The Nuclear Fools Day Parade went off pretty well. One unfortunate incident did take place. One of the main organizers, and the most vocal person in the parade was arrested walking home from the Federal building for Jaywalking! Have you ever heard of anyone spending time in jail for Jaywalking? Not likely. She was bailed out later that night. It is impossible to look at an incident like that without calling it outright harrassment. More and more these days you will see proof that your freedom of speech is really only protected if you are trying to sell something. The messages of real importance, and the people who try to express those ideas are sought out for persecution. This incident is a prime example. Overall the parade was a great success. Very encouraging to know that there are people who are concerned and who want to do something about it.
Part-Time Whore broke up. We haven't been in the same room with each other since October 5 of last year.
It's no secret that we were not the best of friends, so like most bands we go out with a whimper instead of a bang. We had about 8 new songs but the push to continue was no longer there. While I think the conflicts were our biggest strength as a band it also proved to be the downfall, as our lives have gone in different directions. None of us has spoken since the last practice and I am not sure we'll be speaking in the near future.
I still have 200 LP's available, which is incredible because we pressed 500 and I thought I would be sitting on 450 forever. These last few records have new green covers thanks to Mark and Greg. All money raised in the sale of these records goes to support Free Radio Las Vegas.
Records are available for $4ppd thru Meat Slap Records PO BOX 73034 Las Vegas, Nevada 89170
We also had a track on the new Drinking comp from Very Small Records, distro thru No Idea.
Thanks to all the good people who supported us over the approximately 2 years that we were together as a band. Especially: Mark, Greg, Jen, Stoner Greg, Suzy, Batcave, Café Espresso Roma, Kate, Barb, Todd, Chad the warehouse guy, Shane, Mike, Jason, Clay, Debbie, Curt, Karl, Matt "the fuck" Bowker, Dierdre Ludwick, David Hayes, Boyde, Sunfyre, Therese, Food Not Bombs, Piece of Dump, that guy from Bangcock Shock who owned the "Club Unknown" and started a riot at one of our better shows, that kid who threw a rock through the window at the Club Unknown (John?), Kristy, Daryl, Paul, Amy, Laser Vida, Wild Bill, Pitt, Shyloh, Kiel, that Geof guy who sang on our record when we couldn't find anyone else to do it, Chris from Las Vegas New Times, Joyce Thomas for our only paying gig, my Mom and Dad, Misty, Angie, Checko, Sacha, Jeff Hughes, shit names just escape me, sorry if you wanted your name here and I left it off.
Also thanks to the good bands that we played with and or interacted with: Useless I.D., Dwarf Bitch (our first show was their last show), Damad, Heroines/Go/Conrad, Civic Minded Five, Gelflings, Keegan's Quest, American Steel, Operation Cliff Clavin, the Hellworms, Los Trios De Nada, Vermin, Grimey Offensive Drunks, the Conspiracy, Quadiliacha, Twelve Hour Turn, Guyana Punchline, Subtract To Zero, Los Federales, Smurfettes Whorehouse, Elmer, Slack Action, Disgruntled Nation, oh I know I'm forgetting some…damn
Richard H. Bryan
senator@bryan.senate.gov
Harry Reid
senator_reid@reid.senate.gov
Representatives
Shelley Berkley
shelley.berkley@mail.house.gov
Jim Gibbons
mail.gibbons@mail.house.gov
Here is the letter:
(Date)
(Your home address)
(Representative/Senator name/address)
Dear Representative/Senator (Name):
On January 20, 2000, the Federal Communications Commission made
broadcast history. The Commission approved the creation of a
low-power FM (LPFM) radio service, which has the potential to open up
the public airwaves to thousands of new voices nationwide.
This is a much-needed service; ever since the passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the number of stations has increased, but the number of station owners has decreased. This is due to the massive consolidation that has taken place because of the Act's less-restrictive rules on ownership.
The radio industry has seen spectacular growth as a result of these changes; revenue and profits are at all-time highs. However, these gains have been made at the expense of the American listening public.
Thanks to the increasing consolidation of radio station ownership, national program syndication and total automation of station programming has quickly become the norm in the industry. Radio newsrooms have been gutted; locally-produced programming is either minimal (providing less than half of most stations' content per broadcast day) or non-existent; feedback from stations to concerned listeners is either extremely arrogant or sorely absent.
