR radio, a local public radio station that was funded predominantly by the City of Chlymidia Mountain as well a few local businesses. Gertrude was an unpopular left-leaning reporter, who was usually getting her stories chucked because they were too harsh on local businesses. Particularly, the businesses that also happened to be sponsors of the station. Me, I was given a one-hour time slot on Sunday nights at one in the morning, during which I played music, mostly by local punk bands.
After awhile, I began injecting politics into the mix, to spice things up. When I began to show an interest in local politics, Gertrude Silbers, 34, a veteran muckraker kinda sorta took me under her wing, showing me the ins and outs of reporting in Chlymidia Muntain. I found out that I had a real knack for it. And before too long, politics had nearly taken over my whole one hour. Station Manager Robyn Cabellaro, was none too pleased about this, and began to get on my case about it. By the time Summer came around, things in the city were really heating up. Bill Walling had been using all kinds of dirty tricks against his political opponents, and twice he invoked the powers of eminent domain to evict low-income residents in Hickory Ridge to help out big time developers. I guess Gert and I became a powerful voice of opposition, because by June, the Mayor was covertly pressuring the station to silence us. And to think, I just wanted to spice things up a bit. It was around this time that Gert had been given a certain environmental report documenting traces of toxic substances at a development site. This site, a possible disposal site for toxic waste material for the nearby Thompson Manufacturing Facility, a vacuum factory, was to be the future site of Rockville Estates, an upscale residential development. The report came from Victoria Batterninn, an environmental attorney, who got it from the labs that conducted the tests. Cromwell Labs, based in Hudson, NY. According to an unnamed employee at the lab, Lester Verenoff Inc., the developer, had hired the firm to conduct an evaluation of the site. When the tests came back showing that the plot of land was rife with toxic substances. Verenoff tried to bury them. Figuring that the toxic substances probably wouldn’t affect anyone, and if they did it would be long after they made their money on the deal. Verenoff Developing had an interest in choosing Cromwell Labs for the job, see Verenoff owns the land that the lab is set up on, and Verenoff himself, was part owner of the lab. The report would not have seen the light of day, if not for the individual who leaked the report to Victoria Batterninn. Batterninn originally tried to pass the documents on to Crumm Mountain Today. They passed on the story, trying to say they thought the documents were a fraud or a hoax. But they just didn't want to upset the applecart and make enemies of the Mayor.
The fact that Cromwell Labs refused to make a statement regarding the documents sure didn’t help. After that, Batterninn took the documents to The Crumm Mountain Reader and CM Weekly, both of whom weren’t exactly convinced of the reports validity. So Batterninn finally took the reports to Gertrude Silbers of WCMR Radio. She called me and we got right to work. Now, our attitude was; maybe these documents were fraudulent. Maybe they were a malicious hoax. But what if they weren’t? The public had a right to know. It was that ethic that prompted us to work on the story. Finally after two straight days of work and reporting. We presented the story to our news director Robyn Caballero. After reading the story we were expecting enthusiasm and praise. Instead she crumpled up the story and slamdunked into the trashcan. She made it clear that in no uncertain terms that the story was never to see the light of day. Her main reason for this was because "the documents had no credibility. The laboratory wouldn’t even back them up." Which she later told an interviewer. Apparantly she didn’t share our "public has a right to know" attitude. Later on that day, Gert and I decided to weigh the possibility of the report being a fake with the risks posed to the families that would live in Rockville Estates. Guess what? We decided to do what was right. So we put the story on the air anyway. Consequently, we were fired. The both of us. On the spot. It wasn’t that hard for me, but Gert was semi-devastated.
To this day, I no longer hold a grudge against Caballaro. Who knows what kind of pressure Wallings people put on her. And for me and Gert, well it was really a blessing in disguise.
After a few days of sitting around sulking, and bitching and moaning, Gert and I had a vision. We decided to create our own pirate radio station, where we could broadcast whatever we wanted to. With no station managers, no sponsors, and absolutely no restrictions whatsoever. Okay well actually just I had the vision, Gert wanted nothing to do with it. She wanted to clean herself up and try to get a job with The Reader or Here And Now, a weekly left wing publication. Last thing she wanted to do was run off on little rants on some third rate pirate radio station. But I needed Gert, I knew I could never pull this off without her. So I begged and pleaded with her. Offering every possible enticement I thought myself able to deliver. Eventually she settled with my being her personal servant forever. So a reluctant Gertrude Silvers signed on and now we were both committed to the idea of having our own radio station. Unfortunuately neither of us had the means or resources to realize such a vision.
A friend of mine knew someone who could set us up with the proper equipment for a low wattage FM station. But we needed five thousand bucks. Since we would have no sponsors, raising such an amount would be no small effort. Then I came up with the brilliant idea, that ultimately got the job done. We went crawling to the local punk scene for help. We were able to sell them on the notion of a punk rock radio station, fully supportive of the Chlymidia Mountain Punk scene. The Re-Education Center agreed to let us use it’s space for three Saturday’s to collect that sum. It was amazing. So many people came out to support the effort. And as it turned out, we never needed to do a third show. But we did it anyway and donated the money to local charities.
