Meta update

Here's a much-anticipated barely noticed status update from this crappy semi-dormant blog:

1. I have a few blog posts in my head but haven't had time to write them yet. Probably will resume on Tuesday, January 5.
2. No Blast Off! Radio on Monday, January 4; it'll come back on January 11, barring intervening catastrophe (or further ennui).
3. Haloscan, the commenting platform Blast Off! has used since Day One, is being phased out of existence. It was supposed to cease operations on Blast Off! as of yesterday, January 2, but it may still be working as you read this. I just haven't had a chance through the holidays and traveling and all to investigate an alternative commenting system. So if you find that comments suddenly are gone, disabled, or otherwise wonky, please be patient and I'll figure it out this week.
4. Finally, and most importantly, Happy New Year. Here's hoping that 2010 is a far, far better year than its predecessor (which, sadly, isn't a very high bar in my case).

Stay tuned for more shortly....

Blast Off! Radio today at 4:00 pm EST: 2009: The Year That Sucked. A Lot.

I don't know whether it's too early in December for a year-in-review show, but as my travel-and-holiday schedule is likely to preclude my availability for another Monday show for the remainder of 2009, this is it for the year. And therefore, it's a perfect time for Blast Off! Radio's traditional year-end extravaganza!

Last year, there was a year-end show planned but never executed due to personal difficulties. But back in 2007, the year-end show had a very special title that I considered bringing back this year -- it would be appropriate, after all -- but in my more mature, calmer, somewhat-less-profane style of 2009, I thought I'd soften the blow just a bit.

So no F-bombs in this title. But let there be no doubt: 2009 was a thoroughly sucky year. And on today's show, we'll document the suckitude. Oh, I know the year wasn't all bad -- it saw the end of Drunky McStagger's presidency, for one very important thing. But the hope and change so fervently expected a year ago has been painfully slow in coming, and we find ourselves closing the curtain on 2009 having made little if any progress towards meaningful health care reform, equality for the GLBT community, an end to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, etc., etc.

Therefore, for reasons political, personal, and global, it's safe to say that 2009 has, for the most part, sucked out loud. And we'll document the damage on the show this afternoon. We'll also present a few year-end awards, including the coveted Yearly Schadenfreude award for 2009, and as always, your thoughts on the year almost past will be welcome through phone calls, chats, emails, and tweets.

Here's how you can join in all the fun and frolicking:

TIME: 4:00 pm Eastern TODAY

Click here to listen

Call in number: (646) 716-7543

E-mail: blastoffradio-at-gmail-dot-com

Please make plans to join me for a long-awaited, much-deserved, and yet ever-so-much-fun eulogy to the latest Year That Sucked. Remember, there's only one suckiest year ever ... at least until 2010.

Blast Off! Radio today at 4:00 pm EST: It's not dead yet!

I know it's been a while since Blast Off! Radio graced the airwaves -- hardly a fitting status for the winner of the 2009 Florida Netroots Award for Best Online Radio Show. But sometimes life gets in the way, and November included a household move, two lengthy journeys, and a family holiday for me. Therefore, I just decided to ice the whole month and start afresh in December. Which brings us to today....

The show returns today with a bang as we review some of the key political developments of the month of November in Florida and nationally, including the ongoing, never-ending, perpetual health care debate in Washington, the continued fall of the Republican Party, and the related refusal of the wingnutty tea party movement to hang its head as it justifiably should and fade meekly away. We'll also talk about what it's like to endure a wingnut family over the holidays, as I had to do once again this year. I'm looking for lots of input from that one, as I'm sure many of you are in the same boat....

Since it's been a few weeks, perhaps you need a friendly reminder of just how easy it is to join me on Blast Off! Radio -- really, you're just a click away:

TIME: 4:00 pm Eastern TODAY

Click here to listen

Call in number: (646) 716-7543

E-mail: blastoffradio-at-gmail-dot-com

So I hope you'll help me celebrate the triumphant momentous long-awaited barely tolerable return of Blast Off! Radio this afternoon. Just don't bop the show in the head, okay?

UPDATE (3:45 pm 12/7/09): Crap. Just realized I had put up the wrong "listen" link above. Should be fixed now. Sorry.

