I’ve been going pretty much non-stop since landing in NY on Wednesday. Unfortunately, I’ve had only spotty internet access…thus the reason for the lack of much commentary since my arrival.
But while I’m connected and have a few minutes, let me share with you some of the action I’ve seen.
Wednesday 3/17 … St. Patty’s Day. To me, there’s nothing like a partying holiday in NYC! The cab brought me from LaGuardia airport directly to the building above Radio City Music Hall, which is where Premiere Radio is headquartered. I went there to guest-host the Randi Rhodes Show… and the cab driver did a great job navigating the throngs of green-wearing drunken people lining the streets at 1pm who were at the parade that had just finished. Yes, I entered the city with a huge smile watching the partying crazy folk.
I found out that the studio I was broadcasting from used to be Glenn Beck’s studio. Luckily, no trace of him remained… though I did run into him yesterday. Seriously! I met a friend for a quick cup of coffee in a little cafe at the base of the Faux News building. I watched a line form at the entrance, figuring they were lining up for a TV taping. And after noticing that they were all pasty white people, figured they might be there for Beck. (Does he have a live audience? I don’t know…)
Anyway, as I got up to leave, I literally had to change my walking trajectory so as not to collide with the aforementioned Beck. For a moment I looked at him, then down at the water bottle I was carrying, and hesitated. How much satisfaction would I feel if I had thrown the water on him? Probably a lot, but not enough to spend the night in jail. I should have, however, said something. So much for not being prepared for that encounter.
Instead, I walked a block over to Broadway, and got in line to buy half price tickets to a Broadway show. As fate would have it, from the three shows I decided to try for, the best seats were available for the revival of South Pacific, a wonderful Rogers & Hammerstein musical that deals with racism and bigotry. In fact, a few months back, I used one of the songs from the show, “You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught” in a production piece interspersed with racist, ignorant, hateful pronouncements from the Beck-organized 9/12 rally in Washington DC. Serendipity, I suppose…
I’m on a break right now from Talkers magazine’s New Media Seminar. When I get back tonight, Sean Hannity will receive an award for Outstanding Community Service. I guess that’ll be for his so-called Freedom Alliance and “Freedom Concerts” that have been held around the country and raised millions of dollars, ostensibly for injured war vets and their families.
Just this morning, listener Elaine sent me this scathing blog from Debbie Schlussel, Sean Hannity’s Freedom CONcert Scam: Almost None of Charity’s $ Went to Injured Troops, Kids of Fallen Troops; G5s for Vannity? which tells the really sad truth that out of the millions of dollars raised, a scant 4% made it to the intended recipients.
When I see Hannity tonight, I think I’ll have to ask him about that. I’ll let you know how it goes…
Off to get into more trouble!