Let’s drop a few names and monger a few rumors.
Spent a few hours in the recording studio today (on the Ides of March) recording a section for the audio version of investigative journalist Greg Palast’s new book — to be released this June.
In the bargain, I got to spend some quality time hanging and chatting with both the legendary Ed Asner and the unstoppable Janeane Garofalo who are amongst the many notables recording sections of the book for the audio version. More on those two in a minute.
Palast’s latest is called ARMED MADHOUSE: Who’s Afraid of Osama Wolf?, The Best Legal Whorehouse in Texas, The Scheme to Steal Election ’08, No Childs Behind Left And Other Dispatches from the Front Lines of the Class War. A title so long, I feel like I’ve read the book already.
(Pre-order the hardcover here, or the audio version here.)
Haven’t read the book yet beyond the passages I recorded today and the snippets I heard from Asner and Garafalo. But judging from all of that, the book looks to be another scandalous hoot. Moreover, I couldn’t be happier to have been asked to read some of the sections concerning Leon County, FL, Elections Supervisor Ion Sancho (or, as Palast refers to him in that chapter, “one of the Lords of the Voting Universe.”) Fortuitous timing, that.
Since it’s not out yet, perhaps the cover has yet to be finalized…and so, here’s a pull-quote that I hope Palast will feel free to use, if inclined, at least on the inside flap:
“Like most Americans, I don’t read books. But if I did, Greg Palast’s Armed Madhouse would be the first one on my list!”
Or perhaps this one:
“Once again, Greg Palast proves that nothing is sexier than a hard-boiled Jewish investigative journalist/gum-shoe hot on the trail of Electoral Fraud in the United States!”
Or even:
“The only thing more informative and entertaining than Palast’s newest book is the audio version of Palast’s newest book!”
As mentioned, had the opportunity while there to spend some time hangin’ with Asner and Garafalo. While I’d heard through various grapevines that Asner’s wife is a BRAD BLOG fan, it turns out he too keeps an eye on these pages from time to time.
That said, since his wife is indeed a reader here, I can’t say too much more about our conversations, lest Ed be completely evicted. Though I was pleased to learn that this affable and wise-cracking hero of mine from way back originally hails from Kansas City, KA — just a few hours down the road and across one state line from my old St. Louis home.
As for Janeane, an interesting tidbit mentioned — amongst conversations of the Madness of Coulter and other Disturbing Signs of our Times — was that, as of the first of the year, she chucked her computer entirely! Since unplugging all together, she reports, she feels like a new woman. Or, at least, is feeling a freedom she hasn’t felt in years.
I can relate. You have no idea how much I wish I could unplug entirely at times. I’d recommend you folks find the opportunity do so as well, but that would make as much sense as Diebold recommending state officials use hand-counted paper ballots.
While she says she has no prob doing her radio show and her current gig on The West Wing without either email address or net access, I’ve yet to figure out how I can pull of the same thing and still be a blogger. But I’m working on it.
But since Janeane no longer goes online at all, I’m sure she’ll never notice it if I report to you that she showed up an hour late, was drunk as a skunk, wouldn’t stop doing blow off of Ed Asner’s bare chest, and recorded her chapter of the book entirely in the nude! You shoulda been there!
(NOTE to Ed’s wife: just kidding!) (NOTE to Sam Seder: don’t mention any of this to Janeane, I promised her I’d keep it all off record!)
Also in da house was the winsome actress and frequently arrested activist, Shiva Rose McDermott, wife of The Practice’s Dylan. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to spend more than a minute or two with her, so I can’t report much more than she was gorgeous, smart, delightful and simply appalled by Garafalo’s outrageous behavior, particularly after Janeane went outside and started beating up a homeless guy. Even I thought that was way out of line.
It was nice to spend a few hours away from the machine.
Man, you lucky dude!
I admire Ed and the causes hes devoted his life to at the risk of his own livelihood
Every time I see that one biography of him it brings tears to my eyes (and I watch it through every time I catch it on)
Brad you tell him for me that hes got one HUGE admirer
plugging up your site with drivel
That human being is #1 in my book
And an excellent actor too, my mom and I used to love to watch Lou Grant together when I was a teen
Note to Eds wife, you got one hell of a husband there !
And you have to be one hell of a woman to put up with his antics (he-he)
As for Janeane, I love her acting and politics too, but I really always just wanted to "boink" her (call me crazy)
But she’d probably kill me afterwards as I’m probably too chauvinistic for her taste
It is good to see activists working together for the common good.