No Blast Off! Radio until Nov. 23

Well, it appears my semi-hiatus from blogging is continuing. I'm in a few-weeks-long process of moving back to central Florida, then of course there's Thanksgiving.... Bottom line is that because of travel and personal priorities, blogging is likely to be pretty sparse here through the remainder of November.

As for the radio show, quite by accident, I'm traveling on three of the next four Mondays. As such, the show schedule for the rest of the month looks like this:

Nov. 9 (today): NO SHOW
Nov. 16: NO SHOW
Nov. 23: Webcast planned at regular time, 4:00 pm Eastern
Nov. 30: NO SHOW

Although I'm away from blogging for the most part for a couple more weeks, I am tweeting pretty regularly (some might say TOO regularly), including some livetweeting as events warrant of the landfall of Hurricane Tropical Storm Ida tonight and tomorrow, as I'm presently en route to Pensacola Taintville™ to spend a few days vacating my erstwhile home there.

So please keep up with me on Twitter if you like, if for no other reason than to make sure I'm still alive, and thanks as always for your patience during this tumultuous time. But don't be surprised to see the occasional blog post pop up in this space. After all, there's rarely a hiatus in Republicans doing dumb things....

No Blast Off! Radio today

As I mentioned the other day, I'm in the process of moving back to central Florida (at least temporarily) this week. In fact, today's the day I'm actually moving my belongings from a south Florida storage unit, where they've been ensconced for ten months, up I-95 to my new home.

Therefore, I regret that there will be no Blast Off! Radio webcast today. But I'll plan to be back with you next week for all the snarky goodness that you've come to know and love tolerate.

Thanks for your patience and understanding.

Blast Off! Radio today at 4:00 pm EDT: Is it 2010 yet?

We're still more than a year away from the 2010 election, but things are really beginning to heat up here in America's Wang™ despite the cooler temperatures. While the gubernatorial race between state CFO Alex Sink and state attorney general Bill McCollum hasn't really hit its stride yet, there are plenty of fireworks to keep Florida political junkies interested in the U.S. Senate and state AG races.

On the Republican side, the Senate race finds Gov. Charlie Crist still comfortably out in front, but former state House Speaker Marco Rubio is exploiting a few chinks in the Guv's armor. Crist has been working hard to shore up his conservative credentials, but Rubio continues to win straw polls of party faithful in counties across the state. People have scoffed at me, but I've been saying for months that Rubio has a solid shot at winning the Republican nomination, and it's the disaffected conservatives who still run the state GOP who are flocking to him ... and those very same conservatives are the ones who are most likely to vote in the Republican primary next summer. Rubio has an uphill battle, but once the rank-and-file Republicans know who he is, they seem to like him pretty well -- and that spells trouble with a capital "T" for Empty Chair Charlie.

Meanwhile, on the Democratic side, U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek has enjoyed near-exclusivity in his drive for the nomination, with only a challenge from the likeable yet heavily outnumbered Kevin Burns realistically standing in his way ... until recently. Suddenly, former Miami mayor Maurice Ferre has thrown his hat into the ring ... but there are serious questions about where Ferre's loyalty really lies. Why is Ferre surrounding himself with Republican operatives and Democrats who have worked for Crist in the past? It's an important question, and it deserves an answer ... and you'll get some answers on this afternoon's edition of Blast Off! Radio.

We'll also point and laugh at the Republicans in the state Attorney General race, where GOP voters have an unenviable choice between a Palinesque quitter and an ethically-challenged lieutenant governor -- Holly Benson and Jeff Kottkamp, respectively -- as their nominee for Florida's chief law enforcement officer. The irony is rich ... and so is the schadenfreude!

Of course, we'll undoubtedly have the usual look at health care reform and what's going on in Washington, but we'll also talk some today about the offshore drilling debate in Florida and why you won't "pay less" if we "drill here" and "drill now." We'll discuss the absolutely idiotic "birther" movement and explore why such an utterly false and discredited allegation keeps getting attention (hint: we don't have a liberal media!), and we'll revisit our old friends in Pace, Fla., to see what's next on the horizon in the Christianist assault on the Constitution.

