Blog Archives
Sad News for Grandy Fans!
For those in the DC area who listen to WMAL in the morning will be sad to hear that long time host, Fred Grandy, has resigned from the morning show. According to a WMAL statement, Grandy will be replaced by Bryan Nehman as the show’s main anchor. Grandy was one of my favorite talk show hosts (outside of Rush Limbaugh, Alex Jones, and Mike Trivisonno of The Triv Show on WTAM 1100 in Cleveland). I appreciated his humor and for shedding light on subjects, such as radical Islam, etc.
While WMAL did not release the real reason of Grandy’s resignation, there is speculation that his views on radical Islam may have made groups like the Council of American Islamic Relations (CAIR) to call for WMAL’s management to impose some guidelines on what’s discussed. James Lafferty, chairman of the Virginia Anti-Sharia Task Force (VAST), released the following statement regarding Grandy’s resignation.
James Lafferty, chairman of the Virginia Anti-Shariah Task Force or VAST – a group which opposes the spread of radical Islam in America, praised the Grandys and criticized WMAL’s management for “caving to the Council for American Islamic Relations once again.” CAIR frequently criticized Grandy for reading FBI reports and court documents on his radio show which labeled CAIR as “an unindicted co-conspirator” in the federal Holy Land Foundation terror finance trial.
“In one cowardly move , WMAL has made history – it has become the first Shariah-compliant radio station in America. No criticism of radical Islam is tolerated at WMAL and neither are articulate women with opinions.
“WMAL has committed a shameful act, an act which earns the contempt of every American who values free speech, the Constitution and the Truth.“WMAL’s heavy-handed tactics underscore the truth in everything the Grandys have warned us about. Shariah has no tolerance for even a single word of the Bill of Rights and those who question it are labeled enemies and marked for destruction.
“By my count, this is the third time WMAL management has allowed CAIR to veto talk show hosts and silence critics of radical Islam. The station needs to be taught a lesson by free people who value freedom of speech.”
When did standing up for what you believe is right become grounds for suppressing speech? The last I checked we do have the freedom to publicly discuss our dissent with public policy. Unfortunately, there are always a few groups that try to suppress these basic freedoms.
The Must-See Movie of 2011
I can’t wait until April 15th. No, not because it’s Tax Day (a day I would rather see eliminated), but Atlas Shrugged will be out in theaters. I can’t wait to watch this movie, and if it is as good as the book, we are all in for a treat.
Super Bowl 45: Way to Let Football Fans Down
This has got to be one of the worst Super Bowls in football history. Not because my team lost, but because of the amateur hour known as halftime. It began with a messed up version of our national anthem, thanks to Christina Aguilera botching the lyrics. Aguilera, who was mimicking Cyndi Lauper of 80s fame, sounded off many times throughout her performance.
The real disappointment came with the Halftime show. First, the sound system in the stadium failed. The NFL, not only messed up on the seating, but they royally screwed up with the sound and act. The Black-Eyed Peas sucked. From the Tron remake disaster, the best part of the show came from Twitter with responses like this:
God – never in my life have I wanted @kanyewest to interrupt a performance more. #superbowl #blackeyedpeas
Other than the disastrous entertainment, many fans were also disappointed when the tickets they purchased for the game were denied by NFL officials after a section of seats were not ready by Super Bowl Sunday. 15,000 people were assigned to watch the game from an outside area. What a treat that must have been? Watching the Super Bowl outside the stadium, you would have been better off watching the game at home.
Last, but not least, the commercials were somewhat bland. GM (Government Motors) was trying to revive itself by airing countless commercials with Eminem. $3 million per 30 second slot…so the long two-minute commercial about Detroit was $12 million. Way to waste the bailout money by trying to salvage your image, GM! The Doritos commercials were also pushing the envelope, especially with the guy who licked the chip seasoning off another guy.
Here’s my favorite commercial of the Super Bowl:
Otherwise, this Super Bowl was a fine example of commercialism and horrible entertainment. Hopefully, 2012 will be better.
TRON: Legacy
I am too excited about TRON:Legacy, which is opening in movie theaters on December 17th. Maybe, it is because of the awesome soundtrack accompanying the movie.
RIP Gary Coleman
TMZ reports that Gary Coleman has died of an intracranial hemorrhage caused by a fall. This is sad news, as Coleman was an 80s icon starring in the TV Show, “Diff’rent Strokes.” In fact, I still remember watching the show as a child imitating his famous line, “Whatcha talkin’ ’bout Willis?” Sad day…RIP Gary Coleman.
Saturday Tuneage: Departure from Normal
Normally, I would highlight a song for Saturday Tuneage. However, this week marked the start of Spring Training for Major League Baseball. As most of you know, I am a die hard baseball fanatic. In honor of my favorite sport, I wanted to focus Saturday Tuneage on my favorite baseball movie…Major League.
Saturday Tuneage: The Promise Ring
As a senior in high school, I was huge into emo rock and going to rock shows with my closest friends at Ottobar in Baltimore. Ten years later (wow…hard to believe it has really gone by this fast), I still listen to some of it and it brings back the flood of memories.
I want to focus on the very first show I attended at the Ottobar. I remember walking into this smoky old warehouse in West Baltimore and hearing all of these jam bands prep the way for the opening act. The Promise Ring was the main act that night. I remember how cool it was to see them up close and dancing to their music (well…headbanging to some of it). They played one of my favorite songs, “Red and Blue Jeans.” It has a happy beat, and it was just sheer amazing.
Here’s the video and I will let you back to your normal programming.
Saturday Tuneage: Lucinda Williams
Lately, I have had a revolving snow mix on my iPod to keep me sane during the cabin fever period. One of the artists on this mix, and the feature of this week’s Saturday Tuneage is Lucinda Williams. I love her song, “Something about what happens when we talk,” and her voice is filled with raw emotion.
Saturday Tuneage: Iron & Wine
Things have changed so much for me over the past few months, and it often feels like there is no time to catch up on relaxation. I now have a new appreciation for the snow, as this weekend allowed much time for relaxation and reflection. While I have not finished reading a book that has been in my backpack since December, I caught up on listening to some music friends have recommended.
This is why I am bringing back a segment that used to be on CCC, but with a new name. When I first started CCC, I had a segment called Rock On that featured what was running on my mp3 player. Now, it is called Saturday Tuneage, as I want to highlight my wide array of music tastes.
Saturday Tuneage is devoted to a Indie rock group called Iron & Wine. My friend recommended this group to me in December, after she went to see them play a live show. One thing that I was most impressed about was the acoustics and vocal arrangement. Iron & Wine also covered the song, “Such Great Heights,” which is far more beautiful sounding than The Postal Service’s version. However, I think you’ll love their acoustic sound most in their song, “Love and Some Verses.”