By June of 1995 we were on the air. Our signal just barely made it out of the city. But we were on the air nonetheless. We used some of the money from those gigs to rent an old empty building on Chairman Mao Blvd. And that eventually became our official headquarters. It wasn't long after we went on air, that we started making waves. Big waves. We addressed issues in the city that nobody else would touch. Everyone with a job in the public light, was afraid to cross the Mayor, because of how vulnerable they were. Government workers couldn't question his policies, if they did they'd be subjected to any number of repercussions. They could be smeared in the press, they could lose their jobs. Local businesses that didn't contribute to the Republican Party, saw none of the preferential treatment given to the likes of big time movers and shakers like Byron Slaughter, Bob Merrick, and Les Verenoff. And journalists had it the worst. If you worked for WCMR, the local public radio station, you could forget about thinking critically about anything the Walling administration or local businesses did or said, they'd just have you fired. Ask me, I know. But even worse, was the situation for those working in the private sector. When Byron Slaughter acquired Chlymidia Mountain Today in 1995, and it became The Morning Enterprise, dozens of writers were silenced or fired. Herbert Molzahn, a political reporter, who once held a prestigious post at The Daily Times, got his walking papers for not toeing the pro-business, pro-Walling line. So in this climate of fear, was there no one courageous enough to stand up to the Mayor and his authoritarian rule? There was a few of us. Bob Conklin of Liberation Magazine would not be cowed. Several anarcho-syndicalist and socialist zines, like General Strike, and Here and Now, for example, took the administration head on, but were often to obscure to pose a serious threat. The punk community, of course was a reliable hotbed of resistance and contrarian posturing, and Walling and the police department hated them. Not only because they were disrespectful, but because they symbolized Chlymidia Mountain's counter cultural identity, an identity much stronger and historically rooted then Bill Walling and his cabal of industrialists. To be sure, there were many voices of resistance and reason. But it was Chlymidia Mountain Free Speech Radio, that was not only ready and willing to rock the boat, but we were on the air, and easily accescible, as anyone with a radio could turn us on and hear all the horrible, but true, things that we were saying about the Mayor and the police department. It wasn't like people had to go downtown to one of the few shops that might carry General Strike Magazine. All they had to was turn the dial. And this was especially bad, because talk radio was a major outlet in the area at this point. Albeit, listeners were more accustomed to the reactionary bile of a Rush Limbaugh or a G Gordon Liddy. But we were able to find some common ground with this audience, and that was dangerous. Therefore, I, along with the rest of us working at CMFSR, became targets.
In August of 95', an incident occured downtown, that would set into motion a series of events that would eventually bring about the downfall of not only Bill Walling, but the entire City Republican Party. And I am proud to say, the station played an integral role in it all. It all started on a hot summer night, when five street kids, from a local anarchist collective, went on, shall we say, a little redecorating spree throughout downtown CM. Armed with only a few cans of spray paint, the kids tagged a few buildings with anarchist proclamations such as "Property is theft" and "Abolish Work". Some residents spotted this mischief and called the police, who came and responded with completely unnescessary and unjustified force. Three police officers chased the vandals to an alleyway, were the police sensing they were about to be outrun, drew their weapons and openned fire. Two shots were fired, and one innocent, unarmed young man lay lifeless in a pool of blood. At this point two of the other kids stopped in their tracks and threw their hands in the air. While the other two kept running. They probably had no idea what happened. The three responding police officers, began to fear they might lose their jobs, or worse, face criminal conviction. They realized that some sort of cover-up had to be orchestrated. And they weren't the only ones who feared what might happen if news of this hit the streets. Police Commissioner Lewis Ward, a man with political ambitions, was informed right away of this situation and immediately began conspiring with his underlings about what to do. See, Lewis Ward knew, that if something like this happened on his watch it would hinder his political career. He hoped to become Assistant City Prosecutor one day, and then who knows maybe City Justice Department Manager, or maybe even a City Legislator, or maybe even Mayor some day. Wherever his career would take him, he didn't want some police shooting hanging over his head. Not only that, but if this were uncovered by the press, it might open a big old can of worms shedding light on many other shady activities in the police department, some of which Ward was directly involved in. Activities like graft payments, narcotics trafficking, mistreatment of citizens, etc, etc. Ward knew he'd be ruined if this stuff got out. It was just something he couldn't risk. So he'd sweep this under the rug, just like many other incidents. Ward, and his assistant Chris Baron, decided that the most prudent course of action would be to seal off the scene, so that they could dispose of the body inconspicuously. And guess where they disposed of that body? Rockville Estates. In the dead of night, Chris Baron, and two police officers snuck on to the development site, and tore up a small portion of one of the basment foundations, stuck the body in the hole, and poured fresh concrete right over the hole. Since this all happened on a Saturday night, it would give the body a whole day to harden in the sun. Much later in the Spring of 1997, when the police officers where put on trial, and confessed all this, they weren't able to tell which house they left the body in, because there were too many to remember. Plus it was late, dark, confusing, there was alot of pressure. There were about 27 foundations being put in around the time they disposed of the body. So rather then trying to excavate the victim, they decided it would be easiest to let the body remain in it's resting place. This proved to be quite eery for Rockville Estates residents. Not onlyhave they been told that they are living on a toxic waste site, but now they find out that theres a dead body in one of their houses.