It's sure to be an hour full of insight, intrigue, and hopefully a little insolence. But, as always, you make the show work with your calls, chats, emails, and tweets. It's unbelievably easy to be a part of the show -- in fact, you're just a click away:

TIME: 4:00 pm Eastern TODAY

Click here to listen

Call in number: (646) 716-7543

E-mail: blastoffradio-at-gmail-dot-com

So, what's stopping you? Please join me today for Florida's best online radio show, Blast Off! Radio, for a unique and entertaining look at the issues facing the state, the country, and you.

(cross-posted at FPC Blog)

No Blast Off! Radio today

Due to travel and, frankly, sheer exhaustion, I'm going to have to cancel Blast Off! Radio for today.

Normal crappy blogging should resume tomorrow at the latest, and barring catastrophe of some kind, the crappy radio show will be back in its regular time slot next week.

Thanks for your patience.

Blast Off! Radio today at 4:00 pm EDT: Florida Democrats, health care, equality, and more

It's been a big week both in Florida and nationally for Democrats and especially the progressive (or liberal, if like me you're still okay with that label) side of the party. Today on Blast Off! Radio, we'll take a look back at The Week (And Weekend) That Was with a veritable plethora of interesting and illuminating topics.

For starters, right here in America's Wang™, the state Democratic Party held its convention this past weekend in Orlando, and I attended along with hundreds of my closest friends. A lot happened at the convention, and we'll recap some of the highlights on the show -- including the emergence of the Netroots Coalition as an important and well-regarded "force" in the party structure; the debate between Florida's Democratic candidates for Attorney General, Dave Aronberg and Dan Gelber; and of course the 2009 Florida Netroots Awards (and the understandable but needless controversy that seems to have sprung up around them).

But it wasn't just about Florida this past week. We'll discuss the latest "compromises" in the battle for meaningful health care reform and why Florida is likely to be screwed if either "opt-out" or "opt-in" passes. We'll also talk about the weekend's National Equality March in Washington (and in cities around the country) and why it's all about love ... and what, if anything, is the impact of the president's "announcement" Saturday that he will end Don't Ask, Don't Tell? And we'll mention the craze that's sweeping the nation (or at least Twitter) -- the "twammogram," and why it's making a difference in women's lives during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

As always, you make the show work, with your calls, chats, emails, tweets, etc. How do you listen and become involved, you ask? It's oh, so easy to do:

TIME: 4:00 pm Eastern TODAY

Click here to listen

Call in number: (646) 716-7543

E-mail: blastoffradio-at-gmail-dot-com

So please make plans to join me this afternoon for a Blast Off! Radio chock full of facts and fun. You'll be glad you did!

UPDATE (1:01 pm 10/12/09): Trying something a little new today: a new Blast Off! Radio theme song! I hope it works ... technical challenges are not my strong suit ... so tune in and find out!

(cross-posted at FPC Blog)

Blast Off! Radio today at 4:00 pm EDT: Building the perfect spine?

In the last week or so, we're seeing some curious behavior from certain Democrats in Congress. Formerly a largely meek and subservient species, they're beginning to show -- finally -- that they're mad as hell and not going to take it anymore. And by "it," I mean the unwarranted power of Republicans to control debate and legislation when they're not only a minority, but a significantly diminished minority at that. Whether it's Florida's own Rep. Alan Grayson sticking it to the GOP over their so-called health care plan, which basically is "Don't Get Sick, And If You Do, Please Die Quickly," or Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) finally showing some cojones, the Democrats are becoming more empowered, and it's nice to see.

Maybe Democrats are finally sick and tired of the constant right-wing drumbeat in the mainstream corporate media ... maybe they're sick of idiots like Glenn Beck and Rep. John Boehner (R-Orange Ohio) and the Sunday morning news shows' darling, Sen. John McCain (R-Shady Rest Nursing Home Ariz.), having their say time and time again without any recognition of what the majority of Americans favors ... but whatever the reason, I can sense a subtle change in direction. Sure, we've a long way to go yet, and on issues like the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and, particularly here in America's Wang™, the legal discrimination against thousands of citizens based on their sexual orientation, we're nowhere near resolution. But we're starting to move in the right direction ... and that direction, fortunately, is left.