People are decrying the loss of their 'hometown radio stations' because of a bottom-line mentality within the broadcast industry.
A strong case for the industry's abandonment of the interests of the communities in which they serve can be made. In fact, it already has - and it culminated with the FCC's action on January 20.
The FCC received the most public input on the LPFM service than it ever has before - on ANY other proposal in its history. Thousands of concerned individuals and coalitions took the time and effort to file official comments before the Commission on LPFM; the diversity of voices in favor of LPFM crossed all economic and demographic lines.
The radio broadcast industry brought its full weight to bear in an attempt to derail LPFM: It filed voluminous comments with the Commission, specifically denouncing LPFM as an interference threat to existing full-power stations and predicting massive problems with the industry's future transition to digital radio broadcasting.
However, the FCC did its own technical studies, and came to completely *opposite* conclusions on the viability of LPFM. At least one other study was filed with the Commission backing up those results.
Standing on solid technical ground, and faced with such massive public feedback, the FCC had no choice but to act accordingly.
However, there is a plan to thwart this progress. Just before the close of the Congressional session in 1999, Rep. Michael Oxley (R-OH) introduced H.R. 3439, a bill designed to kill any low power radio proposal approved by the FCC. This bill would also prohibit the FCC from ever considering such a proposal again.
In the Senate, Senator Judd Gregg is expected to announce companion legislation to HR 3439. The broadcast lobby has been hard at work lining up supporters in both chambers; chances are, you yourself have been contacted by broadcast interests urging you to support this legislation.
However, I - as a constituent and taxpayer - strongly urge you to OPPOSE any legislation repealing the FCC's actions. What is happening now is an attempt by the broadcast lobby to usurp the will of the American public. Broadcasters - both nationwide and in (your state) -want to kill LPFM NOT because of interference concerns; broadcasters are afraid of LPFM doing the job it *should* be doing, which is serving the communities of their license.
Unfortunately, public service is a word no longer in the commercial broadcaster's lexicon. LPFM is a partial solution to a problem plaguing America's radio landscape, and while Congress may not be able to fully right the wrongs caused by the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the FCC has taken a small step in the right direction.
Please have faith in the FCC's judgment and intelligence. The Commission worked long and hard, under intense political pressure, to do what is right for the American people. Please do not let us down. Register yourself in OPPOSITION to HR 3439 and the pending Senate bill; contact the sponsors of this misguided legislation and inform them of your intent; prevent this bill from becoming a 'rider' on other legislation; and urge the rest of (your state)'s Congressional delegation to do the same.
The will of the people - YOUR people - has already spoken. Going against it is inadvisable and short-sighted. I trust you will make the proper and just decision.
Sincerely,
(Sign name here)
(Type name here)
(Your postal address/phone number/email address here)
: "You can order the Part-Time Whore LP thru: No Idea Distro. (Gainesville FL), Vital Music Distro (NYC), Bottlenekk distro (San Fran.), Rhetoric Distro in (Wisconsin), or Chumpire (Pennsylvania). IF YOU LIVE IN VEGAS OUR RECORDS CAN BE FOUND AT THE UNDERGROUND FOR $5, OR YOU CAN BUY IT FOR $3ppd direct from us All proceeds go to Free Radio Las Vegas What do you think of that asshole? ARTWORK BY DIERDRE LUZWICK, MATT "THE FUCK" BOWKER, AND KARL JESSEN.
Contact us we like mail:
Meat Slap Records
PO Box 73034
Las Vegas, Nevada 89170
see ya
OTHER THINGS OF INTEREST:
Shundahai Network- Anti-Nuclear activist information
Meatslap Records- Gotta make moves...
Stardoom L.A.B.S.
Latest info on Low Power Radio from the FCC
REBUILDING PARADISE: hopelessly out of date zine
Los Trios De Nada
Chad Simmons very own website...what a rock star dumb shit
Vital Music Distro: These guys are selling the record, they gave it a good review!
Adbusters: Media Activists Unite!
Aardvark Mastering- vinyl recordings...only pussies release CD's!
Chris Bickle of Guana Punchline/Inhumanity
Amazing Filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky
National Association of Low Power Broadcasters: Great info on current actions w/LPFM
Free Radio Las Vegas Official Webpage: expect weekly updates...