Then they would plant a weapon on one of the boys they arrested. They would be forced into signing false confessions, admitting to shooting at the police officers. These confessions would put the two kids in prison for a long time. But that was no big deal. The police department had railroaded innocent people before. The only challenge would be to keep them from talking once they were put in prison, and no longer under the control of the police department. Perhaps they could be set up for some crime while in prison. This would invalidate pretty much anything they might try to say. This all seemed like a good plan. And it would have worked if not for the citizens investigation conducted by several attorney's and investigators of the Chlymidia Mountain Social Justice and Human Rights League, with a little help of course from Chlymidia Mountain Free Speech Radio. First of all, we found it odd, that members of anarchist collective would be carrying guns, and of the violent disposition to fire one at somebody, least of all a police officer. These kids were pacifists, and they didn't use drugs. I refused to believe that what the police said was true. Secondly, the fact that it took three days to get an official report from the police department of what happened, was extremely suspicious. And the site of the shooting, well it was blocked off for days. Something was wrong. We began the investigation by interviewing witnesses who heard the gunfire. All those interviewed said that the shots were fired right after one another, like bang, bang. Like they were fired by one person. This contradicted the official police report, which said the suspect fired one shot, the police officers took cover and then returned fire, at which point, the two suspects surrendered. Now our suspicions began to strengthen. If only we could get to the scene of the incident, and look for forensic evidence. We didn't really have any idea of what actually happened, but we knew something did. And we knew the police were covering it up. So we snuck onto the scene of the shooting one night, and were surprised to find small blood splatterings in the ground and on the two buildings on either side of the alleyway. We swiped a sample and brought it to a lab. At this point, I was regularly informing listeners of my suspicions, and the investigation. Threatening phonecalls began to pour in, not only to the station, but to our homes as well. This almost had the desired effect of intimidating us into keeping quiet. But we pressed on. Later, the radio station was raided by the pigs. They ransacked the place, saying they were looking for stolen evidence. But we told them we sent it to the lab. At this point, Chris Baron, informed me that I was an asshole, and that nobody liked me, and that I could disappear, and wouldn't be missed. It was clear to me, that he had just issued a threat on my life. Understandably I was petrified, and would've gladly pulled out of the investigation. I went through some serious soul-searching at this point, and I had to make some tough desicions. Eventually, however, my friends and colleagues persuaded me to stay the course. With everything that had been going on, this would be easier said then done. Several days later, I and some friends were attending a local carnival. When I was approached by two rather large menacing men, who signaled for me to come with them, underneath a set of bleechers. They said they wanted to talk to me. Not feeling very talkative at that moment, I decided instead to run in the opposite direction. Not being very athletic, I wasn't able to outrun the thugs, and was taken to the ground and beaten mercilessly. As a crowd began to gather, and friends attempted to intervene, the thugs quit, and took off running. I laid on the ground in pain.
For the rest of those taking part in the investigation, this was seen as proof that we were getting somewhere. For me, it was more proof then I was looking for. But I had made my desicion, not to be browbeaten into silence, and so I accepted the beating rather easily, and decided to work even harder to fuck the pigs over. By now, the public began to show an interest in the investigation. So we started organizing demonstrations outside city hall, and the police department. Day by day, the protesters grew in number. Angry about what was going on, members of a Hickory Ridge anarchist collective, began antagonizing police officers. On August 20th, these confrontations escalated to the point were, several police officers raided the collective shooting and killing three, and wounding another ten. The public was outraged. They knew the anarchist collective. They had helped out with local charities, community service, these kids were decent people. What the police did was seen as unjustified and just plain brutal. Mayor Walling disagreed. When he was asked to discipline the police officers, he responded by actually defending them, and saying that they had a right to do whatever nescesary to preserve law and order. This outraged the public even more, it even outraged members of his own party. Some had proposed impeaching Walling. And those protests down at city hall, had gotten a lot worse as a result. Police provocation had induced several riots. And many were being arrested. While all this was going on, our investigation was beginning to yield results. The sample of that blood test came back, and we planned to hold a press conference. The morning before it was scheduled however, one of the attorney's working on the investigation, Gus Beastley, was killed along with his daughter when a bomb exploded in his car. The investigation was suspended, the press conference, cancelled. It had seemed like they had won. None of us felt safe. We wanted to leave the city, and never look back. Luckily, it was then, that one of the police officers involved, suddenly decided to come clean, and testify about what he knew. His testimony, along with evidence collected by our investigation, was used to try and convict the two police officers, Assistant to the commissioner Chris Baron, and Commissioner Lewis Ward. All of whom are presently in jail. In October of that year, a republican-controlled City Legislature impeached Mayor Walling. They had no choice. It was the only politically prudent course of action to take. To this day however, for all their efforts to disassociate themselves from Walling, the Republican party dwindles. In 1997 Mayor Heather McCarthy appointed Aaron Gaglione to head a commission investigating the car-bombing of Gus Beastley. After over four years, they haven't found anything linking the bombing to Baron or Ward. A bomb was also found in the home of Victoria Batterninn, another attorney working on the case, the bomb never exploded, but we must assume that it was planted by the same individuals who offed Beastley. Anyway, that was our first year.
After it all settled down, I decided to take a little vacation, then I moved back home, with my family in Florida. We stayed there for about a year, until we they decided to move back to Long Island. Thats when I decided to go back to Chlymidia Mountain.
Following years would bring about all kinds of new controversies, investigations, and revelations of misconduct.
Bad AdviceWith OL Nguyen
Critics everywhere are hailing OL Nguyen as the Anti-Dr. Laura. For two hours everyday, OL Nguyen disseminates awful advice designed to fuck up your life big time. He's split up perfectly happy couples, he's convinced good children to run away from home and become prostitutes, he's told victims of child abuse to relieve their frustrations by beating up on their own kids, and yes, it's true he once counseled a recovering alcoholic to start drinking again, because he had no personality when sober. OL Nguyen once described himself as an Anti-family, anti-American, proAbortion, pro-homosexual, Satanist anarchist. He say's his goal is to weaken America by mocking and denigrating it's morality and values. You can tune in weekdays at 10:00 am.
Messing with TexasMusic and politics, hosted by Bruce Tompkins
TheOtis Humphrey
Show
Long time progressive activist and commentator Odie Humphrey, has been broadcasting high quality discourse from Crumm Mountain Community Radio for over 5 years.
Outta Left FieldWith Erica Steinburg
One of Crumm Mountain Community Radio's founding Fathers returns to the station. In 1996, Steinburg's vitriolic and vituperative attacks on capitalism and American hypocrisy brought him toe to toe with the establishment. After a particularly nasty incident involving Crumm Mountains finest, and some local goons, Scarla decided talk radio wasn't for him. So for several years he was a columnist for Liberation Magazine, a local anarchist periodical. Then in the summer of 2001, Steinburg decided to return to Crumm Mountain Community Radio. Since then, he has been a consistent critic of George W. Bush and the war on terrorism. He has focused on the obediance of the lapdog press in reporting accurate information about the war, and America's unsavory role in the Middle East.