We'll be talking about the Democrats' newfound spine on today's Blast Off! Radio, and as always, your participation is not only welcome, it's encouraged. Here's how to listen and be involved:

TIME: 4:00 pm Eastern TODAY

Click here to listen

Call in number: (646) 716-7543

E-mail: blastoffradio-at-gmail-dot-com

We'll talk about other issues, too -- like the NRA's attempt to intimidate mayors of American cities and the latest boneheaded appointment by Florida governor Charlie Crist -- and we'll take a look ahead to next weekend's Florida Democratic Party convention in Orlando, where I'll be a panelist for one session. But let's take some time today to celebrate the fact that Democrats are standing up and being heard.

You can be heard, too -- please join me this afternoon to do just that.

(cross-posted at FPC Blog)

Blast Off! Radio PRIMETIME tonight, 7:00 pm EDT: The ongoing battle against stupidity

I don't know whether it's the fact that we have a Scary Black Man in the White House or merely the complicity of the right-wing gasbags in the mainstream corporate media or something else altogether, but there seems to be an inordinate amount of stupid in America today ... and, predictably, the vast majority of it is coming from Republicans. Whether it's the ignorant ramblings of U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Dumbfuckistan), the neo-Confederate idiocy of GOP state legislators Carey Baker and Scott Plakon, or the astonishing lack of knowledge displayed by U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-You Kidding Me?), there's just a lot of morons out there, and unfortunately many of them have been elected to office by even dumber people.

Now you may be asking yourself, "Who is this blogger ... this DFH blogger at that! ... to be telling members of Congress and the Florida Legislature that they are dumb?" Well, that would be a legitimate question, but by any objective measure of intellect, these "rightards," who rely more on rhetoric and "talking points" than sense, clearly are on the lower end of the intelligence spectrum -- anyone can see that, including some other Republicans. So, we'll be discussing the increase in imbecility on tonight's special PRIMETIME edition of Blast Off! Radio, and I invite your input and participation.

It's quite easy to be a part of the show -- here's how:

SPECIAL TIME: 7:00 pm Eastern TONIGHT

Click here to listen

Call in number: (646) 716-7543

E-mail: blastoffradio-at-gmail-dot-com

It's long past time to take the country back from the stupid. And we're going to get it started on Blast Off! Radio tonight -- please make plans to join me for this very special episode. And don't forget to bring your wrath for the moronic and delusional among us ...

(cross-posted at FPC Blog)

Blast Off! Radio today at 4:00 pm EDT: Why do wingnuts still control American discourse?

Considering that the United States is pretty clearly split more or less evenly on ideological grounds, while polls repeatedly show that Americans -- even many right-of-center ones -- favor health care reform, same-sex marriage, and other so-called "liberal" ideas, it's somewhat puzzling to me that the Radical Right still controls so much of what we see and hear on a daily basis. In the past -- the ever-more-distant past -- the minority would be able to state their positions, but more often than not a pat on the head and a "that's nice, dear" would be about the only response needed. In 2009, though, the minority controls nearly every major media outlet and their often-insane rantings (against ACORN, gay rights, and the Scary Black Man in the White House, among others) not only are given credibility, but indeed they get their way far more often than they should (why the President is even giving them the time of day on ACORN is beyond me -- so much for socialism).

So, today on Blast Off! Radio, we'll take another look at the right-wing noise machine, locally and nationally, and talk about how they have turned what once might have been reasonable debate into the hate-and-fear-mongering prevalent today. In a saner time, there wouldn't be any dispute about the constitutionality of a court order banning organized prayer in public schools -- today, it's not only disputed, but the Christianist side is winning. In a saner time, people wouldn't shout in the faces of members of Congress on the issue of providing health care to the less fortunate among us -- today, it's encouraged. In a saner time, nutjob fringe radicals like Glenn Beck would be writing for some underground fascist rag -- today, he's the face of a major cable news network and the cover story in Time magazine. In a saner time, wingnut douchebags (self-loathing and otherwise) who ought to be in jail end up on reality TV game shows or with their own radio talk shows.