I’ll bet Janeane dosn’t shave . . . . . Big Fan
I’d shave her with a big fan… if she’d let me
http://www.washingtonpost.com/w...502487_pf.html
This story needs coverage. Democrats and liberals have gone too far on this one. Lets see the blogs and outrage!
Hey Meathead, go back to Pumpkin Center, Hooterville or Pixley
You’re ruining my fantasy
Re #6
Ooooooooooooh!!
Democrat pleads guilty to misdemeanor!!
Armed Madhouse
An armed camp of macho brain deads funded by a madhouse imaginary Budget Reconciliation Act according to at least one congressman (link here).
"Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA) has alleged in a letter to White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card that President Bush signed a version of the Budget Reconciliation Act that, in effect, did not pass the House of Representatives.
Further, Waxman says there is reason to believe that the Speaker of the House called President Bush before he signed the law, and alerted him that the version he was about to sign differed from the one that actually passed the House. If true, this would put the President in willful violation of the U.S. Constitution."
So the prez chooses the one that was given to him and will evidently sign anything that is given to him.
"It heps me to rite gooder the more I rite stuff down with my pen given t’ me by scooter and rule the people real gooder", he was heard to say as he tried to find the exit strategy … er uh … door.
YOU GO Brad!
Hey, can’t blame you for craving the time offline. It’s almost planting season here, so I’m doing garden prep, plus we’re trying to finish building a shed, so, thankfully, my own aversion to walls in spring has productive ends.
Um…I could offer a little hands on training in organic gardening and installing vinyl siding, if you’re interested? Just for YOUR benefit, mind you *grinz and winks*
(That line didn’t work on my teenage son and his friends either *L*)
And hello to Mr and Ms Asner, and to Ms Garafalo! (And yes, I read that she’s offline now, so somebody pass that along, please? Thanks )
You’re sitting right across from Janeane!
… I seriously hate you now, Brad. >=[ *bastard*
Anybody else occasionally annoyed by Ricky’s childish postings? I think I must have already reached my a**hole quota this week, my tolerance is low today.
HEY RICKY!
H.R. 3402 Sec. 113 states:
"Whoever…utilizes any device or software that can be used to originate telecommunications or other types of communications that are transmitted, in whole or in part, by the Internet… without disclosing his identity and with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass any person…who receives the communications…shall be fined under title 18 or imprisoned not more than two years, or both."
Your hero, the village idiot, signed the law, so I’m sure you support it 100 percent – so from now on, please include your full legal name on all posts.
Thanks.
BTW, why don’t YOU have a blog?
I’m stoked for this book. Greg Palast was one of the very first to expose election fraud from 2000. He’s the best of the best. A veritable who’s who of anti-fascist readers. Awesome.
Ed Asner has signed the 911truth statement that raises a number of unanswered questions and calls for a new investigation.
He has also signed the World Can’t Wait Call (scroll down the page to see it) which compares Bush to Hitler and advocates the Bush regime to be driven from office and its agenda repudiated.
Drive Out the Bush Regime!
Ohh.. poor little deluded pRicky..
Yes.. a Dem who IS NOT an elected official pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor of "getting a credit report under false pretenses", something that I"m sure was intended to prevent identity theft (or protect dirty politicians/business types).
So.. we need to make an outcry over the "heinous abuse", do we?
Then you MUST also agree that Shrubby should be impeached IMMEDIATELY for violating the Contstitution and FISA.. right? and for "lying to Congress"? since that’s a crime as well (I’m sure someone can get the statute for you, little pRicky).. Or maybe we should impeach him for blatantly lying about Katrinia and the levees? It’s been PROVED he knew "it was possible" when he said "I don’t think anyone could have known those might break"..
As I sit here reading more and more online about how retarded and brain-dead you ignorant Repugs/neo-cons are, I wonder how we got here. How so many ignorant people are out there trying to destroy this country, and why you are so full of hate. It just blows me away that people can be SO pathetic and ignorant, but here you are.. proving it.
Grats Brad, on being in such fine company! (with the thread item and book). I have one question though.. in a world where the Media is lying to us daily, and our leaders are selling us down the river.. how does Janeane keep up with what’s going on in the world if she "unplugged from the internet"? I mean, what’s the point of dumping "computers"? I can see dumping "media", but computers? *shrug*
#14 ASAP. "Shiva Rose McDermott" that’s an interesting sounding name. Maybe Brad can Link to Larger Photo’s.