No Control 
With Seth Berkman
For Under The Swaying Sumac, we must portray a sense of comfort, a sense of contentment with working on the radio.
Waves Soundtrack
Cruel Summer
NOFX-Eat the meek
Joe Cocker-Hot town, summer in the city
Yada yada yada, here we are today. A household name, in certain Chlymidia Mountain households. Scathing, fearless reporting that grabs the powers that be by the balls. And squeezes until it's on it's knees. Big business, corrupt politicians, Christian fundamentalists, we throw them all over our knees, and give them the walloping we all know is long overdue.
Heres what we have to offer
Face The Facts
With Josephine Nolesky
Voice of Reason
With Naomi Purse
Chattin with Child Molesters
with Bill the child molester
Taking Issue
with Sean Bennett
Secret Playlist for Blowback Live
With Sean Bennett
11.25.2001
1. The Lillingtons-One armed man
2. The Lillingtons-I got abducted by a UFO
3. The Muffs-Baby go round
4. Bracket-Talk show
5. Destroy Everything-Robot
6. Junction 18-Granite Street knife fight
7. Sean Bennett-Stupid people in large groups
8. Korn & Kittie-This town
9. The Huntingtons-We got the beat
10. Common Rider-Am I on my own?
11. Bigwig-Counting down
12. Osker-Alright
13. 88 Fingers Lioue-Something I don't know
14. Sean Bennett-Operation Infantile Justice
15. The Mr. T Experience-Mr Ramones
16. The Mr. T Experience-Our love will last forever
17. Dynamite boy-Someone forgot
18. Screeching Weasel-Cool kids
19. The Parasites-The same thing
20. Toni Basil-Hey Mickey
21. Sean Bennett-I vote, but I don't condone it
22. NOFX-Eat the meek
23. NOFX-Monosyllabic girl
24. Voodoo Glow Skulls-Delinquent song
25. The Fastbacks-Gone to the moon
26. No fun at all-Catch me running around
27. The Bomb Bassets-Just another magic moment
28. The Queers-Don't back down
29. The Mr. T Experience-Love is dead
Pansy Division-Political asshole
Ramones-I don't wanna grow up
Limp-Bag lunch
Bad Religion-Can't stop it
System of a down-Chop Suey
Blatz-Fuk shit up
Teen Idols-When I hear your name
And if you notice, stupid people always find one another, they seek each other out right away. Have you seen the shirt that say's "If you can't run with the big dogs, stay on the porch" You see someone with a shirt like that, stupid, socially retarded, troglidyte, avoid at all costs. Especially if you live in the low IQ belt, which, let's be honest basically comprises all of North America
I wanna live in a welfare state
I want entitlements from cradle to grave
wouldn't it, wouldn't it, wouldn't it be great
Wanna, wanna, wanna live in a welfare state oh yeah
ya know 1 percent of the population
controls 90 percent of all the dough
this is not democracy
but whatever it is it's gotta go
I wanna see the wealth, redistributed
Wanna see the wealthy executed
let's downsize some millionaires
and give everybody free healthcare
one set income for everyone
gee a welfare state sure sounds like fun
food, shelter, medicine
imagine it if you can
One set income for everyone
gee a welfare state sure sounds like fun
ya know it really is a good idea
the day will never come
cause Americans are dumb
and they enjoy
From each according to ability
to each according to his need
Can't wait for the world to end
I used to fantasize all day about you and me
yeah I couldn't stop thinking about how happy we could be
but something funny happened on the way to paradise
you kinda met someone else, and kinda ruined my life
I don't want to keep in touch with you
I don't want to stay friends
all I want is for the world to come
to a fiery apocalyptic end
If I can't have you by my side
I want everybody to die
I know this may sound silly
I know this may sound lame
but I wanna see the world
engulfed in flames
If I can't have you in my arms
if I can't have you by my side
I just want the world to end
I want everyone to die
I wanna see mass destruction, and catastrophe
a quick and abrupt ending to all humanity
I wanna see locusts, I wanna see plagues
I wanna see destruction, I wanna see doomsday
I wanna see four horsemen,
Now that the cold wars over
it's got me kinda MAD
mutually assured destruction
didn't sound half bad
it would be cool if creatures from outer space
came to planet Earth and microwaved the human race
to be completely honest with you
any simple natural disaster would do
but it would be extra sweet
Terrorists Can't Control My Life
Don't want your charity
Don't want or need your charity
don't even try to belittle me
I may not have much
but at least I'll have my pride
do you think i'm completely helpless?
and I can't take care of myself?
Am I boring you to death
Am I boring you to death
you would tell me if I am
I know I have a tendency
to go on and on
when someone listens to me
I could just sit here and talk all day
as long as you don't get up and walk away
it seems I've got you in a corner
and now your all mine
I know I shouldn't push my politics on people
but when I asked you, you said ya didn't mind
Now look whats happened
I was afraid of this
you really should have said something
while you were concious
I guess I bored you to death
I guess I bored you to death
see I guess you should have said
I was boring you to death
Are you sure that your not bored
Maybe I'm just insecure
Exactly How Dumb do we look
I'd rather be anally probed
What does she see in me?
What does she see in me
she sees things no one else can see
in a way she's got x-ray vision
because she's an x-ray technician
I Wanna Eat Your Shit
Girl, I'm totally in love with you
you lift me up when I'm feeling blue
Play dead
theres this girl that likes me
but the feeling's not quite shared
she does all kinds of things for me
but I don't really care
She's not too bright
She's not my type
yet she calls me day and night
Public Humiliation
Shenendoah
Old Tractor
East Bound Freight Train
Kilty's Maggots
Shining Paragon of Continence
Uncle Andy
Cowpoke
900 Miles
Jackson
She's No Soccer Mom
Target Practice
Wet Her Too
I don't love you, I found something else
Solidarity Forever
Talk on Argentina
Hailed by the IMF and the monied powers of the world as a Model Economy. But the Argentine economy wasn't designed with long-term sustainability in mind, rather long-term vulnerability. Trade liberalization, privatization of public resources and services.