I really want to hear your thoughts on this today. Tell me your thoughts and whether or not you think sanity ever can be restored to political discourse in America.

It's very easy to be a part of the show. Here are the details:

TIME: 4:00 pm Eastern TODAY

Click here to listen

Call in number: (646) 716-7543

E-mail: blastoffradio-at-gmail-dot-com

So, please get your thoughts together, on this or anything else that's on your mind, and I'll catch you this afternoon on Blast Off! Radio.

No Blast Off! Radio today

As I mentioned yesterday, there will be no Blast Off! Radio today. I hope to return to more-or-less regular blogging tomorrow and that the sucky radio show will be back next week.

But, given how the month has gone thus far, it may continue to be tumultuous. Stay tuned, and thanks for your patience.

In the meantime, have a video. For one reason or another, it seems to apply (at least superficially) for me every year ...

Blast Off! Radio today at 4:00 pm EDT: Taking deranged wingnuttery to the next level

In a litany of outrage over the last decade or so, this one may take the prize as the most outlandish, most nonsensical, most hateful campaign of idiocy I've ever seen from the radical right-wing loons. I'm talking, of course, about the rhetorical detritus that is these wingnut protests against President Obama's speech to schoolchildren tomorrow.

Yes, the Right has managed to embarrass the country yet again, this time by a systematic propaganda effort to label a president's speech as "indoctrination" and "socialist" -- they've even demanded that schools seek parental permission to allow children to listen to the president of the United States! And, this being the Wingnut States of America, many schools and districts are caving to the Glenn Beck-led crusade against patriotism and decency, either refusing to show the speech at all or allowing parents to insist that their kids be given an "alternate activity" during the address. Talk about polarizing a student body ....

I never would have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself. And yet, this is the level to which the right-wing in this country has sunk: their abject fear and hatred of the Scary Black Man in the White House somehow makes it acceptable to hinder the entire public education system with their ludicrous claims.

Well, I have plenty to say about this lunacy, and I'll deliver the ranty goods in a truly epic way (if I do say so myself) this afternoon on Blast Off! Radio. And you're cordially invited to partake. Here are the details:

TIME: 4:00 pm Eastern TODAY

Click here to listen

Call in number: (646) 716-7543

E-mail: blastoffradio-at-gmail-dot-com

I want to hear what you have to say about all of this, too -- so please make plans to call in, chat, or otherwise participate. Hell, if you're on the other side of the ideological aisle from me, please feel free to tell me how far off I am on this, and how President Obama is only using this as a way to, à la Hitler, push his destructive agenda on the impressionable minds of our youth. Or whatever.

Oh, we may have time to cover some other topics, but I don't know. I'm feeling pretty ranty. Stay tuned, and buckle up ... this could be a bumpy ride.

(cross-posted at FPC Blog)

Blast Off! Radio today at 4:00 pm EDT: I'll take "Potpourri" for $400

Did you ever have one of those days when you just weren't sure what you should do? I mean, there's no one BIG thing on the agenda, so you just kind of pick up the threads of a bunch of little things hanging out there ...

Well, that's kind of what today's Blast Off! Radio is like. We're going to go free-form, stream-of-consciousness today to some extent ... but we'll make sure to touch on a few interesting items of note from the past week in Florida and national politics. There's the selection of George LeMieux, a trusted Charlie Crist aide, to be Florida's next U.S. senator ... the ongoing wingnuttery with regard to health care reform (and the town halls that evidently make the right-wing crazy!!) ... a look at the latest hypocritical hate from Florida's radical Christianists ... and of course some discussion of the legacy of Ted Kennedy. Plus, we'll commemorate the four-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's destructive visit to New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, not too far from the broadcast location of Blast Off! Radio today, and we'll take a moment to recall what the president was doing that very day.

As always, though, your participation makes the show happen. It's oh, so easy to be a part of Blast Off! Radio ... here's all you need to know:

TIME: 4:00 pm Eastern TODAY

Click here to listen

Call in number: (646) 716-7543

E-mail: blastoffradio-at-gmail-dot-com

I hope you'll make a point of joining me today for all the snark and substance of Blast Off! Radio. Catch you this afternoon!