RE: #9
Soon after the leader of the Mad (a.k.a. "White") House signed the wrong appropriations bill, the rubber walled madhouse (republican senate) pushed the debt ceiling up about $30,000 dollars for each American to $9,000,000,000,000.00 (nine trillion dollars).
Not one democrat voted for it, yet it passed. That is the way it is in America in 2006. The republicans have controlled congress for years, and now we are reaping the poor house because republicans control in the white house, congress, cabinet, and the rest.
In the congress the majority party is a rubber stamp dictatorial body supporting the dictatorial regime.
The vote to increase the debt ceiling to the moon went like this:
YEAs — 52
Alexander(R-TN) Allard(R-CO) Allen(R-VA) Bennett(R-UT) Bond(R-MO) Brownback(R-KS) Bunning(R-KY) Burr(R-NC) Chafee(R-RI) Chambliss(R-GA) Cochran(R-MS) Coleman(R-MN) Collins(R-ME) Cornyn(R-TX) Craig(R-ID) Crapo(R-ID) DeMint(R-SC) DeWine(R-OH) Dole(R-NC) Domenici(R-NM) Enzi(R-WY) Frist(R-TN) Graham(R-SC) Grassley(R-IA) Gregg(R-NH) Hagel(R-NE) Hatch(R-UT) Hutchison(R-TX) Inhofe(R-OK) Isakson(R-GA) Kyl(R-AZ) Lott(R-MS) Lugar(R-IN) Martinez(R-FL) McCain(R-AZ) McConnell(R-KY) Murkowski(R-AK) Roberts(R-KS) Santorum(R-PA) Sessions(R-AL) Shelby(R-AL) Smith(R-OR) Snowe(R-ME) Specter(R-PA) Stevens(R-AK) Sununu(R-NH) Talent(R-MO) Thomas(R-WY) Thune(R-SD) Vitter(R-LA) Voinovich(R-OH) Warner(R-VA)
NAYs — 48
Akaka(D-HI) Baucus(D-MT) Bayh(D-IN) Biden(D-DE) Bingaman(D-NM) Boxer(D-CA) Burns(R-MT) Byrd(D-WV) Cantwell(D-WA) Carper(D-DE) Clinton(D-NY) Coburn(R-OK) Conrad(D-ND) Dayton(D-MN) Dodd(D-CT) Dorgan(D-ND) Durbin(D-IL) Ensign(R-NV) Feingold(D-WI) Feinstein(D-CA) Harkin(D-IA) Inouye(D-HI) Jeffords (I-VT) Johnson(D-SD) Kennedy(D-MA) Kerry(D-MA) Kohl(D-WI) Landrieu(D-LA) Lautenberg(D-NJ) Leahy(D-VT) Levin(D-MI) Lieberman(D-CT) Lincoln(D-AR) Menendez(D-NJ) Mikulski(D-MD) Murray(D-WA) Nelson(D-FL) Nelson(D-NE) Obama(D-IL) Pryor(D-AR) Reed(D-RI) Reid(D-NV) Rockefeller(D-WV) Salazar(D-CO) Sarbanes(D-MD) Schumer(D-NY) Stabenow(D-MI) Wyden(D-OR)
I foward this from the LeftCoaster blog and ask that each of you seriously consider joining the campaign. It doesn’t have to cost you anything, and can be done in a matter of minutes, BUT the impact can be enormous.
Please help us keep the ball rolling.
We have been asking, begging, complaining, anticipating, waiting for someone, anyone, to scream truth to power. To tell it like it is. Someone has.
Russ Feingold
Since yesterday I have done some poking around and reading about Senator Feingold. I have only been following him since the fight began over the UNPatriot Act. Well, turns out, Sen Feingold has been fighting for America and Americans for a long time.
You can read where he stands on the issues here, and here you can see that I am not the only want that wants him to be President.
I have a plan. I would like to ask everyone’s help.
I suggest that each and every one of us send Senator Feingold a thank you card. Remember when mom made you send one to grandma after your birthday? Perhaps we include a $5 or $10 dollar donation in that thank you card with a call for him to be President? Lets send them to the the Green Bay office.
(Can’t send to DC ’cause it takes 2 months to screen them.)