"How many times can the most powerful financial institution in the world -- the International Monetary Fund -- make the same mistake? The answer seems to be: as many times as it wants to." Marc Weisbrot, Z Magazine "Don't Cry For The IMF, Argentina
So why did the pet project capsize?
Talk On Enron: Enron, for all of you that rely on the corporate-run press for your news, is a criminal corporation. They defrauded their shareholders, they defrauded the government, and they defrauded their employees. While the company was hemorrhaging, with millions of dollars in debt, they endeavored to conceal their financial woes, using a series of intricate, and illegal financial manuevers with various accounting firms involved with the company.... 20,000 employees on Enron were basically bilked out of their retirement savings, because their 401K plans were tied up with Enrons stock, and as that stock plummeted from like 85 dollars a share to whatever it is now, I guess around 25 cents a share, they were left holding an empty bag
Jailtime for Enron
they weren't able to get out while the gettin was good, like Kenneth Lay and the other execs who cashed in their chips well before the company stock began it's decline.
Songs
Utah Phillips-Solidarity Forever
Hazel Dickens-Rebel Girl
Paul Robeson-16 tons
Leslie Fish-We have fed you all for a thousand years
Judy Collins-Union Maid
Haywire Mac-Preacher and the slave
IWW Rebel Voices-Popular Wobbly
Utah Phillips-Dump the bosses off your back
Utah Phillips-I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night
Utah Phillips-Casey Jones the union scab
Red, White, and Blue Diaper Babies
Punch Your Boss
We Still Know What You Did Last Election Day
The Writing On The Wall
Steal This Presidency!
The Progressive's Survival Guide For The Bush Years
Plutocracy In Action
Democracy Now And Then
Tax Cuts For The Rich
Let Them Drink Arsenic
Repeal Worker Safety Regulations Now!
Firestone
The Cabinet From Hell: Otto Reich, Elliot Abrams, John Negroponte, et al.
Summit Of The Americas: International Trade Liberalization, Corporate Protectionism, and the fate of democracy worldwide
Lights Out For Deregulation
Coming of Age in Genoa
Post 9/11
Cashing In On The Catastrophe
Making Hay While The Smoke Clears
Operation Infantile Justice
Airlines Bailout: Work Hard Millionaires On Welfare Depend On You
Economic Stimulus Package: Dancing on it's grave
Fast Track
Star Wars
Military Tribunals
USA PATRIOT Act: With us or against us
Burying The National Archives
Enronomics
Argentina And The IMF
What I wasn't supposed to see at the revolution
(Shot of employee splashing urine in bosses face)
The battle against corporate-driven globalization
Has taken activists from Seattle to Genoa, from Gothenburgh to New York City.
Comic of employer surveillance
some kid of comment on urine-testing
Is violence always wrong?
This is a complicated question. I suppose it depends on the motives. When politicians allow innocent people to be murdered for their own political purposes, that is of course wrong. But I think that if the international proletariat were to organize and smash the system that represses them, through destruction of property, and whatnot. I can find few legitimate reasons to condemn it. In fact, in some instances, destruction of property, and workplace sabotage are morally imperitive.
Looking back throughout the history of organized labor, there have been many instances were violence was employed and innocent and perhaps not quite so innocent people may have been maimed or killed. I do not condone all of those acts. However, I do harbor profound suspicions regarding the true nature of the perpetrators of those acts. One must ask themselves how much of the anti-capitalist violence of the last century, was actually committed by anticapitalists, as opposed to stooges of the capitalist-class attempting to establish a reputation of violence to assign to the organized labor movement. We have to draw a distinction between those who might have detonated explosives in a reckless manner, without taking preperations to ensure that no civillians were hurt, and those that were dilligent in making sure that their acts of destruction would effect only property and not people. The latter being a quite acceptable and sometimes nescessary tactic employable against the workers enemy.
Todays worker in the US, does have some class-consciousness, but he or she does not feel that as a class they are being systematically exploited by another class. The American has a very short attention span, and finds little use for understanding historical struggles. Therefore, the working class in America, sees no possibility of change. Those who suggest that change is possible through raising consciousness, and organization are derided as nutty and extremist.
I am a Marxist, in that I agree with the concept of class struggle.
So Sean, what do you make of the Presidents sky-high approval ratings? I think they're around 80 percent. Highest approval ratings since Roosevelt.
Sean: Well, it looks like if he decides to run again in 2004, he might actually get elected next time.
I: Cheap shot.
Sean: No, that's not a cheap shot. Recognizing the fact that our democratic process was undermined in one of the most scandalous power grabs this country has ever seen, is not a cheap shot, in fact it is a duty, particularly in these times of mass jingoistic hysteria, to constantly remind the people that are so thrilled about Bush's performance, that a majority of them didn't vote for him. Either democracy means something or it doesn't. You can't just blithely shrug off the fact that Bush lost the popular vote by half a million votes, and that if a fraction of Palm Beach County's voters could read a ballot properly, Gore would have won Florida, and thus the Presidency. The emporer has no clothes, and yet, the media rubber stamps everything he does before he does it.
I: But don't you think that, irregardless of the election, Bush is doing a decent job with respect to the War on Terrorism?