(cross-posted at FPC Blog)

Blast Off! Radio PRIMETIME tonight, 7:00 pm EDT: Focus on the Pace school prayer debate

Last week's show, which dealt predominately with the health care reform issue, seemed to go well with a single-topic focus, so today I'll try it again. However, because of personal obligations, I have to shift the show time to evening, so it's going to be another special edition of Blast Off! Radio PRIMETIME!

Tonight we'll take a closer look at the ongoing efforts by radical Christianists in Pace, Fla., to inject their fundamentalist brand of religion into the city's (and Santa Rosa County's) public schools. This topic has been covered extensively on Blast Off! over the last few months*, but it's received comparatively little attention on the sucky radio show. I'm hoping to compensate for that somewhat tonight.

Of course, the Pace situation may be just a table-setter for the broader issue of religion in public schools and in government generally. Those of us who thought that the demise of the Bush crime syndicate meant the end of right-wing efforts to create an American theocracy evidently were wrong ... and northwest Florida appears to be the front line of the attacks on the Constitution.

Time permitting, maybe we'll go beyond Pace a bit and do some much-needed pointing-and-laughing at the latest escapades of former Florida House speaker Ray Sansom and talk about the Miami Herald's empty threats against a south Florida blogger.

As always, though, your participation makes the show click. Please gather up your stories, your anecdotes, and your righteous indignation about religious entanglement in government and public schools and plan to share them all on the show tonight. Here's how:

SPECIAL TIME: 7:00 pm Eastern TONIGHT

Click here to listen

Call in number: (646) 716-7543

E-mail: blastoffradio-at-gmail-dot-com

I'm looking forward to what promises to be another barnburner of a show. Catch you tonight on Blast Off! Radio PRIMETIME!

(cross-posted at FPC Blog)

---

* When you click the link, this post will be at the top; scroll past it to review Blast Off!'s coverage of the whole mess.

Blast Off! Radio RETURNS today at 4:00 pm EDT: The more things change ....

.... the more they stay the same. I know it's a cliché, but I think it's never been more true than it is right now.

Blast Off! Radio returns today after a summer hiatus of 2½ months, and not only are the right-wing crazies still around (and still getting an inordinate amount of mainstream corporate media coverage), they seem to be more rabid and violent than ever. I didn't even think that was possible ...

A lot has happened since I last inflicted my radical rantings on the webradio waves, and I'm not just talking about the Florida Bar exam. Why, this summer has seen the political seppuku of Sarah Palin, a precipitous and dangerous upswing in violence and hate from the Right (not the least of which is the ridiculous, disruptive displays at congressional health care forums nationwide), and more total disdain for American constitutional law from extremist Christians in northwest Florida. Indeed, it seems that as the temperature has risen, so too have the tempers of the fringe Right, most of whom just can't believe that a black man is president.

Well, I'm back to set things straight, and I hope you'll join me. Today on the show, we'll discuss the health care reform debacle and see if we can figure out why the president seems willing to back down on a public option. We'll also look at the prayer-in-school debate still raging in Santa Rosa County, Florida, as well as the gun nuts who think that a Scary Black Man™ will invade their homes and take away their guns (and, presumably, their masculinity as well ... and that's just the women gun nuts!). All that and more ... plus your calls, chats, and tweets.

How can you listen -- and participate? It's as easy as a click:

TIME: 4:00 pm Eastern TODAY

Click here to listen

Call in number: (646) 716-7543

E-mail: blastoffradio-at-gmail-dot-com

It's good to be back, and I hope you'll plan to be a part of the show this afternoon. There's an awful lot of pent-up ranting in here ...

(cross-posted at FPC Blog)

UPDATE (4:12 pm 8/17/09): The show has been archived here for your listening pleasure. Hope you'll listen -- it was a rollicking good time (although we never got around to talking about much besides health care reform).

Reminder: no Blast Off! Radio today

Just in case there is any confusion, there will be no Blast Off! Radio today. The show will return at its normal time next week: 4:00 pm EDT, Monday, August 17.

I still need a week to catch up on life and blogging before attempting to snarkify the webradio waves once again.

Thanks.