Now, let’s just imagine if we get this campaign going on all of the blogs that everyone here visits on a regular basis? What if he receives 5000 thank you cards? 10,000 thank you cards? How many thank you cards flooding the Green Bay office do you think it will take to make the evening news?
While we are at it, let’s take a few minutes and call our Senators and tell them to support Feingold’s Resolution.
He has stood up against unfair trade, too much military spending, for civil liberties, for saving US jobs, for the environment. The more I read, the more I like.
So, how about we all spend a few minutes and 39 cents send a thank you card. We have the power to make a difference. Let’s get excited.
What say you?
I am writing my thank you note and including a little check and mailing it today.
(original post by Anjha at TLC March 14, 2006 07:26 AM
IF we mail them, the message will get out. There will be no way the Repugni-cons can stop it. And Senator Feingold will feel the support of people. Please help with the campaign if you can.
Wishing you peace and true Democracy.
Thanks Oppressmenot at #18.. that’s a very good idea, and can send a strong message.
I think the "6 or 7" here should send Senator Feingold a note.. postcard, letter, something.. And I think the KEY is, we all need to mention that we’re thanking him for his "Censure Resolution", or something about "this movement".. That way, once all the cards are in, he can stand in front of Congress and say "X thousands of cards have been flooding my office".. Let those in D.C. know we’re serious, and we’re out here.
I’m sending a post card today..
I am interested to know if Asner & Garafalo are speaking publicly at all about vote theft on electronic machines & optical scanners. I don’t seem to hear any liberals vocalizing about it. Why is that? Like say Arianna Huffington also. It’s like liberals do not want to even utter the words "electronic voting machines." This is the #1 problem in the United States!
What do Asner & Garafalo have to say about vote theft on electronic voting machines?
You realize, the Democrats may not get the majority, if this isn’t remedied by 2006 election.
Exactly what has changed as far as electronic voting machines, since 2004? Can we have a recap, Brad??? A summarization on exactly what has changed since 2004?
I foward this from the LeftCoaster blog and ask that each of you seriously consider joining the campaign. It doesn’t have to cost you anything, and can be done in a matter of minutes, BUT the impact can be enormous.
Please help us keep the ball rolling.
We have been asking, begging, complaining, anticipating, waiting for someone, anyone, to scream truth to power. To tell it like it is. Someone has.
Russ Feingold
Since yesterday I have done some poking around and reading about Senator Feingold. I have only been following him since the fight began over the UNPatriot Act. Well, turns out, Sen Feingold has been fighting for America and Americans for a long time.
You can read where he stands on the issues here, and here you can see that I am not the only want that wants him to be President.
I have a plan. I would like to ask everyone’s help.
I suggest that each and every one of us send Senator Feingold a thank you card. Remember when mom made you send one to grandma after your birthday? Perhaps we include a $5 or $10 dollar donation in that thank you card with a call for him to be President? Lets send them to the the Green Bay office.
(Can’t send to DC ’cause it takes 2 months to screen them.)
Now, let’s just imagine if we get this campaign going on all of the blogs that everyone here visits on a regular basis? What if he receives 5000 thank you cards? 10,000 thank you cards? How many thank you cards flooding the Green Bay office do you think it will take to make the evening news?
While we are at it, let’s take a few minutes and call our Senators and tell them to support Feingold’s Resolution.
He has stood up against unfair trade, too much military spending, for civil liberties, for saving US jobs, for the environment. The more I read, the more I like.
So, how about we all spend a few minutes and 39 cents send a thank you card. We have the power to make a difference. Let’s get excited.
What say you?
I am writing my thank you note and including a little check and mailing it today.
(original post by Anjha at TLC March 14, 2006 07:26 AM
IF we mail them, the message will get out. There will be no way the Repugni-cons can stop it. And Senator Feingold will feel the support of people. Please help with the campaign if you can.
Wishing you peace and true Democracy.
Sorry for the double post.
i was sitting in the engineer’s booth during recording, and must say that listening to Asner on puny TV speakers does not do justice to the full timbre of his voice, range, and ability. setting aside, for a moment, the solid work of a life-long career in a difficult profession…. in a small soundproofed room, his voice communicates — embodies — a breadth and depth of music and life experience that is, literally, stunning to hear.
Janeane nekkid? say it aint soo!
Oh my, she is one great liberal. She’s zany, cool, and I love her.
Des, I AM jealous !
Brad, you crazy guy! Ed looks good! What was in the mugs?