Sean: No. First of all, we have to clarify the term terrorism. As I understand it, terrorism is any form of violence not perpetrated or sponsered by the United States. If we disregard this automatic assumption, and apply the same definition of terrorism to our behavior, as we do to others, we get a very not so pretty picture. By any reasoned definition of the word. The United States is by far the worlds largest exporter of terrorist violence. In regions all over the world the U.S. has a played a most maliciously deadly role. Israel/Palestine, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, East Timor, Vietnam, Cambodia, Burma, El Salvador, Afghanistan, Chile, Columbia, Nicaragua, etc, etc. These are just a few examples of the countries that have suffered under US military involvement in the last 50 or so years. Millions have died, millions more are starving to death right now. And so many more will die at the hands of brutal regimes with weapons arsennels stocked by the U.S. Pentagon.
So, if the United States wants to get serious about reducing the occurance of terrorism in the world, it should start by investigating it's own foreign policy. If the U.S. stopped supplying arms to ruthless dictators, to protect American business interests, terrorism around the world would sharply decline. Not only would this stop the direct assaults on civillians by the armies of Columbia, Israel, and Turkey, but it would help to alleviate the violent backlash that these assaults inevitably produce. But it is hostile regimes that help to enforce corporate-led globalization, ensuring cheap labor and limited regulations for American firms invested in their countries. Columbia is going to be a crucial source of fossil fuels in the very near future. Therefore leftist opposition groups in that country will have to be snuffed out with extreme prejudice. That's terrorism ain't it?
As far as protecting the American people here at home. I don't think we need to do anything that we're not already doing. Increased security at airports. Sealed, bulletproof cockpit doors for all major airliners. A more vigorous intelligence policy, that is careful of not jeopardizing civil liberties. On the foreign front, I'm afraid sheer military force alone, will not be sufficient to stamp out the worldwide flames of indignation sparked by our long-running scorched-Earth economic policies. Clearly the USA is going to have to start excercising some restraint when it comes to the lives of ordinary people in the developing world.
I: What are some direct steps you would suggest to mitigate the terrorist threat?
Sean: Well, we could publicly denounce the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the oppression of Arab people. And then make all military aid, conditional upon a unilateral cease-fire for Israel, and the creation of an autonomous Palestinian state including portions of Jerusalem. American's must come to grips with the fact that Israel is in the wrong, and that it's occupation of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank is both illegal and immoral. I just think the coverage of the suicide bombings has been so imbalanced. I'm not saying you can justify targeting civillians, but you can't convey the complexity of the situation, unless you consider the events in Israel within the context of an illegal occupation. The suicide bombings, however reprehensible -and they are quite so, should be portrayed as part of an anti-imperialist struggle. It is because the palestinian cause has been so demonized and internationally alienated that it has been forced to these violent means.
It's important that the US holds Israel accountable for it's actions in Palestine. As one of Israel's chief benefactors we have more leverage then some of us would like to admit. And that makes us partly culpable for whatever grief Israel inflicts upon it's Palestinian victims. I don't see anyone in the Bush administration with the patience and depth of understanding to do any meaningful work on any kind of peace process. I think there will be more focus on satisfying America's fierce war lust.
9/11 really should have encouraged Americans to re-examine their role in the world. It should have showed us, that we can no longer arrogantly ignore the abject misery wrought by US imperialism. That we, as Americans, can no longer turn a blind eye to the crimes against humanity perpetrated in our name. This is a very poigniant moment in our history. There has been a challenge laid before Americans. And it is one that George W Bush has not hailed at his war rallies. This challenge involves finding our conscience, and coming to terms with the crimes of our government, and it's failure to live up to the standards of a decent and just people, which we consider ourselves to be.
I: What are your thoughts on the nationwide crackdown on dissent? Is this only the tip of the iceburg? Or is it a case of bad judgement in a time of desperation, that will be rectified when the smoke clears, and we can see more clearly?
Sean: Either scenario is just as possible in my opinion. The USA PATRIOT Act, which for all intents and purposes criminalizes protest, is a major attack of civil liberties. Military tribunals are a travesty of the American judicial system.
We seem to be moving incrementally towards martial law, without of course, anyone coming out and declaring martial law. But thats the way these things always happen. People just disappear in the night, without a trace. Could you imagine what secret police and mass civillian round-ups would do to Dubya's approval rating?
What we don't know won't hurt us, or the President PR ratings. With that I must go, I thank you for giving me the oppertunity to express myself, and I hope you have much success with your endeavors.