No Blast Off! Radio today

Due to my much-needed absence from the Blast Off! Radio studios today, there will be no show broadcast today.

But join me again next Monday for more snarky debate and discussion, at the usual place. Also, normal blogging ("normal" being a relative term, of course) will return by Thursday.

Thanks.

Blast Off! Radio today at 4:00 pm EDT: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times

It's been a very interesting week in Florida and national politics, and I've been privileged to experience some of it personally. After attending the Florida Democratic Party's Jefferson-Jackson festivities in Miami Beach this weekend, I was pretty highly motivated and ready to dive back into another week of liberal intrigue and excitement (if there is such a thing). Then came the news of the assassination of Dr. George Tiller, and suddenly I saw in stark relief the battles that still lie before us as progressives in America today.

Today on Blast Off! Radio, I'll share my thoughts about the Tiller killing and the causes that seem to have impelled Scott Roeder to commit murder (allegedly). In a larger sense, though, I'm thinking about inflammatory right-wing rhetoric and its effect on those most susceptible to it ... as we saw with the most horrific results yesterday.

But of course, I also want to spend some time reviewing Jefferson-Jackson, especially with regard to the role of the netroots there (and how we scooped all the major press on at least two highly significant stories -- yeah, one of those was mine). I'll talk about the latest in the school prayer fiasco going on in Santa Rosa County, where Pace High School's graduates "spontaneously" recited the Lord's Prayer at Saturday's graduation ceremony. And I'll respond to the baseless, scurrilous charges of state Rep. Luis Garcia (D-Miami Beach), who accused me of resembling corrupt Republican, former House speaker Ray Sansom. Shocking!

There'll be plenty more, including the Sotomayor nomination and what the Republican Party of Florida might be thinking ... but as always, the show depends on you, the listener, to really make it work. Here's how to listen and participate:

TIME: 4:00 pm Eastern TODAY

Click here to listen

Call in number: (646) 716-7543

E-mail: blastoffradio-at-gmail-dot-com

Please mark your calendars now to join me this afternoon for what promises to be an entertaining yet profoundly thought-provoking hour.

Blast Off! Radio today at 4:00 pm EDT: In remembrance

It is, I think, difficult to strike the appropriate tone for a webradio show on Memorial Day that is at once unabashedly snarky, generally pacifist, nearly always irreverent, and proudly hyper-liberal. But I firmly believe, contrary to the opinions of some who criticized me after the Pensacola Tea Party last month (and others), that it is possible to oppose current military actions while still honoring the service, courage, and sacrifice of our men and women in the military, past and present. In short, it is not the fault of the servicemembers that our armed forces were sent into wars that were misguided, unnecessary, and illegal, nor is it their fault that those undeclared wars continue today even after the schemers and criminals who sent them into battle have left office.

And so, on an at-least-partially-military-themed edition of Blast Off! Radio today, we will take time to recognize and express gratitude for those who serve in the American military, but also will express sorrow and, quite likely, indignation as well that they still are being put into harm's way for reasons that are unjustifiable under U.S. and international law. In addition, we will talk about the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, later codified into federal law, that enshrines open discrimination against the GLBT community into American jurisprudence, and we'll talk about how on this very day, some northwest Florida wingnuts, by inaccurately and irresponsibly protesting the federal government, are trashing the memories of those who gave their lives to protect that government.

There are some non-military topics to discuss as well, of course, including the Florida political scene as it comes into focus for the 2010 elections and how Greater Wingnuttia is getting even more unhinged (if that's even possible) over topics like prayer in public schools, federal stimulus money, and the so-called "debate" over torture.

As always, though, the show relies on you, the listener, to really make it work. Your calls, chats, and emails are the lifeblood of Blast Off! Radio ... and it's so easy to be a part of it, why wouldn't you join in? Here's how to do it:

TIME: 4:00 pm Eastern TODAY

Click here to listen

Call in number: (646) 716-7543

E-mail: blastoffradio-at-gmail-dot-com

I sincerely hope we'll avoid the technical difficulties that marred the end of last week's show ... so please make a point of spending one meager hour of this patriotic holiday exercising your right to free speech through Blast Off! Radio!