Secret Playlist for Blowback Live
With Sean Bennett
11.25.2001
1. The Lillingtons-One armed man
2. The Lillingtons-I got abducted by a UFO
3. The Muffs-Baby go round
4. Bracket-Talk show
5. Destroy Everything-Robot
6. Junction 18-Granite Street knife fight
7. Sean Bennett-Stupid people in large groups
8. Korn & Kittie-This town
9. The Huntingtons-We got the beat
10. Common Rider-Am I on my own?
11. Bigwig-Counting down
12. Osker-Alright
13. 88 Fingers Lioue-Something I don't know
14. Sean Bennett-Operation Infantile Justice
15. The Mr. T Experience-Mr Ramones
16. The Mr. T Experience-Our love will last forever
17. Dynamite boy-Someone forgot
18. Screeching Weasel-Cool kids
19. The Parasites-The same thing
20. Toni Basil-Hey Mickey
21. Sean Bennett-I vote, but I don't condone it
22. NOFX-Eat the meek
23. NOFX-Monosyllabic girl
24. Voodoo Glow Skulls-Delinquent song
25. The Fastbacks-Gone to the moon
26. No fun at all-Catch me running around
27. The Bomb Bassets-Just another magic moment
28. The Queers-Don't back down
29. The Mr. T Experience-Love is dead
Pansy Division-Political asshole
Ramones-I don't wanna grow up
Limp-Bag lunch
Bad Religion-Can't stop it
System of a down-Chop Suey
Blatz-Fuk shit up
Teen Idols-When I hear your name
2002: Another Punk Odyssey W/Sean Milhouse Bennett
Ballistics-It's not democracy
48 in the basement-Go away
Operation: Cliff Clavin-Ignorance is bliss
The Queers-Do you wanna dance
Spasm 151-Get out of my life/frustration
Ramones-Pet Semetary
Ramones-Needles and pins
Alli with an I-This summer
Contra-Blindfold
Operation Ivy-Take warning
Common Rider-Carry on
Thrash Kats-Donna
Sprout-The good stuff
Vinnies Address-Grease joint girl
Blatz-fuk shit up
Splurge-141
I Farm-Empty
The Panic Attacks-I'm not in it
The Lucid Trio-Footprints
Vandals-Too much drama
West Beverly-Out there
February 2002
Rancid-Journey To The Center of the East Bay
Rancid-Old Friend
Dance Hall Crashers-Beverly Kills
Chixdiggit-Spanish Fever
Ventures-Walk Don't Run
Uranium 9 volt-Split Derision
Fabulous Disaster-Dangerous
Urge Overkill-Sister Havanna
Bad Religion-Supersonic
- Destined For Nothing
J Church-Rich, young, and dumb
Cub-Goldfish
Mad Caddies-Monkeys
Pennywise-Land down under
System of a down-Deer dance
Me First...-Uptown Girl
-Seasons in the sun
Nerf Herder-Vivian
________________________________________________________________________
No Control
Crumm Mountain Community Radio
March 1, 2002
Songs to play
Bikini Kill-Rebel Girl and Reject All American
Sleater Kinney-I wanna be your Joey Ramone
NOFX-Tenderloin and Rancid Stickin in my eye
Vandals-My Heart will go on
The New Pornographers-Jackie
Ronnie Specter-You can't put your arms around a memory
Teen Idols-Midnight Picture Show
Souxie and the banshees-Hong Kong Gardens
Cub-My Chinchilla
Nicotine-Amnesia
Blue Meanies-
The Chinkees-Big World
Luckie Strike-
The Queers-It's Cold Outside
No Control
March, 02, 2002
Cub-My Chinchilla
Nicotine-Amnesia
Ronnie Specter-You can't put your arms around a memory
Teen Idols-Midnight picture show
Dead Kennedy's-Pull my strings
The Queers-It's cold outside
The Chinkees-Big world
Bikini Kill-Reject all American
Bikini Kill-Rebel girl
Souxie and the Banshees-Hong Kong Gardens
NOFX-Tenderloin
Rancid-Stickin in my eye
Luckie Strike-
New Pornographers-Jackie
Sleater-Kinney-I wanna be your Joey Ramone
_____________________________________________________________________
Fuck Shit Up
April 2002
With Sean Bennett
TSOL-Code blue
The Exploited-Let's start a war
DI-Pervert Nurse
Misfits-She
Misfits-Last caress
Adolescents-LA girl
Screeching Weasel-I wrote Holden Caulfield
MDC-Corporate deathburger
The Dickies-Sounds of silence
Me First-Sloop John B
Rudimentary Peni-Cosmetic plague
AUS Rotten-Perverted patriotism
Student Rick-Heaven is a place on earth
Sick of it all-
Good Riddance-Yesterdays headlines
Fifteen-My Congressman
Hotbox-Johnny are you queer?
The Mr. T Experience-I just wanna have somethign to do
Strung Out-Cult of the subterranian
Boy Sets Fire-Rookie
Go Sailor-Together forever in love
Richard Hell and the Voidoids-Blank Generation
Leftover Crack-Nazi white trash
One Man Army-Another night
The Strike-Shot heard round the world
Dynamite Boy-I want it that way
Reach the sky-Sometimes
The Frigidettes-
Code of honor-
Fuck Shit Up
May 2002
Wesley Willis-The Chicken Cow
Wesley Willis-Cut the mullet
-Taste the pandas ass
-I murdered your family
Good Riddance-Yesterdays headlines
Go Sailor-Together forever in love
One Man Army-Another Night
Reach the sky-Sometimes
Citizen Fish-Wet cement
Code of honor-What price will you pay
The Queers-Debbie be true
A Global Threat-Conformity
Thatcher on acid-Gues who's running the show
The Strike-Communique
Brother Inferior-Capital gains
The Dicks-Dicks hate police
Screeching Weasel-Gotta Girlfriend
Screeching Weasel-Punkhouse
No Empathy-Ben Weasel don't like it
Naked Aggression-Comfortable Dumb
Two Man Advantage-Opinionated motherfucker
Samiam-Factory
Me first and the gimme gimmes-San Fransisco 1:47
The Lullabelles-Get out of my way
Weakerthans-Aside 3:21
Tilt-war room
The Manges-Do the loser
Bodyjar-Hazy shade of Winter
Jawbreaker-I want you so bad it's killing us both
Musical Youth-Pass the dutchie
The Queers-Ben Weasel
Nimrods-Kill Ben Weasel
Christian Death-Spiritual cramp
The Waitresses-I know what boys like
The Briefs-Run the other way
Sonic Dolls-Dance with me
Pipedown-Rising up
Nikki and the Corvettes-Young and crazy
June 2002
Crumm Mountain Community Radio
________________________________
Daryl Cherney-Send George Bush a pretzel
American Steel-Shrapnel
Social Distortion-1945
Bratmobile-United we don't
The Muffs-Kids in America
Minor Threat-In my eyes
Youth Brigade-Fight to unite
Yesterdays Kids-Perception
Pink Panthers-Day to day
Communist Daycare-Amadou
Taking back Sunday-Cute without the "e"
CapnJazz-Yes, I'm talking to you
Sewing with Nancie-High School yearbook
Fabulous Disaster-Red blister
Black Flag-Six pack
Hot Water Music-Wayfarer
The Misfits-Return of the fly
Jawbreaker-Chesterfield King
NOFX-Antennaes
NOFX-Go to work wasted
Scared of Chaka-All my friends are ghosts
Tom Waits-It's over
Crumm Mountain Community Radio
July 2002
Social Distortion-Mommy's little monster
Nerf Herder-High school
Nerf Herder-Lamer than lame
Vice Squad-fistful of dollars
Capitalist Casualties-Over priced
Randy-Karl Marx and history
Unseen-Children of the revolution
The Casualties-No way out
The Devotchkas-Mullet
Dance Hall Crashers-Lost again
Dance Hall Crashers-Nothing left to say
TSOL-Property is theft
A Global Threat-Stop the violence
Good Riddance-Weight of the world
Scrotum Grinder-Fight song
Stiff Little Fingers-Touch and go
The Avengers-End of the world
The Partisans
Toy Dolls-The Ashbrooke Laundromat
The Virus-Take Control
Toxic Narcotic-People suck
UK Subs-Emotional blackmail
Youth Brigade-Fuck you
Prowl the streets late at night
Mommys little transvestite
Sometimes I dress up like a whore
sometimes like the girl next door
while guys my age were getting laid
I was getting myself lingerie
Dance around in Mommys underwear
didn't look too hot, but I didn't care
August 2002
Shirley Bassey-Hey big spender
Nerf Herder-Welcome to my world
Superdrag-Sucked out
Known in part-Something for everybody
Crucifucks-Democracy spawns bad taste
Crucifucks-The Savior
Plain White T's-What if
A Bullet for the family traitor-fate turns itself around
Sleater-Kinney-Turn it on/All hands on the bad one
Frank Zappa-Your probably wondering why I'm here
Defiance-Antisocial
Contra-Right not privilege
The Lobotomys-Prom nite queen
Splurge-Freewill
Battledykes-Backwoods creatures
Desaparecidos-mall of America
The Insurgent-CPA dream
Negative Approach-Why be something your not
Kill Your Idols-Falling
Piebald-Sex sells and unfortunately I'm buying
Dillinger Four-Noble stabbings
X-?
Original sinners-birds and bees
Anal cunt-your kid is deformed
The International Noise Conspiracy-Abolish work
The Mr. T Experience-Boredom zone
The Germs-Land of treason and Media blitz
The boils-sweatshop
Violent society-why do you deny
Sewer trout-vagina envy
The Muggs-an army
Moral Crux-Strange world
Smugglers-flying buttress
The Lookouts-Outside
Circle Jerks-Coup d etat
Blatz-Berkeley is my baby and I want to kill it
The Broadways-Kitchen floor
Broadcast Schedule for the Community Radio Co-op
Time
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Monday
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Tuesday
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Wednesday
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Thursday
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Friday
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Saturday
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Sunday
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5:00 am
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6:00 am
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7:00 am
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8:00 am
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The Bernie Ward Show
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9:00 am
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Democracy Now with Amy Goodman
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Democracy Now with Amy Goodman
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Democracy Now with Amy Goodman
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Democracy Now with Amy Goodman
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Democracy Now with Amy Goodman
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The Bernie Ward Show
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10:00 am
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The Otis Humphrey Show
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The Otis Humphrey Show
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The Otis Humphrey Show
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The Otis Humphrey Show
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The Otis Humphrey Show
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The Lynn Samuels Show
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The Bernie Ward Show
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11:00 am
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The Otis Humphrey Show
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The Otis Humphrey Show
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The Otis Humphrey Show
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The Otis Humphrey Show
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The Otis Humphrey Show
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The Lynn Samuels Show
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Making Contact
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12:00 pm
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The Peter Werbe Show
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The Peter Werbe Show
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The Peter Werbe Show
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The Peter Werbe Show
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The Peter Werbe Show
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The Lynn Samuels Show
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1:00 pm
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The Peter Werbe Show
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The Peter Werbe Show
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The Peter Werbe Show
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The Peter Werbe Show
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The Peter Werbe Show
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2:00 pm
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Unintended Consequences
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Unintended Consequences
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Unintended Consequences
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Unintended
Consequences
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Unintended
Consequences
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3:00 pm
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The Mike Malloy Show
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The Mike Malloy Show
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The Mike Malloy Show
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The Mike Malloy Show
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The Mike Malloy Show
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4:00 pm
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The Mike Malloy Show
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The Mike Malloy Show
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The Mike Malloy Show
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The Mike Malloy Show
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The Mike Malloy Show
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5:00 pm
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Messing with Texas
W/ Bruce Tompkins
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Messing with Texas
W/ Bruce Tompkins
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Messing with Texas
W/ Bruce Tompkins
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Messing with Texas
W/ Bruce Tompkins
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Messing with Texas
W/ Bruce Tompkins
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Bluewatch:
A show dedicated to exposing police abuses
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6:00 pm
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Messing with Texas
W/ Bruce Tompkins
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Messing with Texas
W/ Bruce Tompkins
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Messing with Texas
W/ Bruce Tompkins
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Messing with Texas
W/ Bruce Tompkins
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Messing with Texas
W/ Bruce Tompkins
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7:00 pm
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Talk of the Town
W/Natalie Schineburg
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Talk of the Town
W/Natalie Schineburg
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Talk of the Town
W/Natalie Schineburg
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Talk of the Town
W/Natalie Schineburg
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Talk of the Town
W/Natalie Schineburg
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8:00 pm
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9:00 pm
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10:00 pm
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Bad Advice
W/TF Nguyen
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Bad Advice
W/TF Nguyen
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Bad Advice
W/TF Nguyen
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Bad Advice
W/TF Nguyen
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Bad Advice
W/TF Nguyen
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11:00 PM
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Punk Talk
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Punk Talk
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Punk Talk
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Punk Talk
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Punk Talk
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12:00 am
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Punk Talk
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Punk Talk
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Punk Talk
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Punk Talk
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Punk Talk
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1:00 am
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2:00 am
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3:00 am
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4:00 am
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